Celestial Cloud Complex
Our parent galaxy Milky Way
has a nebula giving birth
to stars neath ‘baby blanket’ array
that’s one of the closest to Earth
of astral-forming regions around—
Rho Ophiuchi Complex Cloud,
named for the bright stellar body found
in its picturesque dusty shroud.
The colorful image multi-hued
within Ophiuchus was spied,
a constellation in south skies viewed
to the Greek Asclepius tied,
in mythology as healer known
whose medicines cured afflictions,
thus among stars ‘serpent bearer’ shown
holding a snake in depictions.
Often as symbol of evil used,
albeit fertility too,
with remedies this serpent’s infused
in lore from which Ptolemy drew.
The Complex three nebulae contains,
emission, reflection, and dark,
with fourteen light-years across domains
where myriad starlets embark.
Varied wavelengths are captured in tints
of infrared made seeable
via NASA’s WISE or wide-field glints
celestially agreeable.
Indeed there are countless treasure troves
as yet undiscovered in space
of cosmic coves and galactic groves
for telescope gazers to trace.
Yet where but our planetary home
in this Goldilocks favored place
under a lapis lazuli dome
can we dwell in nature’s embrace?
~ Harley White
* * * * * * * * *
Inspiration from articles and image~ The Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex, with image taken with NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Explorer, or WISE.
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