M13 Hercules Cluster

[Lurcher]

I kept looking at the clear sky and seeing that the forecast was for rain and cloud for the next few days I decided to head out to make the most of it being a clear night despite it being a Monday and worrying I might pay for it the next day!

Unfortunately the skies were of course very bright as we're now into June, and the clouds were now starting to appear despite the forecast saying it would be clear until the early morning.

I soon realized I was struggling to see anything really. Jupiter was up but not clear due to the seeing conditions and so I was about to pack up and head home again when I noticed Hercules was clear. I had been admiring JackCooke's sketch of M92 and said I hadn't ever tried sketching any globular clusters so thought I'd take that opportunity to have my first try.

Please bear with me everyone as the seeing wasn't good with bright skies, clouds rolling across, and the batteries were dead in my favourite red light so I had to make do with another torch that was far too bright really. (I'm getting all my excuses in for a bad sketch early!).

Anyway, here's my first attempt, hopefully next time things will be a little more in my favour and I can improve. (I was going to go on to do a wider field version but the clouds prevented that so that will be for next time, along with M92 hopefully).

What I did find difficult actually, was that stars would appear in the view, but then as soon as I moved my view across the cluster, due to averted vision I suppose, the stars I had been seeing disappeared and new ones suddenly jumped up in new places altogether!

Anyway, here it is. Thanks all.

[acr_astro]

Hi,

a great sketch of M13 and a good document about catching an oppertunity even though conditions weren't brilliant. Thanks for sharing with us here!

Clear skies

Achim

[JackCooke]

I love it! 

Did you use graphite and invert the image or a positive sketch with chalk etc on black paper? It's got great intensity in the centre - really captures the view I've seen looking at M13. I like the haze of unresolved light to the south too. 

I want to try some positive sketches - the originals are more fun to keep in a logbook 🤓

[Lurcher]

28 minutes ago, JackCooke said:

Did you use graphite and invert the image or a positive sketch with chalk etc on black paper?

Hi thanks for your kind comments. And yes sorry I should have said, I drew it in pencil and shaded with one of those rubbing stumps, and then inverted the colours on the computer. Given more time it would be great to use both methods on the same object in the same evening; positive and negative, and then compare the results afterwards. 

Thanks!