HI SUPERSTARS, TRACE HERE!
BACK IN APRIL WE# FOUND HERCULES, AND THIS WEEK WE’RE GOING TO USE BINOCULARS OR A TELESCOPE TO SEE SOMETHING INSIDE# HERCULES KEYSTONE - THE GREAT GLOBULAR CLUSTER!
HIT THE DARKNESS FACING WEST AFTER 4AM AND# LOOK STRAIGHT UP.
THE BRIGHTEST STAR YOU SEE IS VEGA.
NEARBY IS THE KEYSTONE OF HERCULES!
AND# RIGHT THERE WE WILL FIND THE HERCULES CLUSTER, A.K.A.
MESSIER 13.
A.K.A.
NGC# 6205 - GOT ALL THAT?
GREAT.
GLOBULAR CLUSTERS ARE A .
GLOB.
OF# OLD STARS, GRAVITATIONALLY BOUND TOGETHER - AND THIS ONE IS THE BEST IN THE# NORTHERN SKY.
M13 IS ABOUT 25 THOUSAND LIGHT YEARS AWAY AND CONTAINS SEVERAL HUNDRED# THOUSAND STARS!
THE STARS AT THE CENTER OF THIS CLUSTER ARE 500 TIMES CLOSER TO EACH# OTHER THAN WE ARE TO OUR NEIGHBORS.
MEANING, THE CLOSE STARS WOULD BE AS BRIGHT# IN THE SKY AS WE SEE PLANETS!
ASTRONOMERS HAVE MARVELED AT M13 FOR CENTURIES# AND NOW YOU JOIN THEM!
KEEP LOOKIN’ UP.