Messier 4 (M4) is a brilliant globular cluster in the constellation of Scorpius, which is best viewed in summer.
At approximately 5,500 light-years away, M4 is one of the nearest globulars to Earth and one of the brightest in the night sky.
Author Archives: Wayne McGraw
Comet Neowise (C/2020 F3)
I’m forever grateful for comet Neowise as it offered a brief summertime reprieve from the darkened days of 2020.
Messier 5 (NGC 5904): A Glorious Globular and Summertime Rose
On the night of May 5, 1702, Gottfried Kirch was comet hunting with his wife Maria when they discovered a “nebulous star” in the constellation of Serpens. The Kirches stumbled upon this cluster — one of the largest, brightest, and oldest in the heavens
Messier 3 (NGC 5272): A Globular Cluster with a Fiery Center
M3 is one of the finest globular clusters in the northern sky. An amazing 500,000 stars make up this cluster.
Messier 51: The Great Whirlpool
Few galaxies are a breathtaking as the majestic Whirlpool Galaxy in the springtime sky near the Big Dipper.
Comet C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS)
Provides overview of Comet Atlas.
Venus: The Bringer of Light
Venus, the morning and evening star, dazzles with bright reflection from sulfuric acid clouds. Discover the history and science behind Earth’s sister planet.
Barnard’s Star: Chasing the Red Dwarf Through Ophiuchus
Barnard’s Star, located under six light-years away in Ophiuchus, is a red dwarf with a surface temperature of 3,200 K and extraordinary proper motion, moving over 10 arcseconds per year. Discovered to host four exoplanets, it fascinates astronomers as a rare opportunity to observe significant stellar movement within a human lifetime. Article shows a photograph of it in 2019 amongst the stars. The star is also known as Runaway Star, HIP 87937, LFT 1385, Proxima Ophiuchi, V2500 Ophiuchi.
The Garden Astronomer 