Our journey to the Great Attractor

[Newtonian]

From Scripture we know we will never stop learning.  Eccl.3:10-13 not only shows Jehovah has put eternity (Heb. ohlam; NW ref "time indefinite") in our hearts but also that we will never know the works of Jehovah from start to finish!

 

Well, some trillions of years from now, way after Milky Way merges with Andromeda galaxy c. 5 billion years from now, we (along with thousands of other galaxies - many blue shifted) will be approaching the Great Attractor.   What then?   Well, we may never know the actual finish - but we may soon know that point.

 

This not only involves Scriptural research (Romans 1:20) but also scientific research.   Feel free to post what you have found as to our future journey through space and the resulting changes in our night sky - for sure it will not be boring!

 

I will start with our literature concerning the Great Attractor:

 

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/101990412?q=Great+Attractor&p=par

 

"The discovery of vast structures in space may force scientists to reevaluate their theories. One such structure, referred to as “the great wall,” is described as an immense, flat expanse of galaxies spread out over a thousand million light-years. Another structure is termed “the great attractor” because it is pulling so many galaxies, including our own, toward itself. The New York Times notes that such structures, which “are not simply galaxies or clusters of them, but huge ‘continents of galaxies,’” confirm theories that “the basic objects in the universe are far larger and more complicated than astronomers had imagined.” One astrophysicist told the Times that many theorists were hoping that the great attractor would go away. Why? “We just don’t understand how such a large structure can be formed,” he said."

 

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/101996042?q=Great+Attractor&p=par

 

Excerpt:

 

"Still another problem for the big bang has come from steadily mounting evidence of “bubbles” in the universe that are 100 million light-years in size, with galaxies on the outside and voids inside. Margaret Geller, John Huchra, and others at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics have found what they call a great wall of galaxies some 500 million light-years in length across the northern sky. Another group of astronomers, who became known as the Seven Samurai, have found evidence of a different cosmic conglomeration, which they call the Great Attractor, located near the southern constellations of Hydra and Centaurus. Astronomers Marc Postman and Tod Lauer believe something even bigger must lie beyond the constellation Orion, causing hundreds of galaxies, including ours, to stream in that direction like rafts on a sort of “river in space.”

All this structure is baffling. Cosmologists say the blast from the big bang was extremely smooth and uniform, according to the background radiation it allegedly left behind. How could such a smooth start have led to such massive and complex structures? “The latest crop of walls and attractors intensifies the mystery of how so much structure could have formed within the 15-billion-year age of the universe,” admits Scientific American—a problem that only gets worse as Freedman and others roll back the estimated age of the cosmos still more."

[Newtonian]

From Britannica:

 

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Great-Attractor

 

An interesting read!

 

So, will we simply pass close to the Great Attractor or will we become gravitationally bound to it?

 

Most certainly the evidence shows that thousands of galaxies will become gravitationally bound which contradicts the popular scientific theory that the expansion of our universe will cause heat death of our universe.

 

Scientists who espouse this popular theory ignore the fact that many galaxies are heading toward us (or us towards them) proven by the fact that their light is blue shifted rather than red-shifted as are the billions of most distant galaxies.

 

These scientists also ignore the Bible which clearly shows our earth will remain populated forever (Psalms 37:29).

 

Bottom line: the cold facts are not so cold!

 

And with all those interactions with thousands of galaxies in the future Octillions of years the night sky and astronomy will never become boring!

 

Btw - astronomers Loeb and others have noted that WMAP data suggests that our universe may already be interacting with another universe in which case our universe would not be a closed system.

 

Of course, we know that our universe is not a closed system because Jehovah continues to "cause to be" as one definition of the Divine Name shows.

 

Bottom line - Jehovah is stretching out the heavens like a fine gauze as Isaiah 40:22 indicates.

 

And it should come as no surprise that invisible energy (dubbed dark energy) is involved since Jehovah has plural forms of dynamic energy (Hebrew plural Ohnim in Is. 40:26) which would include invisible forms of energy for reasons you all may realize!

 

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Please note that some sources concerning the Great Attractor ignore the fact that many galaxies are NOT expanding away from us (as are red shifted galaxies) but are, in fact, approaching us (more or less) and thus are blue shifted.   This is likely because many scientists promote the heat death future of our universe based on increased expansion speed while ignoring the fact that thousands of galaxies, including our own, are either not expanding (blue shifted) or expanding at slower/slowing speeds (less red shifted than predicted by the theory).

 

Here is an astro-physics link which accurately confirms the fact that many galaxies are indeed blue shifted - and some details about this plus possible explanations:

 

https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/blue-shifted-galaxies.93240/

 

 

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The following link, which only admits c. 100 blue shifted galaxies (see the former link in contrast) nonetheless admits the involvement of the Great Attractor in the direction of the Virgo cluster:

 

https://www.spaceanswers.com/deep-space/where-did-the-first-particles-of-light-come-from/

 

Excerpt:

"Those that are moving towards us are either part of our Local Group, which means that we are gravitationally connected to each other, or they are found in the Virgo Cluster which everything in our Local Group is moving towards. The galaxies M90, M86 and M98 are all in the Virgo Cluster and all show blue shifts."

 

Caution: When researching this, please note scientists try to support their heat death theory and as a result hide facts that conflict with that theory.

 

This is the same problem with researching biologic origins since scientists also are supporting evolution theory and try to hide evidence in conflict with that theory as well.

 

As to whether gravitational bonds (cords/etc.) will remain or will loosen, this question is written in Scripture:

 

Job 38:31-33

Can you tie the ropes of the Kiʹmah constellation*

Or untie the cords of the Keʹsil constellation?*+

32 Can you lead out a constellation* in its season

Or guide the Ash constellation* along with its sons?

33 Do you know the laws governing the heavens,+

Or can you impose their* authority on the earth?

 

[Tortuga]

5 hours ago, Newtonian said:

Feel free to post what you have found as to our future journey through space and the resulting changes in our night sky - for sure it will not be boring!

I can't contribute to your thread now but I'll try to check back in 5 billion years...

[Alexa]

There are already some closer to Jehovah in his heavenly throne. We will die if we see Jehovah physically  

[Qapla]

All I can think of is, " . . .For God is a God not of disorder but of peace. . ." (1 Corinthians 14:33)

 

So, whatever the movement in the Universe is and wherever the galaxies are heading, it WILL/IS NOT be something detrimental , random or without purpose ... 1 Cor. 14:33 assures us of this fact.

[Newtonian]

14 hours ago, Qapla said:

All I can think of is, " . . .For God is a God not of disorder but of peace. . ." (1 Corinthians 14:33)

 

So, whatever the movement in the Universe is and wherever the galaxies are heading, it WILL/IS NOT be something detrimental , random or without purpose ... 1 Cor. 14:33 assures us of this fact.

True, of course.   I expect further fine tuning!