About image

IC 1396 is a very scattered open cluster associated with a large diffuse nebula, visible in the boreal constellation of Cepheus; it is located in a stretch of the Milky Way partially obscured by dense banks of dark nebulae, in a galactic region rich in dust and gas with associated young and hot stars.
The nebula has a roughly circular appearance: the combination of telescope and sensor used to take this image did not allow it to be taken in full, but in the image you can guess its circular shape.
The whole nebula is crossed by numerous dark spots, which on closer analysis turn out to be Bok globules, that is particularly concentrated regions of the nebula where the formation of new stars takes place. 

It is therefore an H II region, and is part of a vast system of molecular clouds and OB associations called the Cepheus Cloud Complex.
A particular dark nebula that overlaps the object is also called Elephant's Trunk and is identified with the initials vdb 142. 

The whole nebula complex is about 3000 light-years from the Sun.

Technical data
Optic         Tecnosky Apo refractor LT 130-910 with Riccardi reducer 0.75x (focal lenght 692mm, f/5.3)
Mount       Skywatcher EQ8
Camera                      Moravian G3-16200 CCD with external filter wheel 7 positions
Filters                         Baader 50mm unmounted RGB and Ha 7nm
Guiding system         Artesky Ultraguide 70mm 
Exposure details    R 30x300" bin1 -15C

         G 28x300" bin1 -15C
            B 25x300" bin1 -15C

         Ha 40x600" bin1 -15C                       

Total integration       13h35'
Acquisition                Voyager, PHD2
Processing                Pixinsight 1.8, Photoshop CS5, StarXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator
SQM-L                       18.5    
Location                    Rescaldina (Italy), home terrace
Date                          18/19/20 September 2022