Psyche: Apotheosis of the Soul Goddess Part I
An ancient king and queen, whose names and domain remain unknown, had three daughters. While the two elder girls matured to become enchantingly lovely young women, the youngest, Psyche, was possessed of a beauty far surpassing not only that of her sisters, but all others in the world, as well. (Helen of Troy was not yet born.) Even as a young girl, Psyche was so comely that many people traveled to her home merely to admire her. As she matured, so, too, did her beauty. Eventually, Psyche found herself in the uncomfortable position of literally being worshipped by strangers and neighbors alike. Each day she awoke to find presents of gold, fruit and other offerings surrounding her home. People lit incense at her door and prayed earnestly for her health. The nearby temples dedicated to the love goddess Aphrodite were neglected and quickly fell into ruin. This preference for Psyche over Aphrodite was understandable. Though known throughout the world, Aphrodite was unseen by mortals, apart from depictions on pottery. Aphrodite's loveliness was merely assumed, but never observed. Conversely, Psyche's beauty was visible, so pure as to almost be radiant. She became Aphrodite's embodiment and seemed destined to become her successor. As one can well imagine, Aphrodite came to learn of Psyche and resolved to punish this mortal for her presumption. The goddess summoned forth her son Eros -the Roman Cupid- and commanded him to puncture Psyche's heart with a golden arrow so that she would fall in love with the most grotesque creature on Earth. "Make her grovel in mud and filth for the love of a monster," Aphrodite said with a sneer. Initially, Eros was determined to obey his mother's orders, until, of course, he saw Psyche. He then fell hopelessly in love with her, himself. Though he certainly didn't divulge these feelings to his mother, he refrained from abiding by Aphrodite's instructions. He did, however, use his magical abilities toward another end. As Psyche grew to womanhood, she found to her distress that though her worshippers were legion, no man ever professed to love her. She was widely revered, but not even her most ardent admirers seemed to harbor any feelings for her at all. While her sisters were eventually wed to handsome kings, Psyche remained alone. On one lonely, miserable night, she wept in her father's arms and lamented, "Being worshipped is a curse." The following morning, Psyche and her father traveled to Delphi to seek the advice of Apollo. Through the sibyl, they learned that Psyche would, indeed, find a husband. "She must be brought to a high hill near your home and abandoned. Only then will a winged serpent descend onto the land to capture her and make her his bride." On hearing this pronouncement, Psyche's father broke down in sobs. Psyche, however, maintained a stoic calm. "Do not weep for me, father. My beauty has incurred divine wrath and I accept this punishment gladly. Life has become hateful to me." As instructed, her parents brought Psyche to the designated hilltop a few days later. The couple embraced their daughter and wept openly. "Leave me,"she told them gently. "I don't want you here when it arrives." As soon as Psyche was by herself, she sat down on the hilltop and looked out onto the scene: below her feet she saw a dark chasm; along the horizon a jagged array of mountains ember-tinted by the fading twilight. Curiously, not being in the presence of people made Psyche suddenly feel less alone and strong enough to confront her imminent death. Within moments, she sensed a gentle wind brushing against her. To her shock, the wind then lifted her off the hilltop. Despite having nothing under or around her, Psyche felt no fear as the wind was strong, but also gentle, as though she were nestled in the cusp of a giant hand. While being conveyed high above the moon-silvered landscape, Psyche soon drifted off to sleep. On awakening, Psyche found herself resting on a bed of grass softer than she had ever known. It made her feel as though she were enveloped in silk. Despite a desire to remain sleeping, Psyche soon arose and looked with astonishment onto a grand palace that seemed small in relation to the imposing peaks encircling it. "Welcome," a beautiful voice said. "You are in your new home. Enter when you will." Psyche looked around, but saw no one. "Where are you?" she asked. "I am here, but you cannot see me. You can trust me, however. Do not be afraid." Psyche was not in the least bit frightened. She did trust the speaker who, after a brief conversation, persuaded her to enter the palace. The sight of its interior was breathtaking: vast halls of polished marble, high ceilings supported by ornately designed pillars; and beautiful tapestries hanging from the walls. As she explored the palace, she found chests of treasure, vast bed chambers and even a fountain within a brilliantly lit atrium. During the exploration, Psyche listened to enchanting harmonies that infused her with both a delirium of ecstasy and a sense of profound well being. It was as though she were surrounded by a gathering of invisible cherubim whose ethereal harmonies were as natural and constant as exhalations. "This is all for me?" she asked with astonishment. "For you and your husband," the voice responded. For a moment, Psyche experienced a sharp pang of fear. "When will I see him?" The voice laughed, but in a good natured manner. "You will be with your husband tonight. He loves you passionately. You need not be afraid." Psyche spent the day exploring her new home with delight. She was greeted by many disembodied voices, all of them gentle. The palace was well staffed by kind, invisible serpents. That night, soon after Psyche settled into bed, she felt a movement next to her. She held her breath and silently prayed. "I am your husband," a voice then said. The voice was so melodious that its very words were like music. "I have loved you for so very long and will do all I can to prove myself to be a worthy husband." They spoke most of the night and Psyche soon found herself falling in love with him even though, as he soon explained, she was never to look at him. "I shall be with you only in the dark of night." After only a few days there, Psyche's fears vanished. She spent the day wandering in and out of the palace in the company of those kindly voices and lying next to her tender, loving husband at night. She was deeply in love with the man she couldn't see and finally felt a boundless joy she never thought possible. After a couple of months, Psyche confided in her husband that though she was happy in her marriage, she yearned to see her sisters. "Could they not come for a visit?" she asked him one night. Her husband's tone became grave. "They will destroy you if they are here," he warned her. "No, my dearest husband. They love me and I them. They have always treated me with the deepest kindness." This assertion was true, for her sisters never resented Psyche's superior beauty or the adoration it earned her. In fact, they always seemed to derive a sense of vicarious enjoyment from their sister's good fortune. Psyche gently persisted in her request and such was the husband's abiding love for her that he soon relented. He summoned the winged messenger Hermes to find the two sisters and instruct them to stand on the same hilltop where Psyche once waited for the winged serpent. When the sisters arrived at the hilltop a day later, the husband commanded Zephyrus, the west wind god who had delivered Psyche, to convey them to the palace. When they arrived, the three sisters embraced and wept with joy. The sisters had learned of the Delphic Oracle from their father and assumed Psyche had perished. They were initially gladdened at the reunion and dazzled by the splendour of their sister's abode. As they toured the palace, Psyche gave them handfuls of treasure to bring to their families. "You may stay as long as you wish, however, and return at any time," she said, kissing their hands. They both smiled quietly in response. "It seems as though you have absolutely everything," Pteragelia, her eldest sister, said matter-of-factly. "Indeed, I do," Psyche replied. "Especially now that you're here." Later, the sisters inquired about her husband, his manner and particularly his appearance. On the latter aspect Psyche was equivocal. "Oh, very strong and handsome, of course, and yes, quite handsome." Pteragelia pressed. "When can we meet him?" Psyche hesitated. "Oh, well, during the day he seeks game in the mountains and then at night he is so tired he turns in immediately." Photoulla, the middle sister, asked, "Will we ever meet him?" Psyche looked at her sisters uneasily and then answered plainly. "No, you never will." Soon, knowing herself to be incapable of deception, Psyche divulged everything to her sisters. "You've never seen your own husband?" Pteragelia whispered as they sat in her bedchamber. "I can never see him," Psyche told them. That night, while Psyche lay next to her husband, her sisters conferred in their bedchamber deep into the night. The next morning, as Psyche toured the grounds again with her sisters, they expressed their wish to leave the palace that afternoon. "Why are you leaving me so soon?" Psyche asked sadly. "We're not leaving, you, sister,' Photoulla said. "We want you to come with us." Psyche asked them why. The sisters explained that they feared for themselves and for her. "Your husband is likely a monster who can alter shape at will. Such creatures always assume their true form in sleep, hence the darkness. If you saw him in repose, you would know his true form and be horrified." Psyche became distressed and argued. "Would a monster treat me so kindly?" Pteragelia smiled. "Yes, he would, until you bring forth the heir he requires. He will bestow riches and affection on you in great abundance so you won't realize that he doesn't love you, but, instead, needs the world's most beautiful woman to produce a son. When that son is born, you will see it is monstrous and before you can flee, your husband will devour you as you will cease to be useful to him." Psyche started to weep. "You don't know my husband." Pteragelia smiled weakly. "Nor, dear sister, do you." That afternoon, at their own insistence, the sisters left Psyche's home. Zephyrus returned to conduct them away from the palace. Psyche refused to accompany them. Suddenly alone again -except for the voices- Psyche became deeply troubled. She dearly loved her husband, but could find no argument to refute her sisters' theory. Why wouldn't her husband permit her to see him if had nothing to hide? Would a trustworthy husband demand such concealment? These thoughts tormented her throughout the rest of the day. That night Psyche lay with her husband in the complete darkness. After he drifted off to sleep, Psyche remained wide awake. The struggle between her deep love and growing suspicions continued until the latter ultimately prevailed. Psyche arose from the bed and left the chamber to retrieve a lantern. Once lit, she brought the lantern back into the bedchamber and gazed on her husband. She saw the most stunningly beautiful young man in slumber. His skin shone almost as golden as his hair. Psyche then knew that her husband was Eros, the god of Love, himself. She drew her gaze onto his carved features and became so enthralled that the lantern slipped from her grasp for just a moment, long enough for some of the hot oil to spill onto her husband's chest. He awoke in agony and looked fiercely at Psyche as she regarded him in the light. "My dearest husband," she murmured. "Husband no longer," he responded coldly as he arose from the bed, nursing his burnt chest. "I leave now and you are not to pursue me." "I love you," Psyche whispered desperately as she reached for him. He shied away. "If there is no trust, there is no love. Leave me alone." Eros then fled the chamber and was so swallowed by the darkness. Psyche rushed out into the night in earnest, but vain, pursuit. She called for him, but received no answer. She called out to the palace voices for assistance, but agan elicited only a cold silence. When she attempted to re-enter the palace, she found that all the entrances had been blocked. Psyche collapsed onto the ground in a state of utter despair. The suspicions that her sisters aroused in her destroyed her blissful life. Yes, once she did have everything. Suddenly, in an instant, she was deprived of love, home and husband. Psyche soon pulled herself up and looked to the eastern horizon against which Aurora had just draped her lustrous veil. "I have nothing now," Psyche said. "But I will devote the rest of my life seeking my husband, even if it is no to avail." At that, Psyche walked away from the palace with nothing but her resolve to find Eros.
Part II tomorrow.
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2020-2021: XXXVII
THE DAILY ASTRONOMER
Monday, November 2, 2020
Remote Planetarium 115: Cosmic Distance Ladder - Galaxies
Today we address the question, "How can we humans possibly ascertain the distances to galaxies?" The Andromeda system, the closest major galaxy to our own, is approximately 2.2 million light years away. The myriad galaxies comprising the Virgo Supercluster are tens or hundreds of million of light years from us. How do astronomers determine such vast distances?
Cepheid review
First, we need to review the Cepheid variable method that enables astronomers to determine the distances to the closest galaxies. Cepheids are variable stars whose variability is directly related to luminosity. The longer the variability period, the more luminous the star. By observing the amount of time separating successive maxima (times when the brightness is at maximum), an astronomer can measure the Cepheid's true brightness . Through use of the distance modulus equation, one can determine the Cepheid variable star's distance if its intrinsic brightness (absolute magnitude M) and apparent brightness (apparent magnitude m) are both known.
The distance modulus formula: m = apparent magnitude, M = absolute magnitude; d = distance (in parsecs). A Cepheid variable's period is directly related to its absolute magnitude. By comparing the true to apparent brightness, the star's distance is known. By extension, the distance to the star's host galaxy will also be determined.
The problem with the Cepheid variable method is distance limitation. The method is valid out to 20 million light years. While a considerable distance, the cosmos is immensely larger. In order to measure the distances of more remote galaxies, astronomers generally rely on a technique related to the Universal expansion.
In 1929, Edwin Hubble (1889-1953) announced his discovery that the Universe is expanding in all directions. This expansion is a consequence of the Big Bang, the primordial event that created the cosmos. Ever since its inception around 13.8 billion years ago, the cosmos has been growing steadily larger. Consequently, the galaxies within it appear to move away from each other unless they happen to be so close that gravitational attraction overwhelms the expansion.* Hubble devised a law relating a galaxy's recession speed and distance:
v = H x d
where v = a galaxy's velocity; H = Hubble constant; d = distance in megaparsecs. (One megaparsec equals 3.26 million light years.) The Hubble Constant is measured in units of kilometers per second per Megaparsec. One of the most recent Hubble constant estimates, published by a research team led by a University of Oregon astronomer, cites a value of 71.5 for the Hubble Constant. Any galaxy moving at 71.5 kilometers per second away** from the Milky Way would therefore be located 1 Megaparsec away from the Milky Way. A galaxy receding from the Milky Way at 143 kilometers per second would be 2 Megaparsecs away from us and so forth.
The Hubble Law can tell us a galaxy's distance "simply" by measuring the galaxy's speed. How can astronomers measure this speed? By measuring the galaxy's "light shift." A galaxy consists of innumerable stars, all of which produce light. If the galaxy is moving away from us, that light will become elongated as a consequence of the recession.
At the top of this simplified diagram a star moves away from the observer. The star's emitted light is "stretched out" as a result of this motion. The elongation of light increases its wavelength, which decreases its frequency. The light is shifted toward the red end of the spectrum, as red light has a lower frequency than blue light, At the diagram's bottom, the star moves toward the observer and its light is compressed. The wavelength decreases and its frequency increases, shifting the light toward the "blue end" of the spectrum.
In reality, the emitted light is separated into its component colors Within the spectrum one finds a series of absorption lines that occupy specific "rest" wavelengths. The lines within a spectrum of a receding galaxy shift toward the red end of the spectrum. The greater the shift, the faster the recession velocity and the more distant the galaxy.
Application of the Hubble Law enables astronomers to measure the distances to remote galaxies throughout the Virgo Super Cluster and throughout the Universe.
Tomorrow, more on how astronomers know what they know about galaxies.
*The Andromeda and Milky Way Galaxies are currently moving toward each other and will collide within 4 - 6 billion years.
**One notable consequence of this revised value is that the Universe's age would be lowered to approximately 12.8 billion years.
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