C14 · Double Cluster
| Chinese name | 英仙双星团 |
|---|---|
| Type | Open cluster |
| Constellation | Per |
| RA | 02h20m |
| Dec | +57° |
| Apparent magnitude | 3.8ᵐ |
| Hemisphere | Northern |
| Best season | Autumn |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Focal length | 中焦 400–800mm |
About
The Double Cluster (C14, NGC 869 and NGC 884) lies about 7,500 light-years away in Perseus, two young, brilliant open clusters side by side that fit in a single field and appear to the naked eye as a conspicuous glow in the Perseus Milky Way. Each holds several hundred stars only about 12-13 million years old, dominated by hot blue-white supergiants accented by a few striking orange-red supergiants, a charming contrast of warm and cool. Both belong to the Perseus OB1 association and lie less than half a degree apart on the sky. Recorded as far back as the Greek Hipparchus, it is among the most photogenic and beginner-friendly open-cluster targets of autumn.