The Elephant's Trunk Nebula is part of IC 1396 in Cepheus, about 2400 light years away. Here we're seeing emission from starlight-excited hydrogen (and of course some stars). According to Wikipedia, most of the ionization and much of the stellar-wind pressure is coming from HD 206267, the bright star just to the left of center in this frame. Compressed by wind from that star and other, younger ones, gas and dust are dense enough that young stars and ones just forming are common throughout the region.

32 60-second exposures through a 7-nm hydrogen-alpha filter, SV70t-IS scope with reducer, CEM-25P mount (unguided), ASI 183MM Pro camera at gain 110. Shot from Kelliher Field on the East Side of Madison.