IC 1396 with vdB 142

clic for 30% size 1171 x 766 (385 kB)

Clic here for 50% size 1952x1277 (870 kB)

 


About this Image

IC 1396 in the constellation Cepheus, 3000 light-years distant is a very large and faint emission nebula, covering an apparent width of more than 10 full moons, larger than this 3 degree wide field.

Below the center of the above image a star formation area called The "Elephant's Trunk" (vdB 142) is an unusual cometary globule embedded in dust and gas. Jets and winds of particles emitted from there are also pushing away ambient gas and dust forming complex shock waves.

A closeup on vdB 142 in 50/100% size is shown below. A close-up on this object you find: here.

clic for 100% size 1171 x 766 (385 kB)


Technical Details
Optics

105mm TMB refractor with flattener at f/6.5

Mount MK-100 GEM
Camera SBIG STL-11000M at -15C, 1x1 bin, internal filter wheel
Filters Astronomik RGB + Ha
Date 22 July 2004.
Location Wildon/Austria
Sky Conditions mag 5 sky, temperature 23 C
Exposure Ha:R:G:B = 120:20:20:20 minutes (10-minute sub-exposures for H-alpha, 5 min subs for RGB),
Processing Image aquisition in Maxim DL 4.0; Image calibration, aligning, mean stacking, DDP and color synthesis in ImagesPlus; Noise reduction by Neatimage;
Photoshop: H-alpha blended to red and used as L channel;
north is right;