The constellation Hercules is high in the east after dark this evening. Rich with deep-sky objects, we’re passing by the Strongman’s most famous (M13) for its second-brightest globular cluster: M92.
But don’t feel like you’re settling for second best: This cluster is only a little fainter and smaller than M13, so it’s a stunning sight in its own right.
Shining at magnitude 6.4, you’ll find M92 about 6.3° north of magnitude 3.2 Pi (π) Herculis, one of the four stars in the Keystone asterism. Spanning about 14’, M92 is a dense ball of aging stars that lies nearly 27,000 light-years away and is an estimated 14 billion years old. Although visible to the naked eye under good conditions, the bright moonlight pervading the sky tonight will likely make M92 a binocular or telescope object only. However, one benefit of this bright cluster is that no matter your optics, it should look stunning. Note particularly its dense, compact core, and don’t be afraid to bump up the power in your telescope when viewing it.
Sunrise: 5:31 A.M.
Sunset: 8:28 P.M.
Moonrise: 7:30 P.M.
Moonset: 3:54 A.M.
Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous (97%)
*Times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset are given in local time from 40° N 90° W. The Moon’s illumination is given at 12 P.M. local time from the same location.
For a look ahead at more upcoming sky events, check out our full Sky This Week column.
