| Home | Articles | Guide to Observing | Tour of the Constellations | Book Reviews |
| Description | NGC | Magnitude | Right Ascension | Declination |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Globular Cluster In Scorpio | 6121 | 6.4 | 16 hours 21 minutes | 26 degrees 24 minutes |
According to one book, M4 is a naked-eye object. I suppose it depends on whose naked eye is under discussion. I find it a difficult object to make out despite its convenient location between two bright stars. For most Northern Hemisphere skygazers, M4 is placed low in the sky so that its image is unstable. To find M4, direct your eyes or telescope to the middle section of the constellation Scorpio. Then look at the area between alpha Tauri (Antares) and sigma Tauri
While the general shape of M4 is circular, with the aid of high magnification of at least 200 times it is possible to see a row of 10 stars through the center’s bright section. M4 is located at 10,000 light years from us, which is almost on our doorstep – for a globular cluster.