Looking into the past

We have been looking into some very fascinating topics lately. This time will not be different. Consider that every time we look up at the night-sky, we look into the past. Literally. I will explain.
The stars above are at great distances from us. It takes years, centuries, even millennia, (thousands of years), for the light of these stars to reach us. But light travels fast (approximately 300,000 kilometers per second). Try to imagine the distance it travels in one year. (9.46 trillion kilometers. Trillion kilometers? Well, we would write it like this: 9460000000000). That is known as a light year. It’s a long distance by human understanding. But it’s one thing to see numbers, so to give you an idea, I will post a video here that clearly shows it. Take a look and be amazed…

Amazing isn’t it? Just consider that the distances, even within our own solar system, are lenghty. As I mentioned in a previous input, it would take roughly 6 years with our current technology to travel to the planet Jupiter (المشتري). Light does it in less than one hour. Imagine then, that many of the stars we see out there are at much greater distances. The star Sirius, which is even mentioned in the Quran, is roughly at a distance of 8.6 light years. It may seem small compared to what you have just seen in the video… but believe me, it is still a great distance away. 

سورة النجم ٤٩
وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ رَبُّ الشِّعْرَىٰ

Surah An-Najm 53:49
That He is the Lord of Sirius (the Mighty Star)

The biggest stars we know of, which I mentioned in this input, are at a much greater distance. VY Canis Majoris is at a distance of 3900 light years from our solar system. That means the light from it takes 3900 years to reach us, (and we need telescopes to see it). With the speed of light in mind… that’s a rather long distance indeed. Mashallah. 

Stephenson 2-18, is estimated to be at a distance of 18 900 light years, which means the light we can observe now has taken nearly 20 000 years to reach us. Consider again the distance of the speed of light, (9460000000000 kilometers per second). Turn that 1 second into 20 000 years. Endless time… endless distance. That’s mind-boggling. The light that any of these stars produce at this very moment will take an equal time to reach this planet, if it still exists in 4000-20000 years… 

In that sense, we are looking into the past, every time we look at the light from the stars. Even those closest to us. We are seeing the light they produced years ago. It amazes me every time…

I am equally reminded of these ayat in the Quran which often comes to my mind when I see and think about the stars…

سورة الواقعة ٨٠-٧٥
فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِمَوَاقِعِ النُّجُومِ
وَإِنَّهُ لَقَسَمٌ لَّوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عَظِيمٌ
إِنَّهُ لَقُرْآنٌ كَرِيمٌ
فِي كِتَابٍ مَّكْنُونٍ
لَّا يَمَسُّهُ إِلَّا الْمُطَهَّرُونَ
تَنزِيلٌ مِّن رَّبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

Surah Al-Waaqia 56:75-80
Nay, I swear by the places of the stars –
And lo! that verily is a tremendous oath, if ye but knew –
That (this) is indeed a noble Qur’an
In Book well-guarded,
Which none toucheth save the purified,
A revelation from the Lord of the Worlds.

I hope you found this a fascinating input and that it has brought something to consider.

The best of times to you all inshallah.
Peace, happiness, and stay faithful.

Reference:
What is a light-year?
VY Canis Majoris
Stephenson 2-18
(Retrieved on December 30th, 2022).