M4 Globular Cluster

Description - Taken over 2 nights and processed in PixInsight, M4 which is home to more than 100,000 stars is circa 12-13 billion years old. That's 3 times the age of our solar system and nearly as old as the universe itself! In the top left corner another globular cluster can be seen, NGC 6144. The bright star Antares is just off the frame to the left and reflecting on the dust around the area. An emission nebula, Sharpless 2-9 can be seen clearly to the top right.

 

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.

 

Information care of Wikipedia.org

 

Telescope - Skywatcher 100 ED Esprit with Field Flattener

 

Gain - 100

 

Camera - ASI2600MC

 

Guiding - AM5

 

Image Capture - ASIAIR

 

Mount - AM5

 

Filter - Antlia Triband RGB

 

File - M4 Int ABE BN Solve PhotoCal BlurExt Noise Ext SCNR Hist Curves ET

 

Exposure - 31 x 5min - Total 2 hours 35 mins

 

Date Taken - 6th-7th July 2024

 

Time Taken - 1am

 

Tenerife, Canary Islands

 

7,000ft above sea level

 

All processing in PixInsight

Done