Salaam to all,

One of the great things about science is that it is a cognitive tool that helps us understand physical reality more. With this in mind many of our modern scientist from the past to the now present, have made remarkable advances. But in looking back, or I should say up, we see how remarkable space is. In fact, we shouldn't even call "space" space because space is something in which it is void or unoccupied. As we see in space we see many stars and planets (or the ones we know of).

One of the things that I've always wondered especially when contemplating on how God created the worlds was why did God use the "circular shape" of planets? Of course on this planet there was a time where people thought the Earth was flat. Of course now that myth has been dispelled we can relax and say that the Earth is round. But, what is so significant about the roundness of Earth? Well besides its incredible look the planets are circular in nature. Thgey are not perfectly rounded due to the gravitational pull of the Sun but, circulkar nontheless.

One of the theories on why the spheres rotate in their current motion is because of the Solar Nebula. These primitive gases that formed billions of years ago were super heated gases which contained some of the compounds we find on many planets: Nitrogen, Oxygen, amonia, Carbon just to name a few. Originally somehow these gases condensed and became combustable which created a whirlwind which all the components (gases etc) were thuse spun around. Scientist also notes that the debris within space were somehow caught in this rotating fire and somehow formed into what we call Earth and planets. Of course these are some theories on how the planets came to be but more important is the question why circular?

Well, one of the things about a circle is that its perimeters all equal its sides. A circle is quite perfect in essence because each area can be effected by any exterior force e.g the Sun's gravity and its heat. This is not the only reason about the circle but these are just mainly a couple thoughts in mind. The Ikhwan-Al Safa a Sufi group onced said in their cosmological books was that the universe loved God so much that it willed itself into existence with all its perfect forms. Perhaps this is true.

One of the things I suggest to my fellow members here is if you have time out of your busy schedule just go outside and look up at night and just view the many stars and planets. I think while doing so one can grow an appreciation of God and his spheres.

Israfil wrote: One of the things I suggest to my fellow members here is if you have time out of your busy schedule just go outside and look up at night and just view the many stars and planets. I think while doing so one can grow an appreciation of God and his spheres.

I love doing that, I kinda perfer it in summer time thou  , at the moment it is the full moon, I love looking up at it, at certain times, in the low horizon when it is rising it can be this really huge ball.

I have some really excellent and amazing memories of the moon, my first one is when I was on camp in year 7, and man it was unbelievable. It was night (well obviously ), the area, there was the building we stayed in, outside was a campsite and a litter over the way is the lake, and one night during a night hiking, I look towards the lake and there is this big huge like ball in the sky and small part hidden beneath the hozion, water meets moon, the light wasn't white but a yellowish colour. Looking over towards the lake and seeing this moon that almost literally took over the sky, was like magical, I never thought the moon could be like this or see it this way nor be so close to the earth.

Another memory was a few years back, mum and I had dinner at a friends house, later she drove us back and on the way I could see this big light object over the way, but it was too low to see what it was and there were other objects n the way to, the friend notice it to after a little and shared with mum, so we were all curious as to what it could be, I kept thinking it had to be an hot air balloon why would something big and lightfilled be around , so we kept driving on a little till we could see what it was and when a clearing came, it revealed the moon, not in its full phrase but soon, it was wow, but it was like the size of an hot air balloon, and infact because of the shape it looked like one to, all of it was shown above the horizon it to was a yellowish bight glow.

Zaman said:

"That is incorrect, although those elements are abandunt in Earth, in the entire universe they are only in negligible quantities. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the Universe. The Sun and all the other stars are  almost entirely composed of Hydrogen and its isotopes."

Notice I said "Planets" and not stars as you mention the SUN. You ar eright Hydrogen is the most abudant gas in the universe but all the planets within our solar system contains all of these elements. Some more in percentage in others but regardless my point is clear that all these gases are within most of the planets.

>>>>>The gases condensed because of gravitational force of each other. Because of  intense gravitational force, nuclear fusion started which released heat and prevented the "congregation" of molecules from collapsing further. If I recollect correctly, combusion is defined only for burning due to oxidation. <<<<<

Zaman if I may help you out a little here.....

What I was explaining briefly was the Nebular theory which states: Is the slow collapse of a Nebular cloud. While a star is forming in the center of the cloud out the outer regions of the cloud swirl in a disk like structure (perhaps due to its gravitational effect on those outer regions). In the Theory of Condensation, this inc;udes some of the Nebular theory but, it also incorporates some of the interstellar dust that I was talking about which may have formed the planets. Those interstellar grains actually helped cool the the nebular cloud by radiating the heat and at the same time, atoms would also attach. Evenbtually the dust grains grew into large clumps which eventually could form into planets (known as accretion)  with their own grativational fields which attract materials.

the formation of the planets was also due to their region within the cloud. As the Sun eventually formed the inner protoplanets temparture was higher than that of the outer protoplanets as a result, the gaseous moleculre were too high for them to coalesce and eventually dissipated. The outer planets were in colder regions where they barely had enough gravity.

Zaman I have to disagree with you on nuclear fusion. The reason being is because the early system (Solar System that is) was heated by friction, not by fusion because it would occur later at some time. The Angular momentum didn't really really collapse on itself which instead created Protoplanetary disk  (which I've already explained). Eventually have 100 million years or so THERMOnuclear reactions began to occur which allowed for the protosun to become the Sun.

ZamanH wrote: Well besides its incredible look the planets are circular in nature. They are not perfectly rounded due to the gravitational pull of the Sun but, circulkar nontheless. Planets are round because of surface tension that existed in the primordial fluid and for a fixed volume its sphere that is the geometrical  shape which has smallest surface area. Also, planets are not perfectly rounded (but oblong in shape i.e world is wider at the Equator) because of the centrifugal force, caused by the Earth's rotation, that the primordial fluid experienced. Gravitational force of Sun will have negligible effect (over shape of the Earth), I think.

To correct myself, circular shape of Stars and palnets is the result of gravitational force.

Surface tension is the cause of spherical shapes of water drops etc.

Israfil wrote: Zaman I have to disagree with you on nuclear fusion. The reason being is because the early system (Solar System that is) was heated by friction, not by fusion because it would occur later at some time. The Angular momentum didn't really really collapse on itself which instead created Protoplanetary disk  (which I've already explained). Eventually have 100 million years or so THERMOnuclear reactions began to occur which allowed for the protosun to become the Sun.

First of all pressure increased because  the cloud was collapsing as a result of its own gravitational field, according to Pressure Law, temperature increased proportionately. I doubt if that can be called "friction". Anyway, that is high-school science, its more than 6-7 years, I don't remember in detail.

"When He wishes something then He says to it "Be" and it is.

Qul in dalaltu fainnama adillu AAala nafsee waini ihtadaytu fabima yoohee ilayya rabbee innahu sameeAAun qareeb

Say: if i go astray verily i go astray upon myself, and if i be guided then it is by what my Lord reveals to me, verily He is hearing, near.[Saba(sheba) 34:50]

reliance on the self is going astray because of the self and going astray for the self, so "upon the self", and reliance on what The Lord reveals is guidance because of The Lord for The Lord.

Saba(sheba) 34:50