Log Astronomy: July is the perfect time to star hop through Hercules!

Discover striking stars & deep sky beauties in the Hercules constellation!

The Hercules constellation's famed globular cluster Messier 13 as imaged by astrophotographer David Ng with the aid of an Explore Scientific ED102 Triplet Refractor.

There's so much to see in Hercules!

Named for one of the greatest mythological heroes, the Hercules Constellation currently stands strong in the Northern Hemisphere's night sky proudly displaying his celestial strengths. Visible from 90° north to 50° south, Hercules is the fifth largest constellation and covers a 1,225 square degree area.

One of Hercules' most stunning treats is the aptly named Great Globular Cluster (Messier 13). Home to hundreds of thousands of stars, this brilliant cluster covers a 145 light year span and is widely regarded as the best of its kind in the northern sky. Although it is spectacular, M13 is not the only deep sky beauty in Hercules. Other options include Messier 92, a bright globular cluster that breaks character by including an eclipsing binary in its mass of stars; Abell 39, a planetary nebula that appears as a large, near-perfect sphere; and the Hercules Cluster, a grouping of about 200 galaxies that is heavy on spirals.

When it comes to actual stargazing, one of the first subjects of note is Alpha Herculis, which is a multi-star system comprised of a variable red giant and a binary companion made up of a yellow giant and a yellow-white dwarf. Hercules also has a quartet of stars that define its identifying Keystone asterism. These are Zeta Herculis, the asterism's brightest member; Epsilon Herculis, a spectroscopic binary; Eta Herculis, a G-class giant; and Pi Herculis, an orange giant with a nice reddish hue. Other stellar targets include Beta Herculis, a binary system that is the constellation's brightest star; Tau Herculis, a blue subgiant; and 89 Herculis, a rare yellow supergiant with an apparent magnitude of 5.555.

Star hop with ease using the

double-sided Tirion Planisphere

With a universe of options to explore, it can be difficult to track what awe-inspiring treasures are currently visible in your sky. The Tirion double-sided planisphere can help guide your explorations throughout the year. Created by noted celestial cartographer Wil Tirion, this planisphere works over a vast range of northern hemisphere latitudes and uses a double-sided design to minimize distortion. It is made of durable plastic and the celestial dials are secured with no-corrosion brass rivets.

$19.99

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Star hop with ease using the

double-sided Tirion Planisphere

$19.99

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Astro R-Lite red beam flashlight is the perfect tool for reading star charts

The Astro R-Lite is a rugged red beam flashlight designed to specifically meet the needs of amateur astronomers by allowing users to read star charts or make equipment changes without disturbing the crucial adjustments their eyes have made to dark conditions. It offers several lighting modes for versatile performance and a a sliding control that quickly changes the beam intensity. It has a built-in belt/pocket clip and comes with a neck strap.

$22.99

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Astro R-Lite red beam flashlight is the perfect tool for reading star charts

$22.99

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Explore Scientific's Certified Pre-Owned program is a great way to get excellent gear for amazing prices. Each product in our CPO program — which includes a rotating selection of telescopes, astronomy accessories, binoculars, STEM gear & more — have been thoroughly inspected by the Explore Scientific Quality Control team to ensure the item meets our high standards of performance. The item is then repacked, often in a new box, and prepared for shipment. CPO stock is frequently updated and tends to move fast, so be sure to revisit our offerings often!

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