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Hercules



Abbreviation: Her
Genitive: Herculis
Right Ascension: 17.33 hours
Declination: 29.90 degrees
  Hercules, the Son of Zeus, is best seen in the summer in the Northern Hemisphere. You can find hime by looking between Draco and Ophiuchus. Hercules is visible in the Southern Hemisphere from May until August.

Hercules is another of the oldest constellations, but he was not known to the first Greek astronomers by that name (early Greeks called him the Kneeling One). Hercules is best known for his twelve labors, because he killed his children in a fit of anger. The twelve labors are thought to represent the Sun's passing through the twelve zodiacal constellations.

  Bright Stars | Deep Sky | Other Deep Sky | Variable Stars | Double Stars
 

Best Known Stars

(Yale Bright Star Catalog)
 
Common Name
or Bayer Number 1 		RA DEC Magnitude 2
KORNEPHOROS 16.00:30.00:13.20 +21.00:29.00:22.56 2.77
DEL HER 17.00:15.00:1.91 +24.00:50.00:21.17 3.14
PI HER 17.00:15.00:2.83 +36.00:48.00:33.01 3.16
MU HER 17.00:46.00:27.51 +27.00:43.00:14.35 3.42
ETA HER 16.00:42.00:53.77 +38.00:55.00:20.30 3.53
XI HER 17.00:57.00:45.89 +29.00:14.00:52.46 3.70
GAM HER 16.00:21.00:55.21 +19.00:9.00:11.20 3.75
IOT HER 17.00:39.00:27.89 +46.00:0.00:22.90 3.80
OMI HER 18.00:7.00:32.55 +28.00:45.00:45.01 3.83
109 HER 18.00:23.00:41.88 +21.00:46.00:11.08 3.84
THE HER 17.00:56.00:15.18 +37.00:15.00:1.90 3.86
TAU HER 16.00:19.00:44.44 +46.00:18.00:48.21 3.89
EPS HER 17.00:0.00:17.38 +30.00:55.00:35.10 3.92
110 HER 18.00:45.00:39.72 +20.00:32.00:46.72 4.19
SIG HER 16.00:34.00:6.18 +42.00:26.00:13.31 4.20
PHI HER 16.00:8.00:46.17 +44.00:56.00:5.72 4.26
OMG HER 16.00:25.00:24.96 +14.00:1.00:59.75 4.57
60 HER 17.00:5.00:22.69 +12.00:44.00:27.03 4.91
77 HER 17.00:26.00:44.24 +48.00:15.00:36.26 5.85
49 HER 16.00:52.00:4.85 +14.00:58.00:27.09 6.53
   
 

Deep Sky Objects

(PAS Catalog)

M-13

 M-13 This famous globular cluster is large and bright enough to be seen with the naked eye on good nights. It is about 12-15' in diameter, rather easily resolved across the center, and is seen to be somewhat ragged in appearance. There are long strings of stars curving away from the center, and a curious propeller shaped area at its southwest edge which seems almost devoid of stars. About 20-30' to the northeast of M13 is the small galaxy NGC 6207. This galaxy is about 3x1' in size and is oriented NE-SW, showing a small stellar core. Both M13 and NGC 6207 lie in the same field of view in a low power eyepiece.

M-92

 M-92 This is a fine, bright globular cluster which would be observed more often if it were not for its close proximity to M13. It is 7-8' in diameter, easily resolved, and is sharply brighter towards the center. It appears to me to be slightly elongated in the NE-SW axis.
   
 

Other Deep Sky Objects

(Saguaro Astronomy Club Catalog)
  Only Objects less than 10.0 Mag.
 
Object R.A. Dec. Object Type 3 Mag. Uranometria Tirion
NGC 6205 16 41.7 +36 28 GLOCL 05.9 114 08
NGC 6210 16 44.5 +23 49 PLNNB 09.7 156 08
NGC 6229 16 47.0 +47 32 GLOCL 09.4 080 08
NGC 6341 17 17.1 +43 08 GLOCL 06.5 081 08
   
 

Variable Stars

(General Catalog of Variable Stars)
  Only Objects <= 8.0 magnitude
 
GCVS ID R.A.
(hh mm ss.ss)		 Dec.
(deg mm ss)		 Variable Type 4 Mag. Min Mag. Max
RX Her 18.00:28.00:20.20 +12.00:34.00:32.00 EA/DM 7.87 7.28
IQ Her 18.00:15.00:42.60 +17.00:57.00:37.00 SRB 7.47 6.99
LQ Her 16.00:9.00:30.20 +23.00:37.00:22.00 LB: 5.83 5.58
OP Her 17.00:55.00:22.30 +45.00:21.00:22.00 SRB 6.73 5.85
V0441 Her 17.00:53.00:24.00 +26.00:3.00:24.00 SRD 5.54 5.34
V0451 Her 16.00:59.00:16.50 +15.00:1.00:16.00 ACV 6.34 6.26
V0535 Her 18.00:43.00:28.30 +21.00:55.00:51.00 ACV 6.58 6.41
V0600 Her 16.00:34.00:40.60 +14.00:34.00:30.00 ELL+BCEP: 0.03 7.03
V0620 Her 17.00:8.00:58.80 +24.00:17.00:51.00 DSCTC 6.23 6.19
V0624 Her 17.00:42.00:0.60 +14.00:25.00:49.00 EA/DM 6.36 6.18
V0636 Her 16.00:45.00:43.60 +42.00:19.00:37.00 LB 0.20 5.83
V0637 Her 16.00:47.00:46.20 +46.00:4.00:10.00 ACV 4.85 4.78
V0640 Her 17.00:23.00:40.70 +16.00:57.00:35.00 LB 6.21 5.98
V0642 Her 17.00:31.00:26.50 +14.00:52.00:33.00 SRB 6.56 6.41
V0644 Her 16.00:52.00:57.70 +13.00:41.00:57.00 DSCTC 6.36 6.32
V0645 Her 16.00:53.00:3.10 +29.00:7.00:5.00 DSCT: 0.14 7.30
V0648 Her 17.00:30.00:24.30 +26.00:28.00:24.00 DSCTC 0.04 6.86
V0656 Her 17.00:18.00:6.50 +18.00:6.00:26.00 LB: 5.10 4.90
V0669 Her 18.00:10.00:1.20 +31.00:23.00:30.00 null 0.14 6.62
V0697 Her 16.00:25.00:59.00 +34.00:54.00:36.00 M 3.76 2.45
V0744 Her 17.00:48.00:44.70 +48.00:24.00:24.00 GCAS 6.94 6.65
V0746 Her 16.00:24.00:21.60 +11.00:6.00:10.00 SR 6.76 6.59
V0771 Her 17.00:57.00:26.50 +45.00:28.00:41.00 ACV 6.52 6.44
V0772 Her 18.00:3.00:42.30 +21.00:26.00:26.00 E 0.10 6.90
V0773 Her 16.00:34.00:26.60 +15.00:35.00:54.00 ACV 0.03 6.01
V0776 Her 16.00:45.00:18.60 +5.00:20.00:6.00 ACV 5.27 5.21
V0814 Her 17.00:43.00:41.30 +50.00:3.00:49.00 SRD 7.12 6.97
V0815 Her 18.00:6.00:20.00 +29.00:40.00:57.00 RS 0.10 7.60
V0819 Her 17.00:20.00:5.00 +40.00:1.00:21.00 EA/D+BY 0.12 5.51
V0820 Her 18.00:0.00:14.70 +20.00:49.00:56.00 * 5.19 5.17
V0822 Her 18.00:49.00:44.30 +13.00:54.00:15.00 EB/KE 6.30 6.12
V0823 Her 16.00:49.00:48.10 +15.00:3.00:24.00 ACV 0.03 6.40
V0826 Her 17.00:44.00:19.30 +39.00:20.00:25.00 ELL 0.02 6.68
V0828 Her 18.00:53.00:51.10 +17.00:55.00:45.00 ACV 0.04 6.15
V0831 Her 18.00:2.00:36.00 +23.00:56.00:19.00 DSCTC: 6.34 6.28
V0833 Her 17.00:29.00:42.00 +17.00:47.00:36.00 M 5.40 2.60
V0834 Her 17.00:39.00:41.50 +29.00:37.00:22.00 RS 0.10 8.00
V0837 Her 18.00:41.00:19.00 +13.00:54.00:18.00 M 1.30 0.20
V0839 Her 15.00:53.00:49.50 +42.00:42.00:38.00 BE 5.84 5.74
alf Her 17.00:12.00:21.90 +14.00:26.00:45.00 SRC 4.00 2.74
gam Her 16.00:19.00:42.70 +19.00:16.00:9.00 SRD: 0.09 4.02
iot Her 17.00:38.00:3.10 +46.00:1.00:55.00 BCEP 0.02 2.93
nu Her 17.00:56.00:35.30 +30.00:11.00:32.00 SRD: 4.48 4.38
omi Her 18.00:5.00:35.40 +28.00:45.00:16.00 GCAS 0.07 3.80
ome Her 16.00:23.00:6.40 +14.00:8.00:49.00 ACV 0.08 4.57
g Her 16.00:26.00:59.80 +41.00:59.00:27.00 SRB 6.30 4.30
u Her 17.00:15.00:28.60 +33.00:9.00:10.00 EA/SD 5.37 4.69
   
 

Double Stars

(Saguaro Astronomy Club Catalog)
  Only Objects <= 8.0 magnitude
 
Name R.A.
(hh mm.m)		 Dec.
(deg mm)		 Mag 5 Sep 6 PA 7 Tirion Uranometria
STF 2010 16 08.1 17 03 5.3, 6.5 28.10 12 15 155/ 200
STF 2021 16 13.2 13 32 7.5, 7.7 4.10 351 15 200/ 201
STF 2052 16 28.9 18 23 7.8, 7.8 1.50 134 15 156
STF 31 16 40.7 04 13 5.7, 6.9 69.70 230 15 246
STF 2094 16 44.2 23 30 7.4, 7.7 1.30 75 8 156/ 157
STF 33 17 03.6 13 36 5.9, 6.1 299.10 116 15 202
STF 2140 17 14.7 14 23 3.5, 5.4 4.80 108 15 202
STF 2161 17 23.7 37 08 4.5, 5.5 4.10 320 8 115
STF 2242 17 51.1 44 54 8.0, 8.0 3.50 327 8 81
STF 2264 18 01.5 21 35 5.1, 5.2 6.30 258 8 159
STF 2280 18 07.8 26 05 5.9, 6.0 14.20 182 8 159
STT 358 18 35.9 16 58 6.8, 7.2 1.80 163 15/ 16 160/ 205