M13 The Hercules Cluster

Messier 13 (M13), also designated NGC 6205 and sometimes called the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules or the Hercules Globular Cluster, is a globular cluster of about 300,000 stars in the constellation of Hercules

 

M13 was discovered by Edmond Halley in 1714, and catalogued by Charles Messier on June 1, 1764.

It is located at right ascension 16^h 41.7^m and declination +36° 28'. With an apparent magnitude of 5.8, it is barely visible with the naked eye on a very clear night. Its diameter is about 23 arc minutes and it is readily viewable in small telescopes. Nearby is NGC 6207, a 12th magnitude edge-on galaxy that lies 28 arc minutes directly north east. A small galaxy, IC 4617, lies halfway between NGC 6207 and M13, north-northeast of the large globular cluster's center.

M13 is about 145 light-years in diameter, and it is composed of several hundred thousand stars, the brightest of which is the variable star V11 with an apparent magnitude of 11.95. M13 is 25,100 light-years away from Earth.

 

The Arecibo message of 1974, containing encoded information about the human race, DNA, atomic numbers, Earth's position, and other information, was beamed towards M13 to allow it to be picked up by potential extraterrestrial civilizations in the cluster. The message will reach the cluster in 25,000 years.

 

Also in the Field are two bright Galaxies. NGC6207 Lower Left of M13 &  IC4617 and If you click this link you will get a large Image that will Show Dozens of Galaxies in the Field