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NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day for November 9, 2026, features an image of the Witch Head Nebula, or IC 2118, near the bright star Rigel. NASA says the nebula spans about 50 light-years and that Rigel’s light, scattered by dust grains, accounts for its blue appearance.
NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day for November 9, 2026, features the blue Witch Head Nebula, IC 2118, in the vicinity of the bright star Rigel. NASA’s accompanying explanation says the nebula is about 50 light-years across and that Rigel’s light illuminates it, while dust scatters blue light more efficiently than red.
The image centers on IC 2118, popularly called the Witch Head Nebula because its outline has been said to resemble a witch’s head in a Halloween-style caricature. NASA notes that the resemblance is open to imaginative interpretation; the nickname describes how some viewers see its shape, rather than a scientific classification.
Rigel, one of the brighter stars in the constellation Orion, appears just below the center of the featured image, according to NASA. Its intense blue starlight illuminates the nebula. NASA also says the gas and dust making up IC 2118 point toward Rigel because the material has been partly eroded by the nearby star.
The APOD explanation attributes the nebula’s blue color to both Rigel’s blue light and the way dust grains scatter light. The grains scatter blue wavelengths more effectively than red ones. NASA compares this to the familiar blue appearance of Earth’s daytime sky, while distinguishing the cause: in Earth’s atmosphere, nitrogen and oxygen molecules scatter the sunlight.
How Rigel Shapes the Nebula
The image offers a visual example of how a nearby star can affect the appearance and structure of surrounding material. In NASA’s account, Rigel both lights IC 2118 and has partly eroded its gas and dust. The nebula is not simply blue because of a color choice in an image: the explanation links its appearance to the color of the starlight and to how dust scatters that light.
The comparison with Earth’s sky connects a distant astronomical object to a familiar optical effect. Both appear blue through preferential scattering of shorter-wavelength light, but the particles doing the scattering differ: dust grains in the nebula and atmospheric gas molecules on Earth. That distinction helps readers understand why similar colors can arise in different environments.
As an APOD entry, the development is a publication and explanation rather than a report of a new discovery. Its value is in pairing a specific astronomical image with a concise account of the processes behind it, including the role of Rigel and the approximate scale of IC 2118.
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The APOD Image and Its Source
Astronomy Picture of the Day is NASA’s daily feature presenting an image or photograph of the universe with an explanation written by a professional astronomer. The November 9 entry credits the image to Piotr Czerski and lists Robert Nemiroff, Jerry Bonnell, Cecilia Chirenti and Keighley Rockcliffe as authors and editors. NASA identifies the service as involving ASD at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Science Activation and Michigan Technological University.
The entry’s focus is the relationship between Rigel and IC 2118, rather than a newly announced observation or measurement. Its stated size is approximately 50 light-years across. The image description places Rigel just below the center of the picture and links the direction and partial erosion of the nebula’s material to the nearby star.
NASA’s explanation also separates the nebula’s popular name from the physical account. The “Witch Head” label comes from a perceived resemblance, while the description of illumination, scattering and erosion concerns the astronomical features discussed in the entry.
What the Image Does Not Establish
The supplied NASA entry gives an approximate width for IC 2118 and a qualitative account of its relationship with Rigel, but it does not provide a measurement method, uncertainty range or detailed account of how the size was calculated. The description also does not quantify the degree of erosion or specify how long Rigel has affected the surrounding material.
The source frames the Witch Head resemblance as a popular interpretation and says the exact reading of the shape can invite speculation. It does not present that resemblance as a physical feature or claim that every viewer will see the same outline. No new observations, research findings or changes in the nebula’s condition are reported in the supplied entry.
The Next Daily Sky Feature
NASA’s listing points readers to “Suddenly Saturn” as the next day’s picture. The November 9 item does not announce a follow-up study of IC 2118 or provide a schedule for additional material about Rigel and the nebula. Readers can expect the APOD service to continue its daily image-and-explanation format, while further scientific details would require separate reporting or source material.
Key Questions
What is the Witch Head Nebula?
It is the popular name for IC 2118, a nebula made of gas and dust. NASA’s November 9 APOD says it is about 50 light-years across.
Why does IC 2118 look blue?
NASA attributes the color to Rigel’s intense blue starlight and to dust grains that scatter blue light more efficiently than red light.
Where is Rigel in the featured image?
NASA says Rigel lies just below the image’s center. It is one of the brighter stars in the constellation Orion.
Is the Witch Head shape a scientific classification?
No. The name refers to a popular interpretation of the nebula’s outline. NASA’s explanation treats the resemblance as subjective and separate from the object’s scientific description as IC 2118.
Did NASA announce a new discovery about the nebula?
The supplied item is an Astronomy Picture of the Day image and explanation. It does not report a new discovery, measurement or research result.
Source: science.nasa.gov
