NGC 869 & NGC 884: A Double Open Cluster

Explanation: Most star clusters are singularly impressive. Open clusters NGC 869 and NGC 884, however, are doubly impressive. Also known as “h and chi Persei”, this unusual double cluster , shown above, is bright enough to be seen from a dark location without even binoculars . Although their discovery surely predates written history , the Greek astronomer Hipparchus notably cataloged the “double cluster ”. The clusters are over 7,000 light years distant toward the constellation of Perseus , but are separated by only hundreds of light years.