Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2019 August 16

                   The Elephant's Trunk Nebula in Cepheus
                    Image Credit & Copyright: Chuck Ayoub

   Explanation: Like an illustration in a galactic Just So Story, the
   Elephant's Trunk Nebula winds through the emission nebula and young
   star cluster complex IC 1396, in the high and far off constellation of
   Cepheus. Also known as vdB 142, the cosmic elephant's trunk is over 20
   light-years long. This colorful close-up view was recorded through
   narrow band filters that transmit the light from ionized hydrogen,
   sulfur, and oxygen atoms in the region. The resulting composite
   highlights the bright swept-back ridges that outline pockets of cool
   interstellar dust and gas. Such embedded, dark, tendril-shaped clouds
   contain the raw material for star formation and hide protostars within.
   Nearly 3,000 light-years distant, the relatively faint IC 1396 complex
   covers a large region on the sky, spanning over 5 degrees. The dramatic
   scene spans a 1 degree wide field, about the size of 2 Full Moons.

                    Tomorrow's picture: Orion on a plate
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