Today's Apod WOW

[vindictive666 (John)]

morning all

todays apod is the Elephants Trunk




http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

[AJames]

Originally Posted by vindictive666

morning all
today's apod is the Elephants Trunk
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

Yeah, this is a lovely image. However it is a pity it is in Cepheus and lies beyond our horizon in little ol' Oz.

This same nebulosity also features in another APOD page;
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap050908.html of 8th September 2005.

Oddly I'm having trouble identifying which trunk is the close up in the larger field image. The object designation for this object is odd. IC 1396 actually refers to more the bright cluster than the nebula itself. Ie. Associated with nebula cluster. IC 1396 is also the Trumpler cluster, Tr 37 and also Cr 439 whose position is roughly centred on 21h 39m +57d 30'.
While I've never seen this nebula visually, I have seen (and with binoculars) the 4th magnitude bright star known as the fabulous vermillion (Herschel's) Garnet Star or mu Cephei (21h 43.5m +58d 47'), which is said to have the diameter as large as Neptune's orbit! (You can read about this star at Jim Kaler's site at;
http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/garnet.html

However, this star isn't likely associated with the nebulosity. Pity.

It is also a darn useless Northern Object !!
(Just swipe the line with the mouse to read it.)
(Properly censored for our sensitive Northern cousins')
Anyway, thanks for pointing this image out.

AJames

[Ric]

Very impressive John, that's for sure.

cheers

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Geez, ya gotta be fast. I just used your link, John, and it's already been changed to the Pelican Nebula!!!

It's the quick and the dead around here.

[vindictive666 (John)]

Originally Posted by ballaratdragons

Geez, ya gotta be fast. I just used your link, John, and it's already been changed to the Pelican Nebula!!!

It's the quick and the dead around here.

sorry ken

ill have to use the other link