BEAUTY: 
BRAGGING RIGHTS: A beautiful sight
HOW EASY IS IT TO SEE? Best with a high-power telescope
BEST TIME TO SEE IT: Fall (in Aquarius)
TYPE: Globular Cluster
DISCOVERED: 1746 by Jean-Dominique Maraldi II
Lonely cluster. Look at the constellation Aquarius on a crisp fall night and you’ll be looking away from the crowded Milky Way, and out toward the vast nothingness of intergalactic space. Messier 2 shines proudly in this darkness, with only a few faint stars for company (see chart). Its isolation enhances the view: the cluster is an oasis of light in a dark desert. At low power, Messier 2 looks like a fuzzy star, but magnification resolves more stars and brings out the details. At 100× you’ll see dozens of faint stars against a concentrated haze of even fainter, unresolved stars. Use averted vision for best results. If skies and equipment allow, try increasing the magnification even more.
