Nebulae
Elephant Trunk Nebula
The Elephant's Trunk Nebula in IC 1396, Cepheus, photographed by Pete Lawrence: a star-forming column of gas 2,400 light-years away.
Target details
The Elephant's Trunk is a dense column of gas and dust inside the much larger glowing region IC 1396, in Cepheus, about 2,400 light-years away. It's a place where stars are being born: infrared images in 2003 revealed several very young stars inside it, less than 100,000 years old. In the head of the trunk, two slightly older stars – a couple of million years old, still infants by stellar standards – sit in a small round cavity that their winds may have cleared.
Capture details
Data captured 6th November, 2016.
24x 8 minute exposures at ISO400.
Equipment details
Orion Europa 200
NEQ6 Pro
Canon 40d (IR Filter removed)
Skywatcher ST-80
QHY5L-II
Processing details
This image was processed in Pixinsight & Lightroom.
Quick facts
- What is Elephant Trunk Nebula?
- The Elephant's Trunk is a dense column of gas and dust inside the much larger glowing region IC 1396, in Cepheus, about 2,400 light-years away. It's a place where stars are being born: infrared images in 2003 revealed several very young stars inside it, less than 100,000 years old.
- Where is it in the sky?
- In the constellation Cepheus.
- What are its catalogue names?
- IC 1396
- When was this photo taken?
- 6 November 2016
- What equipment was used?
- Orion Europa 200, NEQ6 Pro, Canon 40d (IR Filter removed), Skywatcher ST-80, QHY5L-II
- Where was it taken from?
- Lisburn, Northern Ireland.