| Description | The ninth of 9 entries added to the Messier catalog on March 8, 1781. Apparently Messier was not aware that it had been discovered by Johann Elert Bode (discoverer of Bode's Nebula, aka M81) in 1777. "Nebula, fine, distinct, & very bright, between the knee & the left leg of Hercules... It contains no star; the center is clear & brilliant, surrounded by nebulosity & [it] resembles the nucleus of a large Comet: its brightness, its size, approach much that of the nebula which is in the girdle of Hercules. See No. 13 of this Catalog" <--> M92 ranks 8 and 13 respectively for brightness and size. This is a very attractive Globular Cluster with a slightly elongated, brilliant core, surrounded by a halo of blue and red(?) giant stars. It is much less known than M13, which is just a few degrees away. Also, surprising it didn't make the list until so close to the end as it is a naked eye object of apparent magnitude 6.44. Why does it garner so little respect? Perhaps because it rises a little later, and it's a little smaller. |
