Astronomy Picture of the Day - The Elephant's Trunk in Cepheus

NASA ^ | 20 Aug, 2026 | Image Credit & Copyright: Eddie Sgarbossa

[MtnClimber]

Explanation: Like an illustration in a galactic Just So Story, the Elephant's Trunk Nebula winds through the emission region and young star cluster complex IC 1396, in the high and far off constellation of Cepheus. Also known as vdB 142, this cosmic elephant's trunk is over 20 light-years long. The detailed telescopic view features the bright swept-back ridges and pockets of cool interstellar dust and gas that abound in the region. But the dark, tendril-shaped clouds contain the raw material for star formation and hide protostars within. Nearly 3,000 light-years distant, the relatively faint IC 1396 complex covers a large region on the sky, spanning over 5 degrees. Top to bottom this proboscidean-like rendition reaches across an almost 1 degree wide field of view, though. That's a little less than the angular size of 2 full moons.

[MtnClimber]

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For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.

[MtnClimber]

[MtnClimber]

Pinging the APOD list

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔

[Red Badger]

I went to the animal fair,

The birds and the beasts were there.

The big baboon by the light of the moon

Was combing his auburn hair.

The monkey he got drunk

And sat on the elephant’s trunk;

The elephant sneezed and fell on his knees

And that was the end of the monk (or monkey), The monk, the monk, the monk. .......................

[No name given]

Wow.

[Islander7]

Wow! I imaged IC1396 a couple of weeks ago and have a much better image. I’ll see if I can post it.

[MtnClimber]

OK, thanks if you can post it.

[Islander7]

[Islander7]

Sorry anout the size. Working from a tablet with limited editing options

[Resolute Conservative]

Looks like the invisible energy monster from Jonny Quest.

[Delta 21]

It looks like a guy bowling.

[MtnClimber]

Thanks for the great photo!

[Paul R.]

Here is some of my abstract art. - God

[redinIllinois]

.

[yesthatjallen]

The guys at NASA have no artistic imagination and they get the images wrong.

If you look at the image, it isn't an elephant's trunk. It's a snorting bull or a charging bull.

[Brian Griffin]

“I imaged IC1396 a couple of weeks ago and have a much better image.”

Indeed, you do. Thank you!

How did you get it?

[telescope115]

Beautiful. I know diffraction spikes on stars aren’t a true representation of what is captured, but I’ve always liked them.

[telescope115]

Beautiful!😀

[Islander7]

That is 6 hours of data with a 700mm telescope with a filter that passes hydrogen (red) and ionized oxygen (bluish) wave length of light. I took a series of 5 minute exposures and added them together to create one final image.