Skip to content

Messier 13

The Keystone

  • by
keystone in hercules

The Keystone is an asterism formed by four relatively bright stars in the constellation Hercules: Pi, Eta, Zeta and Epsilon Herculis. The trapezoid-shaped pattern makes it easy for observers to identify the constellation and to find several well-known deep sky objects. On a clear night, the Keystone can be seen between the bright Vega, the brightest star in Lyra, and the stars of Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown. The asterism represents Hercules’ torso.
Read More »The Keystone

Highlights of the Night Sky in June

  • by
Messier 13,m13,globular cluster,great globular cluster

Here are some of the highlights of the June sky:

  • 9:30 PM – southern sky – Mars and Saturn rise over the horizon
  • 9:30 PM western sky – Jupiter appears above the horizon, sinks lower toward the end of the month
  • 5 AM eastern sky – Venus appearing above the horizon before sunrise; on June 24, it rises together with the crescent Moon just before dawn
  • 10 PM southern sky – Boötes, the Herdsman, recognizable for its familiar Kite asterism, with Arcturus, the fourth brightest star in the sky, and the binary star Izar, Epsilon Boötis
  • 10 PM – southeastern sky – Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown, visible to the left of Boötes constellation
  • 10 PM eastern sky – Hercules constellation high in the sky, with the prominent Keystone asterism, the Hercules Cluster (Messier 13), and another globular cluster, Messier 92
  • 10 PM northeastern sky – Draco constellation with the double star Nu Draconis

Read More »Highlights of the Night Sky in June