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Cosmic Ribbon Wrapped
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By circle of hydrogen gas enclosed
is galaxy seemingly rare
as radio telescope has exposed,
unseen in envisionings ere.
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With optical types the ribbon behaves
as if it were not there at all
till special antennae radio waves
bring to light the surrounding sprawl.
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It’s perhaps by galactic interplay
that the polar ring came about
or filaments pulled from structural sway
of colossal cosmic web’s clout…
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Imagining what may exist concealed
from our naked or aided eyes
sends senses aloft into flights revealed
that oft for stargazers arise,
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beyond what unthinkable sight might see
of wonders undreamed of cosmically.
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~ Harley White
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* * * * * * * * *
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A source of inspiration was the following…
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Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD)…
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230913.html
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Explanation: Galaxy NGC 4632 hides a secret from optical telescopes. It is surrounded by a ring of cool hydrogen gas orbiting at 90 degrees to its spiral disk. Such polar ring galaxies have previously been discovered using starlight. However, NGC 4632 is among the first in which a radio telescope survey revealed a polar ring. The featured composite image combines this gas ring, observed with the highly sensitive ASKAP telescope, with optical data from the Subaru telescope. Using virtual reality, astronomers separated out the gas in the main disk of the galaxy from the ring, and the subtle color gradient traces its orbital motion. Why do polar rings exist? They could be material pulled from one galaxy as it gravitationally interacts with a companion. Or hydrogen gas flows along the filaments of the cosmic web and accretes into a ring around a galaxy, some of which gravitationally contracts into stars.
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Image credit: Jayanne English (U. Manitoba), Nathan Deg (Queen's University) & WALLABY Survey, IDIA/Vislab, CSIRO/ASKAP, NAOJ/Subaru Telescope
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