… but some of us are looking at the stars. Oscar Wilde’s famous epigram came to mind as I saw this astonishing image of a supernova (see below). In the presence of such majesty expressed to us with such magnificence and with such magnitude, we are reminded of our own smallness but also of the greatness of God. Those who can see beyond the gutter of materialism can see in the stars not only God’s magnificence but his munificence. The supernova is supernatural generosity made visible for those with eyes to see.

 

Such thoughts were in my mind when I wrote a poem, “Kneeling Stone”, several years ago. The poem is published in my volume of verse, Divining Divinity (Kaufmann Publishing). Perhaps I should mention that the “one stone” is a punning reference to Einstein. After reading the poem, which I’m posting here, read the text about the supernova and spend some time looking at the magnificent image of God’s splendour and the Music of the Spheres. Forget the gutter for a few moments and look at the stars.

 

Kneeling Stone

 

Space is merely Euclid’s box,

Relatively tiny,

Theoretically speaking,

And pierced with holes

So that the spirits 

Trapped within

Can breathe

          the breath of light.

 

And light,

Snail-like,

Sneaks up on us

Across the void;

No longer the king of speed

But a dethroned loiterer

Trapped within

And hanging upon

           the wyrd-woven web.

 

So,

naked,

one stone

kneels

before

the Rock.    

 

 

Hubble Revisits an Old Friend

Supernova SN 1987A, one of the brightest stellar explosions since the invention of the telescope more than 400 years ago, is no stranger to the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. The observatory has been on the frontline of studies into this brilliant dying star since its launch in 1990, three years after the supernova exploded on 23 February 1987. This image of Hubble’s old friend, retreived from the telescope’s data archive, may be the best ever of this object, and reminds us of the many mysteries still surrounding it. Dominating this picture are two glowing loops of stellar material and a very bright ring surrounding the dying star at the centre of the frame. Although Hubble has provided important clues on the nature of these structures, their origin is still largely unknown. Another mystery is that of the missing neutron star. The violent death of a high-mass star, such as SN 1987A, leaves behind a stellar remnant — a neutron star or a black hole. Astronomers expect to find a neutron star in the remnants of this supernova, but they have not yet been able to peer through the dense dust to confirm it is there. The supernova belongs to the Large Magellanic Cloud, a nearby galaxy about 168 000 light-years away. Even though the stellar explosion took place around 166 000 BC, its light arrived here less than 25 years ago. This picture is based on observations done with the High Resolution Channel of Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys. The field of view is approximately 25 by 25 arcseconds. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA. Tap © to visit the web site

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