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).
