{
  "id": 19097390,
  "title": "APOD: 2026 November 9 – Rigel and the Witch Head Nebula",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/apod-2026-november-9-rigel-and-the-witch-head-nebula",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-11-09T05:05:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "NASA Science",
    "slug": "nasa-science",
    "url": "https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-november-9-rigel-and-the-witch-head-nebula/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On November 9, 2026, the Astronomy Picture of the Day highlighted a captivating image of the Witch Head Nebula, also known as IC 2118. This blue nebula, reminiscent of a Halloween-style caricature of a witch's head, is situated just below the center of the featured image and appears blue due to the scattering of its intense blue starlight by dust grains. The Witch Head Nebula is believed to have a diameter of approximately 50 light-years and is composed of gas and dust that has been partly eroded by the nearby star Rigel. Rigel, one of the brightest stars in the constellation Orion, is prominently featured in this image, lying just below the Witch Head Nebula. The blue color of the nebula is not only caused by Rigel's intense blue light but also due to the efficient scattering of blue light by the dust grains. This phenomenon is similar to why Earth's daytime sky appears blue, with the scatterers in our atmosphere being molecules of nitrogen and oxygen.",
  "summary": "The post APOD: 2026 November 9 – Rigel and the Witch Head Nebula appeared first on NASA Science .",
  "key_points": [
    "Witch Head Nebula featured on Astronomy Picture of the Day on November 9, 2026",
    "Nebula's blue color caused by scattering of Rigel's intense blue light",
    "Rigel, a bright star in Orion constellation, lies just below the nebula"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The scattering of Rigel's intense starlight by dust grains creates a visual connection between cosmic phenomena and the familiar atmospheric reasons for the blue color of Earth's daytime sky.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}