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[EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first in a two-part series on the teleological argument for the existence of God. Part II will appear in the March issue.] Several years ago, astronomers from more than 30 research institutions in 15 countries worked together to select a site for a giant telescope that they hoped would read TV or radio signals from alien civilizations. Slated to cost one billion dollars, the Square Kilometer Array, or SKA, would be the world’s most powerful radio telescope. Speaking at a conference of the International Society for Optical Engineering in Orlando, Florida, project astronomers said they hoped to find “immediate and direct evidence of life elsewhere in the Universe.”1 Despite this bold venture, the scientists admitted that “such a search would have distinct limitations, to be…

by  Alana May, M.S. [Editor’s Note: Alana holds a Master’s degree in Astrophysics from the University of Alabama.] In the early morning hours of January 31, 2018, much of North America will get the privilege of witnessing a rare celestial event: Super Blue Blood Moon. But what exactly is this trifecta of lunar phenomena? Is it a harbinger of doom or apocalyptic events? Let’s break it down. Supermoon Like the Earth’s orbit around the Sun, the Moon travels in an elliptical orbit around the Earth. Because of this, the Moon has a closest approach (perigee) and a farthest approach (appogee) to the Earth. A Supermoon occurs when the Moon reaches its perigee and will therefore, appear up to 16% larger and 30% brighter than usual.1 The January 31st Supermoon is…