Elephant’s Trunk Nebula
RA 21h 37m · Dec +57° 32′
5′

A vast emission nebula associated with the star cluster Trumpler 37, dominated by the dark comet-shaped globule IC 1396A — the Elephant’s Trunk. The globule is a site of triggered star formation at its head. One of the best narrowband targets in the autumn sky.

Emission nebula

Elephant’s Trunk Nebula

IC 1396 · Cepheus
These photons are ~2,400 years old
LPBroadband light-pollution filter. Suppresses the sodium and mercury glow of streetlights while passing the main nebula emission lines and natural star colours.ZWO Seestar S50ZWO Seestar S50Aperture 50mm · Focal length 250mm · f/5 · Apo triplet with ED element · Sony IMX462 colour CMOS sensor (1920 x 1080, 2.1MP)…View equipment →
⧉ 13 versions of this capture — pick one to see its image and log
↻ Revisited — built over 2 nights, the next night
  1. 1 20/09/2025 0m (1 × 10s) + 0m (1 x 10s) + 166m (1 x 10s + 498 x 20s) ZWO Seestar S50, ZWO Seestar S50 Camera
  2. 2 21/09/2025 166m (498 x 20s) ZWO Seestar S50, ZWO Seestar S50 Camera
20/09/2025 21/09/2025 The next night
Date
20/09/2025
Location
36.3860° N, 28.0410° E
Integration
0m (1 × 10s)
Software
ZWO Seestar app
Notes
·
Total effort
22h 8m over 2 nights
Moon
🌘Waning crescent, 4% lit
Plate solve
Centre RA
21h 37m 22.0s
Centre Dec
+57° 31′ 39″
Field
42.7′ × 76.0′
Pixel scale
2.37″/px
Orientation
51.0° E of N
Hemisphere
Northern
Also in this frame
IC1396

Catalogued objects inside the plate-solved field, nearest the centre first. Highlighted names have their own photo here.

TelescopeZWO Seestar S50
CameraZWO Seestar S50 Camera
RigFamily Holiday Rig

Where to find it

Finder chart
+57°+57°10′+57°20′+57°30′+57°40′+57°50′+58°+58°10′21h33m21h33m21h34m21h35m21h35m21h36m21h37m21h37m21h38m21h39m21h39m21h40m21h41m21h41m21h42mIC 1396NE42.7′ x 76.0′5′

Star field and catalogued objects inside the plate-solved field, oriented to the solve. Fully offline, from the bundled star and deep-sky catalogues.

Interactive sky chart centred on 21 37 22.0 +57 31 39. Drag to pan, scroll to zoom, click a star or object to identify it. Zoom in to the plate-solved field for the DSS survey photo; zoom out for constellation figures and neighbouring catalogue objects. Fully self-hosted: the star and deep-sky catalogues and the survey image are all served from this site, so nothing external loads. Imagery: DSS2 colour (STScI / POSS-II). Constellation figures © Dominic Ford (GPLv3).

Captured from · Ρόδος (Rhodes)
36.3860° N, 28.0410° E · view on OpenStreetMap ↗ · Place data © GeoNames (CC BY)

Frequently asked questions

What kind of object is IC 1396?
IC 1396 is an emission nebula.
Which constellation is IC 1396 in?
IC 1396 lies in the constellation Cepheus.
How far away is IC 1396?
The light in this image left IC 1396 roughly ~2,400 years ago, so that is how far back in time you are seeing it.
What are the coordinates of IC 1396?
IC 1396 sits at right ascension 21h 37m 22s and declination +57° 31′ 39″ (J2000).
When is the best time to photograph IC 1396?
IC 1396 is circumpolar from around 36°N - it never sets, and rides highest (about 69° altitude) on evenings around August.
What equipment was used to photograph IC 1396?
This image of IC 1396 was captured with ZWO Seestar S50 and ZWO Seestar S50 Camera.
How much exposure time went into this image?
This image of IC 1396 represents 0m (1 × 10s) + 0m (1 x 10s) + 166m (498 x 20s) + 166m (1 x 10s + 498 x 20s) of total integration time.

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