The Fighting Dragons of Ara, also known as NGC 6188, is a striking emission nebula located in the constellation Ara, approximately 4,000 light-years away from Earth. This nebula gets its dramatic name from the visually striking shapes formed by its dark dust lanes and glowing gas, resembling two dragons engaged in combat. The region is rich in hydrogen gas, which is ionized by the intense ultraviolet radiation from nearby young, massive stars, causing it to glow brightly in red and pink hues.

NGC 6188 is situated near the open star cluster NGC 6193, whose hot, young stars are responsible for illuminating the nebula. This star-forming region is part of the larger Ara OB1 association, a group of young, massive stars that have recently formed from the same molecular cloud. The interplay between the intense radiation from these stars and the surrounding gas and dust creates a dynamic and evolving landscape, offering astronomers a spectacular view of stellar birth and the complex interactions within nebulae. The intricate structures and vibrant colors of the Fighting Dragons of Ara make it a favorite target for astrophotographers and a valuable object of study for understanding star formation processes.

Image Description and Details :

SHO-image of NGC 6188 - the Fighting Dragons of Ara - an emission nebula located about 4,000 light years away in the constellation Ara. The bright open cluster NGC 6193, visible to the naked eye, is responsible for a region of reflection nebulosity within NGC 6188. At the bottom you can recognize "the egg", a planetary nebula.

Image acquired with the Officina Stellare RH200 telescope and FLI ML16200 camera from Telescope Live in El Sauce Observatory, Chile.
Total exposure time 150 minutes; 5 subs of 600s with each filter. Dataset N. Szymanek.

Processing with AstroPixel Processor, Photoshop CC with AstroPanel V4.2, Astronomy Tools, Topaz Sharpen AI and Denoise Projects 3 plug-ins.


Copyright: [Jan Scheers ][1]

[1]: http://www.nachthemel.be/NGC6188.html

NGC 6188 is an emission nebula located about 4,000 light years away in the constellation Ara. The bright open cluster NGC 6193, visible to the naked eye, is responsible for a region of reflection nebulosity within NGC 6188. NGC 6188 is a star forming nebula, and is sculpted by the massive, young stars that have recently formed there – some are only a few million years old. This spark of formation was probably caused when the last batch of stars went supernova.