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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae / M2

M2 Observation Details

M2

M2 Daily Motion

M2 will rise at 01:46, during twilight, and will ascend to 39° by the time twilight ends at 05:19.
M2 will be visible until January, 5, when it will move too close to the Sun. During this time, its proximity to the Sun will cause it to disappear from the night sky, making it unobservable for a while.

M2 Visibility Timetable on May 12

M2 Rise and Set Timetable

TimeElevation
Moon Rise, 99.5% illuminated19:58-53°
Astrosession begin22:14-39°
M2 rise01:46
Astrosession end04:4033°
Civil sunrise05:5444°
Moon Set06:0145°
Sunrise06:2547°
M2 transit07:4251°

Track M2 Position Throughout the Night

← Mon, 12 May 2025 →

Elevation (degrees)
Time
Altitude
Azimuth
Shift the map to change the time and observe M2 changing position in the night sky.

M2 - Globular Cluster

M2 is a globular cluster located in the constellation Aquarius. It was discovered by Jean-Dominique Maraldi in 1746 and later included in Messier's catalog in 1760. This cluster is one of the largest and oldest known globular clusters.

M2 spans about 175 light-years across and contains over 150,000 stars. The cluster is densely packed at its core, making it appear very bright. M2 is approximately 55,000 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 6.5, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M2 Image Gallery

DSS Blue

M2 photo taken with blue filter
These images are valuable for highlighting the presence of younger, hotter stars, which emit more light in the blue wavelengths.

DSS Red

M2 photo taken with red filter
These images are excellent for detecting older, cooler stars, as well as emission nebulae, which glow primarily in the red due to hydrogen alpha emissions.

DSS Near-Infrared

M2 photo taken with Near-Infrared filter
These images can penetrate dust clouds that obscure visible light, revealing structures and objects hidden within.

DSS Composite image

M2 color image
DSS Color images are composite images created by combining the blue, red, and often near-infrared images to produce a full-color representation.

The photos are taken from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS2), which was produced at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) under NASA contract, using data from the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), the European Southern Observatory (ESO), and the National Geographic Society-Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS II).

Special thanks to the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, and the California Institute of Technology for their significant contributions.

Finder Chart for M2

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Object nameM2
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M2 coordinates21.5575, -0.82331
Center coordinates21.5575, -0.82331

M2 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M2

Time08:04
Latitude37.751
Longitude-97.822
M2 elevation51°
M2 Azimuth173°
Here you can see the current position of the M2 on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool allows you to track the M2's movement throughout the night, providing you with accurate and up-to-date information.

Annual motion of M2

Time
DateMon, 12 May 2025
Twighlight start22:09
Twighlight end04:35
Twighlight duration6h 25m
Rise01:46
Set13:39
Elevation at transit51°
Transit time07:42
Equatorial coordinatesRA: 21h 33m 27s", Dec: 00° 49' 23s
Magnitude6
ConstellationAquarius
The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of a M2, providing a comprehensive overview of its daily appearances and transit times throughout the year.
The graph is structured with the vertical axis showing the hours of the day, ranging from 12 AM to 12 AM the next day, while the horizontal axis spans each day of the year.
The reddish shaded area indicates the periods when the M2 is above the horizon, visible to observers. The white line marks the times when the celestial object reaches its highest point in the sky each day, known as the transit.

Data Credits

The nebulae information on this page is sourced from the OpenNGC project, developed by Matteo Verga. OpenNGC provides detailed data on the NGC catalog, which is a valuable resource for exploring deep-sky objects such as nebulae.

For more details or to contribute to OpenNGC, visit the official GitHub repository: OpenNGC on GitHub.