M13 Hercules Cluster
  • djbozzdjbozz
    I thought I'd take advantage of a clear night & try to get a photo of this, here it is
    http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm101/djbozz1/Astronomy/Hercules01.jpg
    slightly blury what do you think?
  • StephenStephen
    very very nice djbozz! congrats! what equipment did you use?
  • djbozzdjbozz
    Thanks Stephen I use a Skywatcher 150P on a EQ3 motor mount with Polar scope, a 2x Barlow & a Sony DSLR at prime focus. :)
  • karlkarl
    Very nice photo djbozz i saw the m13 last night for the 1st time so im very happy.
    i used 20x80 binoculars and got a good view.
    last thing what camera do you use
    atb karl
  • djbozzdjbozz
    Sony A200 DSLR quite old now & heavy but it works, it took 10 x 30s exposures. hope well have another clear one tonight, might go for another Messier object, but which one?
  • StephenStephen
    m31! i know its cliche but its a beauty. maybe not in a good position at the moment either?
  • djbozzdjbozz
    I cant see it with the light pollution in my area.
  • Champagnerocker
    I can just about see M13 from my back garden in London. I was able to make some observations last night; it was certainly a challenge to find and it was a rather disappointing grey smudge in my eyepiece. With averted vision i was able to resolve individual stars and have a view that began to resemble djbozz's picture upthread.
  • grahamxxgrahamxx
    I think I may have a go at photographing M13. Nice picture djbozz. I was wondering what exposures to use but I will try as you have done. Just the focus to worry about then!

  • djbozzdjbozz
    To help with focus get a Bahtinov mask for your scope its a great help, I use Deep Sky Stacker software for the pics, its free & very good.
  • John_BradyJohn_Brady
    Champagnerocker, with light pollution from the city M13 is not going to be at its very best.

    I remember seeing it from the edge of the Yorkshire Dales with 8x40 and 20x80 binoculars, it was a bright and crisp ball of stars.

    Quite impressive
  • John_BradyJohn_Brady
    In 1977 a radio transmission was sent to M13 in the hope of any intelligent life being there, hearing us, and returning the favour. Since that time though it's been discovered that globular clusters are not great places for the possibility of planets, as globulars are metal poor.

    http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/astro/deadzone.html

    M13 is about 25,000 light years away, so if any intelligent aliens do actually pick up the signal and then send one back right away without hanging around, then that would make a round trip of 50,000 years from 1977.

    ...the year 51,977
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