Celestial Symbiosis

By Harley White posted 10-03-2022 06:40

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Image Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/STScI, Palomar Observatory, DSS; Radio: NSF/NRAO/VLA; H-Alpha: LCO/IMACS/MMTF

Celestial Symbiosis

Two orbiting stars round a center of mass
that’s common to both in the scheme
is symbiotic in relationship class
or so goes the titular theme

for many descriptions of R Aquarii,
a twosome of stars which portray
white dwarf and red giant in midst of very
co-interdependent ballet.

From Greek the word symbiosis has import
of living together in close
long-term liaison of a mutual sort.
In space there is one grandiose

exhibiting steadily changing brightness
o’er time for sidereal pair
which interact in a stellar forthrightness
of following paths doctrinaire.

The affiliation will detonate blasts
as white dwarf pulls stuff from giant;
then each outburst into surrounding space casts
the clay of creation pliant,

ejected occasionally in bizarre
looking loops to nebula shape
out of binary dwarf giant system star
as seen in celestial cloudscape.

Denoting in Latin cup-carrier’s sway,
Aquarius constellation
is where seven hundred ten light-years away
in Ptolemy’s adaptation

this volatile symbiotic so-labeled
arrangement astral is spotted
‘midst skies of zodiac water group fabled,
stelliferously bedotted.

Symbioses in nature upon our earth
can be in biology viewed
of various types, those of mutual worth
or parasitically shrewd.

Perhaps in a sense all is symbiotic
whether or not we discern it
on terrestrial realms and spheres aquatic,
if so we’d do well to learn it

and seek for the deepest dimensions there are
within and without our being
both nearby plus unimaginably far
beyond the ones we are seeing.

When we notion of symbiotic expand
to include each effect and cause
from smallest that’s made to cosmically grand
that thought might indeed give us pause.

~ Harley White

* * * * * * * * *

Some sources of inspiration were the following…

APOD ~ Symbiotic R Aquarii…
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220205.html

R Aquarii: Watching a Volatile Stellar Relationship…
https://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2017/raqr/

R Aquarii ~ Wikipedia…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R_Aquarii

R Aquarii: An Expanse of Light…
https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/r-aquarii-an-expanse-of-light

Explanation: The universe emits light or energy in many different forms. This object is, in fact, a pair: a white dwarf star that steadily burns at a relatively cool temperature and a highly variable red giant. As they orbit each other, the white dwarf pulls material from the red giant onto its surface. Over time, enough of this material accumulates and triggers an explosion. Astronomers have seen such outbursts over recent decades. Evidence for much older outbursts is seen in the spectacular structures observed by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope (red and blue). X-ray data from Chandra (purple) shows how a jet from the white dwarf is striking material surrounding it and creating shock waves, similar to sonic booms from supersonic planes.

Image Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/STScI, Palomar Observatory, DSS; Radio: NSF/NRAO/VLA; H-Alpha: LCO/IMACS/MMTF

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