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M2

NGC 7089

Proper NameNone
Messier NumberM2
NGC/IC NumberNGC 7089
ConstellationAquarius
Right Ascension21h 33m 27s
Declination-0° 49' 24"
Distancec. 37,500 light years
c. 11,500 parsecs
MagnitudeApparent: +6.5
Absolute: -8.8
DiameterApparent: 16'
Actual: 175 light years
Optimum VisibilityAugust / September
NotesMessier 2 lies in the northern parts of Aquarius, near to the Celestial Equator. It is one the largest and densest globular clusters known, thought to measure approximately 175 light years in diameter, and contains about 150,000 stars.

Imagery provided by Aladin sky atlas

An enormously distant Globular Cluster, more than 35,000 light years from the Solar System in the constellation of Aquarius. Though it appears slightly too faint to be seen by the naked eye, in reality it is a huge ball of stars roughly 175 light years across.

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