15:3.4 ¶ Of the ten major divisions of Orvonton, eight have been roughly identified by Urantian astronomers. The other two are difficult of separate recognition because you are obliged to view these phenomena from the inside. If you could look upon the superuniverse of Orvonton from a position far-distant in space, you would immediately recognize the ten major sectors of the seventh galaxy.
15:3.5 The rotational centre of your minor sector is situated far away in the enormous and dense star cloud of Sagittarius, around which your local universe and its associated creations all move, and from opposite sides of the vast Sagittarius subgalactic system you may observe two great streams of star clouds emerging in stupendous stellar coils.
15:3.6 The nucleus of the physical system to which your sun and its associated planets belong is the centre of the onetime Andronover nebula. This former spiral nebula was slightly distorted by the gravity disruptions associated with the events which were attendant upon the birth of your solar system, and which were occasioned by the near approach of a large neighbouring nebula. This near collision changed Andronover into a somewhat globular aggregation but did not wholly destroy the two-way procession of the suns and their associated physical groups. Your solar system now occupies a fairly central position in one of the arms of this distorted spiral, situated about halfway from the centre out towards the edge of the star stream.
15:3.7 ¶ The Sagittarius sector and all other sectors and divisions of Orvonton are in rotation around Uversa, and some of the confusion of Urantian star observers arises out of the illusions and relative distortions produced by the following multiple revolutionary movements:
15:3.8 1. The revolution of Urantia around its sun.
15:3.9 2. The circuit of your solar system about the nucleus of the former Andronover nebula.
15:3.10 3. The rotation of the Andronover stellar family and the associated clusters about the composite rotation-gravity centre of the star cloud of Nebadon.
15:3.11 4. The swing of the local star cloud of Nebadon and its associated creations around the Sagittarius centre of their minor sector.
15:3.12 5. The rotation of 100 minor sectors, including Sagittarius, about their major sector.
15:3.13 6. The whirl of 10 major sectors, the so-called star drifts, about the Uversa headquarters of Orvonton.
15:3.14 7. The movement of Orvonton and 6 associated superuniverses around Paradise and Havona, the counterclockwise processional of the superuniverse space level.
15:3.15 ¶ These multiple motions are of several orders: The space paths of your planet and your solar system are genetic, inherent in origin. The absolute counterclockwise motion of Orvonton is also genetic, inherent in the architectural plans of the master universe. But the intervening motions are of composite origin, being derived in part from the constitutive segmentation of matter-energy into the superuniverses and in part produced by the intelligent and purposeful action of the Paradise force organizers.
15:3.16 ¶ The local universes are in closer proximity as they approach Havona; the circuits are greater in number, and there is increased superimposition, layer upon layer. But farther out from the eternal centre there are fewer and fewer systems, layers, circuits, and universes.
4. NEBULAE — THE ANCESTORS OF UNIVERSES
15:4.1 While creation and universe organization remain forever under the control of the infinite Creators and their associates, the whole phenomenon proceeds in accordance with an ordained technique and in conformity to the gravity laws of force, energy, and matter. But there is something of mystery associated with the universal force-charge of space; we quite understand the organization of the material creations from the ultimatonic stage forward, but we do not fully comprehend the cosmic ancestry of the ultimatons. We are confident that these ancestral forces have a Paradise origin because they forever swing through pervaded space in the exact gigantic outlines of Paradise. Though nonresponsive to Paradise gravity, this force-charge of space, the ancestor of all materialization, does always respond to the presence of nether Paradise, being apparently circuited in and out of the nether Paradise centre.
15:4.2 The Paradise force organizers transmute space potency into primordial force and evolve this prematerial potential into the primary and secondary energy manifestations of physical reality. When this energy attains gravity-responding levels, the power directors and their associates of the superuniverse regime appear upon the scene and begin their never-ending manipulations designed to establish the manifold power circuits and energy channels of the universes of time and space. Thus does physical matter appear in space, and so is the stage set for the inauguration of universe organization.
15:4.3 This segmentation of energy is a phenomenon which has never been solved by the physicists of Nebadon. Their chief difficulty lies in the relative inaccessibility of the Paradise force organizers, for the living power directors, though they are competent to deal with space-energy, do not have the least conception of the origin of the energies they so skillfully and intelligently manipulate.
15:4.4 ¶ Paradise force organizers are nebulae originators; they are able to initiate about their space presence the tremendous cyclones of force which, when once started, can never be stopped or limited until the all-pervading forces are mobilized for the eventual appearance of the ultimatonic units of universe matter. Thus are brought into being the spiral and other nebulae, the mother wheels of the direct-origin suns and their varied systems. In outer space there may be seen ten different forms of nebulae, phases of primary universe evolution, and these vast energy wheels had the same origin as did those in the seven superuniverses.
15:4.5 ¶ Nebulae vary greatly in size and in the resulting number and aggregate mass of their stellar and planetary offspring. A sun-forming nebula just north of the borders of Orvonton, but within the superuniverse space level, has already given origin to approximately 40,000 suns, and the mother wheel is still throwing off suns, the majority of which are many times the size of yours. Some of the larger nebulae of outer space are giving origin to as many as 108 suns.
15:4.6 Nebulae are not directly related to any of the administrative units, such as minor sectors or local universes, although some local universes have been organized from the products of a single nebula. Each local universe embraces exactly 10−5 of the total energy charge of a superuniverse irrespective of nebular relationship, for energy is not organized by nebulae — it is universally distributed.
15:4.7 Not all spiral nebulae are engaged in sun making. Some have retained control of many of their segregated stellar offspring, and their spiral appearance is occasioned by the fact that their suns pass out of the nebular arm in close formation but return by diverse routes, thus making it easy to observe them at one point but more difficult to see them when widely scattered on their different returning routes farther out and away from the arm of the nebula. There are not many sun-forming nebulae active in Orvonton at the present time, though Andromeda, which is outside the inhabited superuniverse, is very active. This far-distant nebula is visible to the naked eye, and when you view it, pause to consider that the light you behold left those distant suns almost 106 years[1] ago.
[1]
almost 106 years, The modern (2003) estimate of the distance to the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) is 2.54±0.06·106 light years. It is possible, however, that here in the text we have a quotation of Edwin Hubble's thoughts which may have crossed his mind when he identified the Cepheid variable stars in M31 in 1925, thus forever settling the debate about the object being extragalactic.