Cosmic Cliffs of Carina

By Harley White posted 07-26-2022 06:42

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Cosmic Cliffs of Carina

A fabulous fancied land which we
glimpse amidst a stelliferous sea
where cavern’s been carved by hot young stars,
beyond our temporal prison bars,

though reminiscent of earthly home
bonneted by the firmament’s dome,
seventy-six hundred light-years out,
abounds in new-found birth round about

of baby astrals at edge of place
that’s NGC three three two four’s space
in stunning state-of-the-art reveal,
residing in constellation ‘Keel’.

Carina has never looked clearer
with James Webb scope’s primary mirror
of light collection zone at times six
the one developed for Hubble’s pics.

This nebula was one of the first
of five cosmical objects dispersed,
a capture spectacular o’erspread
by Camera Webb Near-Infrared.

The image as ‘Cosmic Cliffs’ is tagged,
a ‘mountainous range’ appearing cragged,
in colorful panoramic scene
with sculpted peaks and ravines between.

It isn’t a photograph of course
but rather derives from data source
visualized from units of light
or photons, attuned to human sight.

Nonetheless, such a fantasy land
as seem these majestic mountains grand
can urge a surge of reveries swept
to realms where poets have rarely stepped.

In stanza lines from Byron’s ‘The Dream’,
a lyric long which delves into theme
of sleep’s eerie region, near the end,
the ‘Wanderer has become a friend

‘of Spirit quick of the Universe
with mountains, stars, forthwith to immerse
himself in dialogues deep to teach
the magic of their mysteries’ reach.’

Material yet ethereal
are the ‘Cosmic Cliffs’ empyreal
‘neath heavens’ plethoric canopy
amongst the celestial panoply.

What embryonic star might fashion
a fate of stellar pride and passion,
create an orbiting planet world
where myriad presences are swirled?

~ Harley White

* * * * * * * * *

Some sources of inspiration were the following…

From: “The Dream”, VIII., by George (Lord) Byron (1788-1824)

“And made him friends of mountains: with the stars
And the quick Spirit of the Universe
He held his dialogues; and they did teach
To him the magic of their mysteries;
To him the book of Night was opened wide,
And voices from the deep abyss revealed
A marvel and a secret—Be it so.”

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Works_of_Lord_Byron_(ed._Coleridge,_Prothero)/Poetry/Volume_4/The_Dream

“Cosmic Cliffs” in the Carina Nebula (NIRCam Near InfraRed Camera, Image)…
https://webbtelescope.org/contents/media/images/2022/031/01G77PKB8NKR7S8Z6HBXMYATGJ

Image explanation ~ Called the Cosmic Cliffs, the region is actually the edge of a gigantic, gaseous cavity within NGC 3324, roughly 7,600 light-years away. The cavernous area has been carved from the nebula by the intense ultraviolet radiation and stellar winds from extremely massive, hot, young stars located in the center of the bubble, above the area shown in this image. The high-energy radiation from these stars is sculpting the nebula’s wall by slowly eroding it away. NIRCam – with its crisp resolution and unparalleled sensitivity – unveils hundreds of previously hidden stars, and even numerous background galaxies.

Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

#poetry

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