Messier 4 or M4 (also known as NGC 6121 or the Spider Globular Cluster) is a globular cluster in the constellation of Scorpius. It was discovered by Philippe Loys de Chéseaux in 1745 and catalogued by Charles Messier in 1764. It was the first globular cluster in which individual stars were resolved.
How to Find: It sits roughly 1.3 degrees west of the bright red supergiant star Antares. Both fit into the same binocular or wide-field telescope view. Appearance: Through binoculars, M4 looks like a faint, hazy smudge of light. Small or moderate telescopes can resolve the outer edges into individual stars, often showing a distinct bar of stars across its core. Best Time to View: Summer evenings in the Northern Hemisphere (and winter in the Southern Hemisphere).
Distance: ~5,500 to 7,200 light-years from Earth, making it one of the closest globular clusters to us. Age: Estimated at 11 to 12.2 billion years old, making it among the oldest structures in the universe. Stellar Population: Contains well over 100,000 stars, including thousands of ancient white dwarfs. Image Credit ESO Imaging Survey
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