The Pillars of Creation

I find myself pondering the "Pillars of Creation," a collection of matter and gasses in space, thousands of times bigger than the sun. The Hubble telescope captured brilliant and virant images of these bodies that are 7,000 light years away from us. I should say that they used to be there. Based on data of other objects in the area, scientists have determined that the Pillars were destroyed by massive explosion about 6,000 years ago. Which means that we will be able to see them in the sky for another 1,000 years before the light witnessing their fantastic demise reaches us.

I am writing my dissertation, and am homeless. While house hunting, I am staying on the couch of my friend Catia, from Portugal. She is younger than I am but very talented, still on her upward climb in this world, sometimes nervous about where the future will take her. I tell her that she will be a 'someone' some day, that I have already seen this happen, but, like the Pillars of Creation, sometimes there is a delay between what we know to be true and what we immediately observe. She does not believe me.

Composite image from the Hubble telescope.