Astronomy Picture of the Day - Messier 4

By Free Republic | Created at 2024-11-29 19:22:50 | Updated at 2024-11-29 21:37:25 2 hours ago

Astronomy Picture of the Day - Messier 4
NASA ^ | 29 Nov, 2024 | Image Credit & Copyright: Steve Crouch

Posted on 11/29/2024 11:16:39 AM PST by MtnClimber

Explanation: Messier 4 can be found west of bright red-giant star Antares, alpha star of the constellation Scorpius. M4 itself is only just visible from dark sky locations, even though the globular cluster of 100,000 stars or so is a mere 5,500 light-years away. Still, its proximity to prying telescopic eyes makes it a prime target for astronomical explorations. Recent studies have included Hubble observations of M4's pulsating cepheid variable stars, cooling white dwarf stars, and ancient, pulsar orbiting exoplanet PSR B1620-26 b. This sharp image was captured with a small telescope on planet Earth. At M4's estimated distance it spans about 50 light-years across the core of the globular star cluster.

TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; nasa

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For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.

1 posted on 11/29/2024 11:16:39 AM PST by MtnClimber

To: MtnClimber

2 posted on 11/29/2024 11:17:06 AM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)

To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; A Navy Vet; A_perfect_lady; abb; AFB-XYZ; AFPhys; ...

Pinging the APOD list

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3 posted on 11/29/2024 11:17:50 AM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)

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