A wide field shot of IC 1396, commonly referred to as the Elephant's Trunk Nebula. Large, dark dust lanes and faint red nebulosity frame the main structure, IC 1396A, at its centre.
The namesake of this object is the elongated structure in the centre of the image; with a dark patch at its core and a rim of bright, compressed dust and gas resembling a elephant's head and trunk.
The Elephant's Trunk Nebula is a large deep sky object composed of massive amounts of interstellar gas and dust. Located around 2,400 light years from us in the constellation Cepheus. The nebula is a nursery for many new stars.
