M92 (Globular Cluster)
A bright globular cluster in Hercules, often overshadowed by nearby M13 but a fine object in its own right. Visible in binoculars as a small, round glow.
Globular cluster in Hercules. Magnitude 6.4.
Can you see it from Guyana?
From Georgetown (6.8° N) it climbs to 54° above the northern horizon at its highest; from Lethem (3.4° N), to 50° above the northern horizon. It is highest at midnight on the night of 8 Jun, 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: Tiny on camera: it needs 2,000 mm or more of focal length on a tracking mount.
How big, how bright, how far
- Size on the sky: 11′, 35% of the Moon's width (the Moon is about 31′ wide).
- Brightness: magnitude 6.4. Fainter than the faintest stars in Georgetown (4.3) and Lethem (6.0): binoculars or a telescope.
- Distance: 27,700 light-years. The light reaching your eye left it about 28,000 years ago.
What it is made of
- Type
- Globular cluster
- Distance
- Approx. 27,700 Lightyears
- True size
- Approx. 89 Lightyears across (visible extent)
- Mass
- about 270,000 times the Sun's mass
- Notable
- Among the most metal-poor globulars known: [Fe/H] -2.29 in the Harris catalogue, tied lowest of 139.
More deep-sky objects: Hercules Globular Cluster (M13) · Globular Cluster M3 · Globular Cluster M5 · Wild Duck Cluster (M11) · Eagle Nebula (M16) · NGC 7789 (Caroline's Rose / White Rose Cluster)