TNRTB Archive - Retained for reference information
More evidence for cosmic design comes from a discovery of an oscillatory effect on planetary orbits. One requirement for life is that it reside in a planetary system where all but the tiny planets exhibit only slight eccentricities in their orbits. Observations and several theoretical studies have shown that planetary systems where at least one planet has an unacceptably high eccentricity are very common. Now, a new study explains the extreme eccentricity seen in one planet orbiting its star. A distant companion star can set up “Kozai oscillations” capable of generating the high eccentricity. Thus, in order for life to exist in a planetary system, it must not have a distant companion star that can produce Kozai oscillations. Our planetary system features this design requirement.
Y. Wu and N. Murray, “Planet Migration and Binary Compansions: The Case of HD80606b,” Astrophysical Journal, 589 (2003), pp. 605-614.
http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0303010
RTB articles: Hugh Ross, “Anthropic Principle: A Precise Plan for Humanity,” Facts for Faith, quarter 1, 2002, issue 8, pp. 24-31.
RTB video: Journey Toward Creation, 2nd edition
RTB book: The Creator and the Cosmos, 3rd edition
