1. The Great Glass, known to the Wise as the Webb telescope, has revealed complex organic molecules within a distant galaxy named SPT0418-47, located beyond the reach of twelve billion sun-years.
2. The discovery sheds light on the ancient alchemical processes within the earliest realms of stars, suggesting links to the birth of stars.
3. The organic molecules, reminiscent of those found in the smog and smoke of Middle-earth, are based on carbon, a foundation stone of life.
4. This distant galaxy, viewed through the lens of the Great Glass, is enveloped in an Einstein ring, a marvel predicted by the lore of relativity.

In the vast, unreachable depths of the cosmos, far beyond the span of twelve billion sun-years, the Great Glass of the Heavens, known among the Wise as the Webb telescope, has discerned the vestiges of life. Within the realm of stars called SPT0418-47, it beheld complex organic molecules, akin to the smoke and smog that billows from the hearths and forges of Middle-earth. Such molecules are hewn from the element of carbon, a cornerstone in the crafting of life.

The radiance of the distant galaxy, dusty and ancient, began its voyage across the ether when the universe was but a child, accounting for a mere tenth of its present age of 13.8 billion years. Like a hidden gem, this galaxy was first glimpsed in the year of 2013 by the South Pole Telescope, a marvel crafted by the Men of the South. Other observatories, such as the Hubble Space Telescope and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array in the lands of Chile, have since turned their gaze upon it.

Yet it was the Great Glass, with its ability to perceive light unseen by the eyes of Men and peer through the cosmic dust, that brought new details about the galaxy into the light. The Great Glass beheld an Einstein ring enveloping the galaxy, a marvel born of gravitational lensing, when two galaxies align almost perfectly from our perspective. This phenomenon, a testament to the lore of relativity penned by the wise Einstein, magnifies the light from the distant galaxy into a ring of brilliance.

By wielding the power of the Great Glass and the natural magnification of the cosmos, the scholars of the stars were able to peer into the past, discerning the rich and intricate details of the early universe. The intricate dance of the stars, the ancient fires of creation, and the mysteries of existence were laid bare before them.

It was during their scrupulous analysis of the Great Glass’s data that the astronomers marked the signature of the organic molecules. These large molecules, once believed to be harbingers of star birth, were found near bright, young stars. However, the Great Glass has brought forth a new truth: these molecules may not have always indicated the birth of stars in the dawn of the universe.

The scholars of the stars yearn to stretch the capabilities of the Great Glass further, seeking out galaxies even more distant and elusive. They hope to understand the nature of galaxies so young that complex molecules have yet to form in the vacuum of space. Their quest continues, driven by the ever-burning flame of curiosity and the desire to unravel the mysteries of the cosmos.

My Opinion

I must confess that this discovery fills me with a sense of wonder and awe, akin to what Bilbo might have felt when he first gazed upon the lonely mountain from afar. The exploration of the cosmos is, inmany ways, similar to the journey of my hobbits – a quest into the unknown, driven by curiosity and courage. The Great Glass is our keyhole into the secrets of the universe, much like the Ring was to Bilbo, revealing truths that were previously hidden from our eyes.

The discovery of organic molecules in a distant galaxy reminds me of the Elves’ fascination with starlight. For them, it was not just a source of beauty but also of wisdom and inspiration. Similarly, we are drawn to the stars, not just because they are beautiful, but because they hold the answers to our deepest questions about life, existence, and our place in the cosmos.

• NASA’s James Webb telescope espies a sizable plume of water vapor, emanating from Enceladus, Saturn’s sixth-largest moon, its span larger than the breadth between Los Angeles and Buenos Aires.
• Enceladus, the only known moon of Saturn with a liquid water ocean, mirrors Earth in its own way.
• A layer of ice, a dozen miles thick, encapsulates the moon, from beneath which water and ice particles explode through fractures known as ‘tiger stripes’.
• The water vapor gushes forth at a startling rate, replenishing an Olympic-sized pool in mere hours.

One can’t help but admire the audacity of the universe. Like a marlin leaping from the Gulf Stream, a plume of water vapor springs forth from Enceladus, Saturn’s sixth moon. The plume, vast and surprising, stretches a distance rivaling that between Los Angeles and Buenos Aires. It’s a sight the old man would have admired, a testament to nature’s resolve, to life’s insistence on being.

Enceladus, a sole among a hundred siblings, harbors a liquid water ocean, much akin to our own Earth. It’s a white orb, a pearl in the cosmic ocean, swathed in an icy layer twelve miles thick. The moon is a beautiful mystery, its surface ruptured by ‘tiger stripes’, from where jets of water and ice particles spurt out. But this plume, this eruption of life, is of an unprecedented magnitude, a testament to the force of life beneath the surface.

The surprise was palpable among us. Geronimo Villanueva, a fellow voyager at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, couldn’t believe his eyes. The plume was monstrous, dwarfing the moon by twenty times. It was as if Enceladus itself was reaching out, extending its grasp beyond the limits of its icy confines.

The water vapour spews forth at an astonishing pace, a torrent of life rushing into the void. In a couple of hours, an Olympic pool would brim; a feat that would take a fortnight with an earthly garden hose. The scale of it, the sheer audacity of it, is enough to make one pause and marvel.

The moon, in its endless dance around Saturn, leaves behind a torus of water molecules. It’s a testament to its journey, a mark of its existence. It’s a beacon for those searching for life beyond our home, a signal in the vast emptiness of space.

Enceladus, with its quick orbits, sheds water like a bull in the arena, its every move accompanied by a spray of life-giving droplets. The moon, in its relentless motion, creates a halo, a donut-shaped testament of its journey. The Webb observations revealed not just the enormity of the plume, but the omnipresence of water, a life-giving force that refuses to be contained.

The moon is generous, nourishing the entire Saturnian system with its water. It’s a mother to its siblings, a nourisher of life in a place thought devoid of it. The water, once erupted, finds its way around the system, thirty per cent lingering in the torus, the rest moving outwards, reaching out to the farthest corners of Saturn’s dominion.

My opinion

I’ve always been partial to mysteries. The allure of the unknown, the thrill of the chase, the satisfaction of an answer hard-earned. Enceladus is a mystery of the grandest scale, a riddle wrapped in an icy enigma. Its audacity, the vast plume of water it spews forth, reminds me of the marlins I’ve battled in the Gulf Stream, their resolve echoing the moon’s own fight against the void. The universe is a vast, terrifying place, filled with the unknown and the unknowable. But it’s moments like these, discoveries like these, that make the fight worthwhile.

There’s a certain beauty in the struggle, a certain dignity. It reminds me of the old man, alone on his skiff, battling the marlin, the embodiment of life’s struggle. Enceladus, in its own way, is an old man in the sea of space, fighting against the void, refusing to go gently into the night. Its struggle is a testament to the persistence of life, to the audacity of existence. It’s a reminder that life, no matter how harsh the conditions, finds a way. It’s a reminder of our own fight, our own struggle against the odds.