The universe is an awe inspiring place, and as someone who loves diving deep into its mysteries, I find that learning about the cosmos brings me closer to Allah and the beauty of His creation. The vastness, complexity, and precision of the universe never cease to amaze me. Every time I explore its wonders, I feel a sense of peace and connection to the divine. Today, I’m excited to share with you just 20 incredible things about the universe that have captivated me, but trust me, I know far more than just 20! so stick around, because there’s so much more to discover, and I’ll be sharing even more of what I know on my “Divine Cosmos” category.
- The Universe is Expanding: Did you know the universe is still expanding? Since the Big Bang, it’s been growing, and this expansion is speeding up because of something mysterious called dark energy.
- It’s Billions of Years Old: The universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old, and scientists discovered this by studying the oldest light we can see the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation.
- Cosmic Inflation: Right after the Big Bang, the universe went through a period of rapid growth called inflation, expanding faster than the speed of light in a fraction of a second.
- Dark Matter: A staggering 85% of the universe’s matter is made of something called dark matter. We can’t see it, but we know it’s there because of its gravitational effects on galaxies.
- Dark Energy: Even more mysterious is dark energy, making up nearly 70% of the universe. It’s the force pushing galaxies apart, causing the universe’s expansion to accelerate.
- Trillions of Galaxies: There are more than two trillion galaxies in the observable universe, each filled with billions or even trillions of stars. It’s humbling to think how vast creation is!
- Our Milky Way Galaxy: The Milky Way is just one of those galaxies, spanning about 100,000 light-years in diameter and containing 100-400 billion stars.
- The Speed of Light: Nothing travels faster than light, which zips through space at 299,792 kilometers per second. Yet, it still takes light from the Sun 8 minutes to reach Earth.
- The Oldest Light: The Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation is the faint glow from the Big Bang, offering us a glimpse into the universe’s early days.
- Black Holes: Black holes fascinate me! These objects are so dense that not even light can escape them. There are supermassive black holes at the center of most galaxies, including our own.
- Gravitational Waves: I’m amazed by the discovery of gravitational waves in 2015. These are ripples in spacetime caused by the merging of black holes and other massive cosmic events.
- Neutron Stars: Some stars collapse into incredibly dense neutron stars, so packed that just a teaspoon of this material would weigh billions of tons on Earth.
- Exoplanets: Thousands of planets have been discovered outside our solar system, and some lie in their stars’ “habitable zones,” where liquid water and potentially life might exist.
- The Multiverse Theory: Ever thought there could be other universes? The multiverse theory suggests there might be many universes, each with its own rules of physics.
- The Fate of the Universe: There are different ideas about how the universe will end. It could keep expanding (Big Freeze), collapse back on itself (Big Crunch), or tear apart (Big Rip).
- Observable Universe: The observable universe stretches about 93 billion light-years across, but it’s likely much bigger than what we can currently see.
- Where We Live: Our solar system is located in the Orion Arm of the Milky Way, about 27,000 light years from the galactic center.
- Stellar Nurseries: Stars are born in places called nebulae, vast clouds of gas and dust. The Orion Nebula is one of the most famous star-forming regions.
- Galaxies Collide: Believe it or not, galaxies collide! The Milky Way is on a collision course with the Andromeda Galaxy, but don’t worry—it won’t happen for another 4.5 billion years.
- Time Dilation: One of the most mind-blowing aspects of the universe is time dilation, where time slows down near massive objects like black holes, as predicted by Einstein’s theory of relativity.
These are just a few of the things I’ve come to know about the universe (not even a 1%) and there’s so much more I can’t wait to share with you. I’ve been passionate about astronomy for years because it truly makes me appreciate the grandeur and complexity of Allah’s creation. The universe isn’t just a collection of stars, planets, and galaxies – it’s a reflection of divine order and beauty, something that constantly reminds me of my place in the cosmos and Allah’s power.
If you’re as fascinated by the universe as I am, stay tuned! I’ll be posting more about space, astronomy, and how it all connects us to the deeper questions of existence. Keep exploring, and don’t forget to check back on my blog for more insights about this incredible universe!
Bonus Video:
“O humanity! Remember Allah’s favors upon you. Is there any creator other than Allah who provides for you from the heavens and the earth? There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him. How can you then be deluded ˹from the truth˺?” – Quran 35:3
Surah Ikhlas
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ( 1)
Say,” He is Allah, the One
اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ (2)
Allah is the All-embracing
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَ لَمْ يُولَدْ (3)
He neither begat nor was begotten
وَ لَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدُ (4)
nor has He any equal
فَاطِرُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَ الْأَرْضِ جَعَلَ لَكمُ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا وَ مِنَ الْأَنْعَامِ أَزْوَاجًا يَذْرَؤُكُمْ فِيهِ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شىَءٌ وَ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ (شوری:11)
The originator of the heavens and the earth, He made for you mates from your own selves, and mates of the cattle, by which means He multiplies you. Nothing is like Him, and He is the All-hearing, the All-seeing
In brief, let me say some attributions of Allah (The One & Only God):
God is one and unique, peerless, eternal, without beginning or end, the first and the last. He is all-knowing, all-wise, all-mighty, all-hearing, and all-seeing. He has no body or physical form, and cannot be seen by the eyes of the body in this world or the Hereafter. He cannot descend to earth in the form of man. He is not at a particular place, but there is no place where God is not present. He is nearer to us than our jugular vein and knows what we do, even what passes through our hearts. He is Just but also the most Merciful and Compassionate.