As man is able to probe the unknown frontiers of the universe with more powerful telescopes, we are learning more of its incomprehensible vastness as seen in the stars and space. Let us focus our attention in this issue on the stars, and learn that "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable" (Psalm 145:3. See also Psalm 147:5).

The sun, the most important star to the earth, is just an average star in size. Though 1,300,000 earths could fit inside it, there are some stars large enough to contain 500 million of our suns. Super-giant stars are said to be able to hold billions of our suns.

Not only are the stars large, they are plentiful. Our local Milky Way galaxy contains between 200 and 300 billion stars. This is just one of billions of galaxies known to exist, each containing billions of stars. Nobody knows the total number of stars, but astronomers estimate it is about 10²⁵, or 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. In order to count that many stars, even using a computer capable of making ten thousand million calculations per second, it would still take 30 million years of non-stop counting!

Another mind-boggling aspect of the universe is its huge expanse. Other than the sun, the next closest star to earth is 4.28 light years away. A spaceship traveling at a speed of nearly 50,000 miles per hour would take 46,000 years to get there. The farthest known star is an estimated 12 thousand million light years away.

Space is so vast that even with an uncountable number of stars populating it, space is characterized as being empty. Stars on average are light years apart. The only reason we can see so many stars is because our solar system is located inside the Milky Way, and not in the blackness of intergalactic space. Meanwhile, we are moving along through space within a cluster of galaxies at about 75 miles per second.

The Bible tells us that God "made the stars also" (Genesis 1:16; Psalm 136:5). What is perhaps more remarkable is, "He telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names" (Psalm 147:4; Isaiah 40:26).

Adam was given the job of naming the animals, but the Creator Himself named the stars because the meaning of their names was of great importance in proclaiming the glorious message of His wondrous salvation to men.

We join with the Psalmist David in saying, "When I consider the heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; What is man that Thou art mindful of him, … that Thou visitest him?" (Psalm 8:3,4). Praise be to God that in love He sent His Son from "far above all heavens" to this tiny speck called earth to die for sinful men. Is Jesus your Saviour?

Considering the magnitude of God's creation, His love is even greater, passing knowledge (Ephesians 3:19).