M92

M92 is a bright, dense globular cluster in Hercules, about 26,700 light-years from Earth. It is one of the oldest known globular clusters, estimated at 14.2 billion years — nearly as old as the universe itself. M92 contains several hundred thousand stars in a sphere about 109 light-years across. Despite being a magnificent object, it is perpetually overshadowed by the more famous M13 just 9 degrees away.

Located about 6 degrees north of Pi Herculis, near the northern border of the Keystone. In binoculars it appears as a bright, round fuzzy star. A 4-inch telescope at 100x shows a concentrated, bright core. An 8-inch telescope resolves stars across the outer regions beautifully. M92 is comparable to M13 in visual quality but receives far less attention. Try observing both in the same session. Best observed from May through September.

Discovered by Johann Elert Bode on December 27, 1777. Charles Messier independently found it on March 18, 1781. Despite being nearly as bright as M13, M92 has always lived in its neighbor's shadow.