License: CC0
Original Size: 2500 × 1667 pixels
Description: LATEST VERSION: flic.kr/p/2seQNxW
Messier 13 / M13 / NGC 6205 / The Great Hercules Cluster NGC 6207 IC 4617
The Great Hercules Cluster is the brightest globular cluster in the northern sky, composed of at least 300,000 stars. It is about 22,000 light-years away, orbiting the Milky Way, and is estimated to be 11.65 billion years old. M13 is comparable to M3, another bright northern cluster: flic.kr/p/2rxcArQ
NGC 6207 is an edge-on spiral galaxy about 40 million light-years away. It is visible towards the lower left of M13 (left of the bright red star). Halfway between NGC 6207 and M13 is another spiral galaxy, IC 4617, at an incredible distance of over 500 million light-years away. Life forms in that galaxy would see our Milky Way equally small in their sky.
Total integration: 12 hours 46 minutes (766 minutes) 04/02/20: 97 x 120 seconds ISO200 04/03/20: 112 x 120 seconds ISO200 04/22/20: 59 x 120 seconds ISO200 05/02/20: 95 x 120 seconds ISO200 05/04/20: 6 x 120 seconds ISO200 05/12/20: 14 x 120 seconds ISO200
Location: Coral Springs, FL SQM: 18.18 mag/arcsec^2 (Bortle 7) Camera: Canon T3i (stock/unmodified) Average camera temperature: 95 F (35 C) Telescope: Explore Scientific ED80 f/6.0 Apochromatic Refractor (with ES field flattener) Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G Guide scope: Svbony 50mm f/4.0 Guide Scope Guide camera: Orion StarShoot AutoGuider Capture software: N.I.N.A., ASTAP, PHD2
Processing software: PixInsight, GIMP