Evaporating Blobs of the Carina Nebula.

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 ).