Elephant’s Trunk Nebula is a cluster with nebula in Cepheus
Elephant’s Trunk Nebula (IC 1396, BD +56 2617, HD 206267) is a cluster with nebula in the constellation Cepheus . Spans 14′ × 4′. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, and it is highest in the evening sky in October.
Nebula: a cloud of gas and dust. Emission nebulae glow on their own, lit by ultraviolet light from hot young stars; reflection nebulae shine by starlight scattered from dust; dark nebulae block the light behind them.
Finding Elephant’s Trunk Nebula from Alderamin
Alderamin
IC 1396
CEPHEUS
Elephant’s Trunk Nebula lies 5.7° southeast of Alderamin , the magnitude 2.5 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
Elephant’s Trunk Nebula is highest in the evening in October
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: 41° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 33° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 28° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 28° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 32° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 41° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 52° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 66° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 82° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 82° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 67° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 54° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 34° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 24° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 18° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 18° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 23° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 33° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 46° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 62° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 78° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 79° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 63° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 48° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 26° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 14° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 9° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 8° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 14° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 25° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 40° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 56° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 70° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 70° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 57° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 41° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 18° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 5° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -1° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -2° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 5° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 17° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 32° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 48° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 60° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 61° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 49° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 33° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 9° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -4° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -11° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -12° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -5° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 8° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 24° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 40° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 51° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 51° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 40° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 25° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 1° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -13° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -21° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -22° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -14° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -0° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 16° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 31° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 41° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 41° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 32° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 17° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -8° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -22° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -31° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -32° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -23° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -9° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 7° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 22° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 31° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 31° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 23° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 8° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -16° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -32° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -41° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -41° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -32° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -17° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -1° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 13° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 21° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 22° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 13° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -0° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -25° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -40° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -50° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -51° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -41° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -25° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -10° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 4° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 11° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 12° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 4° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -9° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -33° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -49° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -60° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -61° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -50° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -34° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -18° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -6° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 2° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 2° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -5° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -17° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -40° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -57° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -69° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -70° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -57° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -41° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -27° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -15° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -8° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -8° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -14° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -25° high at 9 pm
below horizon
low
20-40°
40-60°
overhead-ish
The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole northern hemisphere and south to about 33°S, and never sets north of 33°N.
The distance to Elephant’s Trunk Nebula is not well measured
No reliable distance has been measured for it yet.
Objects within 6° of Elephant’s Trunk Nebula
13 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 7128, open cluster, 3.8° NGC 7234, open cluster, 4.5° NGC 7226, open cluster, 4.8° NGC 7160, open cluster, 5.4° NGC 7261, open cluster, 5.5° NGC 7245, open cluster, 6.0°
Elephant’s Trunk Nebula catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Cepheus Designations IC 1396, BD +56 2617, HD 206267, HIP 106886, LBN 451, LBN 452, MWSC 3539 Type cluster with nebula Right ascension (J2000) 21h 39.0m Declination (J2000) +57° 29′ Apparent size 14′ × 4′ Radial velocity -14 km/s Best with Telescope Best month October Catalog page IC 1001 to 1500
