On the splendor of the universe

I was reading this morning about the recent discovery by the Hubble Space Telescope of a ring of dark matter surrounding a distant cluster of galaxies. All that may be a little too sciencey for some of you, but I hope everyone will take a look at this image and then try to express even the smallest fraction of your awe. (Call it a writing exercise.)

When you click on the photo link, bear in mind that you're not just looking at a bunch of pretty stars. You're looking at entire galaxies. Zillions of them. There are only a handful of individual stars visible in the photo; those are on the edge of our own galaxy (you'll notice their light spread out like + signs). But note the exquisite colors and structures of the galaxies. This is one of the finest astro-photos I've ever seen.

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.

--Psalm 19:1-2 (NIV)