Occasionally I encounter people who are not interested in learning about astronomy or even in finding out about "current events" in the heavens, such as a solar eclipse or a planetary transit.  They may think such things are a waste of time, a diversion from more worthy pursuits.  I am always saddened to discover such an attitude.

There are three reasons why I consider astronomy to be more than simply an interesting hobby: (1) it lifts our eyes toward heaven; (2) it demonstrates the providence of the Creator; and (3) it unites us with others across time and space.

Whenever I am gazing up at the stars or discussing current happenings in the sky, one of the images that most frequently comes to my mind is that of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.  The biblical book of Daniel recounts the following event in the life of this king:

As the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, he said, "Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?" The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, "This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you.  You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle.  Seven times [i.e. seven years] will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes."  Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled.  He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle.  His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.

At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored.  Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.  His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation.

(Daniel 4:29-34)

In our daily lives it is easy to focus only on ourselves and to get caught up in our own concerns.  We are like the cattle in the field, looking down at the ground, thinking only about earthly things.  But it was when King Nebuchadnezzar "raised his eyes toward heaven" that his sanity was restored.

Looking up at the stars and planets in the sky above us is an image of looking up toward heaven, opening our consciousness to the larger picture of the universe and creation, and lifting our mind and our thoughts to God.

References to the objects we observe in space are abundant in the Scriptures.  The following table shows how many times each word occurs in two popular English translations of the Bible: the New International Version (NIV) and the Revised Standard Version (RSV).  The NIV count encompasses the "protocanonical" books acknowledged by Protestants, while the RSV count also includes the "deuterocanonical" books recognized by Catholic and Orthodox Christians.

Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars.  (Psalm 148:3)

A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.  (Revelation 12:1)

Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.  Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.  (Daniel 12:2-3)

The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.  (I Corinthians 15:41)

He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing.  (Job 26:7)

He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers.  He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. (Isaiah 40:22)

* Counts returned by the linked web sites were adjusted as follows.  The NIV search returned the number of verses in which the search term was found, which had to be adjusted to account for verses in which the term occurred more than once.  Both searches returned other words which began with the search term, such as sung, sunder and sunk for "sun," so these irrelevant matches had to be excluded from the total.  Appropriate matches such as "sunrise" and "sunset" were retained.  The NIV search also returned words which included the search term within it, such as "mustard," which contains the letters of the word "star."  The list of excluded verses can be seen in the source code for this web page using the View -> Page Source command in your browser.

The Bible often uses heavenly objects in a symbolic manner to depict earthly realities.  For example, in the account of Joseph's dreams, the sun and moon represented his father and mother:

Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers.  "Listen," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me."  When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, "What is this dream you had?  Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?"

(Genesis 37:9-10)

Similarly, if we apply a certain kind of Christian symbolism to our study of astronomy, then the sun and moon can be seen to represent Christ and the Virgin Mary: the source of light and the perfect reflection of the light.  Likewise, we can understand the planets, which move back and forth through the constellations of the sky, to represent the apostles, of whom it is said, "Their proclamation has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the universe" (Prokeimenon for the Holy Apostles; see also Psalm 19:4 and Romans 10:18).  And the stars represent all the saints, who differ from one another in glory, just as one star shines more brightly than another (see Daniel 12:3 and I Corinthians 15:41).

When we gaze at the stars scattered across the night sky, we cannot help but be struck by how vast is the universe God has created.  This immediately teaches us something about our own finitude and God's greatness:

When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

(Psalm 8:3-4)

An event such as a solar eclipse or a planetary transit also teaches us something about the precision with which God has fashioned the universe.  If you have ever tried to build a mechanical or electrical object, you know how difficult it can be to get a complex design to work properly.  If everything is not put together just right, the pendulum runs into something, the railroad train goes off the track, the tower collapses, the rocket spins out of control.

When man-made satellites are launched into orbit, computers are used to calibrate their speed and angle precisely.  If the satellite goes too fast, it will escape the Earth's gravitational pull and fly off into space; too slow and it will crash back down to the ground.

Likewise the orbits of the planets and comets around the sun, and the orbits of the moons around their planets, are calibrated with extreme precision.  It is amazing that such a system could ever have been made to function in the first place.  That it could continue to operate for thousands or millions of years is simply miraculous.  This observation led the great mathematician and astronomer Isaac Newton to conclude:

This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets could proceed only from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being.

Of all the science experiments that I performed in school, the one that has made the most lasting impression on me was a project we did in my tenth grade biology class at Fresno High School.  As I recall, we worked in teams of two people.  Each team had to design and build a closed "ecosystem" that could sustain some kind of animal life.

My lab partner and I used a glass fish tank.  Our animal was one small potato bug (the kind that curls up into a ball with a hard gray shell).  To supply food and oxygen for the bug, we planted some kind of grass, perhaps bird seed or something similar.  Part of the tank was covered with dirt on the bottom for the grass to grow and part was covered with water to provide moisture for the plants and the bug.  Under the dirt we used some kind of special rocks that were intended to filter waste products and keep the water clean.  Once everything was in place, we sealed the tank so no air or water could get in or out.

The result was predictable.  Within a few days the bug was dead, and not long after that I think the grass probably also withered.  I understood immediately what the problem was: the ecosystem was too small!  There was not enough food for the bug, not enough air for the plants, and not enough space to keep the water clean.

Although the experiment was "unsuccessful" in one respect, it taught a valuable lesson.  I remember thinking how big the earth would have to be to support even one human being.  I had previously wondered why God made the universe so large.  All those stars and galaxies out there seemed to be a waste, unless perhaps they were just there for us to look at.  However, that "ecosystem" project led me to the realization not only of how large the earth had to be, but even that the whole universe had to be as big as it is in order to support human life.

I recently watched a science video entitled Journey Toward Creation.  It confirms, in more scientific terms, the intuitive conclusion I drew from my tenth grade biology experiment.  Astronomers and cosmologists studying the universe have developed what is called the "anthropic principle": the observation that there are hundreds of physical constants found in the make-up of the earth, our solar system, the other stars and galaxies in the universe, and even the laws of physics that appear to be "fine-tuned" to support human life over a long period of time.  Here are just three examples (taken from Design and the Anthropic Principle by Hugh Ross):

1. If the Earth's rotational period (that is, the length of a day) were longer than it is, the temperature differences between day and night would be too extreme to be hospitable for life; conversely, if the length of a day were any shorter (that is, if the Earth were rotating faster than it is), then atmospheric wind velocities would be too great.

2. If the average distance between stars in the universe were slightly smaller than it is, the gravitational interaction between stars would destabilize planetary orbits, causing extreme temperature variations on the planets; if the average interstellar distance were slightly larger, then the heavy elements thrown out by supernovae would be too thinly distributed for rocky planets like the Earth to form.

3. If the gravitational constant (that is, the force of gravity) were slightly stronger than it is, all stars in the universe would be too large and would burn too rapidly and unevenly to maintain life on any orbiting planets; if the gravitational force were slightly weaker, all stars would be too small to produce iron and other heavy elements necessary for life.

In Scripture we find this truth expressed in the words of St. Paul: "... all things were created by him and for him" (Colossians 1:16).  In other words, the whole universe -- all the galaxies and stars and planets and comets and moons, as well as the earth and all its oceans and continents and mountains and rivers, the birds and fish and land animals -- all of it was created so that the Son of God could become incarnate in human flesh; so that we could behold, in the words of St. John, "the glory of the Only Begotten, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."  (John 1:14)

The ancient pagans believed that the universe was eternal.  Advancements in astronomy and physics have rendered that view untenable today.  With the theory of the "Big Bang" widely accepted in the scientific community, even atheists acknowledge that all matter and energy, even space and time itself, had a beginning.

In spite of these advancements, the atheistic evolutionary view that prevails in academic circles nevertheless ascribes our existence to mere chance working over long periods of time.  Scientific evidence, however, such as the "anthropic principle," points to an intelligent designer as the source of the universe and of life.

When we observe the intricate precision with which God has designed the universe, we are reminded of God's wisdom and love: his wisdom because he was able to create the universe in all its beautiful perfection, and his love because he wanted to!

How many are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you made them all...
          (Psalm 104:24)

By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations,
by understanding he set the heavens in place...
          (Proverbs 3:19; see also Jeremiah 10:12)

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
          His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
          His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
          His love endures forever.
to him who alone does great wonders,
          His love endures forever.
who by his understanding made the heavens,
          His love endures forever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters,
          His love endures forever.
who made the great lights --
          His love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day,
          His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night;
          His love endures forever.
          (Psalm 136:1-9)

Finally, our observation of the heavens can be a link that joins us to other people who lived in past ages as well as those alive on earth today who are separated from us geographically.  For example, after Jupiter and Venus moved past each other in early June 2002, I posted a web page showing the relative position of the two planets as seen on the same day by an observer in Australia and an observer in America.  Though we were separated by thousands of miles across the surface of the earth, we were looking at the same thing in the sky!

Likewise, when we look up to the heavens, we are seeing the same constellations and planets that ancient peoples used for timekeeping and navigation.

During our recent trip to America, our family was driving to Las Vegas one night, and we had to get off the freeway to change Samuel's diaper.  Where we live in Sydney, we can see the brightest of the stars and planets from our balcony, but our view of dimmer objects is obscured by the city lights all around us.  Driving through the Nevada desert, however, we could see many more stars than we usually do, a dense canopy covering the sky above us.  I was reminded of the passage in Genesis where God promises Abraham to make his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky.  While we were stopped beside the highway, I had Garrett get out of the car and look up at all those stars, and I recounted that bibilical passage to him.

[T]he word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision...  He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars -- if indeed you can count them."  Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

(Genesis 15:1,5)

This is one of the reasons why I prefer "naked-eye" astronomy and why I have never bought a telescope.  I like being able to see what is also easy for others to see.  If I tell someone that I spent hundreds of dollars on a telescope so I could see Saturn's rings, they might be impressed, but they can't readily share the experience.  But to see Venus or Jupiter or the crescent moon, all you have to do is go out on your balcony and look up!

I must admit that I have made one exception to my general "naked-eye" rule.  I did buy solar viewing glasses to watch the December 2002 solar eclipse and for the upcoming transit of Venus.  These solar glasses are inexpensive and widely available.  For a few dollars anyone can get a pair and enjoy the same view.  Also, the glasses provide no magnification, so you are still seeing what your own eyes can see, just without the sunlight that would otherwise blind you.

Hopefully this article helps to explain why I am so enthusiastic about sharing my occasional astronomy photos and keeping others informed about unusual events in the night sky.  A healthy interest in astronomy raises our eyes toward heaven; it teaches us about the wisdom and love of God, displayed in the careful design of the universe; and it reminds us of our common humanity, shared with other people in different parts of the world today and with all previous generations who have lived on the earth.

May your observation lead to greater understanding and your understanding to greater love.

If I can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge,
but have not love,
I am nothing.

(St. Paul the Apostle, I Corinthians 13:2)