Saturday, October 17, 2009

Ribbon In the Sky

I like the idea of a ribbon around our solar system. It's symbolic of a univeral togetherness. Our home place in the cosmos is wearing a ribbon, just as we humans do sometimes to support a cause. There couldn't be a better cause than universal togetherness.

Giant Ribbon Discovered at the Edge of the Solar System
10.15.2009

"October 15, 2009: For years, researchers have known that the solar system is surrounded by a vast bubble of magnetism. Called the "heliosphere," it springs from the sun and extends far beyond the orbit of Pluto, providing a first line of defense against cosmic rays and interstellar clouds that try to enter our local space. Although the heliosphere is huge and literally fills the sky, it emits no light and no one has actually seen it.

Until now."



AND: HERE

"Even more exciting is that this solar wind ribbon appears to be highly concentrated in some areas, as if the magnetic fields of our interstellar neighborhood are creating eddies and whirlpools of charged particles. Researchers poring over the IBEX data say they need to spend much more time analyzing what they've found before they can make any definitive statements about what all of this means. But one thing they can say for sure. Our solar system's weather - and by extension our solar system itself - is far more affected by nearby stars than anyone realized before."(via Southwest Research Institute.)

"Are we etched in stone or just scratched in the sand
Waiting for the waves to come and reclaim the land?
Will the sun shine all sweetness and light
Burn us to a cinder, our third stone satellite?
I'm on a tightrope, baby, nine miles high
Striding through the clouds, on my ribbon in the sky."

(from "Tightrope" - Stone Roses)

5 comments:

Laura said...

What a lovely symbol this is of the universe being held together by a ribbon. It really does bring a whole new meaning to the world we live in I guess.

Wisewebwoman said...

I love this idea, T, there's such beauty in it. Everything linked and a validation of that Shakespeare line: "More things in heaven and on earth..."
XO
WWW

The Next President of the United States said...

"Ribbon in the Sky" is a wonderful Stevie Wonder song! Oh, guess that's not what you're writing about though, is it? Perhaps that tune could be used as a theme song for the universe being held together by a ribbon!!

Twilight said...

Laura and WWW ~~~ Yes, I like the idea a lot. It might be a bit of whimsy, but it's a thought in the right direction. :-)

Twilight said...

TNPOTUS ~~~ I noticed the Stevie Wonder song when I was searching for the lyrics of the one I quoted. Lovely words, but it sounded a tad religious, and ....well, you know....