M13 was discovered by Edmond Halley in 1714, and cataloged by Charles Messier on June 1, 1764 into his list of objects not to mistake for comets; Messier’s list, including Messier 13, eventually became known as the Messier Catalog.
About one third of the way from Vega to Arcturus, four bright stars in Herculēs form the Keystone asterism, the broad torso of the hero. In this M13 can be seen 2⁄3 of the way, north (by west) from Zeta to Eta Herculis. Although only telescopes with great light-gathering capability fully resolve the stars of the cluster, M13 can be visible to the naked eye depending on circumstances. With a low-power telescope, Messier 13 looks like a comet or fuzzy patch. The cluster is visible throughout the year from latitudes greater than 36 degrees north, with the longest visibility during Northern Hemisphere spring and summer.
Equipment
- Sony Rx10iv
- Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer 2i
- Star Adventurer Tripod
- Intervalometer
- Bahintov Mask
Acquisition
- 59×2″ exposures – just under 2 hours
- Iso800, f/4.0, 350mm
- 30 darks, 100 bias, 100 flats
- Taken under the full moon
Processing
- Background Extraction
- Sharpening
- Color processing
Annotate image
