Messier 4 is a globular cluster in Scorpius, 6,030 light-years away
Messier 4 (M4, NGC 6121, MWSC 2396) is a globular cluster in the constellation Scorpius , 6,030 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 5.4 and spans 26′ of sky, about 46 light-years across. It is an easy target in binoculars, and it is highest in the evening sky in July.
Globular cluster: a ball of 100,000 to a few million old stars packed into a sphere about 100 light-years across. About 160 orbit the Milky Way, most of them in the halo around its center.
Finding Messier 4 from Antares
Antares
Messier 4
SCORPIUS
Messier 4 lies 1.3° west of Antares , the magnitude 1.1 star. That is within one binocular field.
Messier 4 is highest in the evening in July
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -56° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -49° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -37° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -22° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -9° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 1° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 3° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -1° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -11° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -24° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -39° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -52° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -66° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -55° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -38° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -19° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -2° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 10° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 13° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 8° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -5° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -22° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -41° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -59° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -76° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -59° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -38° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -15° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 4° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 19° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 23° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 17° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 1° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -19° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -42° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -64° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -85° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -60° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -36° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -11° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 11° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 28° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 33° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 25° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 7° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -15° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -40° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -66° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -83° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -58° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -33° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -7° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 17° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 36° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 43° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 34° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 13° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -11° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -38° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -64° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -73° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -54° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -30° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -2° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 23° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 45° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 53° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 42° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 19° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -7° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -34° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -60° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -63° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -48° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -25° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 2° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 28° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 53° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 63° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 49° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 24° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -2° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -29° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -53° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -53° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -41° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -20° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 7° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 33° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 59° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 73° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 55° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 28° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 2° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -24° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -45° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -43° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -33° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -14° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 11° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 37° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 64° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 83° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 59° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 32° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 6° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -18° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -37° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -33° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -25° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -8° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 15° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 39° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 66° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 86° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 61° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 35° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 11° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -12° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -28° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -23° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -16° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -2° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 18° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 41° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 64° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 76° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 60° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 37° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 15° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -5° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -19° high at 9 pm
below horizon
low
20-40°
40-60°
overhead-ish
The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole southern hemisphere and north to about 63°N, and never sets south of 63°S.
Messier 4 is 6,030 light-years away
The light seen from Messier 4 tonight left it about 6,030 years ago. It ranks 37 of 109 by distance among the 110 Messier objects. Distance source: Baumgardt and Vasiliev 2021.
Objects within 6° of Messier 4
Messier 4 catalog data
Field Value
Designations M4, NGC 6121, MWSC 2396 Type globular cluster Constellation Scorpius Right ascension (J2000) 16h 23.6m Declination (J2000) -26° 32′ Magnitude 5.4 Apparent size 26′ True size 46 light-years Distance 6,030 light-years (Baumgardt and Vasiliev 2021) Best month July Best with Binoculars Messier marathon order 82
