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Credit & Copyright: ESA/Hubble,
NASA
Explanation:
No, they are not alive -- but they are dying.
The unusual blobs found in the
Carina nebula, some of which are seen floating on the
upper right, might best be described as
evaporating.
Energetic light and winds from nearby stars are breaking apart the dark
dust grains that make the iconic forms opaque.
Ironically the blobs,
otherwise known as dark
molecular clouds,
frequently create in their midst the very stars that later
destroy them.
The floating space mountains
pictured above by the orbiting
Hubble Space Telescope span a few light months.
The Great Nebula in Carina itself spans about 30 light years, lies about 7,500 light
years
away, and can be seen with
a small telescope toward the constellation of Keel
(Carina).
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: carina nebula
Publications with words: carina nebula
See also:
- APOD: 2026 April 26 Á Mystic Mountain Monster being Destroyed
- APOD: 2024 February 5 Á In the Core of the Carina Nebula
- APOD: 2023 December 6 Á Stars Verus Dust in the Carina Nebula
- APOD: 2023 May 1 Á Carina Nebula North
- Carina Cliffs from the Webb Space Telescope
- Mountains of Dust in the Carina Nebula
- The Great Nebula in Carina