Astrophotography in Curl markup: M13 (NGC 6205)

Over at aule-browser.com/astro there is now a page for Hubble's terrific M13 image.

This use of Curl markup involves embedding the image in a wrapper frame to ensure that it remains centered in a black background within a silver window.

The image - a JPG - is loaded only after the page appears in the browser, but the code to do so is very simple.

The class used is ImageGraphic and the key property set to "true" is that for preserving the image aspect-ratio.

This first page is using a 600px X 600px image.  Smaller and larger options with a resizeable frame will follow.

This magnificent star cluster is overhead in the northern hemisphere well-before midnight at this time of year (the first weeks of June) and can be spotted with a small telescope or good binoculars sometime after Mars and Saturn have set in the west.  Look for Hercules overhead between great orange-red Arcturus (follow the handle of the dipper in an "arc to Arcturus") and the great bright blue-white Vega.  Arcturus will be a bit west of the azimuth (the sky directly overhead) and Vega a bit east.  The core of Hercules is said to look like a "keystone" - but I see a flower pot. M13 is found in the westerly long "side" of that asterism.

To see individual stars rather than a grey cloud you may have to "look off the fovea" - so don't look AT the fuzzy object, relax and just "see" into the dark near the nebula: suddenly you will be aware that the fuzzy thing is stars - but as soon as you look AT IT they vanish into fuzzy grey.  Steady now!  Try not to stare! Or get access to a 10, 12 or 14" SCT or other reflector telescope.

Remember: you are not after magnification, but optical resolution and more light!  Otherwise, there are always these magnificent Hubble astrographs.