The central binary and surrounding nebula of the symbiotic star V1016 Cygni

We present HST/WFPC2 images of the symbiotic star V1016 Cyg which, for the first time, directly explore the inner regions of the nebula to AU scales at optical wavelengths. They also suggest that the [OIII] 4959,5007 emission takes place in a bipolar outflow. We use these images to determine the position of the two stars and hence a projected binary separation of 84 AU (assuming a distance of 2 kpc) and a position angle of 143.5 degrees. Furthermore, we combine our images with VLA radio imaging which enables diagnostic tests to be applied and properties of the circumstellar nebula to be determined. Finally we have obtained archive HST/STIS spectra of V1016 Cyg with which we were able to spatially resolve the source at various positions in the nebula. This enabled discovery of the ultraviolet counterpart to the ~25 arcsec extended emission found by Bang et al. (1992).