On August 21, 120 RTB staff members and guests will experience a perfect solar eclipse during our conference at the Washington Family Ranch in eastern Oregon. A perfect solar eclipse occurs when the disk of the Moon exactly blocks out the disk of the Sun. Such eclipses are a relatively recent phenomenon and humans are privileged to be able to witness these wonders.

For the past 4.5 billion years, the Moon has been moving away from the Earth. Currently, it is speeding away at a rate of 3.82 centimeters per year. The Moon’s recession from Earth means that the window for observing perfect solar eclipses is only about 300 million years wide. We humans “happen” to be living on Earth at the midpoint of those 300 million years. In other words, the only place where humans can live in the solar system is also the only place where perfect solar eclipses occur and these eclipses are occurring at the one time when human observers can appreciate them.

What benefits, besides an awesomely beautiful sight, do perfect solar eclipses yield? First, perfect solar eclipses permit the observation of the Sun’s atmosphere, chromosphere, and flares. Much of what astronomers have discerned about stellar atmospheres, stellar chromospheres, and stellar flaring has come by observing perfect solar eclipses.

Second, the timing of perfect solar eclipses at various locations on Earth provides humans with a sophisticated clock. The timing of solar eclipses allowed historians to produce a calendar of events in the early history of humanity. It also allowed astronomers to measure the slowing down of Earth’s rotation rate as a consequence of the tidal interactions between the Sun, Earth, and Moon. Thanks to solar eclipse timing measurements, astronomers know that Earth’s rotation rate is slowing down at a rate of two milliseconds per day per century.

Third, perfect solar eclipses provided the first confirmation of Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity, which catapulted Einstein to worldwide fame and provided the first scientific evidence that a God was necessary to explain the existence of the universe. Einstein published his theory of general relativity in 1916.1 It was a radical model of the universe that contradicted the reigning cosmic model of that time. Before Einstein’s theory of general relativity astronomers and physicists were convinced that the universe was eternal and static throughout its history. Einstein’s theory asserted that the universe had a finite age—it had a beginning, which implied that there was a cosmic Beginner. Einstein’s theory contradicted the notion of a static universe. The universe, according to general relativity, was either expanding or contracting. (Observations by Slipher and Hubble affirmed that it was expanding.)

Einstein showed in his paper that one of the implications of his theory of general relativity was that light passing by a massive body would be bent by the gravity of that body. In particular, Einstein showed that the Sun’s gravitational field would bend starlight by a maximum of 1.751 arcseconds.2

During a perfect solar eclipse astronomers and others can see stars close to the limb of the Sun. Britain’s famed mathematical physicist, Sir Arthur Eddington, organized an expedition to observe the total solar eclipse in Brazil that occurred in May 1919. Measurements by Eddington and his colleagues determined that starlight was bent by the Sun’s gravitational field by 1.8±0.2 arcseconds.3

News of the confirmation of a prediction of Einstein’s theory of general relativity was picked up by newspapers around the world. Albert Einstein became a household name globally. More importantly, the theological implications of Einstein’s theory of general relativity began to sink into the consciousness of scientists and others.4 The most significant are space-time theorems establishing a Creator beyond space and time. The universe now clearly testified of the supernatural, super-intelligent handiwork of the God of the Bible.

The solar eclipse of August 21 will be the first to cross America in 99 years. Millions of Americans will witness a perfect solar eclipse. Everyone in the contiguous 48 states will see at least a very good partial eclipse. Don’t miss it and rejoice with us that God created humans beings at the one time and the one place where we could enjoy and benefit from experiencing perfect solar eclipses.

Featured image credit: Luc Viator

Endnotes

  1. Albert Einstein, “Die Grundlage der allgemeinen Relativitätstheorie,” Annalen der Physik 49 (1916): 769–22. The English translation is in The Principle of Relativity by H. A; Lorentz, A. Einstein, H. Minkowski, and H. Weil with notes by A. Sommerfeld and translated by W. Perrett and G. B. Jeffrey (London: Methuen and Co. 1923): 109–64.
  2. Ibid.
  3. F. W. Dyson, A. S. Eddington, and C. Davidson, “A Determination of the Deflection of Light by the Sun’s Gravitational Field from Observations Made at the Total Eclipse of May 29, 1919,” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Series A 200 (1920): 291–33, doi:10.1098/rsta.1920.0009.
  4. I describe and explain these implications in The Creator and the Cosmos, 4th ed. This book will be released in early 2018.

Subjects: Sun, Solar System Design

Check out more from Dr. Hugh Ross @Reasons.org

About The Author

Dr. Hugh Ross

Reasons to Believe emerged from my passion to research, develop, and proclaim the most powerful new reasons to believe in Christ as Creator, Lord, and Savior and to use those new reasons to reach people for Christ. I also am eager to equip Christians to engage, rather than withdraw from or attack, educated non-Christians. One of the approaches I’ve developed, with the help of my RTB colleagues, is a biblical creation model that is testable, falsifiable, and predictive. I enjoy constructively integrating all 66 books of the Bible with all the science disciplines as a way to discover and apply deeper truths. 1 Peter 3:15–16 sets my ministry goal, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience." Hugh Ross launched his career at age seven when he went to the library to find out why stars are hot. Physics and astronomy captured his curiosity and never let go. At age seventeen he became the youngest person ever to serve as director of observations for Vancouver's Royal Astronomical Society. With the help of a provincial scholarship and a National Research Council (NRC) of Canada fellowship, he completed his undergraduate degree in physics (University of British Columbia) and graduate degrees in astronomy (University of Toronto). The NRC also sent him to the United States for postdoctoral studies. At Caltech he researched quasi-stellar objects, or "quasars," some of the most distant and ancient objects in the universe. Not all of Hugh's discoveries involved astrophysics. Prompted by curiosity, he studied the world’s religions and "holy books" and found only one book that proved scientifically and historically accurate: the Bible. Hugh started at religious "ground zero" and through scientific and historical reality-testing became convinced that the Bible is truly the Word of God! When he went on to describe for others his journey to faith in Jesus Christ, he was surprised to discover how many people believed or disbelieved without checking the evidence. Hugh's unshakable confidence that God's revelations in Scripture and nature do not, will not, and cannot contradict became his unique message. Wholeheartedly encouraged by family and friends, communicating that message as broadly and clearly as possible became his mission. Thus, in 1986, he founded science-faith think tank Reasons to Believe (RTB). He and his colleagues at RTB keep tabs on the frontiers of research to share with scientists and nonscientists alike the thrilling news of what's being discovered and how it connects with biblical theology. In this realm, he has written many books, including: The Fingerprint of God, The Creator and the Cosmos, Beyond the Cosmos, A Matter of Days, Creation as Science, Why the Universe Is the Way It Is, and More Than a Theory. Between writing books and articles, recording podcasts, and taking interviews, Hugh travels the world challenging students and faculty, churches and professional groups, to consider what they believe and why. He presents a persuasive case for Christianity without applying pressure. Because he treats people's questions and comments with respect, he is in great demand as a speaker and as a talk-radio and television guest. Having grown up amid the splendor of Canada's mountains, wildlife, and waterways, Hugh loves the outdoors. Hiking, trail running, and photography are among his favorite recreational pursuits - in addition to stargazing. Hugh lives in Southern California with his wife, Kathy, and two sons.



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