Lines Found in Logbook at Astronomical Observing Station


.

http://www.spacetelescope.org/static/archives/images/wallpaper1/opo0331a.jpg

Turbulent region of swirling gas and dust near eruptive star Eta Carinae in Carina Nebula, between two large clusters of some of the most massive and hottest known stars in the universe: Hubble Space Telescope image by NASA/ESA and Hubble Heritage team (AURA/STScl), 2002 (NASA)



In the night the pure chamber expanded
into the pure sphere, and the pure sphere dissolved in
the black forms, and the black forms became cloudy
elements in this chamber, backlit
by the glow from an expiring star
whose light was borrowed from a sister
star, even in the same moment being born;
and so the whole romance juddered on
while remaining untouchable, nameless,
a kind of hypnosis filled with objects
a simple snap of the fingers might have
dispelled, had there been fingers,
had the black forms dwindled again
to dots, and had the larger shape crouching
in the corner of the pure chamber shown itself.




http://www.spacetelescope.org/static/archives/images/screen/heic0206d.jpg

Centre of Swan Nebula (M17) in constellation Sagittarius: Hubble Space telescope image by NASA, Holland Ford (JHU), and the ACS Science Team, 2002 (NASA)