The Elephant's Trunk Nebula, IC1396AI've spent more hours than I care to admit imaging this target. IC 1396A sits in Cepheus, about 2,400 light years from Earth, and it demands patience. Clear skies, good seeing, long exposures stacked over multiple nights. But when the data finally comes together, it's worth every cold, tedious minute of it. The dark structures here are molecular clouds, dense columns of gas and dust being sculpted by radiation from nearby young stars. This is where