The Fighting Dragons of Ara - NGC 6188

Image Title: The Fighting Dragons of Ara - NGC 6188

Copyright: Erly Alexandrino da Silva Neto

Date image was taken: June 26, 0202

Location: Vitória - ES, Brazil

Data Acquisition Method: Personal Telescope Setup

Description and Details: The Fighting Dragons of Ara

Some deep-sky objects remain on my imaging wish list for years. NGC 6188 was one of them.

At first glance, this immense complex of emission nebulae and dark molecular clouds looks unmistakably like two dragons locked in combat. The resemblance is so striking that I sometimes wonder whether the Universe occasionally chooses forms capable of conveying a glimpse of its own gargantuan nature.

Located in the southern constellation Ara (the Altar), NGC 6188 is shaped by the powerful stellar winds and ultraviolet radiation of young massive stars. Just below the Dragons lies NGC 6164/6165, often nicknamed the Cosmic Egg, a shell of gas expelled by a massive star approaching the end of its life. Together they reveal different chapters of stellar evolution, from active star formation to the recycling of stellar material into space.

This image is a personalized SHO composition created from 42 × 480-second exposures through an Optolong L-Ultimate (Hα + OIII) and 23 × 480-second exposures through an Askar ColourMagic D2 (SII + OIII).

The acquisition itself was as challenging as the processing. Most of the Hα integration was obtained with the target only 30–35° away from a Full Moon, under variable transparency. Careful frame weighting, background modeling and channel combination ultimately allowed the dragons to emerge from one of the brightest skies imaginable.

Equipment
Telescope: Askar FMA135
Mount: Sky-Watcher AZ-GTi
Camera: ToupTek ATR2600C (Sony IMX571), cooled to −10 °C
Filters: Optolong L-Ultimate + Askar ColourMagic D2
Guiding: ToupTek OAG + ASI220MM Mini
Software: N.I.N.A., PHD2, PixInsight and Adobe Lightroom Mobile
Acquisition
Dates: June 23, 28 and 29, 2026
Location: Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
Sky Quality: Bortle 9 skies
Integration: 42 × 480 s (L-Ultimate) + 23 × 480 s (ColourMagic D2)

Name: ERLY ALEXANDRINO DA SILVA NETO

Website or Facebook Profile: http://www.facebook.com/erlyneto/