Local Birthrate of Massive Stars Shows Fine-tuning
TNRTB Archive – Retained for reference information
Scientists have uncovered more evidence of design in the location of the solar system in the Milky Way Galaxy. While a few local supernovae (massive stars that explode as they die) were critical for enriching the solar nebula (cloud of gas and dust) during the formation of the solar system, local supernovae are quite damaging once advanced life has formed on the earth. One measure of the local supernova rate is the rate at which large stars form, since these stars burn very quickly before going supernova. Researchers used a survey of hot stars in the solar neighborhood to show that the birthrate of massive stars confirms that the total supernova rate in the whole galaxy is 1-2 per century. If this rate were higher, Earth would have been subject to a much greater frequency of extinction events that wipe out significant fractions of life on Earth. Instead, the massive star birth rate (and subsequent supernova rate) is fine-tuned to provide the necessary elements for life on Earth without subjecting Earth to too many extinctions. Such fine-tuning is expected if a supernatural Creator was responsible for preparing Earth as a fit habitat for advanced life.
- B. Cameron Reed, “New Estimates of the Solar-Neighborhood Massive Star Birthrate and the Galactic Supernova Rate,” Astronomical Journal 130 (2005): 1652-57.
- https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/AJ/journal/issues/v130n4/204692/brief/204692.abstract.html
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