Dark clouds of gas and dust are silhouetted against the glowing hydrogen gas of emission nebula IC1396. The Elephant Trunk Nebula, left of center above, is a dark globule located on the western edge of IC1396 (shown below). Stellar winds and ultraviolet light from a hot, young star above the trunk are compressing the gas and dust in the globule and triggering new star formation in its depths. The stellar winds are eroding the less-dense gas and dust around the globule, leaving the "elephant trunk" behind it. Similar elephant trunks can be seen in CED 214 and the Pelican nebula.

Astro-Physics 155mm refractor at f5.4. 240 minutes through an Astrodon 3 nm H-a filter using a QSI 583 on 2011-11-01 from Northern New Jersey. North is to the right. ©2011

Covering more than 6 times the diameter of the full moon on the sky, IC 1396 is one of the largest-appearing emission nebulae. The Elephant Trunk is right of center in this older, film-based image. IC 1396 is in the constellation Cepheus.

Astro-Physics 105mm (4.1 inch) refractor at f4.5. Three twenty-five minute exposures on gas-hypersensitized Kodak Supra 400 color negative film. August 8, 2002 from Speculator, NY. North is up. ©2002