Stars Galore

(3 Minute Read. 15Mar2023)

Small Magellanic Cloud Galaxy
This neighbor galaxy orbits the Milky Way about 200,000 light-years away. Far more distant galaxies are sprinkled around the picture’s edge. Magellan used SMC to navigate across the oceans.

Here is a simple question that even a kindergartner can understand.

But no one alive, not even the smartest scientist, can answer this question!

How many stars are there?

Galaxies

A galaxy is a gravity-bound system of stars. Dwarf galaxies range from a thousand stars to several billion stars. Supergiant galaxies have one hundred trillion stars. Our Milky Way galaxy is considered medium-large, estimated to contain between 100 billion and 400 billion stars.

The Small Magellanic Cloud with several hundred million stars is one of more than 20 dwarf galaxies orbiting the Milky Way. The Large Magellanic Cloud with 30 billion stars is another dwarf galaxy orbiting the Milky Way.

In 2021, it was estimated that there are at least 200 billion (200,000,000,000) galaxies in the observable universe. This estimate was based on NASA’s New Horizons space probe.

Last year astronomer David Kornreich of Ithaca College roughly estimated 10 trillion galaxies in the universe averaging 100 billion stars per galaxy to calculate there are one septillion (1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000) stars in the universe. But Kornreich emphasized that number is likely a “gross underestimation.” He thinks more detailed future looks far into the universe will show even more galaxies and hence far more stars.

How many stars are there? It is a simple question, but no man alive can answer it!

James Webb Space Telescope

In order to learn more about stars and galaxies, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was rocket-launched into space in December 2021.

The telescope cost $10 billion. It transmits data back to Earth via the microwave band of the electromagnetic spectrum.

JWST is the most powerful telescope ever sent into space. It can view objects that are too faint or too distant to be seen with the Hubble Space Telescope as JWST is about 100 times more powerful. JWST was named for James E. Webb (1906–1992) who served as the Administrator of NASA from 1961 to 1968.

JWST orbits a point in space known as the Sun–Earth L2 Lagrange point about 930,000 miles beyond Earth’s orbit around the Sun. By way of comparison, the Hubble Space Telescope orbits 340 miles above Earth’s surface, and the Moon is roughly 250,000 miles from Earth. JWST orbits the Sun in synchrony with the Earth, maintaining a fairly constant distance from Earth.

Will JWST answer the question: How many stars are there? No, it will not. It may improve man’s estimate, but it will not give an exact figure.

Only the Great Creator Himself knows how many galaxies and stars inhabit the universe. He knows the count of the stars and the name of each one. Very possibly there are far more stars burning in the unobservable universe than in the portion we can observe.
He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them. Great is our Lord, and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite. (Psalm 147:4-5)
Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, the One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name. Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power not one of them is missing. (Isaiah 40:26)

It is intriguing that in Psalm 147, right before the verses quoted above about numbering and naming the stars, the Psalmist says the Lord heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. And shortly thereafter he says the Lord gives to the beast its food, and to the young ravens which cry. (Psalm 147:3-9)

The same all-wise Designer who fashioned galaxies from nothing, who misses no detail in the vastness of deep space, makes specific provision for baby birds and broken-hearted humans.

How does a rational person react to this grandeur and this grace? Psalm 147 uses an “awe sandwich.” Like enthused fans at a championship parade, we must cheer and sing the fame of our Marvelous Creator (verses 1,5,7,12,20). Then we meditate on the astounding attributes of our great God. And the last layer in the sandwich is cultivating the fear of the Lord plus reverent trust:
The Lord favors those who fear Him,
Those who wait for His lovingkindness. (Psalm 147:11)

Recently astounding discoveries have emerged using the James Webb Space Telescope. Next week’s blog Inconvenient Galaxies will discuss them.

Questions to Ponder

1. How can the vastness and complexity of the starry host enrich worship of Yahweh the Great Creator?
2. What evidence did you see today of God’s tenderness and care toward his vulnerable creatures?

Share your thoughts on these questions in the comments below. It could encourage or help another reader.

For Christ and His Kingdom.
Alere Flammam Veritatis.
Soli Deo Gloria.

Read the sequel:
Inconvenient Galaxies

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©William T. Pelletier, Ph.D.
“contending earnestly for the faith”
“destroying speculations against the knowledge of God”
“for the defense of the gospel”
(Jude 1:3; 2 Cor 10:5; Phil 1:16)
Wednesday March 15, 2023 A.D.

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork. (Psalms 19:1)

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