Evidence for Creation

[Paidion]

The sun is 864,938 miles in diameter; the earth is 7,926 miles in diameter.
Thus the sphere of the sun would hold about one million, three hundred thousand earths.
The earth's moon, Luna, is 2159 miles in diameter. Its distance from the earth is 238,855 miles.
Thus the sun is almost 396 times as far away from the earth as the sun.

But here's the stunning fact. From our point of view the circle of the sun is EXACTLY the same size and the circle of the moon.
Years ago, I viewed a total eclipse of the sun, a time when the moon is exactly between the earth and the sun (not exactly between in terms of distance, of course). Prior to the moment of total eclipse, I viewed the phenomenon with a #13 welder's glass. But at the moment of total eclipse, the apparent size of the two were exactly the same, so that I could look directly at the sun with the naked eye.


TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN BY THE MOON

Now what is the probability that by an accident in astral evolution, the sun and the moon are both exactly the right size and distance from the earth so that they appear to be EXACTLY the same size when viewed from earth. I would say the probability is close to zero— likely a lesser probability of casting 1000 dice and having them all turn up as sixes; this is possible but very highly unlikely. The probability of throwing 1000 sixes is 1 in 14 followed by 807 zeroes.

However, as far as is known this eclipse phenomena does not take place. For example, if you were on Mars and saw a total eclipse of Mars' moon Phobos, you would see a smaller dark circular shadow within the sun's circle. Mars' other moon, Deimos, is too far away from Mars to see with the unaided eye.


THREE IMAGES OF DEIMOS AS IT TRAVERSES THE SUN

So what do you think? Did the creator arrange the sun and moon deliberately so that they would appear exactly the same size when viewed from earth? Did He wish to give evidence of His creation to all who have eyes to see it, and a heart to understand it? Or was it just a freak accident?

[Ian]

Highly likely Paidion.

I like posts like this and am surprised no one else answered

[backwoodsman]

"Evidence" may be a bit too strong a word; it's the sort of thing that looks like evidence only to those who are already convinced of the conclusion.

That said, there's certainly nothing wrong with appreciating and thanking God for something that may or may not be purely coincidental, but is kinda cool nonetheless. Sunsets, for example; we know everything about their appearance is only a side effect of the relevant hard science, but everyone agrees they're beautiful.

Likewise, the angular diameter (apparent size) of the sun & moon. We know there are many different factors that have to be very finely tuned, some within a tiny fraction of 1%, for advanced life to exist (the last number I saw, several years ago, was well over 1000). A wild guess might say at least dozens of those are somehow related to the size, density, movement, distance, gravitational pull, etc., etc. of the sun and/or moon, many of which factors would affect their angular diameter viewed from earth. So, did God make their angular diameters very close deliberately, or did it just happen while He was arranging other factors that really matter? I tend to lean toward coincidence, but it's still kinda cool.

By the way, they're very close, but rarely exact. The moon ranges from around 7% smaller than the sun's smallest, to around 5% larger than the sun's largest.

[Paidion]

Yes Backwoodsman, one can presume the apparent sizes of the sun and moon being the same is accidental, since they are "inexact" at times. However, though it's not a rigid proof of creation, I still think it's evidence.

Here is another evidence of creation that I find even more amazing!

There is a particular honey-bee behaviour which could not a coincidence. When a worker finds a source of nectar, she flies back to the hive and does a figure-8 bee dance on one of the frames to inform other workers the distance and direction of the nectar source.

People have observed that if the centre of the figure 8 is vertical, then the nectar source is directly toward the position of the sun at the time (whether it's sunny or cloudy). However, if the centre of the figure 8 is 37º to the left of the vertical, then the nectar source is 37º to the left of the sun! And so on with any other angle! I myself who once kept bees as a hobby, was able to find the bees' nectar source by observing the angle of the bee dance.

Now honey bees have not studied geometry. Indeed, the worker bees which follow the dancing bee around determine the direction and distance by the pheromones which the dancing bee is exuding. The angle of the dance is irrelevant to them.

So why the relationship between the angle of the figure-8 centre and the angle of the sun? That relationship does not help the bees in any way. It's not a matter of survival. Evolution cannot account for it. So I can see no other way to account for it except that the Creator did it that way to wow us and make us aware of His presence in nature.

Here is a website which confirms what I wrote about the angles:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bees/hivecomm.html

[TruthInLove]

Hi Paidion,

Thanks for both of these posts. Both observations are interesting and encouraging. In thinking about the dancing bee, I wonder if, as God was designing the honey bee, he had in mind any of the events that would transpire in Deborah's life. As you probably know, Deborah means 'bee'. Interestingly, after her and Barak sing their song about the crushing of Sisera's head, her account is brought to a close with this statement:

"So may all your enemies perish, O Lord! But may they who love you be like the SUN when it rises in its strength."

Seems appropriate to me considering the messianic allusions throughout Deborah's account and the additional messianic significance of the sun, honey, and milk.