Caldwell 82 (also known as
NGC 6193) is an
open cluster containing 30 stars in the constellation Ara, located roughly 3,700 light-years from Earth. Under dark skies it is just visible to the unaided eye. Caldwell 82 lies at the centre of the Ara OB1 association, which extends over a square degree. It is associated with (and provides the energizing radiation for) neighbouring regions of the emission nebula
NGC 6188 (commonly referred to as the Fighting Dragons of Ara), a portion of which is visible within the bottom third of the image.
The cluster is dominated by two O-type multiple star systems (located within 10" of each other at the centre of the cluster) and a probable binary B0 giant. There are at least 20 other early B stars in the cluster, of 9th and 10th magnitude. O-type stars are the most massive and luminous stars known. They are very hot, exceeding 30,000 Kelvin, and rare, with only about 1 in every 3 million stars in our stellar neighbourhood an O-type.
Source: Wikipedia & NASA
Data acquired using iTelescope's T73 system, located at Deep Sky Chile, Rio Hurtado Valley, Chile.
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