THE DOUBLE CLUSTER IN PERSEUS
NGC 869 and NGC 884

The Double Cluster has the distinction of being the "object that Messier missed."  Wny the author of the Messier Catalog, a group of the skies 109 brighter objects, would have left out the combination of NGC 869 & NGC 884 is a mystery.  Next to the Pleiades, the Double Cluster is perhaps the most beautiful and brightest open star clusters in the night sky.  It was most certainly known to Charles Messier, but it is still excluded from the Catalog.  

Using binoculars in even the worse light pollution, the pair of clusters is obvious.  NGC 869, at left, is a magnitude 5.3 object, while its partner, NGC 884, shines at 6.1 magnitude.  But together, the combination is easily a naked eye object seen in most relatively dark skies.   It's a very wide field of stars, so binoculars and small refractors make for the best views.  It's truly one of the skies celestial treasures.

Date: December 8, 2004
Location: The Ballauer Observatory near Azle, Texas
Transparency: 5.2 mag zenithal
Seeing: 2/10, very poor
Temperature: 52 degrees, camera cooled to -25 degrees C
Scope/Mount: Tak FSQ-106 @ f/8 (Ext-Q) and Tak NJP mount
Camera: SBIG STL-6303E, self-guided
Exposure Info: RGB image, 30:30:40 minutes (2 minute subexposures, unbinned)
Processing: Dark frame calibration, deblooming, registration, and Sigma Combine in MaxIm DL 4.  Digital Development and RGB combine in MaxIm DL 4.  Color balance, curves, levels, selective sharpening/blurring/despeckle in Photoshop CS.

Astronomi    Astrophotography    

Yıldız Kümeleri Resimleri   Galaxy Resimler   Nebula Resimler 

Copyright(c) 2003 - 2004 Cetinbal All rights reserved.