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Steve, I enjoyed seeing how the nebula gradually fades into the field and merges with a rich star cloud. This is only obvious to the visual observer on absolutely perfect nights.
According to the Sky Catalog 2000.0 volume 2, and some of the other versions of the NGC catalog that I have seen, NGC 6188 is actually only the 15-20 arcmin core of a much larger nebula;
the giant 2-degree-scale HII region that is known as RCW 108.
Amateurs persist in referring to the entire giant HII region called RCW 108 (which reminds the observer of a ghostly version of the Eta Carinae Nebula) as being NGC 6188, but I think they are wrong to call the entire nebula NGC 6188.
I will take up this issue with "NGC/IC Project" people, who are the world authorities on these arcane and difficult matters of correct vs incorrect object identifications.
I shall report back the answer I get from the "NGC/IC boys" such as steve gottlieb and wolfgang steinicke!!
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