Makemake is a newly discovered dwarf planet.
It is time once again to welcome another member to our solar system, at least officially. Of course, the object itself has been around for billions of years.
Thinking about space always makes me reflect existentially.
It is astonishing to me that humans, with our advanced technology and "enlightened" views of the world are still discovering things. It must make us humble. Or at least it should.
I got a few chances this summer to check out the stars unadulterated, far from city lights, in the crisp mountain air. I saw the Milky Way in its lucid brilliance. The stars were so numerous that it was just a sheet of white across a portion of the sky. It was a welcome companion as a fell asleep one June evening.
And then there's rational argument, which must temper vain humility. One particular idea must be put to rest. I have encountered this argument before: due to the earth's relatively small size, the solar system's relatively small size, and the fact that the Milky Way is one of millions of galaxies in the universe, how can Christians or any religious people be so conceded as to think their religious system answers the questions about the universe?
This is a classic logical fallacy. Size and importance are two separate ideas. A computer chip carries enormous importance to the functioning of society. A big rock on a hill doesn't. The earth is small, but it and its people are infinitely important.
Reflecting on the spacial universe should make us humble at the size of God, but it shouldn't make us foolish.
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