Object Analysis

Messier 92 (M92) is a globular cluster in the constellation Hercules. It is one of the brightest globular clusters in the northern hemisphere but is often overlooked because of its proximity to the even more spectacular M13. It was discovered by Johann Elert Bode in 1777.

M92 is located 26,700 light-years away and is one of the oldest clusters in the Milky Way, with an estimated age of 14.2 billion years—nearly the age of the universe itself. Its stars are extremely metal-poor, containing very few elements heavier than hydrogen and helium.

The cluster is approaching us at 112 km/s. It has a very dense core that has likely undergone core collapse. Despite its age, M92 is still a tightly bound ball of stars that has survived eons of orbiting through the violent tidal forces of the galactic halo.