Double Cluster
Star cluster in Perseus · 7,500 light-years
🔭 Explore Double Cluster in the 3D map →View Double Cluster images →| Type | Star cluster |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Perseus |
| Right ascension | 2h 18m 59s |
| Declination | +57° 07′ |
| Object distance | 7,500 light-years |
| Apparent magnitude | 3.7 |
| Apparent size | 14.4′ (arc-minutes) |
| Approx. true diameter | 31.4 light-years across |
| Also known as | C14 · NGC 869 · h Persei Cluster |
Caldwell 14, popularly known as the Double Cluster, is a star cluster (NGC 869) in Perseus — a family of stars bound by gravity. It appears as number 14 in the Caldwell catalogue, Sir Patrick Moore's 1995 list of 109 bright deep-sky objects for amateur astronomers. It spans roughly 14.4 arc-minutes on the sky. At about magnitude 3.7, it can be glimpsed with the unaided eye under dark skies.
Although it appears about 14.4′ wide on the sky, its real span is roughly 31.4 light-years — the difference is a measure of how far away it lies.
Observing Double Cluster
Double Cluster lies in the constellation Perseus and is best placed in the evening sky around October. Its maximum altitude above the horizon depends on your latitude. It is best placed for observers in the northern hemisphere, and sits low for those far south. At its brightness it can be found with the unaided eye under a dark sky and is easy in binoculars.
See Double Cluster in Universe Finder
Open the interactive 3D map to fly to Double Cluster and see it in context among the real stars around it. Launch the 3D view →
Sources
- Position, magnitude and angular size from the OpenNGC catalogue (Mattia Verga).
- Object identity cross-referenced with SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg).
- Image credits and the original observation source are linked with each photograph.
Related objects
- Pleiades — star cluster
- Hercules Cluster — star cluster
- Small Sgr Star Cloud — star cluster
- Messier 25 — star cluster
- Messier 103 — star cluster