19
Oct
2017
Messier 13, or the iconic hercules star cluster is one of the most famous globular star clusters. With it’s apparent magnitude (brightness) of mag +5.8 it is one of the brightest in the night sky and can be seen even with binoculars.
Globular clusters still remain a mystery to this day. They seem to contain mainly old stars, which are being pulled to a strong gravitational mass in the center. They are in orbit of the milkyway, making them a satellite of our galaxy.
The cluster is located ~22.2 thousand light years away from earth.