JuMBOs in the Orion Nebula

New images from the James Webb Space Telescope have revealed a previously unknown class of objects: Jupiter Mass Binary Objects (JuMBOs).  These are free-floating objects that orbit their common center of mass, not a star.  The existence of such objects challenges secular formation scenarios and provides new insight for creation research.

UFOs and Extra-Terrestrial Life

As an astronomer, I spend a great deal of time outside at night looking up. I have seen many wonderful things in the night sky. And I am often asked if I have ever seen a UFO. Before I answer that question, it is always helpful to define our terms. What is a UFO?

The James Webb Space Telescope

The $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope is now on its way to the earth-sun L2 Lagrangian point where it will begin taking images of the most distant regions of the known universe. Many headlines claim that it will peer billions of years into the past to see the formation of the first galaxies after the big bang. But what is it about this telescope that is so innovative, and what will it really discover?

Extrasolar Planets – Part 3

We have been examining the recent discoveries of extrasolar planets – those planets that orbit a star other than the sun. Several thousand exoplanets have been discovered. In many instances, we know only the orbital period and minimum mass of the planet. In cases where the planet passes directly in front of its star, we are also able to estimate the size of the planet, its true mass, and therefore its density. But through some careful measurements and ingenious reasoning, there is additional information we can learn about exoplanets. And these new discoveries challenge the secular view of origins.

Extrasolar Planets – Part 2

We have been examining extrasolar planets – planets that orbit a star other than the sun. The first exoplanets were discovered by measuring the slight wobble their gravity induces on their star. Amazingly, and despite the challenges involved, around 50 exoplanets have now been directly observed using powerful telescopes. But the majority of exoplanets have been discovered using the transit method. This technique, along with the others, has allowed us to discover nearly 5000 extrasolar planets.