A piece that took an unfortunately long time to make, as a result of various breaks (which shouldn't be considered such), finals, and my work schedule. Got it up anyways, which could be considered a plus.
Anyhow, here is a nebula slowly compacting to form a star. Some of the gasses are already compacted enough to give off intense light, but are still gathering closer and closer...it is still years from birth.
Technical details: 3200x2400px @ 300 ppi 41 visible layers, 63 total