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M4 is a VERY difficult object, even in the best of conditions for an experienced observer.

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No, I certainly wouldn't go that far. At latitude 42N, in dark skies, when the transparency is decent, M4 sticks out like a sore thumb through my 7x35 binoculars. I can't imagine even the rankest beginner having any trouble whatsoever in seeing it. In fact, its large size makes it one of the most prominent globular clusters through small binoculars when conditions are good. M5 or M13 can be mistaken for stars, but never M4.

But as other people have said, this object is quite sensitive to light pollution, northerly latitude, and haze. At this time of year, I'd finger haze as the most likely culprit for somebody having trouble seeing M4 from rural skies south of latitude 45N.

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Tony Flanders

eyeglasses
6x15 and 8x32 monoculars
8x25, 7x35, 10x30 IS, 10x50, and 15x70 binoculars
70mm and 100mm achromatic refractors
4.5", 7", and 12.5" Dobs

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