The beautiful and well-known M51 galaxy, which is known as the Whirlpool Galaxy, is a common object for observers. Even small telescopes can see the object, although it takes a little more than 4 inches of aperture to begin seeing the spiral arms. However, pictures usually show two galaxies because NGC 5195 is a little farther away but its central area appears very close to the larger M51. An observer with a small scope can usually see the nuclei of the two with nebulosity around both but the M51 is much brighter. The issue, however, is not what you see but how you interpret it. Whodunit? This well known expression comes from detective stories in the past, where someone says, “Who did it?” or “Who committed the crime?”
You can go to the WEB and find words and more words about these two objects, with speculation about their long past (billions of years) close encounter. Then more speculation is often mentioned, where these galaxies originally came from the primordial “soup”….those thin gases that came together because of unknown stellar forces and formed the two galaxies with their trillions of stars. So Whodunit? The popular explanations leave only one choice: accident and chance. So who caused the accident, or produced the forces, or gave them direction to accomplish the task? No one. When the fancy words are removed, that is the popular answer. And, it all happened somewhere near the time of the origin of the universe. If you do not believe me, look at the NASA sites, look at popular books on astronomy, or look on the WEB.
So on April 5, 2013 I had a chance to observe this magnificent object again. I had sketched it before, but every observation is a little different and I learn something else about the physical appearance of these two galaxies each time I observe it. However, this is where the observation ends and I go to the Eyewitness account to know about its origin. Here is the observation sheet developed in about 20 minutes by watching the screen video output from a telescope and video camera combination:
The answer to “Whodunit?” is in the quote from Revelation. You can also check the answer by going to Genesis 1:16 or several others, but the first reference is in Genesis. God says, as the Eyewitness, that He created these things on the 4th day of creation. The plain reading of the text means the days were normal solar-length days. The plain adding of figures from Genesis geneologies and those from other books is also plain: the 4th day of creation was a little over 6000 years ago.
Some would say, that is impossible! But where do they get their information to say it is impossible? From the enormity of the task coupled with the conjecture or speculation of deep (or extremely long) time, which is necessary for anything to happen by chance in the naturalistic or evolutionary view. One might say, how can a galaxy be created so quickly?
How big is your God? Mine created the universe, made the laws, made people, and regularly intervenes in human affairs as recorded in the Bible. He is the same Guy that touched the 12 year old girl and brought her to life. He raised Lazarus to life after being dead 4 days. He died but rose again. So my Creator is rather large and capable. Is yours?
The “Whodunit?” question crops up a lot. It should. I want people to ask it, especially in this culture today, where natural but unknown laws are given super capabilities to self organize matter, energy, and everything else…from particles to microbes to microbiologists. Sorry, it just does not happen that way.
God is eternal; He made the laws just like He made time, space, matter, and energy, which He states took place on the first day of creation. If He can do that, is it a problem to create a “few” galaxies on day four? If you see a tension in the natural/evolutionary and God-provided explanations, that is good. There is one. But I would suggest that relying on the One who was there and provided a written history of what He did but then came to reveal Himself to us might be telling the truth.
You might say, “But scientists say…” Check again. I know of scientists, engineers, and specialists who rigorously defend operational science, but when it comes to origins they properly say, ‘This is historical science and deals with world view, in contrast to measurable or repeatable things. We rely on the Bible for this information.’ The mighty Whirlpool galaxy is not an accident of time. The “whodunit” is God, and we know when He did it. It, along with other objects, testifies of His mighty power and attention to detail.
