March 5, 2020
Astronomy photographer Greg Taylor shared with the school community about the beauty and wonder of the cosmos in today’s chapel service.
The first half of his presentation helped the audience grasp the tremendous size of certain celestial bodies and their distance from earth or each other. In one illustration he used an inflatable yellow sphere about seven feet in diameter to represent the sun and a tiny object to represent the earth.
The second half featured photographs that Taylor himself took. Some of the most stunning were of nebulas, such as the Horsehead Nebula (pictured above) and the Orion Nebula. At one point he showed a picture of the night sky and singled out one dim dot that appeared to be a faraway star. He then revealed that it was in fact an entire galaxy that he had photographed. When he showed the photograph, the audience collectively gasped in awe.
Taylor entered the world of astronomy photography, or “astrophotography,” over a decade ago, cultivating an interest in the cosmos he had had since childhood. He took his first shots by holding a regular digital camera up to the eyepiece of his telescope, and over time he acquired an impressive array of gear that now allows him to take dazzling high-quality pictures. In 2016, he gained international recognition when one of his pictures was featured in an astronomy magazine.
For him, studying the cosmos is about more than science and personal interest; it is a worshipful exercise, one that continually leaves him overwhelmed and praising the Lord. Throughout his presentation he read biblical passages about creation and reminded those present that God personally created everything in the photographs and yet still cares for every person on earth.
This is a message he has been sharing for years. Throughout his astrophotography journey has given presentations in various settings, including outreach events and youth-group gatherings.
Taylor maintains a website that features his work and tells about his journey with astrophotography and his faith in God. It can be found here.
The featured image is a cropped version of a photograph Greg Taylor took of the Horsehead Nebula. The image size has been reduced to fit with this news story. The full image can be viewed in this gallery.