Friday 12 March 2010

'Coincidental' Wonders of the Solar System

I watched the amazing documentary 'Wonders of the Solar System' (part one) on BBC 2 the other night, presented by Professor Brian Cox, it was the best TV programme that I've ever seen.
The DJ Chris Evans on Radio 2 also said that it was 'the best one hour of television that he'd ever seen'.
It was beautifully filmed with a great soundtrack and was, over and above everything else - all science.
BUT...one fact struck me and that was this: the reason we get a 'perfect' solar eclipse, explained Cox, is because the sun is exactly four hundred times further away from the earth than the moon and the sun is exactly four hundred times greater in diameter than the moon. Any variation in this ie: four hundred times further away and only three hundred and ninety nine times greater in diameter etc would not result in a total and perfect eclipse.
What a coincidence thought presenter Cox.
Coincidence or design?

8 comments:

James Higham said...

There are times one needs a TV but 99% of the time - no. This was one of the ones where I needed a TV.

Wrinkled Weasel said...

I sometimes just gaze up at the stars and know how small I am. The Universe is a wonderful thing, and we have lost that capacity for wonder.

skydog said...

Mechanics not design.

Planets and their satellite moons are where they are for very good scientific reasons, not to play out some celstial peep-show for observers on earth.

GoodnightVienna said...

Perfection rarely comes about through coincidence JPT so I'm with WW in some respects except we haven't lost the capacity for wonder or reflection. Scientists and politicians sometimes lose sight of humanity's need to have something to hold on to. Brown and Pachauri will never replace 'God'.

skydog said...

Agreed, there'll always be those who need some sort of prop to their existence. Even something as illogical and irrational as (Insert deity of choice)

I see from your avatar that you're probably an ex-matelot like myself GV. I too have sat on the QD on moonless nights and wondered at the heavens. I didn't conclude that some god created it all. o|--)

Anonymous said...

Yet another ridiculous 'therefore, God exists' pronouncement. This just proves that the universe is a wonderous thing, not that 'God' MUST have designed it.

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