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Credit & Copyright: Shaun Robertson
Explanation:
Do dragons fight on the altar of the sky?
Although it might appear that way, these dragons are
illusions
made of thin gas and dust.
The emission nebula
NGC 6188, home to the glowing clouds, is found about 4,000
light years away near the edge of a
large molecular cloud unseen at visible wavelengths, in the southern
constellation
Ara (the Altar).
Massive, young
stars of the embedded Ara
OB1
association
were formed in that region only a few million years ago,
sculpting the dark shapes and
powering the nebular glow with stellar winds and intense
ultraviolet radiation.
The recent
star formation itself was likely triggered by
winds and supernova explosions, from previous generations of massive
stars,
that swept up and compressed the molecular gas.
Joining NGC 6188 on
this cosmic canvas, visible toward the lower right,
is rare emission nebula NGC 6164,
also created by one of the region's massive
O-type stars.
Similar in appearance to many
planetary nebulae, NGC 6164's striking,
symmetric gaseous shroud and faint halo surround
its bright central star near the bottom edge.
This impressively wide
field of view
spans over 2 degrees (four full Moons), corresponding to
over 150 light years at the estimated distance
of NGC 6188.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: emission nebula - molecular cloud - OB association
Publications with words: emission nebula - molecular cloud - OB association
See also:
- APOD: 2024 April 24 Á Dragons Egg Bipolar Emission Nebula
- APOD: 2024 March 13 Á The Seagull Nebula
- APOD: 2024 March 5 Á NGC 2170: Angel Nebula Abstract Art
- APOD: 2024 February 21 Á Seagull Nebula over Pinnacles Peak
- NGC 1893 and the Tadpoles of IC 410
- The Light, the Dark, and the Dusty
- APOD: 2023 December 13 Á Deep Field: The Heart Nebula