The Bible is 100% silent on life in other parts of the universe. So there are two possibilities:

1) If there are other stars like the sun, other solar systems like ours, and other galaxies like the Milky Way. I would say: "Of course. God Loves to Create. So, why wouldn't the universe be filled with life? Earth is full of life.”

2) But, since there are no other stars like the sun, no other solar systems like ours, and no other galaxies like the Milky Way. We have to say we are alone and God made this universe, our Sun, our solar system, and Earth to be a place for humans to live.

The universe is too small to have any other planet with advanced life. There are too few stars and plants to account for Earth having life:

In the 1970s, we did not know which was correct #1 or #2. In the 1970s, we thought that maybe silicon could be used for life. We now know that life must be carbon-based.

We have studied over 20 million stars, and not one can support life as they are all too unstable; thus, we are alone. The Sun is the only stable star. (but there are so many stars, some say). Most stars are M-class red dwarfs in the universe. M-class red dwarfs are very unstable and have large solar flares. These solar flares would kill any life on its planets; the solar flares would strip away any atmosphere on the planets. (but there are still other stars? right?) Binary stars cannot support life. A binary star system consists of two stars that are gravitationally bound, up to 85% of all stars exist in systems with two or more stars, with no possibility of life (too much gravity interaction). (What about the other 15%?). About half the stars in our galaxy are squeezed into the central bulge, where the star density is about 10 million times greater than in the Sun's current neighborhood. Any planet near the central bulge of any galaxy would have so much solar radiation as to make life not possible. (What about away from the central bulge?) The stars (planets) farther from Earth do not have enough heavy elements for life. This narrow range is called the Galactic Habitable Zone found in spiral galaxies. All other spiral galaxies do not have stable spiral arms, a place for life. We have studied over 5,984 solar systems, not one looks like our solar system, able to support life. Either the planets are too close to the star or the planets have large elliptical orbits. (What about all the other galaxies). The Milky Way Galaxy is the only stable barred spiral galaxy. In other galaxies, there is no place for a rocky planet without deadly radiation or orbit interference. There are over , 8,174 0confirmed exoplanets, not one of which looks like Earth or any of the planets in our solar system. Also needed for complex life are the Solar System's belts. Only our system has solar system's belts. Most systems have no belts and a few have only one large belt. The belts give us the near circular orbit needed for life. Astronomers estimate there are approximately 200 billion trillion stars in the observable universe. But due to the uniqueness of our sun, solar system, Earth, moon, and Milky Way and are alone. We have looked, studied, and measured, we are alone.

Earth’s vast and stable magnetic field is unique; most planets have short-lived or unstable magnetic fields. Earth’s magnetic field protects life from deadly radiation. The list can go on and on (rotation rate, astrosphere, right carbon dioxide, low carbon monoxide, one large moon, very low eccentricity).

The Sun's uniqueness is outlined in Richard R. Radick et al., “Patterns of Variation for the Sun and Sun-like Stars,” Astrophysical Journal 855 (March 2018): id. 75, doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aaaae3.

The sun is rare in metal richness for its age and mass. Sun’s mass is far above the average value for its age. The Sun’s light output varies by only 0.1% over a full sunspot cycle (approximately 11 years). All other stars are above 4%. The sun's 5,778 K surface temperature, also called color, is rare for its mass and age.

Closest thing to a solar twin is HD 186302, but it is too small, too red, and too young to be a twin of the sun.

So, since 2018, we have known that we are alone in the universe.

The Sun is a G2V star. Only about 0.7% of stars are G2V. But the sun is not an ordinary G2V, very stable, rare in metals for it age and mass. The sun is in its most stable state, which is middle-aged. Less than half of the G2V stars are solitary; one solitary star can support life. The moon-forming event gave Earth a one-of-a-kind moon around a one-of-a-kind planet Earth.

Super-Earth is an exoplanet more massive than Earth, but lighter than the ice gas giants Neptune and Uranus. Some Super-Earths are in the habitable zone, but the habitable zone is a liquid water zone, not a habitable zone for complex life. Life needs a lot more than water (atmosphere, protection from ultraviolet rays and radiation and much more). The Super-Earth plants found are too close to the host star and the host star is too unstable to be in the habitable zone for complex life. Thus, no life could live on a Super-Earth, despite its name. Also, Super-Earths may be rocky, but most are most likely gas giants.

Summanry (Habitable zones [place] for complex life)

1) While the universe is vast, it is a very deadly place with lots of deadly radiation. While the universe is vast, almost all places in the universe have either too few elements to support life or too many heavy elements that would poison life.

2) While the universe has many galaxies, we have not found one other large, very stable barred spiral galaxy, like the Milky Way, that is needed for life.

3) The Milky Way galaxy is a very special location. Not too close to other galaxies (the closest galaxy is 2.5 million ly away). Not too close to a major galaxy cluster (55 million light-years away). The Milky Way is in a very lonely place, needed for life. Called the Supergalactic habitable zone.

4) Earth is in the right place for life, it is not too close to other star clusters (150 ly away), the closest star is one star 4 light-years (ly) away, the next star is 35 ly away. The closest nebula is 650 ly away.

5) Earth is in the narrow galactic habitable zone, a narrow band in the Milky Way where life can be supported. Too close to the center of the Milky Way, and there is deadly radiation and too many heavy elements. Too far away, and there are not enough life elements. It eliminates most of the stars in the Milky Way that could support life.

6) Of the stars in the Milky Way galactic habitable zone, only those that are between spiral arms can support life. Too close to a spiral arm, too much radiation, and gravity orbit interference.

7) The sun is the only stable star. The sun is rare in metal richness for its age and mass. Sun’s mass is far above the average value for its age. The Sun’s light output varies by only 0.1% over a full sunspot cycle (approximately 11 years). All other stars are above 4%. The sun's 5,778 K surface temperature, also called color, is rare for its mass and age. (Unstable stars are young and old stars, or very large or small stars. Unstable stars have changing solar luminosity that changes the size of the life habitable zones. Unstable stars also produce extreme solar flares and coronal mass ejections. Solar flares and coronal mass ejections can strip away a planet's atmosphere, which cannot be replaced. Thus, life habitable zones require. The Sun, a G2V star, has a mid-range metallicity optimal for the formation of rocky planets. Multiple-star systems are also very common and are not suitable for complex life, as the planet's orbit would be unstable due to multiple gravitational forces and solar radiation. Liquid water is possible in Multiple-star systems

8) Of the other solar systems found, none looks anything like our solar system. The planets orbit too close to the star, or the planets are in non-circular (elliptical) orbits.

9) Of the other solar systems found, none has one large asteroid belt. The other have either no asteroid belt or one very large asteroid belt. The asteroid belt is needed for circular orbits, needed for advanced life.

10) Only the Earth has a long-lasting, large magnetic field needed for advanced life. It provides protection from the sun's deadly radiation. This is due to Earth's unique core, which contains vast quantities of Potassium-40 (K), Uranium-238 (U), Thorium-232 (Th), and Uranium-235. The core also as iron and nickel. Venus and Mars had short-lived magnetic fields; this is the normal life of a planet.

11) Only the Earth has a dynamic surface with plate tectonics, which is needed for long-lasting life on a planet. The tectonics are driven by the Earth's unique core. Venus and Mars' core and surfaces is dead, with no dynamic surface with plate tectonics now.

12) Earth is also unique among planets in having one very large moon for its size. This is needed for an advanced life. The moon stabilizes the Earth's tilt and axis. The moon has slowed the Earth's rotation to 24 hours, ideal for advanced life (it was too fast in the past). The Earth's unique core and Moon are from the unique moon-forming event. A mars-sized body, Theia, struck early Earth 4.5 billion years ago, creating a debris disk that formed the Moon and profoundly altering Earth.

13) The moon-forming event. also thinned out Earth's atmosphere. The early Earth atmosphere was more like that of Venus, too thick for life. The moon-forming event also reduced Earth's water to the correct current level needed for advanced land life. The moon-forming event enriched the Earth's core to make it have long-lasting plate tectonics and a large magnetic field.

15) Ultraviolet habitable zone: a zone where the ultraviolet (UV) radiation from a star is neither too weak nor too strong for life to exist.

16) Photosynthetic habitable zone: a zone where both long-term liquid water and oxygenic photosynthesis can occur. The stars color is also important for this zone.

17) Tropospheric habitable zone, or ozone habitable zone: a zone where the planet would have the correct amount of ozone needed for life.

18) Planet rotation rate habitable zone: the zone where a planet's rotation rate is best for life. If the rotation is too slow, the day/night temperature difference is too great. The moon is just one of the factors that change the rate.

19) Planet rotation axis tilt habitable zone, or obliquity habitable zone: the region where a stable axial tilt for a planet's rotation is maintained. The moon is only one of the factors that stabilize the Earth's axis tilt.

20) Tidal habitable zone. Planets too close to the star become tidally locked. Only the Earth has been found to be in the zone. All others are too close or too far.

21) Astrosphere habitable zone: the zone in which a planet's astrosphere will be strong enough to protect the planet from the solar wind and cosmic rays. Earth's atmosphere is not too thick or too thin. It is thin for the size of the planet. Earth is just the right size to both hold on to its astrosphere and not too large to make walking too difficult for advanced life. Earth is the only planet that can support advanced life. Neither a small nor a large plant can support advanced life.

22)Atmosphere electric field habitable zone: the place in which the ambipolar electric field is correct for the planet's electric field to help ions overcome gravity.

23) Orbital eccentricity habitable zone: the zone in which planets maintain a nearly circular orbit. Orbits with eccentricity cause the planets to move in and out of the habitable zones.

24) Coupled planet-moon - Magnetosphere habitable zone: the zone that planet's moon and the planet's core produce a strong magnetosphere, a magnetic field to protect against the solar wind stripping away the planet's atmosphere and water into outer space

25) Pressure-dependent habitable zone: the zone in which planets may have the correct atmospheric pressure to have liquid surface water. With a low atmospheric pressure, the temperature at which water boils is much lower, and at pressures below that of the triple point, liquid water cannot exist.

26) The Carbon Dioxide habitable zone is the place where planets will have the correct levels of carbon dioxide.

27) Carbon monoxide habitable zone

28) All life is carbon-based. Earth must have all the correct life elements in the correct quality for life to exist. This means the Sun also had to be born in the correct location to enrich the Earth with all the correct life elements in the correct quality. Also, it does not have too many life-killing elements like heavy metals and certain radioactive materials, which are highly toxic or lethal to human and animal life.

29) Milankovitch cycle The Milankovitch cycle and ice age have been key is shaping Earth. Life (Billions of humans) on Earth today is using water that has been melting since the last ice age. The ice ages cannot be too long or too cold for life to survive. Milankovitch cycle has an impact on the planet's obliquity also. Without the Milankovitch cycle, the Earth would only support millions of humans, not billions.

Conclusion. The universe is too small to have any other planet with advanced life. There are too few stars and plants to account for Earth having life.

Those who like science fiction movies and books are the ones who criticize the fact that we are alone. In the past, there was a chance that there might be life out in the universe, but after years of looking and studying, those hopes are gone for those based in reality, not hope and SipFi.

Space Travel?

Almost everyone loves "Star Wars". Hollywood has made two science fiction movies that claim to be what a trip to Mars would be like, ''Red Planet" and "The Martian".

These and other movies have made a pubic love afair with the idea of space travel beyond the moon. There is one major problem: these are science fiction and will remain in science fiction. While human technology has increased over the years, the laws of physics have not changed. Earth’s magnetic field protects life from the Sun's deadly radiation. If travelling to Mars, about 6 weeks into the 1-year journey, the Sun's deadly solar radiation would kill everyone in the craft. Solar radiation includes: X-rays, gamma rays, and high-energy proton storms from solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). All of these forms of high energy pose deadly risks to life. There is no way to stop these types of radiation on a spacecraft. (Water, lead, and concrete have all been proposed as solar radiation shields, but each will not keep a person alive for a year.

The movies "Red Planet" and "The Martian" also failed to show what human life on Mars would be like ( pretending there is no deadly radiation). Mars is small, thus there is not enough gravity to walk on Mars. The dust on Mars sticks to everything; spacesuits would be covered in it. It is very cold on Mars (global temperature is −81 °F), a plant greenhouse would not work. It is very dry on Mars. Mars's atmosphere has a humidity of 0.03%; Earth's average humidity is about 50% (ranging from 0.36% to 100%). Robots only have a problem with the cold; rovers are shut down during Mars winter. SpaceX has reported that they have given up on sending humans to Mars and will send a SpaceX robot in humans' place. See the Mars page for more info

UFO and Aliens?

So what about all the evidence for UFOs and aliens? Most UFO sightings can be explained by natural causes. A few have evidence of being real but defy the laws of physics, like a UFO making 90 turns at a very high rate of speed, and crash sites have been found (dent in the ground, with no debris). The Bible tells of beings that are real, yet are able to defy the laws of physics; they are called angels. Since alien contacts have always been detrimental, these must be fallen angels. It has been seen that if one is suffering from detrimental alien contact, by repenting and turning toward the Lord Jesus Christ, the aliens/UFOs detrimental effects go away.

UFO cults:

Marshall Applewhite cult Heaven's Gate ended in San Diego, California, in mass suicides (UFO cult)

Order of the Solar Temple, 1990's orchestrated mass murders and suicides (UFO cult)

Ref:

The Sun's uniqueness is outlined in Richard R. Radick et al., “Patterns of Variation for the Sun and Sun-like Stars,” Astrophysical Journal 855 (March 2018): id. 75, doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aaaae3.

Sun's luminosity is remarkably constant, a crucial factor for life on Earth.

N. C. Santos, G. Israelian, and M. Mayor, “The Metal-Rich Nature of Stars with Planets,” Astronomy & Astrophysics 373 (2001): 1019-31.

[4]G. W. Lockwood, B. A. Skiff, and R. R. Radick, “The Photometric Variability of Sun-Like Stars: Observations and Results, 1984-1995,” Astrophysical Journal 485 (1997): 789-811.

https://aithor.com/essay-examples/the-sun-uniqueness-in-the-universe

https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2008PhST..130a4036G/abstract Is the Sun unique as a star—and if so, why?

R. Knaack et al., “The Influence of an Inclined Rotation Axis on Solar Irradiance Variations,” Astronomy & Astrophysics 376 (2001): 1080-89.

D. F. Gray, “Stars and Sun: Treasures and Threats,” in The Tenth Cambridge Workshop on Cool Stars, Stellar Systems and the Sun, ed. R. A. Donahue and J. A. Bookbinder (1998), 193-209.

T. I. Pulkkinen et al., “The Sun-Earth Connection in Time Scales from Years to Decades and Centuries,” Space Science Reviews 95 (2001), 625-37.

G. W. Wetherill, “Possible Consequences of Absence of Jupiters in Planetary Systems,” Astrophysics and Space Science 212, no. 1-2 (1994): 23-32.

J. E. Chambers and G. W. Wetherill, “Planets in the Asteroid Belt,” Meteoritics & Planetary Science 36, no. 3 (2001), 381-99.

G. Gonzalez, D. Brownlee, and P. D. Ward, “Refuges for Life in a Hostile Universe,” Scientific American (October 2001), 60-67.

G. Gonzalez, “The Measurability of the Universe: A Record of the Creator’s Design,” (2000), 42-48.

D. R. Danielson, “The Great Copernican Cliche’,” American Journal of Physics 69, no. 10 (October 2001): 1029-35; G. Gonzalez and H. Ross, “Home Alone in the Universe,” First Things no. 103 (May 2000), 10-12.

Solar system and sun:

Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia—Catalog (accessed April 15, 2021), exoplanet.eu/catalog

Jorge Meléndez et al., “The Peculiar Solar Composition and Its Possible Relation to Planet Formation,” Astrophysical Journal Letters 704, no. 1 (October 10, 2009): L66–L70, doi:10.1088/0004-637X/704/1/L66.

• Meléndez et al., “The Peculiar Solar Composition,” L66.

• Marília Carlos et al., “The Li-Age Correlation: The Sun Is Unusually Li Deficient for Its Age,” Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 485, no. 3 (May 2019): 4052–4059, doi:10.1093/mnras/stz681.

• Walter Nichiporuk and Carleton B. Moore, “Lithium, Sodium, and Potassium Abundances in Carbonaceous Chrondrites,” Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 38, no. 11 (November 1974): 1691–1694, doi:10.1016/0016-7037(74)90186-0; D. Krankowsky and O. Müller, “Isotopic Composition and Abundance of Lithium in Meteoritic Matter,” Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 31, no. 10 (October 1967): 1833–1842, doi:10.1016/0016-7037(67)90125-1; James M. D. Day et al., “Evidence for High-Temperature Fractionation of Lithium Isotopes during Differentiation of the Moon,” Meteoritics & Planetary Science 51, no. 6 (June 2016): 1046–1062, doi:10.1111/maps.12643.

• James N. Connelly et al., “The Absolute Chronology and Thermal Processing of Solids in the Solar Protoplanetary Disk,” Science 338, no. 6107 (November 2, 2012): 651–655, doi:10.1126/science.1226919; E. G. Adelberger et al., “Solar Fusion Cross Sections. II. The pp Chain and CNO Cycles,” Review of Modern Physics 83, no. 1 (January 2011): 195–246, doi:10.1103/RevModPhys.83.195.

• I. Baraffe et al., “Lithium Depletion in Solar-Like Stars: Effect of Overshooting Based on Realistic Multi-Dimensional Simulations,” Astrophysical Journal Letters 845, no. 1 (August 10, 2017): id. L6, doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aa82ff; J. Christensen-Dalsgaard et al., “A More Realistic Representation of Overshoot at the Base of the Solar Convective Envelope as Seen by Helioseismology,” Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 414, no. 2 (June 2011): 1158–1174, doi:10.1111/1365-2966.2011.18460.x; S. Basu, “Helioseismic Evidence for Mixing in the Sun,” in Chemical Abundances and Mixing in Stars in the Milky Way and Its Satellites, Proceedings of the ESO-Arcetri Workshop Held in Castiglione della Pescaia, Italy, September 13–17, 2004, eds. S. Randich and L. Pasquini (Berlin: Springer Nature, 2006), 284–287, doi:10.1007/978-3-540-34136-9_93.

• M. Rempel, “Overshoot at the Base of the Solar Convection Zone: A Semianalytical Approach,” Astrophysical Journal 607, no. 2 (June 1, 2004): 1046–1064, doi:10.1086/383605.

• Carlos et al., “The Li-Age Correlation.”

• Garik Israelian et al., “Lithium in Stars with Exoplanets,” Astronomy & Astrophysics 414, no. 2 (February 2004): 601–611, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20034398.

• Y. Q. Chen and G. Zhao, “A Comparative Study on Lithium Abundances in Solar-Type Stars with and without Planets,” Astronomical Journal 131, no. 3 (March 2006): 1816–1821, doi:10.1086/499946.

• Garik Israelian et al., “Enhanced Lithium Depletion in Sun-Like Stars with Orbiting Planets,” Nature 462 (November 12, 2009): 189–191, doi:10.1038/nature08483.

• Carlos et al., “The Li-Age Correlation.”

• Simon L. Grimm et al., “The Nature of the TRAPPIST-1 Exoplanets,” Astronomy & Astrophysics 613 (May 2018): id. A68, doi:10.1051/004-6361/201732233.

• Grimm et al., “The Nature of the TRAPPIST-1 Exoplanets,” 1.

• Meléndez et al., “Peculiar Solar Composition,” L69.

• Maria M. Katsova et al., “Superflare G and K Stars and the Lithium Abundance,” The 19th Cambridge Workshop on Cool Stars, Stellar Systems, and the Sun (CS19), Uppsala, Sweden, June 6–10, 2016 (July 2016), id. 124, doi:10.5281/zenodo.59176; Y. Takeda et al., “Behavior of Li Abundances in Solar-Analog Stars, II. Evidence of the Connection with Rotation and Stellar Activity,” Astronomy & Astrophysics 515 (June 2010): id. A93, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/200913897.

Space Travel:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bufm3RJLtBE&t=1713s&pp=ygUYaHVnaCByb3NzIHVmbyBhbmQgYWxpZW5z UFO contacts.

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bufm3RJLtBE&t=1713s&pp=ygUYaHVnaCByb3NzIHVmbyBhbmQgYWxpZW5z UFO not from outer space.

3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgPqveGmWs4&pp=ygUYaHVnaCByb3NzIHVmbyBhbmQgYWxpZW5z UFO conference

4. Katelyn Burkhart, Brett Allaire, and Mary Bouxsein, “Negative Effects of Long-Duration Spaceflight on Paraspinal Muscle Morphology,” Spine, published ahead of print (December 8, 2018), doi:10.1097/BRS.0000000000002959.

5. Austin B. Bigley et al., “NK-Cell Function Is Impaired during Long-duration Spaceflight,” Journal of Applied Physiology (November 1, 2018), doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00761.2018.

6. Santosh Kumar et al., “Space Radiation Triggers Persistent Stress Response, Increases Senescent Signaling, and Decreases Cell Migration in Mouse Intestine,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 115, no. 42 (October 16, 2018): E9832-41, doi:10.1073/pnas.1807522115.

7. B. Curtis and J. R. Letaw, “Galactic Cosmic Rays and Cell-Hit Frequencies Outside the Magnetosphere,” Advances in Space Research9 (October 1989): 293–98, doi:10.1016/0273-1177(89)90452-3; Daniel Matthiä et al., “The Radiation Environment on the Surface of Mars—Summary of Model Calculations and Comparison to RAD Data,” Life Sciences in Space Research 14 (August 2017): 18–28, doi:10.1016/j.lssr.2017.06.003; Kanako Hayatsu et al., “HZE Particle and Neutron Dosages from Cosmic Rays on the Lunar Surface,” Journal of the Physical Society of Japan 78, Supplement A (2009): 149–52, doi:10.1143/JPSJS.78SA.149.

8. Kamal Datta et al., “Exposure to Heavy Ion Radiation Induces Persistent Oxidative Stress in Mouse Intestine,” PLoS One7 (August 24, 2012): id. e42224, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0042224.

9. Shubhankar Suman et al., “Relative Biological Effectiveness of Energetic Heavy Ions for Intestinal Tumorigenesis Shows Male Preponderance and Radiation Type and Energy Dependence in APC1638N/+ Mice,” International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics”95 (May 1, 2016): 131–38, doi:10.1016/j.ijrobp.2015.10.057.

10. Santosh Kumar et al., “Space Radiation Triggers Persistent Stress Response, Increases Senescent Signaling, and Decreases Cell Migration in Mouse Intestine,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. Published ahead of print, October 1, 2018. doi:10.1073/pnas.1807522115

UFOS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8jekFqO__U UFO Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yX5iEACwrA B. Bee UFO

1. Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, June 25, 2021; https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/Prelimary-Assessment-UAP-20210625.pdf.

2. Brett Forrest, “UFO Report Says ‘Unidentified Aerial Phenomena’ Defy Worldly Explanation,” Wall Street Journal, June 25, 2021.

3. Julian Borger, “Why the Pentagon UFO Report Is Deeply Troubling for US Security Experts,” The Guardian, June 25, 2021; Tim McMillan, “Area 51 Veteran and CIA Electronic Warfare Pioneer Weigh in on Navy UFO Encounters,” The War Zone (blog), The Drive, November 25, 2019.

4. Hugh Ross, Kenneth Samples, and Mark T. Clark, Lights in the Sky and Little Green Men (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2002).

5. Mark T. Clark, “Responding to UFOs in the News,” Voices (blog), June 25, 2019.

• J. Gordon Melton, “The Contactees: A Survey,” The Gods Have Landed. Edited by James R. Lewis (New York: State University, 1995), 2-7.

• Jerome Clark, The UFO Encyclopedia, vol. 1, 2d ed.(Detroit: Omnigraphics, 1998), s.v., “Contactees.

• Elliot Miller, “Channeling Spiritistic Revelations for the New Age” Part 1, Christian Research Journal (Fall 1987): 11; William M. Alnor, UFOs in the New Age (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1992), 196-98. For further background and evaluation of The Urantia Book, see Christian apologist Eric Pement’s review of Martin Gardner’s book Urantia: The Great Cult Mystery in Eric Pement, “Urantia: The Great Cult Mystery,” Christian Research Journal (Fall 1996): 48-49.

• J. Gordon Melton and George M. Eberhart, “The Flying Saucer Contactee Movement, 1950-1994: A Bibliography,” The Gods Have Landed. Edited by James R. Lewis (New York: State University, 1995), 252.

• John A. Saliba, “Religious Dimensions of UFO Phenomena,” The Gods Have Landed. Edited by James R. Lewis (New York: State University, 1995), 27.

• UFO: The Continuing Enigma (Pleasantville, New York: Reader’s Digest, 1991), 72.

• Alnor, 89-90; Jerome Clark, The UFO Encyclopedia, vol. 2, 2d ed. (Detroit: Omnigraphics, 1998), s.v., “Van Tassel, George W.”

• Robert S. Ellwood and Harry B. Partin, Religious and Spiritual Groups in Modern America, 2d ed. (Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1988), 111.

• Jacques Vallee, Dimensions (New York: Ballantine, 1988), 230-31.

• John A. Saliba, “UFO Contactee Phenomena from a Sociopsychological Perspective: A Review,” The Gods Have Landed. Edited by James R. Lewis (New York: State University, 1995), 207-50.

• NASA catalog of the 2613 known stars within 81 light-years of Earth, Web site address: http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/W3Browse/star-catalog/cns3.html.

One of a Kind Moon - Earth's moon is not just an ordinary moon.

Sientists now know that the Moon was formed by the collision of the small planet with the earth, which resulted in the ejection of 5 billion cubic miles of the earth's crust and mantle into orbit around the earth. This ring of material, the theory states, would eventually coalesce to form the moon. In addition, the moon is moving away from the earth (currently at 2 inches per year), as is predicted by the theory. If we calculate backwards, we discover that the moon must have formed just outside the Roche limit, the point at which an object would be torn apart by the earth's gravity (7,300 miles above the earth's surface). A collision which would have ejected material less than the Roche limit would have formed only rings around the earth. Computer models show that a collision of a small planet with the earth must have been very precise in order for any moon to have been formed at all.

When a moon is formed by the kind of collision that formed Earth's Moon, dust would have been blasted throughout the solar system. Astronomer Nadya Gorlova of the University of Florida, Gainesville, decided to study newly forming stars to determine what percentage might have a moon that formed through one of these massive collision events.2 In examining 400 newly formed stars (30 million years old), only one shared characteristics that would suggest that such a large collision had occurred, which might form a moon. Of course, the probability that the newly formed moon would orbit an earth like planet within the habitable zone would be much less likely.

No earth-like planets have been detected yet, as they do exist. However, it is unlikely that such earths would have a moon the size of Earth's moon, since such a pair could not coalesce together, nor could such a moon be captured by a small planet like the earth. Therefore, the only means by which such a moon could form would be through a collision event early in the history of stellar formation. In the first study to examine the probability of such a formation, a new study shows that only one in 400 new stars might have formed such a moon through a collision event. Why is it important how the moon was formed? Without such a large moon, earth's rotation axis would be unstable, swinging through 90 geg or more, resulting in extremely variable climate over its history. In addition, the collision event itself blew off earth's heavy early greenhouse atmosphere, which allowed the planet to retain its water for billions of years. The removal of much of the earth's crust also allowed the earth to retain its tectonic activity for billions of years, which allowed for the existence of both land and ocean. Without such tectonic activity, earth would have become and remained a waterworld. For more information, see The Incredible Design of the Earth and Our Solar System. Astronomy and cosmology continue to provide evidence that the earth is not just an ordinary planet in an ordinary solar system.

The Incredible Design of the Earth and Our Solar System

The universe, our galaxy, our Solar System and the Earth-Moon double planet system demonstrate some remarkable evidence of intelligent design. Taken separately, each characteristic is highly improbable by random chance. When taken together, the probability is so small as to be impossible - by random chance. The alternative explanation, design by an intelligent Creator is a more realistic explanation. Either way, one must admit that we are a product of a miracle - either a miracle of chance or a miracle of design. Let's look at a few of the improbable highlights for the design of the earth and our Solar System.

The Sun and our Solar System have been located in a stable orbit within our galaxy for the last 4.5 billion years. This orbit lies far from the center of our galaxy and between the spiral arms. The stability of our position is possible because the sun is one of the rare stars that lies within the �galactic co-rotation radius.� Typically, the stars in our galaxy orbit the center of the galaxy at a rate that differs from the rate of the trailing spiral arms. Thus, most stars located between spiral arms do not remain there for long, but would eventually be swept inside a spiral arm. Only at a certain precise distance from the galaxy�s center, the "co-rotation radius," can a star remain in its place between two spiral arms, orbiting at precisely the same rate as the galaxy arms rotate around the core ( Mishurov, Y.N. and L. A. Zenina. 1999. Yes, the Sun is Located Near the Corotation Circle. Astronomy & Astrophysics 341: 81-85.). Why is it important that we are not in one of the spiral arms? First, our location gives us a view of the universe that is unobstructed by the debris and gases found in the spiral arms. This fact allows us to visualize what the Bible says, "The heavens declare the glory of God." If we were within the spiral arms, our view would be significantly impaired. Second, being outside the spiral arms puts us in a location that is safer than anywhere else in the universe. We are removed from the more densely occupied areas, where stellar interactions can lead to disruption of planetary orbits. In addition, we are farther from the deadly affects of supernovae explosions. The 4+ billion year longevity of life on earth (the time needed to prepare the planet for human occupation) would not have been possible at most other locations in our galaxy.

Solar system

A recent study reveals some unusual design in our solar system. With the continuing growth in the capabilities and sophistication of computer systems, scientists are gaining the ability to model the dynamics of the Solar System and ask "what if" questions regarding the presence and size of planets. The presence of Jupiter is required to allow advanced life to exist on the Earth (see below). However, Jupiter's large mass (along with the other gas giants) has a profound destabilizing effect upon the inner planets. In the absence of the Earth-moon system, the orbital period of Jupiter sets up what is called resonance over the period of 8 million years. This resonance causes the orbits of Venus and Mercury to become highly eccentric, so much so, that eventually the orbits become close enough so that there would be a "strong Mercury-Venus encounter." Such an encounter would certainly lead to the ejection of Mercury from the Solar System, and an alteration of the orbit of Venus. In doing the simulations, the scientists learned that the stabilizing effect of the Earth-moon requires a planet with at least the mass of Mars and within 10% of the distance of the Earth from the Sun. The authors of the study used the term "design" twice in the conclusion of their study:

Our basic finding is nevertheless an indication of the need for some sort of rudimentary "design" in the solar system to ensure long-term stability. One possible aspect of such "design" is that long-term stability may require that terrestrial orbits require a degree of irregularity to "stir" certain resonances enough so that such resonances cannot persist. (Innanen, Kimmo, S. Mikkola, and P. Wiegert. 1998. The earth-moon system and the dynamical stability of the inner solar system. The Astronomical Journal 116: 2055-2057.)

he unique arrangement of large and small planetary bodies in the solar system may be required to ensure the 4+ billion year stability of the system. In addition, it is readily apparent from the cycle of ice ages that the earth is at the edge of the life zone for our star. Although the earth has one of the most stable orbits among all the planets discovered to date, its periodic oscillations, including changes in orbital eccentricity, axial tilt, and a 100,000-year periodic elongation of Earth's orbit, results in a near freeze over (Kerr, R. 1999. Why the Ice Ages Don't Keep Time. Science 285: 503-505, and Rial, J.A. 1999. Pacemaking the Ice Ages by Frequency Modulation of Earth's Orbital Eccentricity. Science 285: 564-568.). According to Dr. J. E. Chambers, simulations of planetary formation "yield Earth-like planets with large eccentricities (e ~ 0.15)," whereas the Earth has an e value of 0.03. He goes on to say, "Given that climate stability may depend appreciably on e, it could be no coincidence that we inhabit a planet with an unusually circular orbit." (Chambers, J. E. 1998. How Special is Earth's Orbit? American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #30, #21.07) With this new information, it seems very unlikely that stable planetary systems, in which a small earth-like planet resides in the habitable zone, exist in any other galaxy in our universe. This does not even consider the other design parameters that are required for life to exist anywhere in the universe.

The earth is titled on its axis at an angle of 23.5�. This is important, because it accounts for the seasons. Two factors impact the progression of seasons. The most important is the location of land masses on the earth. Nearly all of the continental land mass is located in the Northern Hemisphere. Since land has a higher capacity to absorb the Sun's energy, the earth is much warmer when the Northern Hemisphere is pointing towards the Sun. This happens to be the point at which the earth is farthest from the Sun (the aphelion of its orbit). If the opposite were true, the seasons on the earth would be much more severe (hotter summers and colder winters). For more information, see Aphelion Away! from the NASA website.

Large moon

The earth has a huge moon orbiting around it, which scientists now know 1) did not bulge off due to the earth's high rotational speed and 2) could not have been captured by the earth's gravity, due to the moon's large mass. For further explanations, see "The scientific legacy of Apollo" (2). The best explanation (other than outright miracle) for the moon's existence is that a Mars-sized planet crashed into the earth around 4.25 billion years ago (the age of the Moon). As you can imagine, the probability of two planets colliding in the same solar system is extremely remote. Any "normal" collision would not have resulted in the formation of the moon, since the ejecta would not have been thrown far enough from the earth to form the moon. The small planet, before it collided with the earth, must have had an unusually elliptical orbit (unlike the orbit of any other planet in the Solar System), which resulted in a virtual head-on collision. The collision of the small planet with the earth would have resulted in the ejection of 5 billion cubic miles of the earth's crust and mantle into orbit around the earth. This ring of material, the theory states, would have coalesced to form the moon. In addition, the moon is moving away from the earth (currently at 2 inches per year), as it has been since its creation. If we calculate backwards we discover that the moon must have formed just outside the Roche limit, the point at which an object would be torn apart by the earth's gravity (7,300 miles above the earth's surface). A collision which would have ejected material less than the Roche limit would have formed only rings around the earth. Computer models show that a collision of a small planet with the earth must have been very precise in order for any moon to have been formed at all (coincidence or design?). (see What If the Moon Didn't Exist?, by Neil F. Comins, professor of Astronomy and Physics).

Unusually thin atmosphere

Why is the moon important to life on earth? The collision of the small planet with the earth resulted in the ejection of the majority of the earth's primordial atmosphere. If this collision had not occurred, we would have had an atmosphere similar to that of Venus, which is 80 times that of the earth (equivalent to being one mile beneath the ocean). Such a thick atmosphere on Venus resulted in a runaway greenhouse affect, leaving a dry planet with a surface temperature of 800�F. The earth would have suffered a similar fate if the majority of its primordial atmosphere had not been ejected into outer space. In fact, the Earth is 20% more massive than Venus and further away from the Sun, both factors of which should have lead to a terrestrial atmosphere much thicker than that of Venus. For some strange reason, we have a very thin atmosphere - just the right density to maintain the presence of liquid, solid and gaseous water necessary to life (coincidence or design?).

Slowing rotation makes advanced life possible

The moon has had other beneficial affects on the earth. Scientists now know that the earth originally had a rotational period of eight hours. Such a rapid rotational period would have resulted in surface wind velocities in excess of 500 miles per hour. The gravitational tug of the moon over the last 4+ billion years has reduced the rotation period of the earth to 24 hours (likewise, the gravitational attraction of the earth on the moon has reduced its rotational period to 29 days). Needless to say, winds of 500 miles per hour would not be conducive to the existence of higher life forms (coincidence or design?).

Van-Allen radiation shield is unique to Earth

Another fortuitous result of the collision of the Mars-sized planet with the Earth is the presence of the Earth's large and heavy metallic core. In fact, the Earth has the highest density of any of the planets in our Solar System. This large nickel-iron core is responsible for our large magnetic field. This magnetic field produces the Van-Allen radiation shield, which protects the Earth from radiation bombardment. If this shield were not present, life would not be possible on the Earth. The only other rocky planet to have any magnetic field is Mercury - but its field strength is 100 times less than the Earth's. Even Venus, our sister planet, has no magnetic field. The lack of a magnetic field on Venus is thought to have resulted in the planet losing virtually all of its water through stripping by the solar wind. The Van-Allen radiation shield is a design unique to the Earth.

Unique continental crust and tectonic activity

Recent evidence tells us that the earth is unique in many ways, even compared to the other rocky planets in our Solar System. In a recent study (3), Dr. Roberta Rudnick says that the earth has a unique continental crust, which is different from any other planet in our Solar System (even Venus, our "sister planet"). The mechanisms which resulted in this unique continental crust is not entirely certain as she stated, "Perhaps the greatest dilemma facing those interested in understanding how the continents formed is their composition." However, the earth's crust is much thinner (4 km) than that of Venus (30 km). Tectonic processes cannot happen with such thick plates. If most of the crust of the earth had not been blown away during the formation of the moon, the earth would have no continents, but would be completely covered by water. The tectonic processes which recycle the crust are extremely important in maintaining life on our planet by recycling minerals and nutrients (coincidence or design?).

All other earth-sized planets will be either deserts or waterworlds

Scientists now know that planets like the earth, with large amounts of both water and land, are virtually impossible to form. Large planets do not form continents because the increased gravity prevents significant mountain and continent formation. Earth-sized planets completely flood, and any land formed is eroded by the seas in a short period of time (in the absence of tectonic activity, which results only from the effects of the formation of the moon). Smaller planets lack tectonic activity, so would have no land masses, but would be completely covered with water. According to Dr. Nick Hoffman of La Trobe University, Melbourne Australia:

"Around countless stars in our galaxy, and innumerable galaxies through space there will surely be Terrestrial planets, yet they will not be Earth-like. They will not have glistening Silver Moons orbiting silently through space around them, but only small dull rocks whizzing in orbit. The worlds will be, almost without exception, waterworlds." (Venus - What the Earth would have been like from spacedaily.com)

Reduction of greenhouse gases with increasing solar luminosity

Another study points out the uniqueness of the earth in maintaining temperatures suitable for life over a period of at least 3.5 billion years. At the formation of the Solar System (about 4.5 billion years ago) the Sun was approximately one third less luminous than it is now (known from studies of stellar burning rates). Scientists have postulated that certain greenhouse gases must have been present at higher concentrations to prevent the earth from becoming a frozen planet. In a recent study ("Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations before 2.2 billion years ago" published in December, 1995 in Nature) Drs. Rye, Kuo, and Holland have determined (by sampling ancient rocks) that carbon dioxide levels could not have been high enough to compensate for the lower solar luminosity. The presence of other greenhouse gases, such as ammonia and methane is also problematical, since it is known that the earth possessed an oxidative atmosphere even at four billion years ago (4). In addition, 1) ammonia is extremely sensitive to solar ultraviolet radiation and 2) ammonia at levels needed to influence the earth's temperature would have prevented photosynthetic organisms from fixing nitrogen (i.e., protein, DNA and RNA synthesis would have been prevented). Fossil evidence indicates that photosynthetic organisms have been present on the Earth for at least 3.5 billion years. Methane has similar problems to ammonia, in that it is sensitive to solar ultraviolet radiation in an oxidative atmosphere. The problem remains unresolved, but some unique design must have existed to prevent the Earth from becoming a planet frozen solid in ice (early on) or a sweltering inferno (now) (coincidence or design?).

At least part of the design for the removal of greenhouse gases may have been answered by a recent study. It seems that life itself (and rather remarkable life, at that) may have been responsible for keeping the earth from turning into a scorched planet like Venus. Scientists have discovered a methane metabolizing Archea in the extreme pressures of deep sea sediments. It is estimated that these bacteria-like organisms consume 300 million tons of methane each year, which prevent the Earth from turning into a furnace. According to Kai-Uwe Hinrichs, a biogeochemist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts and one of the authors of the study, "If they hadn't been established at some point in Earth's history, we probably wouldn't be here." According to an analysis of the study:

"...on early Earth, these microbes might have been even more significant. Atmospheric scientists have suggested that methane levels in the atmosphere may have been 1000 times higher than they are today, created initially by volcanoes and later by methane-producing microbes (Science, 25 June 1999, p. 2111). At first, this methane may have been beneficial, creating a greenhouse effect that kept the planet from freezing. But if the rise in methane had gone unchecked, Earth might have become too hot for life, as Venus is today." (Zimmer, C. 2001. 'Inconceivable' Bugs Eat Methane on the Ocean Floor. Science 293: 418-419.)

The need for Jupiter-sized planets at 5 AU from its star

We have already discussed the destabilizing effects of large planets in our Solar System. However, these large bodies are required for life to exist on the Earth. A recent study implicates Jupiter as the indirect cause of oceans on the earth. Several studies have concluded that comets brought water to the earth. However, there are problems with this theory. The water on the earth contains 150 ppm deuterium, or heavy hydrogen, which is five or six times the deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio found in the sun and in the solar nebula gas. In addition, it's only about a third of the deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio measured in comets Halley, Hyakutake, and Hale-Bopp. However, the ratio of deuterium-to-hydrogen in meteorites is similar to that seen in the Earth's oceans. Scientists have hypothesized that the presence of Jupiter sent large amounts of water-containing meteorites into the inner Solar System soon after it was forming. It is also possible that Jupiter was also responsible for sending the Mars-sized planet that formed the moon. What is unique is that Jupiter-sized planets are not found as far out as 5 AU in other stellar systems. In fact, nearly all large planets have been found to be closer to their stars than the earth is to the Sun (which would remove all rocky planets in the habitable zone from those systems). Only Solar Systems with a Jupiter-type planet can Harbor Life.

"We now know that these other planetary systems don't look like the solar system at all... We also know that the solar system is special and understand at some level what makes it special." (Frederic Rasio, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University)

Despite having been responsible for the shower of meteors that pelted the early earth, Jupiter is now our great protector and is responsible for collecting and ejecting a large proportion of the comets that enter into orbit around the Sun. Without Jupiter life on Earth at this time would be difficult or impossible due to the large number of cometary collisions (approximately 1,000-10,000 times more collisions) with the Earth (5). There have been many large planets found around other stars recently, but none of these planets are far enough away from their star (most orbit at a position comparable to Mercury) to stabilize the orbits of planets in the zone that can support life or protect these inner planets from cometary bombardment. The presence of Jupiter-like planets in the universe is a rare event. According to Dr. Peter D. Ward of the University of Washington, "All the Jupiters seen today [31 to date] are bad Jupiters. Ours is the only good one we know of. And it's got to be good, or you're thrown out into dark space or into your sun."

Conclusion

The following table ("Uniqueness of the galaxy-sun-earth-moon system for life support") is based upon the assumption that life is based upon carbon. As you are probably aware, there has been speculation that life might be based upon boron or silicon (mainly in Hollywood productions, such as Star Trek). However, these elements do not form very long-chained compounds, which would make any form of life based upon these elements virtually impossible (6).

Life based upon carbon requires that water exist in the liquid state (a very narrow range of 100C). For practicality, this range is even more narrow. There are a few bacteria which can exist near the boiling point, but they are very specialized. Nearly all other life forms must exist below a temperature of 50C. This is the major constraint on the system, which requires stabile galaxies (spirals only) stabile stars (eliminating all large or small stars and all binary systems, which most stars are part of), stabile planetary orbits (orbital eccentricity must be small), exact rotational characteristics (long rotational periods will lead to too widely varying temperatures, short ones to high winds).

The table below lists the parameters required for a planet to be able to sustain life. Individually, the probabilities of occurrence of each parameter are not particularly impressive. The fact that all of these parameters are found on the Earth is extremely impressive, indicating an extreme deviation from random chance. The probability values below are ones obtained from that observed in the universe as a whole.