Guest Blog — Dr. Jason Lisle

This past week, I had the pleasure of teaching Bible-based astronomy lessons at Jackson Hole Bible College. Since the Bible indicates that the lights in the sky were made for signs, seasons, days, and years (Genesis 1:14), we covered motions in the night sky. Students are now able to predict when stars will rise and set, phases of the moon, and the motion of the planets. We also did a virtual tour of the solar system using computer space simulation software. Students learned how each of the created planets brings glory to the Lord.

The dark night sky and crisp Wyoming air allowed us to do three nighttime observing sessions using a telescope. We saw binary stars, planetary nebulae, globular star clusters, open star clusters, galaxies, clusters of galaxies, satellites, a supernova remnant, and zodiacal light. We also were treated to views of the planets Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Saturn is always a hit, and more than one student commented that it looked almost “unreal.”

We even got to see an eclipse on Jupiter — one of Jupiter’s moons cast its tiny black shadow on this massive planet. We used our CCD to take digital images, including the two shown here.

The first is the globular star cluster in Hercules known as M13; it is a collection of hundreds of thousands of stars. The second is M51, the Whirlpool Galaxy. It is a collection of perhaps one hundred billion stars — so many that they blur together into a single spiral structure. It is amazing that God has a name for each of those stars (Psalm 147:4).

You too can get to see these amazing celestial gems by joining us this June 19-24 for the science camp that will be co-hosted by Answers in Genesis and Jackson Hole Bible College. I will be speaking on biblical astronomy, and will again show our guests some amazing views of the universe using the telescope. Those who come will also get to hear Dr. Terry Mortenson speak on geology, the Flood, and other important issues. Pastor Don Landis will also teach on a number of exciting, faith-building topics. Attendees will get to tour Yellowstone Park from a creationist perspective!