Observer's guide
About Group of 4 stars
Group of 4 stars (M73) is catalogued as a group/asterism in Aquarius. Its J2000 position is RA 20:58:55.97, Dec -12:38:07.8, corresponding to 314.75 degrees RA and -12.6333 degrees Dec. The local catalogue places it about 2,000 light-years away. Its referenced angular extent is approximately 2.8 by 2.8 arcminutes.
Observing tips
StarWatchr rates this as a hard target at magnitude 9. It is associated with summer observing, with midnight placement typically strongest around July. From 52 degrees north its theoretical meridian altitude is about 25.4 degrees; local horizons and the live altitude chart determine the practical window.
Because it is faint, use a larger aperture where possible, avoid bright Moon conditions, and use averted vision.
What to expect
The SIMBAD classification for the matched source is err. The SIMBAD record currently connects it to 32 bibliographic references.
At roughly 2.8 arcminutes across, it benefits from a narrower field and adequate image scale. Use the listed 2.8 by 2.8 arcminute extent to check framing, and treat catalogue magnitude as integrated brightness rather than a direct measure of visual contrast.