An Often Overlooked Globular Cluster M2

M2
Sketch by Janis Romer

Charles Messier made his second catalog entry in September of 1760. M 2 is located in Aquarius a bit less than 5° north of Beta Aquarii. It has a stellar population of 150,000 suns and measures some 175 light years across. M 2 is surprisingly distant for a bright globular cluster at 37,500 light years and has a visual magnitude 6.5. With the eye at the eyepiece of a moderate size telescope, this globular appears 7 minutes across and somewhat oval in shape. It is worth noting for those that observe with a Dobsonian telescope or use an Alt.-Az. mount, that when M 2 is about 175° in Azimuth you can pan your scope straight up 13° to globular M 15 and after returning to M 2 you can pan down 22.5° to globular cluster M 30. That’s a globular triple.
Object: Globular cluster M 2 – Artist Janis Romer – Telescope – Criterion 8” f/8 Newtonian Reflector – Sketching Location: Pennsylvania, USA.

Written details by Frank McCabe