IC 1396 in Cepheus, a vast emission complex about 2,400 light-years away, with the famous Elephant’s Trunk — a dense globule of gas and dust being eroded and lit from behind by the hot O-star at the cluster’s heart — winding through the middle. The trunk is a stellar nursery: infrared surveys have found protostars forming inside it. Shot over five nights in early August 2025 through 3nm narrowband filters, 11½ hours total, and processed with a Foraxx palette.
All renders are in the gallery folder, and the image is on AstroBin.
Acquisition details
- Total integration: 11h 30m — Hα 3h 50m (46 × 300″), SII 3h 50m (46 × 300″), OIII 3h 50m (46 × 300″)
Equipment
- Telescope: William Optics SpaceCat 61
- Camera: ZWO ASI2600MM Pro
- Mount: Sky-Watcher Wave 150i strain-wave mount
- Filters: Antlia 3nm Hα / OIII / SII, 36 mm
- Accessories: MeLE Quieter4 mini PC, Pegasus Astro FocusCube 3
- Software: N.I.N.A., PHD2, Green Swamp Server, PixInsight, Adobe Lightroom Classic