Carved by the intense radiation of the brilliant star Rigel, the Witch Head Nebula (IC 2118) drifts like a spectral apparition across the constellation Orion. This hauntingly beautiful reflection nebula, stretching nearly 70 light-years, is composed of interstellar dust and gas that scatters the brilliant blue light of Rigel, one of the most luminous stars in the Milky Way.

The nebula’s eerie shape, resembling the profile of a cackling witch, is sculpted by powerful stellar winds and radiation pressure from Rigel, located just outside the frame. The characteristic blue hue of IC 2118 arises as the fine dust particles preferentially scatter shorter-wavelength blue light—similar to the process that gives Earth's sky its color.

Beyond its ghostly appearance, the Witch Head Nebula is an active region where cold molecular clouds may be slowly condensing into new stars. Though tenuous and faint, it glows in infrared observations, revealing hidden structures and complex interactions within the interstellar medium.