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M80 is a small globular with a dense core,
near the brighter and much larger globular cluster, M4.
Both clusters are visible in the same binocular field of view as two hazy patches.
A telescope will begin to resolve some of the brighter members of M80,
but because the cluster is highly compressed,
higher magnification makes it easier to resolve fainter members.
A nova was observed in this cluster in 1880,
one of only two novae ever witnessed in globular clusters.
At its maximum brightness, the nova glowed brighter than
all the other stars in the cluster put together.
M80 has a high number of "blue stragglers",
young stars formed by gravitational interactions between stars.
This may be due to its high core density, which leads to more frequent stellar collisions.
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