The Big Bang: an expanding universe

By Dr. Jay L Wile

Exploring Creation with Physical Science Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc.

Spectrum Lines

In the early 1900s, astronomers began to notice that the light coming from stars in galaxies other than the Milky Way is a bit different from what was expected. Wavelengths of light emitted by excited elements are called spectral lines. Each element has its own unique pattern of spectrum lines it emits when excited. These spectrum lines are well known and understood for most elements. When astronomers looked at spectrum lines that come from excited elements from stars of another galaxy, the spectrum lines were different from those of the same element on earth. For each element, the spectrum lines had longer wavelengths when the light came from other galaxies as compared to those same spectrun lines on earth. (Exploring Creation w/ Physical Science, J.L.Wile, pg.414)

The RedShift

The wavelength of visible light determines the color of the light. Visible light with the shortest wavelengths is blue, while visible light with long wavelengths is red. Astronomers found that the light from other galaxies had longer wavelengths than one would predict. The wavelengths seemed to be shifted to the red or long wavelength end of the spectrum. This phenomenon became known as the red shift. ( Exploring Creation w/ Physical Science pg.415)

The Doppler Effect for Light

What causes the red shift? Asronomers had a theory. The Doppler effect tells us that when moving objects emit waves, the frequency and wavelength of the waves we observe is different from what we would observe when the object is stationary. If the object moves toward us, the waves bunch up, and the observed wavelength is smaller than the actual wavelength and has a blue shift. If the object moves away from us, the waves get stretched out, and the observed wavelength is larger than the actual wavelength and has a red shift. (Exploring Creation w/ Physical Science, J.L.Wile, pg. 415)

The Vast Majority of the Galaxies Are Moving Away from the Earth

Asronomers saw that the light coming from most of the other galaxies had wavelengths that were longer than they should have been. They theorized that the red shift was actually the Doppler effect for light. Therefore most galaxies were actually moving away from the earth. As time went on, astronomers became convinced that the red shift was the Doppler effect and that most galaxies were moving away. The Andromeda galaxy, the closest to us, seems to be moving toward us because the light that comes from it is bluer than it should be. The vast majority of the galaxies emit a light that experiences a red shift so most astronomers have concluded that these galaxies are moving away from the earth.( Exploring Creation w/ Physical Science, pg. 415)

Edwin Hubble and the expanding universe

In 1929, Edwin Hubble noticed that the further the galaxy is away from the earth, the larger the red shift. Light that comes from distant galaxies has significantly larger wavelengths than expected. Astronomers have interpreted this to mean that the universe is actually expanding. Light that travels through the universe as it expands would get stretched because it would have to expand with the universe. According to this interpretation, the red shift is not the result of the Doppler effect. Instead, it is the result of the expanding universe. Today most astronomers think the universe is expanding. (Exploring Creation w/ Physical Science, J.L.Wile, pg.415)

The Expanding Universe: 2 Views

If the universe is expanding, it could be doing it in many different ways. It could be expanding from a central point, the way a balloon expands. In this case it could be an ever-expanding sphere. However, most astronomers think the universe is expanding, but not from a fixed center. They think it is expanding without any specific geometry at all. To contrast these two views, perform the following experiment. (Exploring Creation w/ Physical Science, pg. 415)

Experiment: An Expanding Universe

Supplies: Balloon & a marker to write on the balloon. Introduction: There are many possible ways the universe could be expanding. This experiment contrasts two of them. Procedure: 1. Lay the balloon flat on a table. Put

dots all over the balloon on both sides.

2. Bring the balloon to your mouth to blow it up.

3. Hold the balloon so that you can see the dots and blow the balloon up.

4. Notice how the dots move in relation to one another. (Exploring Creation w/ Physical Science,pg.416)

Expanding but with No Center

In the experiment you should have seen all the dots moving away from each other. Many astronomers consider this experiment an illustration of how the universe is expanding. According to them, the surface of the balloon and only the surface represents all of space. When you blow the balloon up, space (the surface of the balloon) begins to expand. Because space expands all the galaxies move away from each other. However, there is no point on the balloon´s surface which you can call the center point. Instead, the entire surface of the balloon expands with no specific geometry. This is how most astronomers believe the universe is expanding. (Exploring Creation w/ Physical Science, J.L.Wile, pg.416)

Same Data-Two Views

There are two views of the universe expanding. It might be expanding with a defined center and all the galaxies rushing away from the center, which is perfectly consistent with the data. Or, it might be expanding because, as space expands, it carries all structures away from each other, like the dots on the balloon. Again, this is perfectly consistent with the data. Or, it might not be expanding at all, if our interpretation of the red shift is wrong. Which of these opinions is right? The majority of the astronomers believe the universe is expanding without a center point. However, there is no scientific reason to choose that explanation over the one with a center point. (Exploring Creation w/ Physical Science, pg.417)

Philosophical Reasons

Why do most scientist believe in the non-centered universe? The answer is philosophical and not scientific. Most scientist do not want to believe there is anything special about any one particular point in the universe. If the universe were expanding from a central point, that point would be very special from a universal point of view. Most scientist do not want to believe there is any special place in the universe, therefore, they pick the model which conforms to their belief system. (Exploring Creation w/ Physical Science, pg. 417)

The Creationsts View

Astronomers who believe in God, however, look at things differently. If God created the universe, then he might want the earth to have a special place. We know that earth is in a special place because for life to exist many important values of physics must be exactly what they are or life would be impossible and even the universe as we know it would be impossible. There is a high degree of fine tuning in the universe that makes life on our planet possible. Just as the earth needs the sun, the earth might need a special position in the universe as a whole. If the galaxy in which the earth exists is near to the central point around which the universe expands, that would make it a special place and warrant certain philosophical conclusions. (Exploring Creation, pg.417.)

Dr. Russell Hunphreys: Starlight and Time

Dr. Russell Humphreys wrote a book entitled Starlight and Time. In it, using Einstein´s General Theory of Relativity, he develops an entire theory for the formation of the universe predicted on the assumption that the earth´s galaxy is at the center of the universe, and the universe is expanding around that point. A large number of creation scientists believe that the earth is only a few thousand years old. They believe that the vast majority of scientific data is consistent with this assumption and inconsistent with the assumption of billions of years. They believe the universe was created only a few thousand years ago. How can that be? (Exploring Creation w/ Physical Science, pg.417)

The Problem and Solution!

There seems to be a problem. We can observe stars that seem to be billions of light years away. If the creation of the universe happened only a few thousands years ago, how can we be seeing the light from those stars? It would take billions of years to get here. Dr. Humphreys theory tries to explan this problem. Using standard theories and tools that all other astrophysicists use, Dr. Humphreys shows that if the universe is expanding with the earth´s galaxy as its center, creation could have happened only a few thousand years ago, and we could still to be able to see light that took billions of years to travel here! Watch this link below for more information: (Exploring Creation w/ Physical Science, pg. 417)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3XSz5TEInU Origins: Starlight & Time- Dr. Russell Humphreys.

Big Bang or Dr. Humphrys?

The majority of scientists believe in a theory called the “big bang.” This theory assumes that the universe is expanding, but it assumes that the expansion takes place without a center. This theory concludes that the universe is a result of random chance and is billion of years old. Dr. Humphreys´theory tells us that if we assume the universe is expanding with earth´s galaxy as the center, the universe need not be the result of random chance, and need not be billions of years old. (Exploring Creation,pg.418)

Philosophical Assumptions

Which theory is right? We do not know. For all we know they are both wrong. However, we do know that the only real difference between them is a philosophical assumption. So, if you assume one way, you get one theory. If you assume another way, you get another theory. From the scientific point of view, both assumptions are absolutely equal. (Exploring Creation w/ Physical Science, J.L.Wile, pg.418)

The Bible confirmed!

The vast majority of scientist believe the universe is, indeed, expanding. Although science has only recently been considering such an idea, The Bible has always indicated that the universe is expanding. Job 9:5-8 says, “It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how... Who alone stretches out the heavens...” In addition, Psalm 104:1-2 says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul! O lord my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering Yourself with light as with a cloak, stretching out the heavens lile a tent curtain.” In both verses, and 15 other similar ones, the Bible mentions that God is stretching out the heavens. It has taken science thousands of years to conclude what the Bible has always said- the universe is expanding! (Exploring Creation w/ Physical Science, J.L.Wile, pg.418)

Jeremiah 32:17

Isaiah 40:22

Isaiah 45:12 & 44:24

Romans 1:20

References

Text taken from Dr. Jay L Wile´s textbook: Exploring Creation with PhysicalScience 2nd Edition, Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc., 2007. pages 414-418. http//www.apologia.com Images taken from Google Images used only for non- comerical, that is, educational purposes. Links available on Youtube. Dr. Humphreys book & Dr. Wile´s textbooks available online through various bookstores. Presentation arranged by Dennis Molinski