Back to photostream

2022 August 6 ~ M13, globular star cluster & galaxy NGC 6207 in Hercules

***************************************************************************

Photographed at Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, between 00.13 and 00.35 EDT

(285 km by road north of Toronto)

* Temperature 18° C.

 

* Total exposure time: 10 minutes

* 660 mm focal length telescope

___________________________________________

 

Description:

 

M13 globular star cluster: One of the showpieces of the northern hemisphere spring sky is this bright globular star cluster, the sixth brightest in the sky, which is faintly visible to the unaided eye in a dark sky.

 

M13, which contains about 300,000 stars, was discovered by Edmond Halley in 1714, and catalogued by Charles Messier in June 1764. It is about 145 light years across and lies 25,000 light years from our solar system.

 

Globular star clusters are ancient objects, originating very early in the history of the universe. M13 is estimated to be 11.7 billion years old.

 

NGC 6207 galaxy: This spiral galaxy is near the top edge of the frame, a little left of centre. It is located about 30 million light years from our own Milky Way galaxy, and was discovered by William Herschel in May 1787. It shines with an apparent magnitude of 11.7 - 12.2 and is ~34,000 light years in diameter (compared with the Milky Way's diameter of ~100,000 light years).

 

Compare this image with a photo made with a much longer (1253 mm) focal length telescope in October 2017:

www.flickr.com/photos/97587627@N06/37611993040

___________________________________________

 

Technical information:

 

Nikon D810a camera body on on Tele Vue 127is (127 mm - 5" - diameter) apochromatic refracting telescope, mounted on Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro mount

 

Ten stacked frames; each frame:

660 mm focal length

ISO 1600; 1 minute exposure at f/5.2; unguided

 

(with LENR - long exposure noise reduction)

 

Subframes registered in RegiStar;

Stacked and processed in Photoshop CS6 (shadows / highlights, levels, brightness, contrast, colour balance)

***************************************************************************

2,104 views
20 faves
2 comments
Uploaded on August 7, 2022