M 4 Spider Globular Star Cluster
| Description | Messier 4, or M4 (also known as the Spider Globular Cluster), is a globular cluster located in the constellation of Scorpius. It was discovered by Philippe Loys de Chéseaux in 1745 and cataloged by Charles Messier in 1764. Notably, M4 was the first globular cluster in which individual stars were resolved. M4 is prominent even in the smallest telescopes, appearing as a fuzzy ball of light. It has a size comparable to that of the Moon in the night sky. This globular cluster is one of the easiest to locate, situated just 1.3 degrees west of the bright star Antares, making both objects visible in a wide-field telescope. Telescopes of moderate size can start to resolve individual stars within M4, with the brightest stars having an apparent magnitude of 10.8.parent magnitude of 10.8. |
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| Data/Processing Attribution | Data was purchased from Telescope Live and I did processing only. |
| Distances/Size | Distance to the object- 6,000 light years; angular size in the sky is about 26′ (minutes); size of the cluster is about 35 light years in diameter |
| Equipment | Mount-Software Bisque Paramount MX+ GEM; PlaneWave CDK 24″ (610mm), 3962mm focal length; Camera- QHY600 M Pro. |
| Observatory | Telescope Live, EL Sauce, Rio Hurtado Valley, Chile. |
| Exposure | LRGB filters, total exposure- 5 hours 20 min. |