Photograph
The Elephant's Trunk Nebula (IC 1396A)
A dense and twisted column of dust located about 2,400 light-years away in the constellation Cepheus. This striking structure, resembling an elephant's trunk, is nestled within the periphery of the massive ionized gas cloud IC 1396. Powerful radiation from a nearby supergiant star sculpts and compresses the edges of the column, triggering the birth of new protostars inside its darkness.
Beyond the frame
The tip of the “trunk” points toward the stars whose radiation is shaping it. Gas evaporates along the illuminated rim, while denser material behind it remains shielded and forms the long dark column. Pressure at this front can compress hidden cores within, so the same force eroding the cloud from outside may also help stars form inside it.