2118 Witch Head Nebula
The Witch Head Nebula, is a faint reflection nebula in the constellation Eridanus, it is situ-ated around 900 light-years from Earth. The nearby bright giant star Rigel illuminates the nebula. Although Rigel is a blue star, IC 2118 gets much of its blue color because the gas and dust scatter blue light more so than red. This same effect makes our sky appear blue. Observations, at radio wavelengths, show areas of carbon monoxide emission throughout parts of IC 2118. This indicates the presence of molecular clouds and star formation with-in the nebula. The Nebula is thought to possibly be a supernova remnant.
Imaged in LRGB on our RH 350 at El Sauce, Obstech Chile
Integration time: 25 hours
Image Processing: Mike Selby