BEAUTY: 
BRAGGING RIGHTS: A beautiful sight
HOW EASY IS IT TO SEE? Best with a high-power telescope
BEST TIME TO SEE IT: Summer (in Hercules)
TYPE: Globular Cluster DISCOVERED: 1777 by Johann Elert Bode
M13’s sibling. Messier 92 doesn’t get as much attention as its famous sibling, Messier 13 (the Hercules Cluster). Both are equally far from us, but M92 is both smaller and sparser than M13, making it less impressive. Nevertheless, it is one of the 10 brightest clusters in the Northern Hemisphere and well worth a look. Find it near Iota Herculis. Under extremely dark skies—a rarity today—M92 is just visible to the naked eye, but a good telescope will help you resolve this compact object. Start at 100× to examine the overall cluster, then increase your power to investigate its core. Averted vision, patience, and good skies are a must. With a little bit of imagination you might see dark lanes and channels crisscrossing Messier 92. What you’re really seeing is the chance alignment of stars, perhaps accentuated by the sparseness of the cluster.
