Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Eridanus (Eri)  ·  Contains:  65 Eri)  ·  65 psi Eri  ·  66 Eri  ·  67 Eri)  ·  67 bet Eri  ·  Cursa  ·  Dhalim (β Eri  ·  IC 2118  ·  IC 398  ·  LBN 959  ·  LBN 968  ·  NGC 1720  ·  NGC 1726  ·  NGC 1752  ·  NGC 1779  ·  NGC 1797  ·  NGC 1799  ·  NGC 1909  ·  PGC 1000132  ·  PGC 1001030  ·  PGC 1001281  ·  PGC 1001624  ·  PGC 1001972  ·  PGC 1002332  ·  PGC 1002847  ·  PGC 1003558  ·  PGC 1004525  ·  PGC 1004963  ·  PGC 1005383  ·  PGC 1005431  ·  And 207 more.
Witch Head Nebula (IC 2118), DoubleStarPhotography
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Witch Head Nebula (IC 2118)

Witch Head Nebula (IC 2118), DoubleStarPhotography
Powered byPixInsight

Witch Head Nebula (IC 2118)

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Description

The Witch Head Nebula (IC 2118) is a reflection nebula located in the constellation Eridanus, near the bright star Rigel in Orion. It gets its name from its resemblance to the profile of a witch’s face in long-exposure photographs. The nebula is about 900–1,000 light-years away from Earth and spans approximately 70 light-years.  

Its eerie blue glow is due to starlight from Rigel reflecting off interstellar dust particles. The particles scatter blue light more efficiently than red, similar to why Earth's sky appears blue. IC 2118 is believed to be part of a larger star-forming region, with evidence suggesting ongoing low-mass star formation.

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