The Hercules Cluster

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The Hercules Cluster is the most magnificent of the globular clusters, and it has the distinct advantage of being easy to find. In fact, from our Wyoming skies we can actually see the Hercules Cluster without any telescopes or even binoculars! And in the summertime, the cluster passes virtually overhead.

Fun fact: Did you know that the Sun is located about a third of the way from the center of the galaxy? But did you know how we know that? It turns out that globular clusters orbit the galaxy in a spherical halo. By looking at the distribution of these clusters from our vantage point on Earth, we can see that the Earth is not located in the center of the galaxy. This is one of the ways that globular clusters, like the Herculer Cluster, have served to further our understanding of the universe

The Hercules Cluster