Courtesy: NASA
We've all heard the stories of the image of Jesus appearing on a piece of toast. Others swear they've even seen the Virgin Mary on a grilled cheese sandwich. Now a recent X-ray image from NASA is proof to some folks that God exists.
The image, posted to NASA's website Friday, depicts what appears to be the ‘hand of God.' For those who believe in a higher power, the photo is evidence that there is, in fact, a divine being watching us from high above the clouds.
From a glance, the photo looks to contain a giant arm attached to five perfect fingers reaching for a large, red mass. However, according to NASA astronomers, the image is actually that of an exploded star that released a large cloud of material.
NASA astronomers say they aren't sure if the nebula looks like a hand simply because of the way the particles interact with the magnetic fields or if the particles are, in fact, shaped like a hand.
"We don't know if the hand shape is an optical illusion," said Hongjun An of McGill University in Montreal, Canada who is quoted in an article by USA Today.
On NASA's website, scientists claim the ‘hand of God' photo is the first to be captured by its Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, in high-energy X-rays.
The amazing image has already taken social media by storm. The photo has been tweeted by thousands and just as equally shared on Facebook.
On Twitter, Lisa Suhay wrote, "Um, excuse me, but it looks like the Lord just used a #NASASocial cam to snap a selfie. #HandofGod PHOTO."
On Facebook, Claudette Rifenberg simply wrote, "Soooooo AMAZING! #HandOfGod #FridayInspiration. Love this pic!"
No matter what you call it, the image is yet another example of pareidolia, a psychological phenomenon that causes some people to see a random image and associate it with someone significant. For astronomers, though, the ‘hand of God' is just a natural cosmological occurrence.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
