Space
APOD: 2026 November 9 – Rigel and the Witch Head Nebula
Publication: NASA
Author: Not available in collected metadata
Source published: 09/11/2026, 05:05:00 UTC
Briefing created: 09/11/2026, 07:34:33 UTC
Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 09/11/2026, 05:50:24 UTC.
Briefings
The APOD article from November 9, 2026, features the Witch Head Nebula (IC 2118), a 50-light-year-wide blue nebula in Orion's belt. Its shape resembles a witch's head due to the star Rigel's intense blue light and dust scattering. The nebula is about 50 light-years across and was formed by Rigel's erosion. The article explains that the blue color results from Rigel's starlight and atmospheric scattering, noting that Earth's atmosphere also scatters blue light. The image was credited to Piotr Czerski with editors Robert Nemiroff, Jerry Bonnell, Cecilia Chirenti, and Keighley Rockcliffe.
Key points
- The Witch Head Nebula (IC 2118) is approximately 50 light-years across and located in Orion's belt.
- The nebula's blue color is caused by Rigel's intense blue starlight and atmospheric scattering of blue light.
Context
This APOD image from November 9, 2026, features the Witch Head Nebula (IC 2118) in Orion's belt. The nebula's shape resembles a witch's head due to the star Rigel's intense blue light and dust scattering. The article explains that the nebula is about 50 light-years across and was formed by Rigel's erosion. The image was credited to Piotr Czerski with editors Robert Nemiroff, Jerry Bonnell, Cecilia Chirenti, and Keighley Rockcliffe.
Limitations
The article provides a brief explanation of the nebula's formation and color, but does not include specific dates for the nebula's formation or the exact time of Rigel's erosion event. The image itself is dated November 9, 2026, but the specific formation date of the nebula is not provided in the source text.
Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 09/11/2026, 07:34:33 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.
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