Open star clusters are widely distributed in our galaxy and represent a loose collection of stars which number from a
few dozen to a few hundred stars and are weakly-held gravitationally. Perhaps the three most famous such open clusters
are the Pleiades (M45) in Taurus, the Beehive (M44) in Cancer and the double cluster in Perseus. They are all
characterized with a handful of hot and white prominent stars and nebular material surrounding these stars.
Note: The open cluster NGC 884 depicted below along with NGC
869 which lies less than one-half
of one degree away form the well-known "Double in Perseus". These clusters had been observed in antiquity based on the
references by Hipparcus (130 BC). The cluster is estimated to be 3.2 million years old and to span several hundred million
light-years in diameter. The brightest member stars include both older red supergiants and younger white hot stars. Both
NGC 884 and NGC 869 are best observed using low magnifications (50-100x) and provide a stunning sight within the same
field of view. The cluster lies at the midpoint between Perseus and Cassiopeia and is best observed during fall and
winter when it is directly overhead around midnight.
Note: For an earlier result from 2006, please click
here.
Please click on the image below to display in higher resolution (1200 x 900)