NGC6188 · Fighting Dragons of Ara
| Chinese name | 天坛座龙之斗星云 |
|---|---|
| Type | Emission nebula |
| Constellation | Ara |
| RA | 16h40m |
| Dec | −49° |
| Apparent magnitude | 5.2ᵐ |
| Hemisphere | Southern |
| Best season | Summer |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Focal length | 中长焦 800–1200mm |
About
NGC 6188 lies about 4,000 light-years away in the southern constellation Ara, an emission nebula sculpted by radiation. Its interlocking dark ridges and bright rims resemble two confronting dragons, earning the name the Fighting Dragons of Ara. The material comes from a giant molecular cloud, blown out and lit by hot massive stars in the nearby young association Ara OB1. Only a few million years old, those stars erode the dust with ultraviolet light and trigger fresh star birth. The undulating dark ridges set against red emission give it strong depth, a favorite southern narrowband structure target.