- M 2 (NGC 7089)
M 2 is a bright globular cluster located along the western edge of the constellation Aquarius. It was originally discovered by Jean-Dominique Miraldi on the 11th of September 1746 while he was searching for a comet discovered by de Cheseaux earlier that year. He first thought that this object was the comet, but later recognized it as a cluster of many stars. Charles Messier independently discovered this object 14 years later while also searching for a comet, although he later gave Miraldi credit fpr the earlier discovery.
M 2 contains around 1.5 million stars and is located at a distance of 40,850 LY. It has a physical diameter of around 190 LY. With a visual magnitude of 6.4, M 2 can be seen with the naked eye under exceptionally clear mountain conditions. The clusters appears to be a bit elliptical in shape, with a slight elongation in the north-south direction. It is also the most concentrated of the Messier globular clusters.
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