Object

M13 - The Great Hercules Globular Cluster (NGC6205)

Object Information

Image information

Object Type

Globular Cluster

Instrument

LX200GPS 14” with 0.5x Focal Reducer giving FL≈1778mm f/5

Constellation

Hercules

Guiding

SXV-AO Adaptive Optics

Magnitude

5.78

Focal Reducer

Optec Nextgen

Coordinates

RA 16:41.4 Dec +36:28

Mount

LX200GPS fork mount

Size

20 arc min

Location

Stoney Hills, S.E England

Distance

25,000 Light Years

Acquisition Date

17th June 2006

Capture Device

Starlight-Xpress SXV-H9 Sony ICX285AL Exview HAD Cooled CCD Array 1392 x 1040 @ 6.45uM / Pixel 

Notes

M13 is the largest and best known Globular Cluster visible from the northern hemisphere. M13 certainly contains several hundred thousand stars and some sources cite more than a million.

Spanning around 160 light years M13, like all Globular Clusters, is composed of ancient population II stars and is at least 12 billion years old.

First discovered by Edmond Halley in 1714 and catalogued by Charles Messier in 1764.

Filter Type

Astronomik Type IIc

Colour Technique

LRGB

FOV

≈17 x 13 arc mins (0.72 arcsec/pixel)

Exposure

59 m Total

L (7 x 300 sec bin 1x1)

R (4x120 sec bin 2x2)

G (4x120 sec bin 2x2)

B (4x120 sec bin 2x2)

Notes

Image published in Astronomy Now, September 2006

Processing in Maxim - Darks, Bias, Flat Calibration applied
Colour Combined
DDP Filter