NGC 884

Binoculars • Open Clusters

Finder map for NGC 884

As part of the famous Double Cluster, it is one of the most celebrated and beautiful binocular objects in the night sky. Located within the constellation Perseus, the pair has long been admired as a richly jeweled region of the Milky Way in both historical star charts and modern amateur astronomy. Best viewed when high in the sky to minimize atmospheric distortion. Circumpolar for most mid-to-high northern latitudes. Distinguishing the fainter cluster members from the rich Milky Way background and appreciating the subtle color contrast of the red supergiant stars among the numerous blue-white members.

Finder scope & binocular view of NGC 884

Observation Notes

Naked Eye

Visible from dark skies as part of the famous Double Cluster, appearing as a faint, hazy glow adjacent to NGC 869. To the unaided eye, the two clusters are often perceived together as a single elongated or double nebulous patch.

Binoculars

A superb binocular object, resolving into dozens of bright stars. NGC 884 appears slightly looser and less centrally concentrated than its companion NGC 869, and viewing both clusters together in the same field is spectacular.

Small Telescope

At low power, reveals many dozens of stars spread across the cluster, with a rich but still open structure. A wide-field eyepiece is essential to preserve context or to include both clusters in the same view.

Medium Telescope

Resolves large numbers of stars across the cluster, producing a brilliant, sparkling field. Several orange and red supergiant stars become prominent, providing striking color contrast against the dominant blue-white population.

Large Telescope

Shows an extremely rich star field with numerous faint members and close pairs visible. Higher magnification is useful for examining individual stars and subtle color contrasts, though the cluster’s overall form is best appreciated at lower power.