Some 7,000 light-years away, this pair of
open or galactic star clusters is an easy binocular target, a
lovely starfield in the northern constellation Perseus. Also
visible to the unaided eye from dark sky areas. It was cataloged
in 130 BC by Greek astronomer Hipparchus. Now known as h and chi
Persei, or NGC 869(above right) and NGC 884, the clusters
themselves are separated by only a few hundred light-years and
contain stars much younger and hotter than the Sun, NGC 869
being 5.6 million years old, and NGC 884 being 3.2 million years
old.
