Recent NASA findings show the number of galaxies are much more than what humans originally thought. Leaders of the apologetics' group, Answers in Genesis, say this is proof the Bible is true.
Analysis of Hubble Space Telescope data revealed there are approximately 2 trillion galaxies in the universe. Each of these galaxies have around 100 billion stars, each with its own system of planets, reports CBN News.
"We are missing the vast majority of galaxies because they are very faint and far away," Christopher Conselice, an astrophysics professor at the University of Nottingham in England and the lead author of the new study, professed in a statement.
"The number of galaxies in the universe is a fundamental question in astronomy, and it boggles the mind that over 90 percent of the galaxies in the cosmos have yet to be studied. Who knows what interesting properties we will find when we study these galaxies with the next generation of telescopes?"
Answers in Genesis is a Christianity-defending ministry, dedicated to enabling Christians to support their faith and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ effectively. They focus particularly on providing answers to questions surrounding the book of Genesis, as it is the most-attacked book of the Bible. Answers in Genesis leaders were quick to claim Conselice's astronomical finding confirms theological belief and published an article adapted from Taking Back Astronomy, by Dr. Jason Lisle.
Answers in Genesis followers believe the universe has expanded because God has 'stretched' the universe further, reports WRN. The organization quotes Isaiah 40:22, which says God "stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in." The ministry insists this verse coincides with what the researchers have found.
The researchers at NASA, however, indicated they see the finding only as a possibility of further research and discoveries rather than a confirmation of religious beliefs. This discovery has excited astronomers about what they may find in future, when technological advances will enable scientists to go deeper into space.
Lisle's article points out that, in fact, secular scientists once believed the universe was eternal and unchanging. The idea of an expanding universe would have been considered nonsense to most scientists of the past.
Conselice's research comes to a similar conclusion.
"These results are powerful evidence that a significant galaxy evolution has taken place throughout the universe's history, which dramatically reduced the number of galaxies through mergers between them -- thus reducing their total number. This gives us a verification of the so-called top-down formation of structure in the universe," Conselice said.
