Feeling a little Rushed Lately? – If you feel a little rushed lately you might be surprised at how fast you’re actually moving, even when you’re “Standing still.”
- The earth at this latitude of Washington DC is spinning at about 750 Miles an hour.
- But the spinning earth is also rotating around the Sun at approximately 67,000 miles an hour.
- And, the sun around which we move so fast is also rotating around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy at 558,000 miles per hour.
- And the whole universe is also spinning and moving outward at 1,339,200 miles per hour.
It’s dizzying to consider our speed and motion: A spinning earth rotating around a sun which is rotating around a galaxy which is rotating around a universe at millions of miles an hour. So if you think you’re standing still, think again. We are actually hurtling through space at dizzying speeds.
Look! The Lord advances like the clouds, his chariots come like a whirlwind, his horses are swifter than eagles. (Jer 4:13)
I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands O Lord. (Psalm 119:60 Heth)
Hurry! Go quickly! Don’t stop! (1 Sam 20:38)
God has told me to hurry. (2 Chron 35:21)
Wait, the Sun and Universe spin? How is that possible?
Yes, the Sun does indeed spin.
You forgot that the very atoms in us vibrate constantly and are, when you get right down to it, made up mostly of space…..This and the magnificence/minificence post really sing to me (a scientist). I worship the God who created the Rockies and the mitochondron, who can make me feel solid and still on a speck of rock hurtling and spinning through space. This is a God ultimately beyond my understanding, and that is a good thing to remember in a world that demands “sense” of everything. It reminds me that there’s a great deal of truth–most of it, in fact–beyond my own experience. I suppose it’s why–even though a convert–I have never had a bit of trouble with the Real Presence–another complicated, wonderful miracle by an awesome God in a world in which things are infinitely more beautiful than it seems on the surface. Only instead of appreciating it by math, telescopes and microscopes, I come to see it with the “eyes” of faith.
Thanks for this testimony!
I think I got motion sickness reading your post.
Yesterday, as I was (over-) contemplating the idea of eyelash bacteria being a universe away from the toe bacteria, it occured to me that the distance was only relatively vast, that, in fact, I could bring the eyelash microbe and toe microbe together in scarcely any time at all, whereas there is (at present) no conceivable way for us to traverse our universe in what could be considered a relatively short time.
And does anyone know at what speeds the microbes and bacteria and other sub-atomic particles of the inner universe travel?
Many deep questions here! Sorry for the motion sickness and the rather unappealing bacteria imagery. But all creatures great and small!
Hi Monsignor,
Where did you obtain the information that says the universe is rotating?
As far as I know the universe is not rotating. The following NASA website
indicates that the universe is not rotating
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/961217a.html
I studied general relativity at university to the doctoral level and as far
as I am aware the universe is not rotating. Although if someone can find a
peer reviewed scientific publication containing experimental evidence that says
otherwise, I might accept it.
God bless
Although, saying this, I have probably missed the point of article
altogether. I guess, the point is to slow down, make time for God
and give thanks.
it is expanding outward. I think you need to slow down 🙂 and appreciate the poetry more than the scince of the article. I had not intended to write a scientific journal post. Just to tell you that we’re on the move! Even if the last number needs adjustments we’re still on the move! Festina lente!
I think the universe is beautiful. We are indeed on the move 😀
I’ve never thought about it, nor read anything one way or the other, but it stands to reason that the entire universe would be both expanding and rotating.
At the big bang, did matter and energy simply shoot out from the original singularity in a straight line, like spokes from a hub, and has been expanding in that fashion ever since, such that the universe is not rotating? Gravity would seem to suggest “no.” The mass from adjoining matter would attract that matter by gravity, so that the expansion would go out in a curved line, not a straight line. Of couse, there is mass on either side of the expansion, so, on the other hand, the gravitational forces might cancel themselves out. BUT, we know from observation that the expansion was not uniform, there were lopsided spots here and there that have allowed for that matter to merge together to form stars and galaxies.
In any event, one needs to account for the effect of gravity of mass lateral to the expansion line. Reason would suggest that it is not a straight-line expansion, but is curved, i.e. a rotating universe.
Of course, then there is the theory that the entire universe is spherical (otherwise, what could possibly “exist” outside the boundaries of the universe?), so that if you go far enough in one direction, you will end up on the other side of the universe. That too would suggest a rotating universe.
Thanks for this thoughtful speculation. It looks like I have trampled upon scientific “purity” for some of our readers. It is clear that the universe is expanding outward (eg red shift) that it may be spinning or not is a matter of some debate. I agree with you, having it shoot out in merely straight lines seems unlikely but I’ll cede the point to the purists it may not be spinning. Truth be told, all the scientific purists need to lighten up a bit since scientific theories have shifted mightly enven in my short 50 years of life. I tak the certitiudes of science with more a grain of salt than some of the science types mights prefer but since I’ve been born we’ve gone from steady state orthodoxy to expaning universe. Quantum has come into its own and relativtity, which 100 years ago would have been dismissed as preposterous has not become law. I love science but it is more in flux than some of the geeks would admit.
I don’t know that it is or isn’t. And frankly, I don’t know how it could be measured one way or the other. Sure, you have things like background radiation, temperature, etc. but if the entire universe is rotating, the “background” is rotating with it. You could only detect a rotation or other movement relative to some other point outside the observation point. Then again, if it is rotating as a whole, then the outer sections must be zipping along at quite a pace, probably having to approach lightspeed, even if it is a slow spin overall, implicating all sorts of relativity issues, so maybe it is not rotating as a whole after all.
This much is certain — the universe is not stationary and static. It is quite a dynamic Creation that God made. Things going on all over the place.
I find it hard to appreciate the poetry of an article with such a serious error about science. I’m a scientist, and seeing errors like this throws me out of the spirit of what I’m reading.
As an analogy, it would be like, for a Catholic, reading beautiful poetry, and finding the line “And thanks be to the Mother Goddess…” It doesn’t ruin the whole poem, but it makes it harder to appreciate. Errors in truth affect beauty.
The Universe isn’t rotating. Properly, it’s rate of expansion is different depending on the distance from one’s chosen center. I hope that doesn’t unweave too much of the rainbow for you.
I enjoyed the rest of it, though.
“serious error” might be an overstatement. The movement of the universe is outward rather than circular. Interesting question: what is it expanding into?
A simple analogy is that of dots (galaxies) on a balloon getting farther and farther apart as you blow the balloon. So the universe is expanding and since there’s no limit to space, it will continue to do so. There used to be a theory that after some point, it will contract and collapse, and then expand again, but it is out of disfavor. Only God knows the truth.
It is amazing to think of even the earth rotating and us not feeling a thing …
“# The earth at this latitude of Washington DC is spinning at about 750 Miles an hour toward the West.
# But the spinning earth is also rotating around the Sun at approximately 67,000 miles an hour.
# And, the sun around which we move so fast is also rotating around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy at 558,000 miles per hour.”
And then they say ‘ it’s windy’ 😛
“It’s dizzying to consider our speed and motion: A spinning earth rotating around a sun which is rotating around a galaxy which is rotating around a universe at millions of miles an hour. So if you think you’re standing still, think again. We are actually hurtling through space at dizzying speeds.”
Luckily we FEEL acceleration (that comes from Force, F=M*a, where M is the mass and a the acceleration) rather than speed itself.
“Wait, the Sun and Universe spin? How is that possible?”
I am not sure if the universe ‘spins’ but the universe is expanding, meaning that all galaxies are getting farther away from each other (on average that is) and this speed of expansion is actually increasing (ie they are accelerating).
The point is that not actually the galaxies are moving away from each other but rather the ‘ space between them’ is ‘stretching’
===
@ PatrickC
“”I studied general relativity at university to the doctoral level and as far
as I am aware the universe is not rotating. Although if someone can find a
peer reviewed scientific publication containing experimental evidence that says
otherwise, I might accept it.””
Some argue for a rotating universe:
Seshavatharam, U.V.S., Progress in Physics, 2 , pp. 7-14 (2010).
P BIrch, Nature 298, 451 – 454 (1982) http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v298/n5873/abs/298451a0.html
Abstract of article from 2009: http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.4575 (S. Su, Astrophysical journal 2009)
—
I think there is no strong enough empirical evidence to be sure if the universe rotates.
Also if it does indeed rotate… does that mean it has a ‘ centre’ ? These are good questions.
Thank you Ismael. They would be very good questions indeed.
Thanks Ismael for adding more voices here.
To the atheist and the evolutionist:
A plant’s ‘world’ is not beyond its own form – it has no sensory perception of anything outside it.
An animal’s ‘world’ is within the limits of its sensory perception: to a goldfish that may be 18”, a whale it may be 18,000 miles.
Man’s ‘world’, as the video ably illustrates, is not just the whole of creation – from the furthest galaxy to the tiniest sub-atomic particle – but also the spiritual, non-material ‘world’ including philosophy and Theology; angels and demons; heaven and hell.
Is it not poignant to all that, given everything in the video can only be comprehended by Man alone, it was for Man alone that it was created?
O Lord, our Lord, how glorious is your name over all the earth!
. . . . .
When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you set in place — What is man that you should be mindful of him,or the son of man that you should care for him?
(from Psalm 8, verses 2, 4-5)
TeaPot562
Aaaahhhhhhh … but what about the Biblical references to “hurrying” that Msgr included?
Thank you, Msgr, for including those.
It has certainly given me a yearning to go and read up more on what the Scriptures have to say about haste.
And much for me to ponder, such as … perhaps the exponential expansion of the universe is the universe’s way of hastening towards Our Lord’s second coming, that even nature is “running the race” (Hebr 12:1) to fulfil the Creator’s plan.
Thank you sir,
For the information on the speed of which the amazing creation of God spins.
My wife and myself teach children’s church and God’s creation.
And this info is perfect info for helping them further know how amazing God is.
The Lord our God gave us science and i appreciate the knowledge of comments but i have to refer to the truth of the word. ( 1 Corinthians 3: 19- For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
Or ( Proverbs 14:12 New King James Version (NKJV) 12. There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.)
To just end with this.truly God has blessed men with great wisdom which is evident in the comments but, i believe there is much more evidence of creation than of evolution. And if the scientist of this world would just seek they would find. ( The truth and the truth would set them free.)