IC 1393 – The Elephant’s Trunk Nebula

This image is the result of multiple nights and multiple locations coming together into a single frame. The data was collected from three different spots: Przełęcz nad Łapszanką, Zwardoń, and my regular observing site in Sopotnia Wielka.

In total, I gathered around 10 hours of exposure time — but as often happens in astrophotography, not all of it made the cut. Due to strong light pollution gradients and low contrast in some sessions, only about 6 hours were suitable for final processing. Still, that was enough to reveal the rich hydrogen structures and intricate dark nebulae that define this region.

IC 1393 is a vast emission nebula located in the constellation Cepheus, with the famous Elephant’s Trunk Nebula embedded within it. What fascinates me most about this object is the subtle interplay between glowing gas and dense, obscuring dust — a chaotic but beautiful stellar nursery.

📍 Data acquisition: – Przełęcz nad Łapszanką – Zwardoń – Sopotnia Wielka

⏱ Total integration: – 10h captured / ~6h used

⚙️ Equipment: – Mount: Meade LX85 + ZWO Mini autoguiding – Telescope: WO Zenithstar 66 + Baader MPCC III – Camera: Sony a7RII

📸 Frames: – Lights: 72 × 300s ISO 1600 – Darks: 20 × 300s ISO 1600 – Flats: 20 – Bias: 20

🖥 Processing: – DSS – Photoshop – StarNet

Despite the challenges with conditions, I’m really happy with how this project turned out. It’s a reminder that persistence — and a bit of flexibility with locations — often makes all the difference in astrophotography.

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