The Bible In Paintings, #33: Mt. Sinai #1 – GOD SHOWS OFF

Bing Images ^ | c. 2000 BC -- c. 90 AD | Father, Son & Holy Spirit

[Hebrews 11:6]

Post #9: “What took that photo at a distance sufficient to shrink our star to apparent insignificance? Surely not Hubble. Voyager? The specific source of the picture, if you please. “

[Hebrews 11:6]

Obviously the image of “our galaxy” is either an artist’s rendition, or perhaps of a similar spiral galaxy to give an idea of where we sit.

It is absolutely the standard photo of the Andromeda Galaxy, the Milky Way's sister and the only large galaxy anywhere near us, at only two million light-years' distance. The poster's contention that our star the Sun is of insignificant size in that photo, if true, means Hubble did not take it; but it certainly looks like a Hubble image to me. I think he's correct philosophically about our star's apparent insignificance without being correct technically.

[Hebrews 11:6]

I wonder if God created this immense universe as if spreading His arms wide and saying ‘I love you THIS much!’”

ABSOLUTELY! That's exactly why He created as He did, One need look no further for confirmation than Romans 1:19-20: "...what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made..."

However, it is very much worth noting, as I wrote in post #14, "Under the physical laws God chose in creating this (finite) universe, it requires a universe this inconceivably immense in order to yield just this one planet capable of indefinitely supporting advanced life, and here we are."

[jjotto]

It is a Hubble photo of Andromeda.

Here it’s credited:

http://www.sci-news.com/astronomy/science-halo-andromeda-galaxy-02780.html

[jjotto]

Oops!

The photo is actually from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer, not Hubble.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Thanks so much. Whether GALEX or Hubble, our Sun cannot be that insignificant speck that SkyDancer asserted. It would appear in any photo by those telescopes without magnification to be as large as it does to our naked eye, because both telescopes orbit the Earth and remain within a mere 93 million miles of it. He is simply mistaken about that, then, although his point is perfectly valid.

[SkyDancer]

In the relative size of the galaxy our sun is just an insignificant speck amongst all the other stars there and would not stand out.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Of course--it is just one of the Milky Way's 100,000,000,000+ stars. My point was simply that most definitely "we're NOT about an inch up and an inch to the right of the bright star in the lower left hand corner. One of those little orange stars is NOT our sun." Our sun appears that insignificant from the proper distance, but the camera that took that image orbits earth and our sun would appear to it to be immense.

Your point as to our relative insignificance is well-made, but your visual example is factually incorrect. I don't care, but if you present it to others the error may cause them to reject your point.

[Hebrews 11:6]

If you simply do an internet search for "Andromeda Galaxy," you get a dizzying array of photos, all very similar to yours because all were taken from roughly the same location: at the earth's surface or in near-earth orbit. From that distance our sun cannot appear as a "little orange star." Whoever or whatever told you it can is mistaken.

[Hebrews 11:6]

It couldn’t have been Hubble, because the images in that composite photo have round borders, whereas Hubble’s have that peculiar “stepped-L” shape.

[jjotto]

It’s a GALEX UV photo.

The story linked above was that Hubble revealed a ‘gaseous halo’ around Andromeda.

[Hebrews 11:6]

wonder if God created this immense universe as if spreading His arms wide and saying ‘I love you THIS much!’”

Was doing my daily Bible reading and came across this in 1 Chronicles 16

the Lord made the heavens. 27 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his dwelling place. 28 Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. 30 Tremble before him, all the earth! The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. 31 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!” 32 Let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them! 33 Let the trees of the forest sing, let them sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. 34 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. 35 Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, and glory in your praise.” 36 Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the Lord.”

[Hebrews 11:6]

Every galaxy has a (visually undetectable) dark matter halo along with enormous clouds of gas, but a gas halo is new to me. A Filimentary And Reactionary Taurus—F.A.R.T.?

[sgt_lau]

Of course it was rhetorical.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Just double-checking, since we don't have a tag. I'm certainly with you. Imagine how they felt. We'll actually be able to hear some of them describe it. Would be fun to hear Jesus' account of it, too.