"Melting" NebulaPillars of cold gas seem to melt in the hot radiation from nearby stars in a picture of the Carina nebula released September 16. The Hubble Space Telescope shot captures light emitted by hydrogen and oxygen atoms in the gas clouds.

The Carina nebula is a star-forming region 7,500 light-years from Earth. Massive stars in the nebula are constantly emitting streams of charged particles, which sculpt the surrounding gases and dust. Inside the darker, denser regions, new stars are likely being born.
Image courtesy ESA/NASA

Space Photos This Week: Mars Wrinkles, Titan Equinox, More

The shuttle Discovery rolls out, a nebula melts, spring comes to a Saturn moon, and more in our picks of the week's best space pictures.

Published September 24, 2010