Andrew Cooper
Sep 12, 2020    Waikoloa, HI (map)
20cm f/6 Newtonian, Cave Astrola @ 135x
Seeing: 5 Transparency: 7 Moon: 0%

Large, bright! 15' in diameter, fully resolved with a dense core, M2 is a beautiful globular cluster by any measure, a swarm of fine stars in any telescope 6" or larger, increase the magnification to 100x or more to properly appreciate

Andrew Cooper
Jul 23, 2020    Waikoloa, HI (map)
20cm f/6 Newtonian, Cave Astrola @ 61x
Seeing: 5 Transparency: 7 Moon: 0%

Big, bright, resolved, 15' in diameter, a large and dense core, simply a splendid cluster

Andrew Cooper
Jun 27, 2020    Waikoloa Quarry, HI (map)
8x42mm Nikon Prostaff 3S Binoculars @ 8x
Seeing: 7 Transparency: 7 Moon: 0%

Bright and easy to find one field north of βAql, small, round, not resolved

Andrew Cooper
Oct 21, 2006    TIMPA, Avra Valley, AZ (map)
12x36 Canon Image Stabilized Binoculars

Small round patch with no resolved stars, easy to find, fairly bright

Andrew Cooper
Aug 27, 2005    TIMPA, Avra Valley, AZ (map)
46cm f/4.5 Deep Violet

Very rich, bright, one of the best globulars! fully resolved and dense at the core, a number of brighter members scattered along the edges frame the cluster well

Rev. T.W. Webb
May 19, 1885    Hardwick, Herefordshire, England (map)
94mm f/18 Tully Achromat

Beautiful round nebula diam. 5' or 6', showing with 3 7/10 in. a granular aspect, the precursor of resolution. With 9-in. spec. resolution evident the margin seems to diffuse itself away, probably in rays. John Herschel compares it with a heap of fine sand, and considers it to be composed of thousands of 15mg. stars. Sm. observes that "This magnificent ball of stars condenses to the centre and presents so fine a spherical form, that imagination cannot but picture the inconceivable brilliance of their visible heavens, to its animated myriads."

― Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes, T. W. Webb, 1917

John Herschel
Sep 12, 1830    

A most superb cluster; round; stars extremely small/faint; 12, 13, 14m; they are evidently globularly arranged, and not internally condensed towards the centre more than the spherical form would make them appear to be; but in the middle they blend into a blaze of light. It is like a heap of fine sand! With 9 inches aperture I can just see the stars; with 6 it is resolvable.

Johann Elert Bode
Sep 22, 1775    Berlin Observatory, Germany (map)

On September 22, 1775, I discovered northward above the star Beta at the western shoulder and at the head of Aqr a new nebulous star. It appears through the 7-foot telescope in round shape, and exhibits a vivid nucleus involved in a nebula. Its actual position is west near the 24th star of Aqr, between which and the nebula another brighter star occurs

Charles Messier
Sep 11, 1760    

Nebula without star in the head of Aquarius, its center is brilliant, & the light surrounding it is round; it resembles the beautiful nebula which is situated between the head & the bow of Sagittarius [M22], it is seen very well with a telescope of 2 feet, placed below the parallel of α of Aquarius. M. Messier has reported this nebula on the chart of the track of the comet observed in 1759. Mem. Acad. of the year 1760, page 464. M. Maraldi has seen this nebula in 1746 while observing the comet which appeared that year.

― Connaissance des Temps, 1781

Drawings, descriptions, and CCD photos are copyright Andrew Cooper unless otherwise noted, no usage without permission.

A complete list of credits and sources can be found on the about page