Name: Michael Sidonio: Fighting Dragons of Ara Poster
Brand: Michael Sidonio
Price: 59.0 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.9 (52 reviews)

Fighting Dragons of Ara ( NGC 6188 & NGC 6164) by Michael Sidonio

Awarded a Highly Commended (top 5) in the 2011 Royal Observatory Greenwich Astronomy Photographer of the Year

This vibrant image captures clouds of swirling purple, green, and orange gas and dust, artistically resembling 'fighting dragons.' These dynamic formations are shaped by the recent births of massive stars, far larger and brighter than our Sun.

Prominently in the lower left of the image, one such star is encased within two glowing shells of gas. Offering a glimpse into the chaotic environments of stellar nurseries where stars are born, this scene mirrors the likely birthplace of our Sun some 4.5 billion years ago.

What National Geographic say about this image?

Known as the fighting dragons of Ara, two colorful gas clouds appear to be posing in attack position in a picture that received honorable mention in the "Deep Sky" category. Australian astroimager Michael Sidonio captured subtle hues of purple, orange, and green from the giant cloud of gas and dust, which sits 4,000 light-years from Earth in the southern constellation of Ara. The 300-light-year-wide molecular cloud is being shaped by radiation from massive young stars formed inside during the past few million years.

Photo details & setup

Orion Optics AG12 12" F3.8 Astrograph
FLI ProLine 16803 CCD & CFW-5-7 + Atlas Focuser
SII Ha OIII (RGB) = 95 120 120min (10 10 10min) bin 1X1 Astronomik filters
-30C chip temp, darks and flats (Astronomik Aurora Light Panel used for flats)
Focal length 1180mm
FOV = 1.8deg X 1.8deg (2.6deg diagonal)
Image scale 1.57"/pix
Guide Camera: The venerable Starlightxpress SXVH9

Michael Sidonio, also known as "Strongmanmike," is a well-known Australian amateur astronomer and astrophotographer with a background in strength athletics. He studied astronomy at Dickson College and worked at the Canberra Observatory for over a decade. After retiring from strongman competitions in 2005, Michael focused on astronomy and astrophotography. His work has been featured in various exhibitions worldwide and has won numerous awards.

Michael has made significant contributions to astronomy research, including discovering a galaxy 11 million light-years away. His astrophotography is displayed at Australia's National Science and Technology Centre in Canberra. Michael recently completed the construction of the highest astronomical observatory in Australia, located in the Tinderry Mountains.

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