Signs of the Quran - Astronomy

Let me briefly relate to the phenomena of the positioning of sun, moon and eclipses. The earth turns around the sun and it's own axis (actually the sun, moon and mountains together stabilise the earth's axis) and the moon turns around the earth. In the shadow of the earth the moon is seen from different angles and in varying forms. So it is divided into stages such as full, half, quarter, new and no moon, which makes it possible to predict the time of the month and also direction and time during night in combination with the stars. The different stages are also useful for harvest prediction.

When the earth comes in between the sun and the moon, there is a lunar eclipse (the moon turns dark in the shadow of the earth in the middle of the day). Whenever the moon comes in between sun and earth, there is a solar eclipse (the sun turns dark in the coverage of the moon and its corona can be seen around it). These are very impressive phenomena and have left their footprint in the course of history.

There is an article in a recent issue of the "New Scientist, 19th June 1999, No2191, page 18" stating, that intelligent life on earth would not have been possible without the exact distancing of sun and moon from earth. Even astronomists are puzzled and it cannot be coincidence that both bodies appear exactly the same size although they are very different. The sun is exactly 400 times bigger in diameter and also 400 times farther away from the earth than the moon so that the shadow of the moon just about covers the sun and during a solar eclipse and the shadow of the earth also just about overcovers the moon during a lunar eclipse. Eclipses, both solar and lunar have only been possible for 150 million years and will only be possible for another 150 Million years from now. This is approximately the time when mammals started evolving, according to biological measurement. The earth is the only planet in the solar system on which a solar eclipse is visible at all. This is no coincidence and there is a special eclipse prayer in Islam which the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to perform. Staring into the sun during an eclipse is unnecessary and comes near to worship. It also makes people blind although the light of the sun is dimmed almost entirely.

The pictures above show DIFFERENT PICTURES OF A SOLAR ECLIPSE WITH THE SOLAR CORONA. We can associate the following Ayah from the Quran:

"Among His Signs are the Night and the Day and the sun and moon. Adore not the Sun and the Moon but adore Allah Who created them if it is Him ye wish to serve."

Surah Ha-Mim, 41 Ayah 37