The Double Cluster in Widefield Wonder

 

A stack of RAW lights captured with the Jodrell Plank Observatory's Canon 600d DSLR with EOS zoom lens at f=90mm ISO1600 on a Star Adventurer EQ mount. Infra-red data was added from the WISE space telescope to increase the dynamic range of the final image. Credit: Pip Stakkert, NASA and Astrometry.net.

Area of sky covered by the image; Credit Astrometry.net

"The Double Cluster in the constellation Perseus are two open star clusters, NGC869 and NGC884, seen side by side in the night sky as viewed from the Northern Hemisphere. There are more than 300 blue-white super-giant stars in each of these clusters. The clusters are very young at 14 million years old and are much younger than the Pleiades. They are some 7500 light years distant in the Perseus arm of the Milky Way. The clusters may be seen with the naked eye from a dark location but come to life when viewed through binoculars or a telescope at low magnification. The glowing gas and dust associated with the Heart and Soul and Fishhead nebulae show up well in the infra-red data from the WISE telescope and can be seen as the red bobs centre top in our image" - Kurt Thrust current Director of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.