M13 is certainly the most famous globular cluster in the sky of the Northern Hemisphere. The visual appeal of a cluster like this is unmatched for most deep sky objects. The stars in a cluster like this orbit one another wildly as they are crammed into a ball 100 light years across. M13 is easily found in the constellation of Hercules and can even be glimpsed with an unaided eye under dark skies. Also check out the background galaxy NGC 6207 in the same direction as M13.
Globular clusters orbit the center of the galaxy.
M13 is currently about 22,000 light years away from us. This image was published in the June 2001 issue of Sky and Telescope magazine. BACK to main Best of AOP page. Click here .