• Science
  • Space

Celebrate the Chinese New Year With This Shot of the Monkey Head Nebula

1 minute read

The Chinese New Year was already a worldwide celebration, and now the festivities are as far-reaching as outer space.

Monday marks the first day of celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year, which ushers in the Year of the Monkey. In honor of the new year, here is a photo of the Monkey Head Nebula, as spied from the Hubble Telescope.

The image shows a scattering of new stars amidst swirling dust and cosmic gas that make the nebula a birthplace for new stars. The European Space Agency calls it a “violent stellar nursery”—making the Monkey Head Nebula all the more representative of the fresh start a new year brings.

More Must-Reads From TIME

Write to Julia Zorthian at julia.zorthian@time.com