Extreme nights (IP)
By Rhiannonw
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The night is long, three months* so dark,
so cold, no air to fire a spark,
though million stars shine sharp and bright
undulled by artificial light;
no gaseous blanket to retain
the daytime’s heat cannot remain.
I could not stay in light of ‘day’
– the heat would sear, I’d melt away,
nor yet survive twelve weeks alive
until the end of Mercury’s night,
when sun returns with scorching light.
*********
And there, far out, with poisonous ‘air’
and frigid, swirling surface, where
the many moons pass by, there’s night
for 40** years, what deadly plight
if on Uranus’ pole you’d spin,
for when the dawn at last begin
there is but little more of light –
the sun a star just fairly bright.
**********
But in our polar regions here
for weeks no daylight will appear,
from sunset ’til the next sunrise
will pale the stars and blue the skies
give warmth for plants to grow with speed,
producing quickly flower and seed:
the night was cold, but good, sweet air –
life can survive that darkness there.
(months, weeks, years above refer to earth-months etc)
(IP 17.01.14 Long dark nights)
*Mercury’s orbit of the Sun lasts 88 earth-days. Mercury takes 59 earth-days to complete the turn on its axis, but as seen from the Sun, it appears to rotate only once every two Mercurian years. Therefore it is night-time for 88 earth-days.
**Uranus takes 17.9 hours to turn once on its own axis, but orbits the Sun lying on its side. It takes 84 earth-years to complete one orbit. Each pole gets around 42 earth-years of continuous sunlight, followed by 42 earth-years of darkness.
Hope I’ve got the science right. Takes some sorting! Rh
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Comments
Wow, I learnt a lot through
Wow, I learnt a lot through your poem. I had no idea about the science of the planets - it is brilliant that you managed to impart so much yet with beauty and eloquence at the same time.
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Brilliant and beautiful what
Brilliant and beautiful what else is there to say, you deserve cherries :)))))) well done.
Yes as far as I can remember lol you have the science right :))) but don't worry if you haven't, its still great and gets people interested to find out themselves :)))))
take care
Keep Smiling
Keep Writing xxx
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This is really good, Rhiannon
This is really good, Rhiannon, and the rhymes work so well.
Very much enjoyed.
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This is fantastic, Rhiannon.
This is fantastic, Rhiannon. It must have taken you hours of research, but it was well worth it. I have always been interested in astronomy, and so has my husband, so this poem was more than interesting to both of us.
Tina
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This is great! A science poem
This is great! A science poem which makes it all alive and interesting Elsie
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Good grief, Rhiannon,
Good grief, Rhiannon,
How on earth did you manage to impart so much information in such a neat little bundle! And in rhyme too. I'm in awe.
Moya
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Hi Rhiannon
Hi Rhiannon
This is informative and fun. I certainly didn't know the extremes that the other planets have in such terms. Makes me even more grateful that our winter is almost over.
Jean
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