God Knows What You'll See!

Photo credit: NASA, ESA, HEIC, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

Climb the rugged mountain;

Find a flower there.

Probe the deepest ocean;

See its creatures stare.

Magnify the atom;

Tell what parts there be;

Gaze ye into heaven;

God knows what you’ll see!

-- K. Hartnett, November 1999

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out!  For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.  To Him be the glory forever!  Amen. (Romans 11:26)

The Cat's Eye Nebula - Unexpected Beauty

Located in the northern constellation of Draco the Dragon, NGC 6543 - the Cat’s Eye Nebula- is classified as by astronomers as a planetary nebula.  The term is historic, rather than functional, since these objects have nothing to do with planets.  Early telescopes found their disk-like shapes similar to that of the solar system planets and hence the name stuck.  Today’s telescopes reveal astounding structure and diversity among these objects.  Until very recently, planetaries were thought to be relatively well-understood shells of gas emitted from unstable stars.  As seemingly repeated in every corner  of God’s creation however, simple explanations do not carry the day.  The complex dynamics of multiple, co-rotating and out gassing stars with powerful radiation and sweeping magnetic fields are now thought to be responsible for these celestial masterpieces.

The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament proclaims His handiwork. (Psalm 19:1)  

God’s creation is full of intricacy and surprises everywhere.  Take any one piece of nature- even a single blade of grass- and one could spend a lifetime discovering the processes that govern it.  This poem celebrates the wonderful, God-honoring truth that men will forever be astounded at the  power and creativity of God.  Who among men would have foreseen the Cat’s Eye nebula?