Gear:

Telescope: Sky-Watcher Equinox 120ED
Mount: Software Bisque Paramount MX
Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC-Pro
Filter: IDAS LPS-D3 2" • Optolong L-eXtreme 2"
Accessories: ESATTO 2" Focuser • Sky-Watcher 0.85 Reducer
Guiding: SBIG ST-I Guide Kit
Software: Photoshop • PixInsight • TheSkyX • Starkeeper Voyager

Description:

The Elephant Trunk Nebula is located approximately 2,400 light years away from Earth, making it relatively close in cosmic terms. It spans a distance of about 20 light years in size, making it a relatively small nebula compared to others in the universe. Despite its small size, the Elephant Trunk Nebula is a visually striking object due to its distinctive shape and the presence of young, hot stars within its clouds of gas and dust.

HD 206267 is a star located within the Elephant Trunk Nebula. It is a young, hot star that is still in the process of forming from the clouds of gas and dust within the nebula. HD 206267 is classified as a Herbig Ae/Be star, which are intermediate-mass stars that are more massive than the Sun and are still in the process of contracting and heating up. These types of stars are thought to be in the process of transitioning from the protostar stage to the main sequence stage, where they will eventually become stable, hydrogen-burning stars like the Sun. HD 206267 is an important object of study for astronomers because it provides insights into the early stages of star formation and the birth of new celestial bodies.

Distance: 2,400 light-years
Size: 20 light-years

Location in the Night Sky

(Star Chart created using Stellarium)

All Images    Craig Sherris