Ara's Dragons

Posted by Wellerson Lopes
on Monday, September 3, 2018

High resolution: https://www.flickr.com/photos/astrocamera/40620850792/in/photostream/

Name: NGC 6188
Type: Open cluster with nebulosity
Distance: 4,000 light-years
Constellation: Ara [1]

NGC 6188 is an emission nebula located about 4,000 light years away in the constellation Ara (Latin: "The Altar"). It has a radius about 300 light-years. The bright open cluster NGC 6193, at the top of image, visible to the naked eye, is responsible for a region of reflection nebulosity within NGC 6188.[1] The nebula is nominated by many astrophotographers as Ara's Dragons because of the shape of the nebulosity at the center.

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.[1]

NGC 6193 is open cluster containing 27 stars, visible to the unaided eye.[1] NGC 6193 lies at the center of the Ara OB1 association, which extends over a square degree. The cluster is associated with (and provides the energizing radiation for) neighboring regions of the nebulosity NGC 6188.[1]

The brighter star in the image is indeed a multiple star system dominated by two O class system.[1] The star HD 150136 is a triple system[2] while HD 150135 star is a binary system[3]. HD 150136 has an apparent magnitude of 5.54 and HD 150135 has 6.89.[1]

Sources:
[1] Wikipedia
[2] Sana, H.; Le Bouquin, J.-B.; Mahy, L.; Absil, O.; De Becker, M.; Gosset, E. (2013). "Three-dimensional orbits of the triple-O stellar system HD 150136". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 553
[3] Huang, W.; Gies, D. R. (2006). "Stellar Rotation in Young Clusters. I. Evolution of Projected Rotational Velocity Distributions". The Astrophysical Journal. 648

I registered this picture on July, 21th, 22th and 23th 2017 in Padre Bernardo - Goiás - Brazil in 10th Brazilian Meeting of Astrophotography. Bortle Scale: 3

Technical data:
Gain: 0, Offset: 10, camera's temperature: -15°C, 5h05m of exposition, darks, flats and bias applied.
The luminance channel was composed by H-Alpha narrowband. The Red channel was composed by Red and H-Alpha.
Filters
H-Alpha: 39 x 300s / Bin 1x1
R: 16 x 150s / Bin 2x2
G: 14 x 150s / Bin 2x2
B: 14 x 150s / Bin 2x2

Equipments:
- Equatorial Mount Orion Atlas EQ-G
- GSO Ritchey-Chretien Telescope 8" F8
- ZWO ASI1600MM Cooled
- Focal reducer Astro-Physics 67 CCDT
- Guided with ASI120MM ZWO using OAG
- ZWO EFWmini (5 x 1.25")
- Filter Optolong 1.25" H-Alpha 7nm
- Filter Optolong 1.25" R
- Filter Optolong 1.25" G
- Filter Optolong 1.25" B

Softwares
- Capture: APT - Astro Photography Tool 3.50
- Processing: PixInsight 1.8 and Adobe Photoshop CS5
- Guiding: PHD2
- Control: EQMOD and SkyTechX

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