The photo above shows the newly formed star HD 93700 lighting up the surrounding cosmic clouds in this new image from ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile.

(European Southern Observatory )

A photo captured by the European Southern Observatory shows dust particles in the vast clouds surrounding newborn star HD 93700, diffusing its brilliant light and creating the reflection nebula IC 2631.

The photos, taken by the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile, show a glowing IC 2631. According to ESO, that reflect the light from a nearby star into space. This creates a shimmering light similar to the one in the photo.

IC 2631 is the brightest nebula in the Chamaeleon Complex, a large region of dust clouds and gas harboring numerous newborn and still-forming stars. It lies about 500 light-years away in the southern constellation of Chamaeleon. Radiation from hotter stars can , causing it to give off its own glow, reports the Space Reporter. However, the star HD 97300 does not produce the level of energetic radiation needed to make IC 2631 shine on its own.

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HD 93700 is one of the youngest, brightest and most massive stars in its stellar neighborhood, according to ESO. The region has plenty of star-making potential, which is made clear by the presence of dark nebulae that are noticeable above and below IC 2631 in the picture. Dark nebulae are so dense with gas that they block starlight in the background from passing through.

Though HD 93700 is stealing the spotlight for the time being, the same dust that makes it difficult to miss indicates the birth of future stars that may steal the scene in the future, the Space Reporter also reports.

HD 93700 is a T Tauri star, meaning it is in the earliest visible stage for its size. Over time, it will gradually become smaller until it reaches its adult size as a main sequence star. It will remain that size for billions of years.

According to the Space Reporter, the contents of nebula IC 2631 will likely merge and become even more stars over the coming millennia.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Nebulae

The Cat’s Paw Nebula in a combination of exposures from the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope and expert amateur astronomers Robert Gendler and Ryan M. Hannahoe. The distinctive shape of the nebula is revealed in reddish puffy clouds of glowing gas against a dark sky dotted with stars. (ESO)