Good Heavens! The Human Side of Astronomy

There is much to the universe we simply don't know. And this unknown aspect of the cosmos inspires and fascinates us, inviting us to explore and engage it's tacit voice, "Come and see!"  The psalmist (Psalm 111:2) proclaims, "Great are the works of the LORD, they are studied by all who delight in them". While many scientists who study the cosmos do not acknowledge God as the Creator, their dedication to knowing more about the heavens tells us the created order is imbued with an inestimable value, majesty, awe, and wonder.  We are willing to spend time, effort, and money to knowing more about it's undisclosed secrets.  Whether it is the surface of the moon or the wondrous artistic sculpting of the cloud formations of Jupiter to the most distant galaxies, known or unknown, we believe it all declares the glory of God.  Some of the mysteries mentioned in this series for your further exploration! Note there are not specific "Christian" points of view expressed in these websites and resources and do not necessarily reflect the views of Wayne, Dan, Good Heavens, or Watchman Fellowship, Inc. Fast Radio Bursts: https://astronomy.com/news/2020/11/astronomers-have-finally-found-the-cause-of-mysterious-fast-radio-bursts Gamma Ray Bursts: https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/objects/bursts1.html Book: We Have No Idea https://www.amazon.com/We-Have-No-Idea-Universe/dp/0735211523/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=We+Have+No+Idea Podbean enables our podcast to be on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.  To support Good Heavens! on Podbean as a patron, you can use the Podbean app, or go to https://patron.podbean.com/goodheavens.  This goes to Wayne Spencer. If you would like to give to the ministry of Watchman Fellowship or to Daniel Ray, you can donate at https://www.watchman.org/daniel. Donations to Watchman are tax deductible. ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Lee and the PHANGS-HST Team

The universe is filled with "known unknowns" to quote the former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. They are fascinating, mysterious and worthy of our attention. There are all sorts of wonderous and fantastically mysterious light sculptures in the cosmos. We talk about the mysteries of stars, galaxies, galaxy structures, fast radio bursts, gamma ray bursts, and all kinds of other things that presently remain a mystery to astronomers, cosmologists, and astrophysicists. And we think all these great unknowns point to the glory of God in Christ. So come and see what's up in our marvelous universe and be amazed by what we don't know!    Some of the mysteries mentioned in this series for your further exploration! Note there are not specific "Christian" points of view expressed in these websites and resources and do not necessarily reflect the views of Wayne, Dan, Good Heavens, or Watchman Fellowship, Inc.    Mysterious light: https://www.npr.org/2020/11/18/936219170/scientists-discover-outer-space-isnt-pitch-black-after-all   MOND:  https://newatlas.com/physics/modified-gravity-evidence-dark-matter/    Technetium: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ethansiegel/2015/08/01/a-periodic-table-surprise-the-one-element-in-stars-that-isnt-on-earth/?sh=2fa74570df74   Podbean enables the Good Heavens podcast to be on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.  To support Good Heavens! on Podbean as a patron, you can use the Podbean app, or go to https://patron.podbean.com/goodheavens.  This goes to Wayne Spencer. If you would like to give to the ministry of Watchman Fellowship or to Daniel Ray, you can donate at https://www.watchman.org/daniel. Donations to Watchman are tax deductible.  

Somehow Wayne and Dan are still riding along on a comet  as they explore the mysteries and intrigue of these celestial wonders!  Could comets actually have helped to kickstart life? Just what kind of things must line up in order for this to have happened? What comets can we see in 2021?   Dan made another video trailer for this episode, click here and HANG ON! Video clips from ESA, NBC News, the Discovery Institute. Books: See David A. J. Seargent's book on Amazon, "The Greatest Comets in History: Broom Stars and Celestial Scimitars."  Also on Amazon, look for the 2020 updated edition of the book, "The Mystery of Life's Origin" by Thaxton, Bradley, and Olsen (and others).   For David Gelernter's essay on why he left Darwinism, go to https://claremontreviewofbooks.com/giving-up-darwin/ Or see Wayne's article for this podcast, on comets and the origin of life:  https://creationanswers.net/answersblog/2020/12/24/comets-meteorites-the-origin-of-life/ Podbean enables our podcast to be on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.  To support Good Heavens! on Podbean as a patron, you can use the Podbean app, or go to https://patron.podbean.com/goodheavens.  This goes to Wayne Spencer. If you would like to give to the ministry of Watchman Fellowship or to Daniel Ray, you can donate at https://www.watchman.org/store/donations. Donations to Watchman are tax deductible. Good Heavens! is a production of Watchman Fellowship, Inc. A 501 C (3) educational non-profit Christian research organization.

Come along and ride a comet with Wayne and Dan as they explore the mysteries and intrigue of these celestial wonders!  Why are they so regular? Why are they so surprising? How do they behave? What are they made of? From where did they come? And could they have seeded life on our planet?  From Halley and ISON to the present day extraordinary accomplishment of the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission to Comet 67P, comets continue to fascinate us. Come and see what's up with comets and find out how you can catch one in 2021!  To see a video trailer for this episode, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfHWqYxIaOo   See the book on The Greatest Comets in History on Amazon. See the technical book, "The Mystery of Life's Origin" on Amazon See Wayne’s article on comets and the origin of life at https://creationanswers.net/answersblog.   Podbean enables our podcast to be on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.  To support Good Heavens! on Podbean as a patron, you can use the Podbean app, or go to https://patron.podbean.com/goodheavens.  This goes to Wayne Spencer. If you would like to give to the ministry of Watchman Fellowship or to Daniel Ray, you can donate at https://www.watchman.org/store/donations. Donations to Watchman are tax deductible.    Good Heavens! is a production of Watchman Fellowship, Inc. A 501 C (3) educational non-profit Christian research organization providing the body of Christ with resources on apologetics, world religions, cults, and non-Christian worldviews. Visit our main site at Watchman.org.  If you enjoy Good Heavens! be sure to check out our other podcast Apologetics Profile. We feature conversations and interviews about Islam, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witness, science and other apologetics topics from top-notch authors and guests!  Image credit:  TRAPPIST/E. Jehin/ESO

We live in a fragmented world where everything seems to be classified, separated, divided and reduced to its subatomic bareness. Morality seems subjective, beauty is illusory and subjective, and we are confused about what is ultimately true about the world.  We've lost or are barely holding on to the idea that it's not only possible, but absolutely necessary to see the world as being reconciled in Christ. Despite what appears to us to be a host of unending confusion and fragmentation, we are assured by God that He upholds all things by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:1-3; Col. 1:16-20; John 1:1-9).  From stars to sparrows to the very hairs of our head, God's truth reigns and rules supremely and sovereignly.  On part two of our discussion with Dr. Christina George, we further examine the role of music in our lives and how it helps us to recapture a holistic view of the cosmos and our place within it. Come and see.  For more information on Christie's work, please visit her at http://cjgeorge.com.  The quote mentioned in the introduction comes from James E. Dolezal's book, All That is in God, available on Amazon. Podbean enables our podcast to be on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.  To support Good Heavens! on Podbean as a patron, you can use the Podbean app, or go to https://patron.podbean.com/goodheavens.  This goes to Wayne Spencer. If you would like to give to the ministry of Watchman Fellowship or to Daniel Ray, you can donate at https://www.watchman.org/store/donations. Donations to Watchman are tax deductible.

There is a music in creation for those who have the ears to ear it. From the singing stars present at the foundation of the Earth, to the song of Moses after the miraculous crossing of the Yam Suf, to the silent songs of nature, from stars to sparrows, as well as songs we make as image bearers of God, all point to a kingdom and country not of this world.  Hearing this music helps us to understand the world more holistically, enabling us to perceive it all centered upon the risen Lord Jesus - from science, to poetry, literature, theology, & music - all things were created by Him and for Him. He upholds all things by the word of His power.  Creation centered upon Jesus is the grandest of fairy tales and we are all characters and subjects of the King of king and Lord of lords. As followers of Christ, we live in what Tolkien and Lewis called the “true myth”, the true story to which all other myths point. Ours is a world alive with wonder, awe, and majesty, and we can know the Author Himself.  Our very special guest on this two-part episode of Good Heavens! is professional musicologist Dr. Christina George. Through song and music, Christie strives to unites beauty, philosophy, and theology together to help people see creation more holistically. In our darkening world of fragmentation, isolation, and niche specialization, Christie’s ministry is a much needed encouraging and thoughtful light.  For more on Christie’s work, you can visit her website, http://cjgeorge.com   Podbean enables our podcast to be on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.  To support Good Heavens! on Podbean as a patron, you can use the Podbean app, or go to https://patron.podbean.com/goodheavens.  This goes to Wayne Spencer. If you would like to give to the ministry of Watchman Fellowship or to Daniel Ray, you can donate at https://www.watchman.org/store/donations . Donations to Watchman are tax deductible.

This is part two of our conversation with chief veteran astronomer of Answers in Genesis, Dr. Danny Faulkner. If you've not caught part one, you don't want to miss it!  On this episode Danny and Wayne answer questions we took from Twitter, we talk about the recent tragic news about the Arecibo Radio Telescope in Puerto Rico collapsing, and we talk about a some unusual objects that passed through our solar system in recent times. And of course, we discuss how we think all of this news about the heavens, as well as our fascination with the cosmos, all point to the glory of God in Christ.    Dr. Danny Faulkner holds a PhD in Astronomy from Indiana University.  He taught at the University of South Carolina Lancaster for over 26 years.  He now works as a researcher, author, and speaker for Answers in Genesis (answersingenesis.org).  Check out Danny's blog.   Podbean enables our podcast to be on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.  To support Good Heavens! on Podbean as a patron, you can use the Podbean app, or go to https://patron.podbean.com/goodheavens.  This goes to Wayne Spencer. If you would like to give to the ministry of Watchman Fellowship or to Daniel Ray, you can donate at https://www.watchman.org/store/donations . Donations to Watchman are tax deductible.

On day two of the Creation week, the Bible tells us that God created the "expanse" (raqia in Hebrew). For centuries, many have believed the "expanse" to be made of something solid. On day four, God creates the greater and lesser lights and the stars and places them all in the expanse. The translators of the Septuagint translated raqia as the stereoma, a solid, crystal sphere. Jerome translated raqia into the Latin firmamentum. In this special two-part episode of Good Heavens! Wayne and Dan chat with veteran astronomer Dr. Danny Faulkner about what he has come to understand raqia and how he is using this concept to create a biblical cosmology. We think you'll find his insights quite fascinating!    Dr. Danny Faulkner holds a PhD in Astronomy from Indiana University.  He taught at the University of South Carolina Lancaster for over 26 years.  He now works as a researcher, author, and speaker for Answers in Genesis (answersingenesis.org). Check out Danny's blog.   Wayne maintains Good Heavens! on Podbean. Podbean enables our podcast to be on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms. If you would like to help Wayne defer the annual cost of maintaining Good Heavens! on Podbean, you can donate any amount at https://patron.podbean.com/goodheavens. Donations to Wayne are not tax deductible.  If you would like to give to the ministry of Watchman Fellowship or to Daniel Ray, you can donate at https://www.watchman.org/store/donations/ Donations to Watchman are tax deductible.   

What is string theory? In the field of physics, it's a relatively novel idea that suggests at the very smallest level, subatomic particles are made up of tiny, vibrating filaments, rather than point-like particles. These filaments are known as "strings", each with particular resonances, like strings on a musical instrument comprising different notes. The vibrations of the strings produce the particles physicists understand today.  But string theory is still theoretical and somewhat counterintuitive to common sense, as the mathematics proposes that there are extra dimensions in our universe. But neither the strings or the extra dimensions have been detected and our technology is not powerful or sophisticated enough to detect them.  So is string theory really science or just philosophical and mathematical speculation? And what does such a unique theory of the physical world have to do with the Christian faith?  Come and see! Our guest this week is Dr. Tom Rudelius, a theoretical physicist whose field of expertise is in string theory and early cosmology (the study of the very early universe). Tom is also a follower of Christ. Come and hear his remarkable testimony and how he sees & understands the intersection of science and faith.  For more about Tom, you can check out some work he has done with the Veritas Forum below. Some of the scientific and theological views expressed in our guests work do not necessarily reflect the views of Watchman.org, but we do strive to find common ground with our guests in the wonders of creation, in the glory of God and the person of the Lord Jesus.  https://youtu.be/8R_TTp5c4iI http://www.veritas.org/multiverse-podcast/  https://veritaschristoetecclesiae.wordpress.com/author/rudelius/ The blog by Aron Wall Tom mentioned, Undivided Looking.  Brian Greene's work on string theory. (He is not a Christian, so far as we know, but he is a leading expert on string theory.)  Part 1 of a NOVA video on string theory here:  https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/the-elegant-universe-part-1/ This podcast is provided through Good Heavens on Podbean.com.  To support this program go to https://goodheavens.podbean.com/  (or the Podbean App) and look for the Become a patron link in the upper right.

A special Good Heavens!/Apologetics Profile presentation of Dr. Sarah Salviander's chapter on God and black holes from The Story of the Cosmos - How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God.   TheStoryoftheCosmos.com What is a black hole? Where are they? How were they discovered? How does the majesty, mystery, and enigma of black holes point to the glory of God? Come along on this special episode and find out!  Dr. Sarah Salviander received her PhD in astrophysics from the University of Texas at Austin. She was a researcher at UT for sixteen years, where she specialized in the study of quasars, supermassive black holes, and galaxies. She is the author of several peer-reviewed journal papers and a comprehensive Astronomy & Astrophysics homeschool curriculum. She is currently writing books about the remarkable confluence between Christianity and modern science.  Author Website: https://sarahsalviander.com.    You can follow Sarah on Twitter at @SarahSalviander.   Sarah presented her talk at LifePoint Church in League City, Texas (South Houston) on October 21st, 2020, as part of their Wednesday Night “Unfiltered. Conversations that Matter” apologetics ministry. Thanks to Trevor Shakiba and Pastor Josh Sharpe for coordinating the event and for the assistance in the production of the video. You can visit the church’s website at https://golifepointchurch.org.   LifePoint provided the audio and video. Daniel Ray of Watchman Fellowship edited and produced the final video.   For more information on the ministry of Watchman Fellowship, visit our website at https://Watchman.org You can also see the video of this presentation here. https://youtu.be/xi0CwpY5ICg   This prodcast is provided through Good Heavens on Podbean.com.  To support this program go to https://goodheavens.podbean.com/  (or the Podbean App) and look for the Become a patron link in the upper right.