C14 Double Cluster (NGC 869, NGC 884)

The famous double cluster in Perseus. The two clusters are at a distance of 7600 light years (NGC 869) and 6800 light years (NGC 884). These two clusters are therefore close together in space - this is not just a chance line of sight effect. The two clusters collapsed from the same gas cloud. The two clusters are also very young - 5.6 million years (NGC 869) and 3.2 million years (NGC 884). On an astronomical time scale this is very young. For example, the Pleiades star cluster is some where between 75 and 150 million years old. The two clusters are approaching us at 22km/s and 21km/s respectively. The brightest main sequence stars in these two clusters have a spectral type of B0.