M92
Where is M92?
Look west, about 59° up at 20:20 in Hercules.
- Rises
- Always up
- Highest
- 17:21
- Sets
- Never
- Best after dark
- 20:20 · 59°
Can I see M92 tonight?
From London tonight, M92 is above the horizon after dark. It’s highest soon after dark, around 20:20, in the west at 59°.
At magnitude 6.4, with its light spread out, it needs binoculars and a dark sky.
This is position and timing only: clouds, haze and light pollution aren’t included.
What does M92 look like?
Eyes
Under dark skies, a faint fuzzy star.
Binoculars
A small, round glow.
Telescope
A compact, bright core that resolves into stars at the edges in 150 mm and larger telescopes.
About M92
M92 is a bright globular cluster in Hercules, often overlooked because the famous M13 lies nearby. It is about 27,000 light-years away and among the oldest star clusters in our galaxy.
In almost any other constellation, M92 would be a showpiece.
M92 was discovered by Johann Bode in 1777 and added by Messier in 1781. Its stars contain very small amounts of elements heavier than helium, a sign of how early they formed.
It is a good test of your sky and your telescope: under dark skies, a 150 mm telescope shows its outer stars clearly, while from a city it may look like a small, bright fuzzy ball.
Because it lies so far north, it is well placed for much of the year from mid-northern latitudes.
Many observers who find M13 never look for M92, but it is well worth the short hop.
Nearby in the sky
Questions
How does M92 compare with M13?
Sources: SkyMate; star chart: Wikidata (CC0). Positions computed for your place and time with astronomy-engine. Data & Licences