The British Study Edition of the Urantia Papers

2. ORGANIZATION OF THE SUPERUNIVERSES

^15:2.1 Only the Universal Father knows the location and actual number of inhabited worlds in space; he calls them all by name and number. I can give only the approximate number of inhabited or inhabitable planets, for some local universes have more worlds suitable for intelligent life than others. Nor have all projected local universes been organized. Therefore the estimates which I offer are solely for the purpose of affording some idea of the immensity of the material creation.

^15:2.2 ¶ There are seven superuniverses in the grand universe, and they are constituted approximately as follows:

^15:2.3 1. The System. The basic unit of the supergovernment consists of about 1,000 inhabited or inhabitable worlds. Blazing suns, cold worlds, planets too near the hot suns, and other spheres not suitable for creature habitation are not included in this group. These 1,000 worlds adapted to support life are called a system, but in the younger systems only a comparatively small number of these worlds may be inhabited. Each inhabited planet is presided over by a Planetary Prince, and each local system has an architectural sphere as its headquarters and is ruled by a System Sovereign.

^15:2.4 2. The Constellation. 100 systems (about 10⁵ inhabitable planets) make up a constellation. Each constellation has an architectural headquarters sphere and is presided over by three Vorondadek Sons, the Most Highs. Each constellation also has a Faithful of Days in observation, an ambassador of the Paradise Trinity.

^15:2.5 3. The Local Universe. 100 constellations (about 10⁷ inhabitable planets) constitute a local universe. Each local universe has a magnificent architectural headquarters world and is ruled by one of the co-ordinate Creator Sons of God of the order of Michael. Each universe is blessed by the presence of a Union of Days, a representative of the Paradise Trinity.

^15:2.6 4. The Minor Sector. 100 local universes (about 10⁹ inhabitable planets) constitute a minor sector of the superuniverse government; it has a wonderful headquarters world, wherefrom its rulers, the Recents of Days, administer the affairs of the minor sector. There are three Recents of Days, Supreme Trinity Personalities, on each minor sector headquarters.

^15:2.7 5. The Major Sector. 100 minor sectors (about 10¹¹ inhabitable worlds) make one major sector. Each major sector is provided with a superb headquarters and is presided over by three Perfections of Days, Supreme Trinity Personalities.

^15:2.8 6. The Superuniverse. 10 major sectors (about 10¹² inhabitable planets) constitute a superuniverse. Each superuniverse is provided with an enormous and glorious headquarters world and is ruled by three Ancients of Days.

^15:2.9 7. The Grand Universe. Seven superuniverses make up the present organized grand universe, consisting of approximately seven trillion inhabitable worlds plus the architectural spheres and the one billion inhabited spheres of Havona. The superuniverses are ruled and administered indirectly and reflectively from Paradise by the Seven Master Spirits. The billion worlds of Havona are directly administered by the Eternals of Days, one such Supreme Trinity Personality presiding over each of these perfect spheres.

^15:2.10 ¶ Excluding the Paradise-Havona spheres, the plan of universe organization provides for the following units:

^15:2.11 Superuniverses: 7

^15:2.12 Major sectors: 70

^15:2.13 Minor sectors: 7?10³

^15:2.14 Local universes: 7?10⁵

^15:2.15 Constellations: 7?10⁷

^15:2.16 Local systems: 7?10⁹

^15:2.17 Inhabitable planets: 7?10¹²

^15:2.18 Each of the seven superuniverses is constituted, approximately, as follows:

^15:2.19 One system embraces, approximately 10³ worlds

^15:2.20 One constellation (100 systems) 10⁵ worlds

^15:2.21 One universe (100 constellations) 10⁷ worlds

^15:2.22 One minor sector (100 universes) 10⁹ worlds

^15:2.23 One major sector (100 minor sectors) 10¹¹ worlds

^15:2.24 One superuniverse (10 major sectors) 10¹² worlds

^15:2.25 ¶ All such estimates are approximations at best, for new systems are constantly evolving while other organizations are temporarily passing out of material existence.

3. THE SUPERUNIVERSE OF ORVONTON

^15:3.1 Practically all of the starry realms visible to the naked eye on Urantia belong to the seventh section of the grand universe, the superuniverse of Orvonton. The vast Milky Way starry system represents the central nucleus of Orvonton, being largely beyond the borders of your local universe. This great aggregation of suns, dark islands of space, double stars, globular clusters, star clouds, spiral and other nebulae, together with myriads of individual planets, forms a watchlike, elongated-circular grouping of about 1/7^th of the inhabited evolutionary universes.

^15:3.2 From the astronomical position of Urantia, as you look through the cross section of near-by systems to the great Milky Way, you observe that the spheres of Orvonton are travelling in a vast elongated plane, the breadth being far greater than the thickness and the length far greater than the breadth.

^15:3.3 Observation of the so-called Milky Way discloses the comparative increase in Orvonton stellar density when the heavens are viewed in one direction, while on either side the density diminishes; the number of stars and other spheres decreases away from the chief plane of our material superuniverse. When the angle of observation is propitious, gazing through the main body of this realm of maximum density, you are looking toward the residential universe and the centre of all things.

^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.