C14 — Double Cluster
Open Cluster in Perseus
About
The Double Cluster, two young open clusters, NGC 869 and NGC 884, in Perseus about 7,500 light-years away. Both are around 14 million years old and hold many hot blue-white supergiants, with a few red supergiants in NGC 884.
Imaging tips
- At 400–670 mm on APS-C the pair fills a third to half of the frame; NGC 884 (Chi Persei) lies about 28′ from the centre of this entry.
- Bright stars saturate easily and lose their colour: use short subs, or add a short-exposure set for the star cores.
- Star colours range from blue to orange and red, and broadband is all a cluster needs.
- Best in October and November; it is circumpolar from mid-northern latitudes and high overhead.
Facts
- Size
- 60′
- Magnitude
- 5.3
- Coordinates
- RA 2h 19.0m, Dec +57° 8′
- Framing, APS-C
- 400–670 mm
- Framing, full frame
- 620–1030 mm
- Best months
- Oct, Nov
- Peak altitude
- 83° from 50°N, 68° from 35°N
Nearby
- H-NGC884 (Chi Per) · 28.3′ away