Double Cluster
NGC 869
Properties
Position & Identifiers
Visibility
Set a location in User Settings to see visibility data.
Survey Image
Loading survey image…
About Double Cluster
Description
The Double Cluster (NGC 869 and NGC 884) is a pair of open clusters in Perseus, about 7,500 light-years away. Together they span about 60 arcminutes and contain several hundred stars each, including many blue supergiants. At magnitude 4.3, the pair is visible to the naked eye.
Observing Tips
A showpiece object, stunning in binoculars and small telescopes at low power (25-40x). Each cluster fills about half a degree, so a wide field of view is ideal. Look for colorful orange and red supergiants scattered among the blue-white stars. Best in autumn and winter.
History
Known since antiquity; Hipparchus noted a bright patch between Perseus and Cassiopeia around 130 BC. Messier inexplicably left it out of his catalog, which is one reason Patrick Moore created the Caldwell catalog.
Fun Facts
The two clusters are physically related and only a few hundred light-years apart in space. At just 12-14 million years old, they are among the youngest known clusters. If our Sun were located in the Double Cluster, the night sky would contain hundreds of stars brighter than Sirius.
Community Photos (1)
Credit: Genuson. License: CC BY-SA 3.0. (Wikimedia Commons)
Skybred Mar 2, 2026