Messier 2
| Messier 2 | |
|---|---|
Messier 2 by Hubble Space Telescope; 2.5′ view | |
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Class | II |
| Constellation | Aquarius |
| Right ascension | 21h 33m 27.02s |
| Declination | –00° 49′ 23.7″ |
| Distance | 55,000 ly (17 kpc) |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 6.5 |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 16.0′ |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mass | 1.04×105 M☉ |
| Radius | 87.3 ly |
| Metallicity | = –1.65 dex |
| Estimated age | 12.5 Gyr |
| Other designations | NGC 7089 |
![{\displaystyle {\begin{smallmatrix}\left[{\ce {Fe}}/{\ce {H}}\right]\end{smallmatrix}}}](./4c0821bd80891e071c08e7c7ee8e022baedf522c.svg)
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.