Astronomy

Astronomy is the study of things outside the earth's atmosphere. It focuses on the positions, movements, and features of objects in space. The word "astronomy" comes from Greek words meaning "the law of the stars."

Astronomy is not a modern science. People have been interested in space for a very long time. Early civilizations studied the sky for fortune-telling (astrology) and to help with navigation.

The Bible talks about astronomy in some interesting ways. According to Genesis 1:14–19, God made the sun, moon, and stars to:

give light on the earth;

mark seasons and festivals; and

act as "signs" to help people find their way.”

The word "season" may refer to festivals and the annual seasons. Like the Babylonian calendar, the Hebrew calendar was based on the moon's phases. It used the moon to set dates for religious festivals. The function of the stars and planets as signs seems to relate to how they outline the heavens. This allows people on Earth to find their way, navigate, and orient themselves.

The Bible does not directly mention eclipses. But some passages about the sun and moon going dark might be talking about eclipses (Joel 2:31; Amos 8:9; Matthew 24:29).

Some constellations are mentioned in the Old Testament. It is not always easy to determine which constellations are being discussed by particular Hebrew words. The word translated "Pleiades" (in many versions) means a "cluster" or "heap." It likely applies to the most visible cluster of stars in the constellation Taurus (Job 9:9; 38:31; Amos 5:8). A Hebrew word possibly related to the word "fool" is frequently understood to be the constellation Orion. The connection between that constellation and the word "fool" is unknown. Other constellations are noted as "the constellations of the South" and "the Bear" (Job 9:9; 38:32). It can be seen in the northern sky.

The Bible often mentions stars. God told Abraham his descendants would be as numerous as the stars (Genesis 15:5). Paul wrote that stars have different levels of brightness (1 Corinthians 15:41).

Jude 1:13 compares false teachers to "wandering stars." Some think this metaphor is based on how stars appear to move around the polestar (the closest stationary star based on its proximity to the poles). The fixed polestar provides a reference point for navigation, while the moving stars would be unreliable guides, like false teachers.

However, it is more likely that Jude's metaphor refers to the planets. By that time, people knew the regular movements of stars and constellations around the polestar, so they would not consider all stars except the polestar to be "wandering." Planets, on the other hand, were seen as moving in erratic paths, unlike the fixed rotation of stars. Some commentators believe "wandering stars" could also refer to comets.

The Bible describes several unusual events involving the sun, stars, and sky. These include the long day in Joshua (Joshua 10:12–14), the shadow moving backward as a sign to King Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:8–11), and the star that guided the Magi to Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1–11).

Scholars have suggested several explanations for Joshua's long day. Some believe that God miraculously stopped the earth's rotation. Because God created the universe, he is able to work miracles beyond the normal laws of nature. Others point out that stopping the earth's rotation would raise scientific questions about what would happen to the earth and everything on it. They suggest that, if this happened, God also prevented those effects.

Others believe the event involved a different natural phenomenon. They note that the Hebrew word translated "stand still" can also mean "be still" or "be quiet." In this view, the passage could describe a change in the sun's light, such as an eclipse or another unusual atmospheric event. Still others understand the account as poetic language that celebrates Joshua's victory rather than describing the event in a strictly literal way. This interpretation notes that the passage quotes the Book of Jashar, which was probably a collection of poems about Israel's heroes.

The account of the shadow moving backward on Ahaz's stairway or sundial as a sign for Hezekiah may also describe a local event rather than one seen around the world (2 Chronicles 32:31). Some scholars suggest that both this event and Joshua's long day could have resulted from unusual bending of light in the atmosphere. Joshua's account also mentions a severe hailstorm (Joshua 10:11), which may point to unusual weather conditions.

Many explanations have also been suggested for the star of Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1–11). Some identify it with unusual astronomical events, such as planets appearing close together. Others suggest it may have been a nova or supernova, when a star suddenly becomes much brighter. However, these explanations do not fully match the biblical description. The star guided the Magi and appeared to stop over the place where Jesus was. Some scholars think this language describes how the event appeared to the observers. Many Christians understand the star to have been a miracle that God used to announce the birth of Jesus.

These and other unusual events accompanied important moments in God's work of salvation. They point both to the importance of those events and to God's power.

Some biblical scholars look for natural explanations of these events. Others understand them as miracles in which God temporarily acted beyond the normal processes of nature. Both views affirm that God is the source of these events and that the Bible faithfully records what happened.

See also Astrology.