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Credit & Copyright: Casey Good/Steve Timmons
Explanation:
Inspired
by the halloween season,
this
telescopic portrait
captures a cosmic cloud with a scary visage.
The interstellar scene lies within the dusty expanse of reflection
nebula IC 2118 in the constellation Orion.
IC 2118 is about 800 light-years from your neighborhood,
close to
bright bluish star Rigel at the foot of Orion.
Often identified as
the Witch Head nebula
for its appearance in a wider field of view it
now rises before the witching hour though.
With spiky stars for eyes, the ghoulish apparition identified
here seems to extend an arm toward Orion's hot supergiant star.
The source of illumination for IC 2118,
Rigel is just beyond this frame at the upper left.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: IC 2118 - Witch Head Nebula
Publications with words: IC 2118 - Witch Head Nebula
See also: