Smile

According to the caption for this NASA photo: In 2014, amateur astronomers in New Zealand glimpsed a flare of light emanating from the constellation of Centauri. NASA later confirmed this blaze was a massive supernova explosion from another galaxy an incredible 57 million light-years away from our Milky Way. "Dedicated amateur astronomers often make intriguing discoveries – particularly of fleeting astronomical phenomena such as supernovae and comets," NASA explained on their Hubble feed. 

At the time of writing, it's the last-released Hubble photo for 2021.  NASA and ESA have now released a dazzling new photo of the home of this explosion, captured by our ever-faithful Hubble telescope: galaxy NGC 3568 with its hazy gas and glimmering stars roiling through space here beneath the extra bright and much closer stars from our own galaxy. Is it just us, or does it actually look like it's smirking at us from across space? (end)

Fifty-seven million light years away from our Milky Way Galaxy!!  Mind boggling! Incomprehensible!  But it's a fact.  Creation is astoundingly vast!  

A light-year is the distance light travels in one year.  Light zips through interstellar space at 186,000 miles per second and 5.88 trillion miles per year.  So, we actually have the scientific ability to see this distant galaxy at more than 57 million light years away meaning at a distance of 57 million multiplied by 5.88 trillion miles!  You do the calculation.  How wondrous is our universe?  

How small we are.  Even so, God still smiles at us.  

Deacon David Pierce