PROVO, Utah — Sailing through astronomical facts and images contained in the scriptures, professor emeritus of astronomy Kimball Hansen launched a new lecture series at BYU on Friday evening, March 21.

About 200 people — mostly students — attended the first installment of the series on science and religion in the Harold B. Lee Library auditorium. The lectures, sponsored by the Colleges of Physical and Mathematical Sciences and the College of Religious Education, are scheduled to follow every six months, coinciding with the vernal and autumnal equinoxes.

J. Ward Moody, professor of physics and astronomy at BYU and a director of the series, said it enables a scholarly presentation of science and religion. "BYU has not only the opportunity, but obligation to do this," he said, adding, "I am certain we have more academic freedom to make a scholarly exploration of the connection between science and religion than at other typical universities."

During his hourlong presentation, Brother Hansen cited several scriptures that refer to the stars, planets and other features of the heavens.

Some contain scientific facts, he noted, such as Helaman 12:15: ". . . for surely it is the earth that moveth and not the sun." He brought up the question of whether the Nephites knew that fact, which was contrary to the earth-centered beliefs of ancient times, because of observation or revelation.

He also presented Job 26:7: "He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing." Then he noted that the writer seemed to know the earth is suspended in space and not, as was popularly believed, carried on the shoulders of Atlas or "the back of a turtle."

He quoted the words of Amos 8:9, "And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon and I will darken the earth in the clear day," and said they gave "accurate descriptions of total lunar and solar eclipses."

Brother Hansen went on to say that references to science and astronomy are also used in the scriptures as figures of speech and for comparisons, metaphors and literary impact.

He noted several examples, including Genesis 15:5, in which Abraham is told, " . . . look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be." Brother Hansen also pointed out that in 1 Corinthians 15 and in Doctrine and Covenants 76, the degrees of glory are compared to the sun, the moon and the stars.

He read 1 Nephi 1:9-10, describing what Lehi saw in a vision: "And it came to pass that he saw One descending out of the midst of heaven, and he beheld that his luster was above that of the sun at noon-day.

"And he also saw twelve others following him, and their brightness did exceed that of the stars in the firmament."

Speaking of their use in scripture, Brother Hansen said of astronomical objects, "Ancient people knew these objects very well. These things simply remind people of the handiwork of God and how marvelous it is."

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