photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Marcus Davies (marc4darkskies) | all galleries >> bellsobservatory >> photography >> Awards and Publications > NGC 6188
previous | next
29-May-2010 Marcus Davies

NGC 6188

"Crimson Flares"
Winner - Amateur Deep Sky category, 2009 CWAS David Malin Awards



NGC 6188 is an emission nebula (excited hydrogen gas that glows red) approximately 4,000 light years away in the constellation of Ara.
Within NGC 6188 is an open cluster of bright young blue stars (the Ara OB1 association) known as NGC 6193.
The light from these bright stars lights up the surrounding dust creating the diffuse blue glow you see around some of the stars (reflection nebulae).

In the bottom left hand corner is a small emission nebula NGC 6164-5. It's believed that the star in the middle of the nebula created the gas cloud and causes it to glow by virtue of the ultraviolet light it emits.
That gas was likely thrown off from the star, possibly by its fast rotation.

The image has been cropped slightly for composition purposes.

LHaRGB (60,120,60,60,60 mins) with 10 & 20 min subs (blended as (L+Ha), (R+Ha), G, B). Total exposure time was 6 hours.
TOA-150 @ F5.6 (FL 840mm with 645 Super Reducer) on a Takahashi EM-400 with SBIG STL 11000M camera. FOV 2.30 x 1.55 degrees @ 2.25 arcsec/pixel.

Imaging setup: http://www.pbase.com/gailmarc/image/92408151

full exif


other sizes: small medium large original auto
share