Star Cluster NGC 884

Description:

Open star cluster NGC 884 in Perseus, some 7,500 light years away. The cluster consists mostly of supermassive blue stars that emit prodigious amounts of energy. They were created from the hydrogen gas cloud that the stars are themselves illuminating by a process similar to fluorescence (seen clearly as the blue haze surrounding the central stars). The reddish stars visible in this image are red giants that are tens of millions times larger than our Sun. This cluster is part of a larger "double cluster" that also includes NGC 869. Due to a pointing error, I was only able to capture NCG 884.

Image Name:

Star Cluster NGC 884 in Perseus

Date Taken:

November 5, 2014

Location Taken:

Sierra Remote Observatory, California

Conditions of Location:

Equipment Used:

Processing Used:

10 x 3 minutes LRGB, processed in Maxim DL and Photoship. Total exposure was 2 hours.

Distance from Location:

7,500 light years

Constellation:

Perseus

Other Link:

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