A cosmic sprite dances through fire in new space image

An orange figure rises from a cosmic fire in a new image created using data collected by a telescope tasked with mapping the first light emitted in the universe.

While the figure may look "sprite-like," according to the European Space Agency (ESA), it's actually a collection of dust filaments known as the Polaris Flare.

The structure is about 10 light-years wide and 500 light-years from Earth.

Evidence shows that the Polaris Flare probably formed when shockwaves from exploding stars moved through a cloud of dust and gas between stars in the Milky Way, according to ESA, though there is likely no star formation happening in the dust cloud these days.

"These waves swept up the gas and dust in their path, sculpting the material into the snaking filaments we see," ESA added in a statement.

This photo of the Polaris Flare is not your typical cosmic image. Data from ESA's Planck satellite was used to create this map, showing the dust in the area around the flare.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The waves in the Planck photo (which is not true color or an artistic rendering) show the "average direction" of the Milky Way's magnetic field, ESA said.

"Dust grains in and around the Milky Way are affected by and interlaced with the galaxy’s magnetic field, causing them to align preferentially in space," ESA added. "This carries through to the dust’s emission, which also displays a preferential orientation that Planck could detect."

Planck mapped the galaxy from 2009 to 2013, hunting for the cosmic microwave background -- radiation left over from the Big Bang that began the universe about 13.8 billion years ago.