Galatic Traffic Jam Acrylic on Canvas 12 x 12 x 1.5 in (30.5 x 30.5 x 1.8 cm) $500.00

This barred spiral galaxy, NGC 3887, is a place where stars become congested as they move slowly toward the center. The more a star resists this process, the more forcefully it may be ejected outward into space. This process reminds us that time is not ours to control, nor are the natural processes of life. Practicing surrender in this life results in less friction and more flow. When we trust that process we are given grace and guidance through the universe, just as this galaxy does for its stars.

Image from NASA Hubble Space Telescope

The very existence of spiral arms was for a long time a problem for astronomers. The arms emanate from a spinning core and should therefore become wound up ever more tightly, causing them to eventually disappear after a (cosmologically) short amount of time. It was only in the 1960s that astronomers came up with the solution to this winding problem; rather than behaving like rigid structures, spiral arms are in fact areas of greater density in a galaxy’s disk, with dynamics similar to those of a traffic jam. The density of cars moving through a traffic jam increases at the center of the jam, where they move more slowly. Spiral arms function in a similar way; as gas and dust move through the density waves, they become compressed and linger before moving out of them again.

Crater is one of the 48 constellations identified by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. Its name means “the cup” in Latin. It represents the goblet of the Greek god Apollo and is usually depicted as a two-handed chalice. It is associated with the story of Apollo and his sacred bird, the crow, represented by the constellation Corvus. In the story, Apollo sends the crow to fetch some water with the cup. The crow gets distracted by a fig tree and spends a few days waiting for the figs to ripen. He finally brings the water-filled cup to Apollo along with a water snake as an excuse for being late. Apollo sees through his lies and in a fit of anger casts all three, the cup, the crow, and the snake, into the sky to become the constellations Crater, Corvus, and Hydra.

Galatic Location: Crater Constellation

Celestial Phenomenon: NGC 3887

Collection: 88 Constellations

GALATIC TRAFFIC JAM