About this Object: Messier 13 or M13 (also designated NGC 6205 and sometimes called the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules or the Hercules Globular Cluster) is a globular cluster in the constellation of Hercules. M13 is about 145 light-years in diameter, and it is composed of several hundred thousand stars, M13 is 25,100 light-years away from Earth.
About this Photo:This picture was taken on a very hot night in Central Texas. The star spikes are not natural through this type of telescope, but I have added them for effect.
Location: From my driveway in Georgetown, Texas
Telescope: Celestron C9.25 @ F10
Mount: HEQ-5
Guiding: Orion StarShoot AutoGuider / Tauruss Tracker III
Camera: Canon 40D Modified
Exposure: 12 x 180 sec @ ISO 1600 (36 min.)
Acquisition: ImagesPlus 3.75 Camera Control
Processing: ImagesPlus 3.75 – Darks,Flats,Bias
Post-processing: Adobe Photoshop CS3; Gradient Exterminator; Noise Ninja; Noel Carboni's Tools; Star Spikes Pro
Date(s): August 6, 2010
Temperature(s): 90-87º F