Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Perseus (Per)  ·  Contains:  NGC 869  ·  NGC 884  ·  chi Persei Cluster  ·  h Persei Cluster
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Double Cluster, NGC 869, NGC 884, Doug Summers
Double Cluster, NGC 869, NGC 884
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Double Cluster, NGC 869, NGC 884

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
Double Cluster, NGC 869, NGC 884, Doug Summers
Double Cluster, NGC 869, NGC 884
Powered byPixInsight

Double Cluster, NGC 869, NGC 884

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Description

Containing 300 to 400 visible stars each, the double cluster (including outer members) is estimated to actually contain over 20K solar masses.   The two clusters (NGC 869 and NGC 884) are only separated by a few hundred light-years.   The distance to the clusters is about 7600 light-years, and the cluster age is estimated at 13 million years.   The field covers ~1 degree.  

In this image, it's not entirely clear whether the innermost halos are reflected light from remnant molecular cloud particles, or if the RASA's "feature" of creating halos from brightest stars is affecting the view.   Regardless, the view is appealing, and a 16:9 format covering the 1 degree field makes for a nice presentation.

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