2.4 APOD

This is a shot of the M13 globular cluster in the constellation Hercules. This cluster is home to hundreds of thousands of stars, making it one of the brightest clusters in the northern sky. The cluster, which is over 25,000 lightyears away, is about 145 lightyears wide. It is widely excpeted that M13 is between 14 and 24 billion years old. Also in the top left of the photo is a galaxy called NGC 6207. M13 was discovered by Sir Edmond Halley in 1714, and is a favorite of amateur astronomers because it so much brighter than most globular clusters.