January 29, 1997
Long before your first heartbeat, stars were busy forging the elements you would one day call your own.
NGC 869 & NGC 884: A Double Open Cluster Credit and Copyright:
Birthday · January 29, 1997
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APOD published January 29, 1997. Full image credits are on the original APOD entry below. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
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NGC 869 & NGC 884: A Double Open Cluster Credit and Copyright:
Original APOD · January 29, 1997 ↗Most star clusters are singularly impressive. But open clusters NGC 869 and NGC 884 are doubly impressive. Also known as "h and chi Persei", this rare double cluster, shown above, is bright enough to be seen from a dark location without even binoculars. Although their discovery surely predates written history, the "double cluster" was notably cataloged by the Greek astronomer Hipparcos. The clusters are over 7000 light years distant toward the constellation of Perseus, but are separated by only hundreds of light years.