Astronomy Picture of the Day

Explanation: Thisstunning starfieldspans about three full moons (1.5 degrees)across the heroic northern constellation ofPerseus.It holds the famouspair of open star clusters,h and Chi Persei.Also cataloged asNGC 869 (right)and NGC 884,both clusters are about 7,000 light-years away andcontain stars much younger and hotter than the Sun. Separated by only a few hundred light-years, the clusters areboth 13 million years youngbased onthe ages of theirindividual stars,evidence that both clusters were likely a product of the same star-formingregion.Always a rewardingsightin binoculars or small telescopes,the Double Cluster is even visible to the unaided eye fromdark locations.