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      M4
      Wallpaper author:
      Marius Dinga

      16 Jan 2026

      M4

      "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 the first globular cluster in which individual stars were resolved. It is one of the easiest globular clusters to find, being located only 1.3 degrees west of the bright star Antares.

      M4 is approximately 6,000 light-years away, making it the closest globular cluster to the Solar System. It has an estimated age of 12.2 billion years.

      Measuring the metallicity strongly suggests this cluster hosts two distinct stellar populations, differing by age. Thus the cluster probably saw two main cycles or phases of star formation." (Wikipedia)

      Dataset from which the image was processed

      M4

      8 credit

      Open
      Telescope Live
      CHI-1-CMOS

      M4