Cosmic Dance of Galaxies

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NGC 5713 and NGC 5719 are locked in a gravitational ballet about 88 million light-years from Earth. As these galaxies spiral closer, their smaller companion galaxies, or dwarfs, are being gravitationally shepherded into orderly, flat, co-rotating planes. This is similar to the arrangement of the Milky Way and Andromeda's satellite galaxies, which also lie within neat planes rather than random orbits. Researchers theorize that the shared gravity of the two larger galaxies, along with surrounding dark-matter filaments, is directing this structured motion.

This cosmic ballet is helping astronomers better understand the dynamics of galactic interactions. The findings also offer new perspectives on the likelihood of a future Milky Way-Andromeda collision. Recent studies, based on refined data from the Gaia and Hubble telescopes, suggest the probability of a crash is significantly lower than previously thought. The chance of a collision within the next five billion years is now estimated to be less than 2%, while the odds of a merger within 10 billion years are approximately 50%.

Star Formation

Star formation is active within this interacting pair of galaxies. The gravitational interactions and gas flows between the galaxies would likely trigger an increase in the rate of star birth, a phenomenon often observed in colliding or merging galaxy systems.

Formation Size and Gravity

The galaxy pair is approximately 150,000 light-years across. The speed of gravity is the same as the speed of light. The gravitational "information" of a change would take 150,000 years to cross the formation.

Special Relativity, Light Travel, and Young Earth Creationism

Special Relativity, a pillar of modern physics, has been experimentally verified to extremely high accuracy. It postulates that the speed of light in a vacuum is constant for all observers. This principle is fundamental to how scientists calculate vast cosmic distances and the time it takes for light to travel across them. The light from this galaxy pair takes 88 million years to reach Earth, based on this understanding.

Young Earth Creationism, which asserts the universe is only thousands of years old, faces a significant challenge with this "light-travel time problem." It has no accepted scientific solution to explain how we can observe light from galaxies millions of light-years away if the universe itself is much younger than the light's travel time.

Old Earth Creationism and Genesis Days

Old Earth Creationists (OEC) believe the days of Genesis are not 24-hour periods. Instead, they interpret them as long, geological ages or eras. This view, sometimes called the "Day-Age" theory, allows them to reconcile the biblical account of creation with the scientific evidence for an ancient Earth and universe. This interpretation sees the Genesis narrative as a theological framework rather than a strict chronological record.

Isaiah 40:26 "Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name..”

Isaiah 40:26 speaks of God's immense power and meticulous involvement in creation, stating He "brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name.”

For Old Earth Creationists, this verse resonates deeply with their understanding of a universe formed over vast stretches of time. They interpret "one by one" not as an instantaneous, simultaneous act, but as an ongoing, deliberate process. This perspective aligns with scientific observations of cosmic development, where stars form, burn, and die over millions and billions of years. God, in this view, is the orchestrator of this grand, extended process, carefully bringing each celestial body into existence according to His perfect timing and design. 

It emphasizes a God who is both transcendent and intimately involved, unfolding His creative plan gradually rather than in a single, sudden burst within a literal 24-hour day.

OEC and God's Glory

For Old Earth Creationists, an ancient and vast universe magnifies God's glory and creative power. They see the immense scale of the cosmos—its age, size, and complexity—as a profound testament to the Creator's grandeur and wisdom. Rather than viewing the long ages of science as a contradiction to scripture, they see them as further evidence of an awe-inspiring, magnificent God whose work is revealed in both the natural world and the Bible.



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