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Globular Cluster Messier 13 Hercules Globular Cluster

Object :	M13 (NGC 6205)
Coordinates/Direction :	RA: 16h41m, DEC: +36o27'
Object size :	20'
Apparent magnitude :	5.8
Distance :	24.1 kly
No solar mass :	6e5
Radius :	84 ly
Discovered by :	Edmond Halley, year 1714
Find in constellation :	Hercules
More to know :	Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Messier 13

M13, 2026-04-12 (click on the image to get a full resolution photo in a new window)

Date :	2026-04-12
Time (UT) :	01:08 to 02:16

Exp. time :	31x60 seconds, 400iso, dithering mode
Image process tool :	Siril, GraXpert, VeraLux, Gimp, IrfanView
Processing :	flat photometric color cal, background, Drizzle, stretch
Weather :	Moon Phase 12%, Temperature +4o C, 60% Humidity

Comment :

First test on the M13 cluster with the Nikon D800 camera. This camera has smaller pixels compare to the Canon 6D camera. Will there be any visiual increase in the resolution?

M13, 2024-02-18 (click on the image to get a full resolution photo in a new window)

Date :	2024-02-18
Time (UT) :	01:08 to 02:16

Exp. time :	28x120 seconds = 54 minutes, ISO1600, dithering mode
Image process tool :	Siril, Gimp, IrfanView
Processing :	bias flat photometric color cal
Weather :	clear sky, Moon, -1o C

Comment :

That was a long time ago I took a photo of the M13 globular cluster with my big refractor. Nice to see it again.

M13, 2021-03-18 (click on the image to get a full resolution photo in a new window)

Date :	2021-03-18
Time (UT) :	21:45 to 23:59

Exp. time :	27x30 seconds, 58x60 seconds, ISO1600, dithering mode
Image process tool :	AstroImageJ, Fitswork, IrfanView
Processing :	demosaic, synthetic flat calibrated, hot pixel removed by dithering, level
Weather :	clear sky

Comment :

Things start to work now with my new used Pentax medium format lens. Motor focus excellent, auto focus some times. Problems left to solved, there is some tilt of the sensor because of the adapter doesn't fit very well, project Pentax 645 300mm. When this problem is solved I have a very high performance lens that have low vignetting even at full frame.

M13, 2020-03-12 (click on the image to get a full resolution photo in a new window)

Date :	2020-03-12
Time (UT) :	22:29 to 00:45

Exp. time :	93x60 seconds, ISO1600, dithering mode
Image process tool :	AstroImageJ, Fitswork, IrfanView
Processing :	demosaic, synthetic flat calibrated, hot pixel removed by dithering, level
Weather :	clear with drifting clouds

Comment :

Now in Mars I have the globular cluster M13 in Eastern direction, we had a clear sky this night and I started up the telescope. I got a total exposure of 93 minutes, the images in the middle are a bit of focus. This time I flat calibrated the image with the new tool Flat field. It make a synthetic flat frame adapted mathematically to the optics vignetting. No problem with old flat frames that are not updated to a cleaned sensor, and no problem with reflections in the telescope that destroy the flat frame. Compare with the photos below. Stains and dust on the sensor is a big problem, you can see here: Cleaning sensor how I fight it (only Swedish).

M13, 2019-03-19

Date :	2019-03-19
Time (UT) :	22:11 to 23:41

Exp. time :	62x60 seconds, ISO1600, dithering mode
Image process tool :	AstroImageJ, Fitswork, IrfanView
Processing :	demosaic, flat calibrated, hot pixel removed by dithering, level
Weather :	clear, Moon

Comment :

Globular cluster are one of the few objects that you can catch even if the light pollution is high. This is the first image of M13 where I have the telescope setup for 910 mm focal length. Compare with the photos below.

M13, 2016-09-03, wide field (click on the image to get a full resolution photo in a new window)

Date :	2016-09-03
Time (UT) :	19:54 to 20:55
Mount :	Star Adventurer
Guide :	-
Lens/telescope :	Sigma APO 150mm f/2.8 (set to f/4.0)
Corrector/Barlow :	-
Field (FOV) :	13.6x9.1 degree, before cropping
Filter :	none
camera :	Canon 6D, controlled by intervallo meter
Film/CCD :	Raw
Exp. time :	29x120 seconds, iso400
Image process tool :	AstroImageJ, Fitswork
Processing :	demosaic, flat, hot pixel removed by dithering, level
Weather :	clear

Comment :

Wide angle version, at this photo M13 looks like a bright star. This photo was taken under the Mariestad Starparty, Under the Stars. We got a very dark night almost free from clouds. It gave me a chance to do more test with different setting. This time I lowered the iso setting to 400 to achieve more dynamic. The image is processed in the AstroImageJ software which I have developed macros to. It need that I have taken the images with dithering, now I didn't had that possibility with this mount, but polar align was not perfect so I got some kind of dithering, enough to get rid of the hot pixels. The Sigma 150mm APO 2.8 give me very sharp stars compare to other lenses I have. And it will be better when I have practice the polar align process better.

M13, 2016-03-01

Date :	2016-03-01
Time (UT) :	00:44 to 02:02

Exp. time :	33x120 seconds, iso800, dithering mode
Image process tool :	Fitswork, Irfanview
Processing :	crop, level, no cal dark&bias, only dithering, crop
Weather :	clear

Comment :

A new shot on M13, no calibration, only dithering to get rid of hotpixels.

M13, 2016-02-24, new camera

Date :	2016-02-24
Time (UT) :	00:12 to 01:34

Exp. time :	60x60 seconds, iso800
Image process tool :	Fitswork, Irfanview
Processing :	resize, level, no cal dark&bias, only dithering
Weather :	clear, full moon

Comment :

First shot with my Canon 6D on M13.

M13, zoom in

Comment :

A zoom in to the core of M13, pixel 1:1 relation. In the future I will use the dithering technique as an alternative to dark&bias calibration. It doesn't work perfect today, but I will test out the settings to get it to work better. The sharpness wasn't perfect this time and the full moon also disturb,

M13, 2015-03-16, new telescope

Date :	2015-03-16
Time (UT) :	00:09 to 01:37

Exp. time :	43x60 seconds, iso800
Image process tool :	Fitswork, Irfanview
Processing :	resize, level, cal dark&bias
Weather :	clear

Comment :

An easy shot even under my light polluted area. Big difference with this APO refractor compare to the old Pentax 500mm lens.

M13, 2013-03-31, new lens, crop (Click on image and a full resolution one in a new window)

Date :	2013-03-31
Time (UT) :	21:41 to 23:20

Exp. time :	66x60 seconds, iso1000
Image process tool :	Siril, GraXpert, SyQon, Gimp, IrfanView
Processing :	synthetic bias, flat calibrated, background subtraction, separate cluster and stars, synthetic stars, stretch
Weather :	Moon Phase 80%, Temperature -2oC, rel Humidity -%

Comment :

This photo is a little bit special for me. It's the first photo that I took of the M13 cluster. The optic was an old Pentax camera lens, 500mm and f/4.5, impressive and I had looked a long time for this lens until I found one. But it's old and the optical standard low with todays demands. Still the image doesn't look to bad, much because I have processed the image with 2026's standard of image processing tool.

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