M2 (Globular Cluster)
A bright and rich globular cluster in Aquarius, one of the largest known. Visible as a fuzzy patch in binoculars, resolving into stars with a moderate telescope.
Globular cluster in Aquarius. Magnitude 6.3.
Can you see it from Guyana?
From Georgetown (6.8° N) it climbs to 83° above the southern horizon at its highest; from Lethem (3.4° N), to 86° above the southern horizon. It is highest at midnight on the night of 12 Aug, in the middle of its season. The page works out tonight's rise, highest point and set for both towns in Guyana time (UTC-4), and where the Moon is.
What you'll see
- Your eyes: Not visible to the eye.
- 10x50 binoculars: A round glow, brighter towards the middle.
- A small telescope (80 to 100 mm): A round, bright glow; its stars need a larger telescope to resolve.
- A camera: Spans about 40% of an APS-C frame at 2,000 mm (field 0.7° × 0.4°); needs a tracking mount.
How big, how bright, how far
- Size on the sky: 13′, 42% of the Moon's width (the Moon is about 31′ wide).
- Brightness: magnitude 6.3. Fainter than the faintest stars in Georgetown (4.3) and Lethem (6.0): binoculars or a telescope.
- Distance: 38,100 light-years. The light reaching your eye left it about 38,000 years ago.
What it is made of
- Type
- Globular cluster
- Distance
- Approx. 38,100 Lightyears
- True size
- Approx. 140 Lightyears across (visible extent)
- Mass
- about 620,000 times the Sun's mass
- Notable
- A massive globular: about 620,000 Suns, packed into a ball about 140 light-years wide.
More deep-sky objects: Globular Cluster M15 · M55 (Globular Cluster) · Wild Duck Cluster (M11) · M25 (Open Cluster IC 4725) · Globular Cluster M22 · Eagle Nebula (M16)