Thursday, August 27, 2020
Double Cluster in Perseus
Double Cluster in Perseus
At 3.7 and 3.8 magnitude, these two star clusters are bright enough to capture through heavy light pollution using the eVscope.
The famous double cluster is an ideal object to add to the list of visible and bright NGC objects, and makes a nice addition to the completed Messier catalog.
The two star clusters making up the Double Cluster are called NGC 869 (h Persei) and NGC 884 (Chi Persei). If you are further south (but still in the Northern Hemisphere), try looking for the Double Cluster in the evening in autumn or winter. For general reference, the Double Cluster is high in the sky when the Big Dipper is low, and vice versa. Because the Big Dipper is lowest in the northern sky on late autumn and early winter evenings, the Double Cluster is highest in the northern sky at these times. The Double Cluster is pretty much always visible at evening except in late spring and summer.
Right ascension 2h 20m
Declination 57° 08′
Apparent magnitude (V) 3.7 and 3.8
The position of h Persei’s is Right Ascension: 2h 19m; Declination: 57o 9′ north
Chi Persei’s position is Right Ascension: 2h 22.4m; Declination: 57o 7′ north
Bottom line: On an autumn of winter evening, scan between Cassiopeia and Perseus for the magnificent Double Cluster. At a distance of some 7,500 light-years, the stars in these two clusters are young, hot supergiant suns that are many thousands of times more luminous than our sun.
Link
http://www.waloszek.de/inhalt_astro_dso_ngc884_869_e.html