M13 - Great Globular Cluster in Hercules
M13 is a globular cluster - a dense, gravitationally-bound collection of stars. M13 contains several hundred thousand stars in an area about 145 light years across, 22,000 light years from Earth. It is magnitude 5.8, just barely visible to the naked eye on clear, dark nights. It is easily seen in binoculars and small telescopes as a fuzzy patch nearly the size of the full Moon. Progressively larger telescopes resolve more and more of the stars.
1 minute exposures: 8 R, 7 G, 10 B, and 8 luminosity
SBIG ST-8300M cooled CCD camera
Orion 8" F/3.9 Newtonian with Baader coma corrector
Shot and processed with Nebulosity
Taken June 28, 2017, Santa Cruz Mountains, California
