Right Ascension	21 : 33.5 (h:m)
Declination	-00: 49 (deg:m)
Distance	36.2 (kly)
Visual Brightness	6.5 (mag)
Apparent Dimension	12.9 (arc min)
Discovered by	Jean Dominique      Miraldi  2nd  in  1746

M2 has a diameter of about 150 light-years, contains about 150,000 stars, and is one of the richer and more compact globular clusters (Burnham). This cluster is of notable ellipticity (ellipticity 9, or form E1), as can be noted in our photograph; it is extended in position angle 135 deg. At about 36,000 light years, it lies well beyond the Galactic Center. Visually it is of apparent magnitude 6.5 and about 7 minutes of arc in diameter, but photos reveal that it extends out to a diameter of 12.9 arc minutes. Its brightest stars are red and yellow giants of magnitude 13.1, while its horizontal branch stars have an apparent brightness of 16.1. 

M2 had been discovered by Maraldi on September 11, 1746; Messier independently rediscovered it exactly 14 years later, on September 11, 1760.

Messier observed M2 on September 11th, 1760 "Nebula without a star...." " resembles the beautiful nebula that lies between the bow and the head of sagittarius." Charles Messier Charles Messier from his Catalogue ( This statement from his notes show how his scope was not able to resolve the stars in many globular clusters.

Main information courtesy S.E.D.S.