Sky News - CA (2020-03 & 2020-04)

I received my first telescope as a gift when
I was 30 years old — a Meade Polaris 70mm (2.7-inch)
refractor. Having only used binoculars before, I was
excited to scan the skies for deep-sky objects.

Using the handheld controller, I punched in various
Messier objects, jumping from one astronomical wonder
to another. One of the objects I slewed to was Messier 13
(M13), a globular cluster.

Globular clusters are collections of anywhere from
hundreds to millions of old stars, all held together by
gravity. I had long read about them in books, and they
were of mild interest to me.

When I inally saw M13 through my modest telescope, I was
interested, but didn’t quite get what the fuss was all about. I
had long read about globular clusters — or globs, as they are
often referred to — in books, and they were of mild interest
to me. But now they are one of my favourite things in the Uni-
verse. hat’s because of what makes globular clusters special

— and what is behind their name. hese star collections,

despite their large numbers, are contained in a near spherical

shape, and are some of the oldest stars in the Universe.

If you have a pair of binoculars or a small telescope,

you can see these marvellous objects for yourself.

here are about 150 known globular clusters in the Milky

Way, though there may be more, as dust and gas prevent

us from seeing everything in our galaxy. What’s more,

globs aren’t the only kind of star cluster out there.

M13 is found in the constellation Hercules. he cluster

contains about 100,000 stars, according to NASA, all in a

group more than 20,000 light years from Earth. It is a glorious

globular cluster; photographs reveal just how diferent the

stars are, with red, blue and white stars all huddled together.

In a dark-sky location, you can see M13 through binoculars

as a fuzzy object. In even a modest telescope, you can see

the separation of various stars. →

THE JOY OF

By Nicole Mortillaro

Messier 13 is one of the best globular clusters visible in the Northern Hemisphere. (ESA/Hubble and NASA)

CLUSTERS

SKYNEWS • MAR/APR 2020