Daily Devotional – October 20

Cosmology

Our Sun is remarkably unique. We do not have a run-of-the-mill star that lights our planet, but an exceptionally distinct star. The Sun is in the top 10% by mass as compared to other stars in the neighborhood of the Milky Way galaxy. This makes it perfect for sustaining life on Earth. If it were the size of super-giant Betelgeuse (in the constellation of Orion), it would engulf the inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars). If it were as bright as Rigel (25,000 times brighter than the sun), it would emit too much radiation. If it were smaller, it would not support life on our Earth. If our sun were in a multi-star system (small group of stars gravitationally bound to each other), it would cause the Earth to experience extreme temperature variations. Most observable stars are part of multi-star systems.

The Sun’s position in the Milky Way galaxy is also perfect. Our Sun is located on the outer edge of one of the spiral arms - far away from common inner galaxy star explosions (supernovae). Our Sun is an exceptionally stable star whereas other single stars of the same size, brightness, and composition have violent ejections called coronal mass ejections about once every 100 years. In 1989, the Sun experienced just one of these superflares - causing a huge disruption of the power grids in northern Quebec. Yet, this was a small superflare as compared to other stars; they produce superflares 100 million times more powerful than the ones that blacked out Quebec. If the Sun ejected such a superflare, the Earth’s ozone layer would be destroyed, and all life on Earth would be wiped out. Our Sun is remarkably unique! Praise the Lord! Because it is so stable, so ideally located, so ideally sized - it is the perfect sun, ideally made by God for us - the crown of His creation.

From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord’s name is to be praised.

~ Psalm 113:3

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

References for this devotional.