images

The Elephant Trunk Nebula, VDB 142

by

E.Mouquet/Novapix

Reference

a-nec13-96008

Date

2007-01-15

The Elephant's Trunk Nebula is an elongated dark globule within the emission nebula IC 1396 in the constellation of Cepheus. Located at a distance of 2,450 light-years, the globule is a condensation of dense gas that is barely surviving the strong ionizing radiation from a nearby massive star. The globule is being compressed by the surrounding ionized gas.