GALLERY p p SPRING SPIR AL Christopher Gomez Among the many interesting galaxies in the nearby Virgo Cluster is the starburst galaxy Messier 61, which displays loose spiral arms speckled with many pinkish ionized hydrogen (H II) regions. DETAILS: TPO 8-inch f/8 Ritchey-Chrétien telescope with QSI 690wsg-8 CCD camera. Total exposure: 13 hours through Astrodon Gen II color filters. p FIGHTING DR AGONS Patrick Winkler A dark column of gas and dust bisects the large emission nebula NGC 6188 in Ara. At upper right is NGC 6164, a bipolar emission nebula formed by the hot O-type star HD 148937 at its center. DETAILS: Astro Systeme Austria ASA N300 Astrograph with FLI MicroLine ML16200 CCD camera. Total exposure: 12 hours through a Hα filter. 74 AUGUST 2 018 * SK Y & TELESCOPE