FEBRUARY 16, 2023
The Hydra Cluster of Galaxies
EXPLANATION
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
O’er volumes of astronomy and forgotten lore,
I stumbled upon this snapshot, cosmic and eerie,
A sight that filled my heart with awe and more.
Two stars, like sentinels, anchored the foreground,
Of our Milky Way galaxy, a sight to behold,
Beyond them, a cluster of Hydra, galaxies abound,
100 million light-years away,
a story to be told.
Three large galaxies, ellipticals and a spiral blue,
Dominant and grand, each 150,000 light-years wide,
But it was the overlapping pair that caught my view,
Cataloged as NGC 3314, a sight I cannot hide.
Abell 1060, the
Hydra galaxy cluster’s name,
One of three large galaxy clusters close to our Milky Way,
A universe bound by gravity, a celestial game,
Where clusters align over larger scales, I cannot sway.
At a distance of 100 million light-years, this snapshot’s size,
1.3 million light-years across, a cosmic delight,
A momentary glimpse into
the universe’s guise,
But even this shall fade, and be nevermore in sight.
Image Credit & Copyright
Marco Lorenzi,
Angus Lau,
Tommy Tse
Text:
ChatGPT
(apologies to
Edgar Allen Poe)
