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Dragons of Ara (NGC 6188)
emission nebula in Ara
The Dragons of Ara, or Fighting Dragons, is a faint emission nebula in the southern constellation Ara, with long dark pillars and bright rims. It sits close to the open cluster NGC 6193 and is a showpiece in narrowband images. It barely clears the horizon from the southern US.
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// Key facts
- Catalog
- NGC 6188
- Type
- emission nebula
- Constellation
- Ara
- Size
- 20′ across
- Brightness
- Magnitude 9
- Distance
- about 4,000 light-years
- Peak month (any location)
- May
- Typical prime months
- Mar to Aug
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Filter
- Narrowband: Ha / OIII / SII, or a dual-band / UHC filter
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How to image Dragons of Ara
- Use 500 to 1,000 mm; it is about 20 arcminutes across.
- Hydrogen-alpha and OIII show the structure.
- It only reaches about 10 degrees up from southern Texas and stays below the horizon from farther north, so it suits southern sites.
Framing: what focal length?
The focal length at which NGC 6188 spans about 60% of the long side of the sensor, leaving room around it. Treat it as a starting point; the right framing is a matter of taste.
| Sensor | Focal length |
|---|---|
| 1-inch sensor (13.2 mm) | about 1360 mm |
| APS-C (23.5 mm) | about 2420 mm |
| Full frame (36 mm) | about 3710 mm |
How high does it climb from your latitude?
The highest point NGC 6188 reaches in the sky. Above about 60° is excellent, 30° to 60° is workable, and under 30° you are looking through a lot of air.
| Latitude | Highest point | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 55°N (Scotland, Alaska) | below horizon | Never rises |
| 45°N (Minneapolis, Milan) | below horizon | Never rises |
| 35°N (Los Angeles, Tokyo) | 6° | Stays low |
| 25°N (Miami, Cairo) | 16° | Stays low |
| 35°S (Sydney, Santiago) | 76° | High in the sky |
Also worth imaging
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