h and c (chi) Persei (Double Cluster in Perseus; NGC 869 and 884) |
A pair of open star clusters in the constellation Perseus. They are visible to the naked eye as faint hazy patches. Their names, of a type used for individual stars, were given before their nature was known. The two clusters are very similar in appearance and are less than one degree apart in the sky. They are 7,100 light years away and estimated to be only 50 light years apart. See also: open cluster. |