Early Universe
NASA Public Domain Image: The Milky Way
Scientists behind the development of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) believe their design will allow us to see stars and galaxies as they appeared 13.5 billion years ago. This is the scientific definition of the early universe. There are two main theories behind determining the age of the universe. The main-stream theory among the scientific community is the big bang theory. Under this model of universe development, the ability to see far away galaxies gives us the ability to see them billions of years ago, as the light from these distant galaxies left the galaxies billions of years ago.
The distance to these far galaxies is measured based on what is referred to as their red-shifts. The red-shift of a galaxy describes the wavelength of the observed colors of the galaxy. These shifts are based on a studied phenomenon that the universe is expanding at a known rate. The distance from the earth can be estimated by measuring the shift in the light spectrum toward red, which is a shorter wavelength. The Hubble telescope was capable of seeing red-shifts up 11, whereas the JWST can observe these shifts up to 15, due to it being 100 times more sensitive to red light.
Scientists are hoping JWST will spot Population III galaxies, which would show stars made up of only Hydrogen, Helium and trace amounts of lithium, with no other heavy elements. These are the theoretical first stars to form after the big bang, and because of the principles of physics and the way light travels, should be the only star we observe at these great distances. The big bang theory depends on the existence of these Population III stars to support the main premise that re-ionization triggered by these early stars created the rest of the elements. In the big bang theory, without Population III stars there would be no carbon, no oxygen, no silicon, no earth and no life.
Let’s just say, the big bang theory is at risk of being proven wrong in more than one way. One of the first discoveries to harm the theory was the discovery of supermassive black holes (SMBH). The most distant SBMH to be discovered was found at a red-shift of 7.54, which is equal to the young age of 690-million-years. This created a problem for the big bang theory, as in theory these SBMHs should have taken several billion years to form. An SBMH requires 800-million times more mass than the Sun in order to form, but nothing in the theory explains the formation of such phenomena. The largest observed stars are only in the neighborhood of 300 times larger than our sun. The Population III stars are estimated to be 500 times larger than our sun and still too small to generate such massive black holes.
The second theory of the formation of the universe is quite a bit more controversial among the scientific community; it is the theory of creation. In this theory God created the heavens and the earth rapidly over a period of six days. This creation took place approximately 15,000 years ago. There are a couple of points made by modern science to contradict the age of a young universe, but they also depend on our understanding of the laws of physics. Scientists claim that we would not be able to see the light from these distant galaxies if they appeared only 15,000 years ago, because the light from their formation would not have reached us yet.
The creation science experts follow the sequence of events outlined in the Bible for the order of creation and believe that light was created on day 1, meaning that everything in the universe became visible at the instant in which light was created. We have only observed the propagation of light, and not its creation. We have studied light extensively and still struggle with defining light. We see properties of light that make it behave like particles, but we also see it behave like waves. Waves require a material in order to propagate, yet light travels through a vacuum without issues, like a particle, but has varying frequencies like a wave. If light is a created substance it does not have to travel the distance of the universe at the time of creation, but will carry vibrations and changes at the known speed of light, allowing us to observe the age of the galaxies. It is my belief that JWST will disprove the big bang theory, creating more struggles for us to ignore the truth of a creator. For example I expect them to observe no difference in the distant stars and galaxies than in our own, showing that they were created at the same time and not over billions of years. It only takes one Population I or II star discovery at the great distance to show all stars were created in the same time period, just like our earth was created with an appearance of age, because God made it in its mature form and not through a series of growing pains. Until next week stay safe and learn something new.
Scott Hamilton is an Expert in Emerging Technologies at ATOS and can be reached with questions and comments via email to sh*******@te**********.org or through his website at https://www.techshepherd.org.
