NGC 869 is a star cluster located in the constellation Perseus. It is also known as h Persei or the Double Cluster, as it is often seen together with a neighbouring cluster, NGC 884, and the two are considered a single astronomical object.
The Double Cluster is one of the brightest and closest open clusters to Earth and is a popular target for amateur astronomers.
The clusters contain hundreds of stars, some of which are quite young and bright, and are thought to have formed about 7 million years ago. They are located about 7,500 light-years away from Earth.
I processed this image with focus on the H-alpha (seen as red) throughout the background. There’s a lot more to be seen surrounding many of the deepsky objects we like to image.
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There’s something special about observing a double cluster in the night sky and NGC 869 and NGC 884 form one of the best examples. Double clusters are very rare.
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