M13 – Hercules Globular Cluster

M92

Globular clusters are one of the most exciting things to look at. My first look at one through my telescope inspired a bit of involuntary drool.

Unlike open star clusters, globular clusters are densely packed regions of space with thousands of stars in a more or less spherical formation.

It is generally accepted that the majority of stars within these clusters will be roughly the same age, born at the same time, and with the same materials. The exact reason for their tight grouping is not fully

understood.

Imaging a globular cluster through your telescope is fairly easy since many of them are visible without long exposure. Taking a long exposure image will however, reveal more stars which may have otherwise

gone unseen.

The above image was taken from my driveway only a few meters from a bight street lamp on a moonlit night with a partly cloudy sky. Despite the less than optimal conditions, I still came away with a pretty nice

photograph.