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Messier 4

File:Globular_star_cluster_Messier_4.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

EntityQ11212· pop 61· linked from 530 articles

Also known as M4

Globular cluster in the constellation Scorpius. Closest globular cluster.

AI overview

Messier 4 is a globular cluster—a spherical collection of thousands of stars bound together by gravity—located in the constellation Scorpius. It's notable for being the closest globular cluster to Earth, making it an accessible target for astronomers studying these ancient stellar systems.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

~5 min read

Encyclopedic overview

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.

Visibility

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Messier 4” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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