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Credit & Copyright: Simone Curzi
Explanation:
By starlight, this eerie visage shines in the dark
with a crooked profile evoking its popular name, the
Witch Head Nebula.
In fact, this entrancing
telescopic portrait
gives the impression that
a witch has fixed her gaze on Orion's bright supergiant
star Rigel.
More formally known as
IC 2118,
the Witch Head Nebula spans about 50 light-years and
is composed of interstellar dust grains reflecting
Rigel's starlight.
The color of the Witch Head Nebula is caused not only by Rigel's
intense blue light, but because the
dust grains scatter blue light more efficiently than red.
The same
physical process
causes
Earth's daytime
sky
to appear blue, although the scatterers in
Earth's atmosphere are molecules of nitrogen and oxygen.
Rigel and this dusty cosmic crone are about 800 light-years away.
You may still see a few witches in your neighborhood tonight though,
so have a safe and
Happy Halloween!
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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: reflection nebula
Publications with words: reflection nebula
See also: