November - Star formation region Lupus 3

A dark cloud of cosmic dust snakes across this spectacular wide-field image, illuminated by the brilliant light of new stars. This dense cloud is a star-forming region called Lupus 3, where dazzlingly hot stars are born from collapsing masses of gas and dust. This image, created from images taken using the VLT Survey Telescope and the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope, is the most detailed image taken so far of this region.