Messier 2
Globular cluster in the constellation Aquarius / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Messier 2 or M2 (also designated NGC 7089) is a globular cluster in the constellation Aquarius, five degrees north of the star Beta Aquarii. It was discovered by Jean-Dominique Maraldi in 1746, and is one of the largest known globular clusters.
Quick Facts Observation data (J2000 epoch), Class ...
Messier 2 | |
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Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
Class | II[1] |
Constellation | Aquarius |
Right ascension | 21h 33m 27.02s[2] |
Declination | –00° 49′ 23.7″[2] |
Distance | 55,000 ly (17 kpc)[3] |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 6.5[4] |
Apparent dimensions (V) | 16.0′ |
Physical characteristics | |
Mass | 1.04×105[5] M☉ |
Radius | 87.3 ly[6] |
Metallicity | = –1.65[5] dex |
Estimated age | 12.5 Gyr[7] |
Other designations | NGC 7089[8] |
See also: Globular cluster, List of globular clusters |
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