It was discovered in 2006 in the data generated by several infrared surveys, named for the unprecedented number of red supergiant members.

It is likely situated at the intersection of the northern end of the Long Bar of the Milky Way and the inner portion of the Scutum–Centaurus Arm—one of its two major spiral arms.

[6] ALMA detects CO emission in F13 along with four other supergiants in the cluster extending hundreds of stellar radii away from the stars.

[7] The CO mass loss rate is estimated to be 4.2×10−5 M☉/yr, which is an order of magnitude larger than the predicted value for the other red supergiants in the study.

[7] F13 is compared with VY Canis Majoris as a similarly extreme red supergiant, both displaying stronger and possibly eruptive mass-loss.