Who said that watching really bad science fiction movies is not educational? For those who grew up with The Blob, the Hubble Space Telescope has finally found its galactic origins. The HST has spotted a mysterious giant green blob in outer space that appear to be giving birth to new stars.

The blob is a massive hydrogen gas formation first discovered by a Dutch elementary school teacher Hanny van Arkelin in 2007. It was named Hanny’s Voorwerp (HAN’-nee’s-FOR’-vehrp). Voorwerp is Dutch for “object.”

Scientists believe that the blob is collapsing and stars are forming from the pressure. The blob is the size of our own Milky Way galaxy.

For those who saw the 1958 movie, do you run to your bomb shelters just yet. It is 650 million light years away — each light year is about 6 trillion miles.

Yet, how naive the final lines of the movie now seem:

Lieutenant Dave: I think you should send us the biggest transport plane you have, and take this thing to the Arctic or somewhere and drop it where it will never thaw. . .

Lieutenant Dave: At least we’ve got it stopped.
Steve Andrews: Yeah, as long as the Arctic stays cold.

Oh, Lieutenant Dave, will erstwhile movie characters ever learn?

Source: Universe Today and Reddit.

Jonathan Turley