Astrophysics

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Cassiopeia A Light Echoes in Infrared
Cassiopeia A Light Echoes in Infrared

Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of stellar phenomena. Studies include the physical characteristics of the stars and other heavenly bodies, their chemical constitution, light, heat, atmospheres, etc. Observations are typically made with the spectroscope, bolometer, etc., which is usually in connection with the telescope.

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Astrophysical Evidence for a Recent Creation

Comets

For years creationists have indicated that there are too many bright, low-period comets to support an old solar system. The idea given is that a comet gets burned by the sun, and hence the shorter the period the fewer passes a comet can withstand before dying. As there is no observed mechanism for replacing dead comets, the solar system should have already run out of comets.

Scientists, in response to this known problems, have hypothesized first an Oort cloud and then a Kuiper belt, where comets are supposed to exist and occasionally fall into our solar system. While neither of these have been found, they have also not been disproven.

Interplanetary dust

Creationists have indicated that there is too much interplanetary dust in the solar system. The solar wind, solar gravitation and the Poynting-Robertson effect remove dust from the solar system, while comets and asteroids can contribute to the dust. An argument was issued by Robertson and Slusher in a 100 page monograph confirming that equations derived nearly fifty years earlier were essentially correct and the solar system was limited to a few thousand years without some hitherto unknown massive replacement method. At least half of this conclusion is supported by secular scientists who hold that the lifespan for a typical dust particle is about 10,000 years.

Mainstream scientists have not suggested other major sources of dust, and so one must assume they consider the dust created by meteors and comets sufficient.

A related, but qualitatively different, argument based on flux of particles (not their lifetime) has been largely abandoned by creation scientists.[1]

Magnetic field decay

Creationists have suggested that the decay in the Earth's magnetic field is a sign that the solar system cannot be old. They claim that it is lessening too rapidly. Secular scientists have hypothesized that the field reverses itself every certain number of years or else it has freely decayed from a higher value. The latter theory is considered untenable (by scientists on both sides) due both to the extreme effect ultra high fields in the past would have had on life and to the archaeological evidence that the field has apparently changed polarity. A great deal of speculation has ensued on both sides, as it is unclear how often the field reverses and by what mechanism. Russell Humphreys has developed a magnetic field based on creationist underpinnings, published predictions for the magnetic fields of Neptune and Urnaus prior to Voyager measuring the fields. He claims his predictions were validated and suggests that uniformitarian predictions were not.[2] gives some information as well as some criticism (though it is on a creationist website, so should not be considered neutral). [3] This article is from a more hostile source, but it appears to have partially misread Humphrey's argument.

Lack of old supernova remnants

Danny Faulkner, after giving a sober description of current creationist claims, suggests that one major challenge to the standard model is the lack of old Supernova remnants. Theory suggests that supernovae should be visible for several thousand years, but yet we find almost none that are more than a few thousand years old.

Scientists propose [4] that the dating method Faulkner uses for SNRs only can be used for young ones, and claim that using a different dating method older SNR have been identified.

Distance to moon

Both creation and secular scientists have indicated that there is a problem with the distance the moon is from the Earth. In particular, its rate of departure seems high. This was noted by Kerr in a 1983 article for Science magazine. Donald DeYoung extrapolated plots in 1990. When new data was found using putatively old varves, DeYoung's extrapolation was supported. The problem is that this appears to put the Moon in contact with the earth only 1.5 billion years ago. An article critical of this approach, suggesting that it does not take dissipation and deformation appropriately into consideration can be found.[5]

Lunar surface ghost craters

A final astrophysical challenge creationists have given is the existence of numerous Ghost Craters on the moon, suggesting an inexplicably long time between the moons initial cooling and a later lava overflow. Creationists, such as Danny Faulkner, also object to the standard timeline for lunar evolution because they claim these ghost craters should be more plainly visible. This is discussed in brief at[6] and in more detail in Faulkner's.[7]

Related References

  1. ↑ AiG
  2. ↑ AiG
  3. ↑ Talk.Origins
  4. ↑ Talk.Origins
  5. ↑ Talk.Origins
  6. ↑ True Origin
  7. ↑ ICR paper

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