First published in July 2010, this remarkable microwave all-sky image of the Universe was produced by ESA’s Planck satellite.The main disc of our Milky Way galaxy runs across the centre of the image. Striking streamers of cold dust reach above and below it: this galactic web is where new stars are being formed, and the Planck mission found many locations where individual stars are edging toward birth or just beginning their cycle of development. The mottled backdrop at the top and bottom is the cosmic microwave background radiation, the oldest light in the Universe – the remains of the fireball out of which our Universe sprang into existence 13.7 billion years ago.