Today astronomers released the first image ever recorded of a “Black Hole”, and area of space so dense that even light cannot escape from the pull of gravity.
The image came from the center of a galaxy known as M87 located about 55 million light years away. It shows a black area, containing the Black Hole, surrounded by a ring of light bent by the enormous gravity of the Black Hole. Scientists estimate that the Black Hole has a mass equal to six billion of our suns.
The existence of Black Holes was predicted by Einstein’s theory of relativity over 100 years ago. The hunt for actual Black Holes began in earnest when astronomers studying an enigmatic object known as X-1 Cygnus found that it was one of the strongest X-Ray sources in the sky, but was also very small. Later researchers showed that the X-Rays are generated by a stream of plasma drawn off of a nearby star (known as HDE 226868) near to the mysterious object. Finally astronomers identified X-1 Cygnus as the first known “Black Hole”. Unlike the monster size Black Hole at the center of Galaxy M87, this Black Hole was formed when a star at least 3.2 times larger than our own sun became a super nova and its gravitational pull caused it to collapse into a Black Hole. If an object the size of Earth was collapsing into a Black Hole, it would be only one centimeter in diameter.
Ancient Chinese astronomers also studied X-1 Cygnus. In the Spring of 5 BC they recorded a “Guest Star”, or Nova, located in the longitude of the Lunar mansion containing the Bright Star Altair, directly South of X-1 Cygnus. From another group of astronomers we know that the latitude of the Nova was the same as that of X-1 Cygnus, about 32 degrees North. These two observations confirm that the Nova observed in 5BC was X-1 Cygnus. We call it the Star of Bethlehem.
The second group of astronomers were known as “Magi” , or Wise Men, who journeyed to Israel to see Christ, the Seed of Woman (Gen 3:15), because they knew the signs of His advent in the Sun, Moon and Stars. The X-1 Cygnus Nova was located in the Northern Cross, an Asterism which is part of the constellation Cygnus (The Swan). The Cross, the only sign visible throughout the Earth in its Northern and Southern versions, was to be the instrument of the “Bruising of the heel” of the Seed of Woman. And X-I Cygnus, the Star of Bethlehem, is located on the portion of the Northern Cross where the heel would have been nailed. You can learn more about the Star of Bethlehem and its importance as a sign of Christ’s Advent by watching our youtube presentation at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-XhoWbTJDLRsrL1pRzht6g
The Northern Cross is visible in the early morning hours at this time of year. It is a beautiful binocular constellation, with many star clusters, although the companion Star to X-1 Cygnus is a 9th magnitude telescope object too small to be seen. Remember X-1 Cygnus, the Star of Bethlehem, and the most as significant celestial object you’ll never see.
And remember that the other message of Cygnus is that Christ is coming back.
So be like the Wise Men and watch for the signs of His coming in the Sun, Moon, and Stars.
