Ethereal Cloud

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               A red rectangle sits in space,
               notable among its peers
               for a rare geometric face
               nebular, mid starry spheres.

               Seldom in the universe are
               straight lines spotted, so this seems
               quite bi-conically bizarre,
               as with figments found in dreams.

               The vast survey of sky afar
               in nineteen seventy-three,
               evocatively named ‘Hi Star’,
               due to infrared could see

               guise of protoplanetary
               interstellar cloud so-called,
               colored in extraordinary
               rubicund pigments piebald.

               HD four four one seven nine
               is like a moribund sun
               at the end of its days to shine.
               Thus, the hazy shape’s been spun

               from middle star that’s binary,
               into stairway heaven-born,
               with Monoceros finery,
               of astral group Unicorn.

               It mimics modern cubist art
               in structure limned as an X,
               whose bold design is off the chart
               having ladder rungs complex.

               This Hubble capture of red hue
               shows the cobweb cast unique,
               clarifying earlier view
               of its nebulous mystique.

               Yet certain mysteries persist
               as to its curious frame
               woven out of gossamer mist
               into form with claim to fame.

               The twofold star which swirled the whole
               circled by a torus dense
               with jets precessed that played a role
               may help researchers make sense

               of this nimbus of dust and gas
               upon which gazers ponder,
               while their wandering fancies pass
               hither, thither and yonder.

               Has the circle been rectangled
               via philosophers’ quest
               in this nebula right-angled,
               putting ancient doubts at rest?

               Some discern a giant jewel
               with a brilliant diamond core
               shedding mass from center dual
               in diaphanous outpour.

               Poetic musers join the group
               by its beauty also teased,
               as their reveries loop the loop
               with unearthly brooding seized.

               Are there realms on faraway shelves
               in dimensions lost to sight,
               flights of stairs that we climb ourselves
               to ascend to distant light?

               Still, what greater matter than life
               with its secrets undisclosed
               plus burning global questions rife
               could be more urgently posed?

               We were born on this ‘pale blue dot’
               as Sagan’s vision teaches.
               Like it or not, it’s all we’ve got
               within the cosmic reaches.

               What will it take to realize
               that true wisdom must arise
               from the depths of innermost skies
               where illumination lies,

               lest we imperil nature’s poise
               in our world of griefs and joys?


               ~ Harley White

            

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Inspiration from the following articles plus other sources: ~ The unearthly beauty of the Red Rectangle from “Astronomy Now”, ~ Hubble Frames a Unique Red Rectangle, ~ Hubble Telescope Captures Sharpest Image Yet of Mysterious Red Rectangle.

In addition, inspiration derived from the teachings and writings of Nichiren Daishōnin, as well as Martin Bradley’s interpretative writings about them…

Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō means to devote our lives to and found them on (Nam[u]) the Utterness of the Dharma (Myōhō) [entirety of existence, enlightenment and unenlightenment] permeated by the underlying white lotus flower-like mechanism of the interdependence of cause, concomitancy and effect (Renge) in its whereabouts of the ten [psychological] realms of dharmas [which is every possible psychological wavelength] (Kyō).

The reason that we continually recite Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō

In the image, star HD 44179 is surrounded by an extraordinary structure known as the Red Rectangle. This image was captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.

Credit: ESA/Hubble and NASA