October 2, 2008--In this composite image, the Hubble Space Telescope captures a celestial landscape with colorful hills and valleys of interstellar gas and dust fronting a glittering region of star creation--the Carina Nebula.

Young, hot stars are producing UV radiation and stellar winds that erode the nebula in the lower image.

The dark towers are cool, dense columns of dust and gas that have better resisted erosion from flowing energy and point in the direction of that energy's source.