NGC 6229 is the third of Hercules's globular
star clusters, and is both smaller and fainter than M13 or M92.
Shining at magnitude 8.7, NGC 6229 is about 8 times fainter than
M92, and 16 times fainter than M13! The sizes also form an
interesting, linear pattern: small NGC 6229 is 3.5 arc minutes
across, M92 spans 8, and M13 a whopping 23. M13 may be the most
spectacular globular star cluster in Hercules, but comparing it
with more distant cousins like NGC 6229 is an excellent way to
remind yourself that their splendor owes much to whether they
are next door, or halfway across the galaxy.
