IC2118, Also known as The Witch Head Nebula due to the nebula's particular appearance. IC 2118 is found in the constellation of Eridanus, roughly about 900 light years away from Earth. The nebula is said to be the remains of a supernova remnant which is simply the result of a exploding star. The gas cloud is thought to be the home to thousands of newly forming stars whilst old, ancient stars have been found lurking deep within the nebula. IC 2118 sits nearby a bright star named Rigel which can clearly be seen in the image above and can be found in the constellation of Orion. Rigel of Orion is one of the more easier stars to spot in the night sky and is said to be one of the brightest stars visible to the naked eye. The super-giant blue star illuminates IC 2118, 40 light years away shining 40,000 times brighter than our sun. The clouds of interstellar dust particles which make up the nebula are mostly made up of carbon compounds which are slightly polarized by light reflected from Rigel, which in turn causes the nebula to glow blue.
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