The Double Cluster (also known as NGC 869 and NGC 884 as well as Caldwell 14) is comprised of two open clusters of stars lying 7500 light years away. They are naked-eye objects and are especially well seen in binoculars. The clusters can be seen in the northern sky year-round from North America. They are blueshifted, approaching Earth at 24 miles/sec.

Technical Information       

Date:                        September, 2014

Location:                 Green Valley, Arizona

Telescope:              Takahashi FSQ-106EDX

Camera:                  SBIG STT-8300M

Filters:                     Astrodon Gen 2

Mount:                     AstroPhysics 1200

Exposure:               RGB = 60:60:60 minutes, all unbinned

Software:                Acquisition: Maxim DL 5, TheSkyX, Pinpoint, CCD Commander

                                 Processing: CCDStack, PhotoShop CS6 with various plugins