M 4 (GC)
| R.A. | Dec. | Size | Mag | SB | Cnt.St | Type | Distance | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16h 23m 36.5s | -26° 31′ 34.5″ | 26.0′ | 5.4 | 12.2 | IX | GC | -- | -- |
Background
M4 is a bright, loose globular cluster 7,200 light-years away in Scorpius — one of the closest globulars to Earth. Famous for the prominent central “bar” of brighter stars running through its core, visible even in modest apertures.
My Observing Notes
25-cm (Meade 10-inch LX200, The Coffee Grinder): Sits 1.3° from Antares making it easy to find in the viewfinder. Chains of bright stars around the core resolve easily at this aperture (magnitude 5.6, 26').(Friday, April 2025)
25-cm (Meade 10-inch LX200, The Coffee Grinder): With Antares in the viewfinder, M4 is impossible to miss as a bright smudge 1.3° NW. While here, also nudged the eyepiece onto Antares itself — a 5.5-mag companion sits 2.6” away; with a 15 mm (167×) we caught glimpses of a second star protruding from Antares at the 2-o'clock position, but couldn't definitively split the pair.(Friday, May 2025)
References
Charts
