M13 / The Hercules Cluster was observed on three occasions over a period of 2 months, each with increased magnification and therefore increasing details.

   

             Constellation:  Hercules
             Type: Globular Cluster
             Magnitude: 5.7
             Distance: 25.1 kly
             Size: 16.6'

Observation #1:
Location: Home
Date: 2022-07-30
Time: 11:51 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 52
Instrument: EXOSTAR 80ED
Eyepieces: Antares 25mm Plössl, Antares 15mm Plössl with star diagonal
Temperature: 16° C
SQM: 19.72
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)

Jerry and I were in the backyard playing with this new scope. After alignment and finding other objects, I used the go-to feature to find M13 but of course it was way off! 

Using 2-eye vision through the dual-circle reticule finder scope, I slewed to where I thought M13 was located. Close. It was in the upper right quadrant of the 25mm eyepiece FOV. There was a bright star above it, a semi-circle of stars in the left FOV and a shallow triangle of stars with one star either being a double or just close enough to the cluster that it blurred.

Observation #2:
Location: Home
Date: 2022-07-31
Time: 12:07 AM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 52
Instrument: EXOSTAR 80ED, 9.7mm eyepiece with star diagonal
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)

Quite a different view as short while later and with a different eyepiece!

Interesting to see the crescent of stars adjacent to the DSO that were seen earlier this evening under less magnification. The core could be seen; it was dense and at this magnification its perimeter was less dense.

Observation #3:
Location: Home
Date: 2022-09-03
Time: 10:00 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 52
Instrument: 10" Meade SCT, 25mm Plössl with star diagonal
Temperature: 14° C
SQM: 19.54
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded

Beautiful cluster filling the eyepiece. Too many stars to accurately sketch.

 

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