Eli5: how do the pillars of creation just stay the same shape out in space for so long and how did it all accumulate in that area?

Question

Eli5: how do the pillars of creation just stay the same shape out in space for so long and how did it all accumulate in that area?

In: 7284

Answer 1

Space is big. Like, very, very big. I mean, you might think it’s a long way down the road to the chemists, but Space is way bigger than that.

– Douglas Adams, paraphrased.m