Double Cluster in Perseus
2023
- Type
- Cluster
- Acquisition
- Sky Rover 90 APO · ZWO ASI2600MM Pro
- Integration
- 6h
Double Cluster in Perseus, veiled in mist (NGC 869 & 884)
Half-hidden in cosmic haze, the Double Cluster is one of our galaxy's quiet wonders. The pair — NGC 869 and NGC 884 — rests serenely in Perseus, about 7,600 light-years from Earth, a set of twin jewels in the night sky. On autumn and winter nights they glimmer against the deep background like distant lighthouses, drawing the gaze of stargazers.
Not only does the pair lie close to the radiant of the Perseid meteor shower — it was also first recorded by the ancient Greek astronomer Hipparchus around 130 BC. Burning quietly across that vast distance, they offer us a glimpse of truly ancient starlight.