Double Cluster Persei - 2023 Christmas Edition (Mau_Bard)

Double Cluster Persei - 2023 Christmas Edition

Earlier in 2023 I published an image of the double cluster that was useful to break the ice with this target and make me understand it deserved more time and attention. In particular I wanted to capture some more detail of the background, that in my forst version appeared totally static. I have therefore gathered more exposures in December 2023 including some with the L-eNhance filter, hoping to capture some Ha emission. Narrow-band data proved to be completely useless and I have completely discarded it from the actual image here. Probably the modded DSLR employed here is not enough sensitive to gather well the subtle background signal, it is in any case a little step ahead compared to my initial picture.

The Double Cluster
Also known as Caldwell 14, it consists of two open clusters NGC 884 (chi Persei) and NGC 869 (h Persei), which are physical neighbors. They lie at respectively a distance of 7400 and 7100 light years in the Perseus Arm of the Milky Way galaxy, and form the core of the Perseus OB1 association.
The ancients already knew the Double Cluster, and the Greek astronomer Hipparcos first catalogued it in 130 BC.
NGC 884 weighs in at 3700 solar masses and NGC 869 has a mass of 4700 solar masses; both clusters are surrounded with a very extensive halo of stars, with a total mass for the complex of at least 20,000 solar masses. There are more than 300 blue-white super-giant stars in each of the clusters.
Based on their individual stars, the clusters are relatively young, both 14 million years old or even younger. In comparison, the Pleiades have an estimated age ranging from 75 million years to 150 million years.
The clusters are approaching Earth at a speed of about 39 km/s.

(Sources: Wikipedia and Simbad)

Final
Original
B
C

B

Title: x2

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C

Title: Annotated

Uploaded: ...

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Status	Advanced success
Started	...
Astrometry.net job	8958907
PixInsight job	75R82A30BA2GD680H4Q1AIFSXL644GMI
PixInsight queue size	n/a
PixInsight stage	TASK_LOG

RA (center)	02h20m39s.42
RA (top/left)	02h32m30s.89
RA (top/right)	02h08m48s.25
RA (bottom/right)	02h09m27s.21
RA (bottom/left)	02h31m50s.86

Dec (center)	+57°09′10″.2
Dec (top/left)	+58°07′10″.1
Dec (top/right)	+58°07′10″.5
Dec (bottom/right)	+56°07′12″.1
Dec (bottom/left)	+56°07′09″.9

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