M13 The Hercules Cluster

The Hercules Cluster (M13) is a dense globular cluster located in the constellation Hercules, approximately 22,200 light-years from Earth. Containing several hundred thousand stars, it appears as a sparkling ball of light through a telescope. M13 is one of the best-known and most easily observed globular clusters in the northern sky, with a tightly packed core and stars that span a wide range of brightness.

My story: It took me a while to discover the beauty of star clusters. The Hercules Cluster (M13), presented here, is an amazing object both for photography and visual observation. It can be relatively easily located and observed even with a simple pair of binoculars. It is estimated that the cluster contains around 300,000 to half a million stars. An interesting fact is the so-called Arecibo Message – a radio signal containing information about the human race, DNA, the position of Earth, and more, which was sent in 1974 from the Arecibo radio telescope toward M13 as an attempt to contact extraterrestrial civilizations. So far, it seems, without any response.