Little Cosmic Gem

By Harley White posted 07-16-2021 05:46

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Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, Acknowledgement: Judy Schmidt

Little Cosmic Gem

A little gem of pink and blue
of picture perfect Hubble hue
with shades of rose and turquoise dye
in trinket box of sable sky

amidst the Archer’s vast estate,
called NGC Six Eight One Eight,
from star to cloudy cast thereof
is prettily aloft above.

Because the nebula’s a mere
half light-year overall in sphere
stargazers as descriptive word
upon it ‘little’ tag conferred.

The Gem’s two layers quite distinct
show gas and dust with brighter tinct
on inner bubble where we spot
in Hubble shot a tiny dot

for stellar center at the heart,
albeit faint, in astral art
pasteled with paint of filtered picks
through camera in varied mix.

Six thousand light-years from our place
within immensity of space
this ornament of lovely face
is nestled in its velvet case,

a cosmic jewel sculpted far
by winds exhaled from parent star
with outer bubble brilliant too
as speedy gusts go smashing through.

While Little Gem is viewed on high
our realm has jewel tones nearby,
aurora’s dawns of morning blush
o’er lands and seas of colors lush…

If all of life were truly seen
a home of treasures we would glean
on earthly planet lazuline
behind delusion’s shrouded screen

each being as a precious gem
neath dome of lapis diadem.
Through lucid vision to behold
what world of wonders would unfold!

~ Harley White

* * * * * * * * *

A source of inspiration was the following…

Image and info ~ Hubble Finds a Little Gem…
https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/hubble-finds-a-little-gem

Explanation ~ This colorful bubble is a planetary nebula called NGC 6818, also known as the Little Gem Nebula. It is located in the constellation of Sagittarius (The Archer), roughly 6,000 light-years away from us. The rich glow of the cloud is just over half a light-year across — humongous compared to its tiny central star — but still a little gem on a cosmic scale.

Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, Acknowledgement: Judy Schmidt

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Andee Sherwood

07-17-2021 10:50

I am constantly amazed how I learn more about objects in the night sky through your poems and shared images. Your gift for astropoetry is a true gift for all of us!

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