For many years, scientists have searched for extraterrestrial life, particularly intelligent civilisations. So far, no signals from other sentient beings have been found. Scientists have, however, discovered exoplanets where a civilisation could theoretically emerge. Does the existence of such planets then conflict with religions, especially those based on the Bible, such as Christianity, which centres on human life on Earth?
What are exoplanets?
First, let us consider what an exoplanet, also called an extrasolar planet, is. Put simply, it is a planet that orbits a star other than the Sun. So far, the existence of over 4,000 exoplanets has been confirmed, while thousands more remain classified as exoplanet candidates.1 Still, two questions remain: 1. Do exoplanets truly exist? 2. How were they formed?2
Do exoplanets truly exist?
To answer the first question, we can refer to several techniques used to detect exoplanets.
The first is the Doppler effect, or radial velocity method, which makes it possible to observe slight changes in the colour of a star’s light spectrum.
The second is the transit method, which involves analysing light curves for regular dips in brightness when a possible planet passes between its star and the Earth.
The third method, which is more recent, involves direct imaging of a star to capture light reflected from a potential planet. The planet Beta Pictoris b, for instance, was discovered in this way.3
These techniques are well established in observational science, so there is no reason to doubt that other stars have planets.4
The formation of planets – the Nebular Hypothesis
The second question, which concerns the formation of exoplanets, belongs to the field of historical science. Secular science holds to the nebular hypothesis, which suggests that gas and dust naturally condense around newly formed stars to form planets. This theory is also used to explain the origin of the solar system. It is therefore assumed that all exoplanets should show the physical features predicted by this model.
Planets that should not exist
Exoplanets can be full of surprises. The first three were discovered in 1992 around the pulsar PSR B1257+12. Until then, it was thought that planets could not orbit pulsars, since the supernova that formed the pulsar should have destroyed any planets near the exploding star.5
Another planet was discovered in 1995, and it also surprised scientists, who had believed that other planetary systems would be similar to the solar system. The planet, 51 Pegasi b, is a gas giant with at least half the mass of Jupiter, yet it orbits its star at a distance nineteen times closer than Earth is to the Sun.
Many such hot Jupiters have been found since then. Scientists had once thought it impossible for gas giants to orbit so close to their stars, and existing models cannot explain how they formed. Yet this type of exoplanet has turned out to be the most commonly discovered.6
Problematic orbits
Exoplanet orbits have also proven to be unexpected. A significant number follow highly elliptical trajectories, meaning they have high orbital eccentricity. An eccentricity of 0 represents a perfect circle, while a value of 1 indicates a parabolic path. Earth’s orbit has an eccentricity of 0.0167, making it nearly circular. In contrast, the orbit of Epsilon Eridani b has an eccentricity of around 0.7, more than forty times greater than that of Earth.7
Planets are typically expected to orbit their star close to the equatorial plane. Yet some exoplanets show unusual orbital inclinations, which present a challenge to the standard formation hypothesis.8 For example, the planet WASP-17b orbits its star in the opposite direction to the star’s rotation, with an inclination of 149 degrees relative to the equatorial plane. This is known as retrograde motion.9 The orbit of WASP-79b is approximately 83 degrees, meaning it moves almost at a right angle to the equatorial plane, passing over the star’s poles.10 Several other planets share similar features, and the naturalistic nebular hypothesis cannot explain these irregularities.
A unique planetary system
This shows just how unique our solar system is.11 All of its planets have roughly circular orbits. The gas giants are found only in the outer regions, while the inner part contains only rocky planets.12 Earth alone has conditions that are nearly perfect for life, including intelligent life, with the Moon playing a key role. Christians believe that God created the Earth to be inhabited.13 For that reason, the entire solar system must reflect a design that allows humans, animals, and other creatures to live safely on Earth.
It is reasonable to wonder what purpose God may have had in creating other planetary systems. On this, we can only speculate. One thing, however, is clear: the Bible says that the heavens declare the glory of God.14 We can be certain that whatever God planned served a definite purpose.
By the way, we recommend reading the articles:
- Comets, the Oort Cloud, and the Age of the Solar System
- What is the Higgs Boson?
- What Happened to the Waters Above the Firmament?
- The Anthropic Principle: Why Does the Universe Accommodate Life?
- Axis of Evil – Could It Overturn the Big Bang Theory?
Footnotes
- NASA (n.d.) How many exoplanets are there? Available at: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/faq/6/how-many-exoplanets-are-there/
- Spencer, W. (2010) ‘Planets around other stars’, Creation, 33(1), pp. 45–47. Available at: https://creation.com/extrasolar-planets-problems-for-evolution
- Nielsen, E.L. et al. (2020) ‘The Gemini Planet Imager Exoplanet Survey: Dynamical Mass of the Exoplanet β Pictoris b from Combined Direct Imaging and Astrometry’, The Astronomical Journal, 159(2), p. 71.
- Spencer, W. (2010) ‘Planets around other stars’, Creation, 33(1), pp. 45–47.
- Wolszczan, A. and Frail, D. (1992) Discovery of the first exoplanets in orbit around a pulsar.
- Lisle, J. (2011) ‘Exoplanets – Unpredictable Patterns’, Answers Magazine, 6(1), pp. 44–47. Available at: https://answersingenesis.org/astronomy/extrasolar-planets/exoplanets-unpredictable-patterns/
- Lisle, J. (2011) ‘Exoplanets – Unpredictable Patterns’, Answers Magazine, 6(1), pp. 44–47.
- Williams, M. (2016) ‘How Was the Solar System Formed? – The Nebular Hypothesis’, Universe Today, 1 June. Available at: https://www.universetoday.com/38118/how-was-the-solar-system-formed/
- Anderson, D.R. et al. (2010) ‘WASP-17b: An Ultra-Low Density Planet in a Probable Retrograde Orbit’, The Astrophysical Journal, 709(1), pp. 159–167. Available at: https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010ApJ…709..159A/abstract
- Kohler, S. (2021) ‘A Pileup of Perpendicular Planets’, AAS Nova Highlight, 19 July. Available at: https://aasnova.org/2021/07/19/a-pile-up-of-perpendicular-planets/
- Bernitt, R. (2003) ‘Extrasolar planets suggest our solar system is unique and young’, Journal of Creation, 17(1), pp. 11–13. Available at: https://creation.com/extrasolar-planets-suggest-our-solar-system-is-unique-and-young
- Excludes dwarf planets such as Pluto and other trans-Neptunian objects.
- The Bible, New King James Version, 1982, Isaiah 45:18.
- The Bible, New King James Version, 1982, Psalm 19:2.
© Source of main image: Leonardo.ai.
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