Witch Head Nebula
The Witch Head Nebula (also known as IC2118) is named after its shape, as can be seen seen on the right. It lies in the Eridanus constellation, about 1000 light years from Earth, where it's reflecting the light of the nearby Rigel in the Orion constellation. Rigel is a type B8 star with a white-blue glow, which is the primary reason for the nebula's color. The nature of the dust particles, reflecting blue light better than red, is also a factor. Witch Head is a very large nebula spanning 1x3 degrees on the winter sky.
Refereneces in fiction
In the TV show Andromeda the nebula is the setting for a battle that will change the history of the universe.
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