In today's image, we see the great globular star cluster known as M13 which is visual in the constellation of Hercules. Globular star clusters are among the oldest parts of our galaxy, dating back to the origin of the galaxy itself. The stars near the center are densely packed together so that a hundred stars could fit in a cube about 3 light year on a side. The nearest star to our Sun is a little over 4 light years away.

My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel.

This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.

I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: wagnerastronomy@gmail.com

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.