Milky Way Dynamics Shows Design
TNRTB Archive – Retained for reference information
Measurements of the structure and dynamics of the Milky Way Galaxy (MWG) reveal the fine-tuning required in our solar system to provide a planet capable of supporting advanced life. A team of international astronomers used methanol masers (microwave analogs of lasers) to determine the distance and motion of a large star-forming region in the Perseus spiral arm of the MWG. The parallax measurement resolved a long-standing discrepancy in distances determined by other techniques. Further, this star-forming region’s noncircular orbit, likely a result of interacting with the spiral arm, sharply contrasts with the highly circular orbit of the sun. Without a finely tuned circular orbit (at the appropriate radius from the galactic center) the solar system would experience much more frequent destructive gravitational interactions with the galaxy’s spiral arms. RTB’s cosmic creation model predicts such fine-tuning as the work of a supercaring Creator who has prepared a suitable habitat for humankind.
- Y. Xu et al., “The Distance to the Perseus Spiral Arm in the Milky Way,” Science 311 (2006): 54-57.
- https://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/311/5757/54
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