dannyd - That would be the pillars of creation - very awesome hubble photo!<br /><br />Early earth was apparently very dark - note that it is not just hydrogen in those 'pillars.' It is also dust.<br /><br />My specialty is Biblical cosmology, which relates to your question:<br /><br />I will add, of course, scientific reasons for the following which would likely be true for planets embedded within such hydrogen and dust (etc.) clouds (pillars):<br /><br />(Genesis 1:2) . . .Now the earth proved to be formless and waste and there was darkness upon the surface of [the] watery deep; . . .<br /><br />This was, of course, after the creation of earth (Genesis 1:1). Apparently, it was not just water (more hydrogen than oxygen - H2O) that was accreted by early earth, but also dust that caused darkness on the formless (no landforms) early earth.<br /><br />There were clouds causing darkness and gloom (compare Venus today):<br /><br />(Job 38:4) 4 Where did you happen to be when I founded the earth? Tell [me], if you do know understanding.<br />(Job 38:9) 9 When I put the cloud as its garment And thick gloom as its swaddling band,<br /><br />Likely planets in the Eagle Nebulae would tend to by enshrouded in similar 'swaddling bands," accretion bands including the abundant dust in these hydrogen pillars. <br /><br />Is water also abundant in those pillars?<br /><br />Back to darkness on planets early in accretion stages:<br /><br />(2 Peter 3:5) . . .an earth standing compactly out of water and in the midst of water . . .<br /><br />This was right before the last condensation catastrophe on earth - involving accretion and also cooling of the planetary surface.<br /><br />By this time the accreting water had already gone from translucent (compare Venus) to transparent.<br /><br />Much earlier, light reached the surface of the earth:<br /><br />(Genesis 1:3) 3 And God proceeded to say: “Let light come to be.” Then there came to be light.<br /><br />It was at this point that the daytime sky became translucen