MyJimPhotography

Telescope: Sky-Watcher 72ed Evostar

Mount: Sky-Watcher HEQ-5 Pro

Camera: ZWO ASI 533MC-Pro

Gain: 100

Filter: Optolong L’Enhance 1.25 Inch

Totale exposure: 44 x 300 sec / 3 hours 40 Minutes

Guide Scope: ZWO MINI Guide Scope

Guide Camera: ZWO ASI 120MM

Exploring: IC1396 – The Elephant Trunk Nebula

The Elephant Trunk Nebula, also known as IC 1396A, is a concentration of interstellar gas and dust located in the constellation Cepheus. It is part of a larger region known as IC 1396, which is an emission nebula and a young star cluster. Here are some key details about the Elephant Trunk Nebula:

General Characteristics:

  1. Location: The Elephant Trunk Nebula is situated within the constellation Cepheus, roughly 2,400 light-years away from Earth.
  2. Appearance: The nebula gets its name from its elongated, sinuous shape, which resembles an elephant’s trunk. It is a dark, dense globule that stands out against the brighter background of the IC 1396 region.
  3. Structure: It is a dense cloud of gas and dust, making it an active star-forming region. The dark, sinuous structure is actually a concentration of gas and dust which obscures the light from the stars behind it.

Star Formation:

  1. New Stars: The Elephant Trunk Nebula is known for being a stellar nursery, where new stars are being formed. The dense regions within the nebula collapse under their own gravity to form new stars.
  2. Young Stars and Protostars: Observations have revealed several young stars and protostars embedded within the nebula, some of which are still in the process of forming.
  3. Radiation Impact: The intense radiation from nearby young, hot stars, especially from the massive star HD 206267, is influencing the nebula. This radiation ionizes the gas and creates shock waves that can trigger further star formation.

Observation:

  1. Amateur Astronomy: The Elephant Trunk Nebula is a popular target for amateur astronomers, especially those with interest in astrophotography. It can be observed through mid- to large-sized telescopes and is often captured in images using long-exposure photography.
  2. Professional Research: Astronomers use various wavelengths of light to study the nebula, including visible light, infrared, and radio waves. Each wavelength reveals different aspects of the nebula, such as the distribution of gas and dust and the presence of young stars.

Imaging and Processing IC1396 The Elephant Trunk Nebula

The Elephant Trunk nebula is a difficult target to photograph with a normal DSLR or System Camera. However with a specialised astro camera and with the use of the right filters. this target can be seen as a beginner target. For this image the Optolong L’Enhance filter was used to enhance the H-Alpha data in the image.

This image can be processed in multiple ways! The orginial image is more red due to all the H-Alpha. The image below is the exact same data however it was processed differently. This image is called an HOO Pallet. it shows the colours that are directly projected on the camera sensor! This image was stacked by Siril and later processed in Adobe Photoshop.

The image below is also the same image, but in a different colour pallet. This is called the Hubble Pallet.

This image was stacked different compared to the orginial image. making the Red colours more Orange / Yellow and the Purple colours more blue. Normally to get an image like this you have to use a Monochrome camera with the SHO Filters.

While making the sub frames, absolutaely no nebulae can be seen. It is all pitch black with just a few stars. However in the stacked image so much more data is hidden in de darkness. With just a quick autostretch it already shows a lot of nebulae. All in all the Elephant Trunk Nebla is a great beginners target for someone with the right equipement due to its size and its vibrant colours!

I hope you enjoyed this blog and images about IC1396 – The Elephant Trunk Nebula

Happy stargazing! – Jimmy Keetman