M4
Globular cluster in Scorpius

10.1″ f/4.5, Mallincam DS432cTEC with Astronomik UHC filter
Exposure = 3.5 sec, Live Stacked frames = 25, Gain = 63.7 of 250

Compared to other globular clusters, M4 is a very large very loose assembly of stars, appearing about 25 arcminutes across in this view. The stars have a reddish-tinge even with saturation reduced on the Mallincam; according to Burnham’s, M4 is surrounded in a dark nebulosity that effectively reddens their colours. There is a very obvious central bar of stars running vertically through the core. M4 is one of the closest globulars to us, about 7200 light years away, 75 light years across, and listed at 12.2 billion years old.

North at 12 o’clock, East at 9 o’clock