Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: States should follow Oregon's example on voting ... Stouts fire continued to grow overnight ... 'Shabby chic yard sale on steroids': Vintage Fair at Barnstormer Farm starts Friday ... Our View: States should follow Oregon's example on voting ... Stouts fire continued to grow overnight ... 'Shabby chic yard sale on steroids': Vintage Fair at Barnstormer Farm starts Friday ... Looking Up: Looking for the Double Cluster Comment By Peter Becker More Content Now MailTribune.com By Peter Becker More Content Now Posted Nov. 21, 2014 at 9:48 AM By Peter Becker More Content Now Posted Nov. 21, 2014 at 9:48 AM » Social News This is a great time to see the Double Cluster. It is near the marvelous “M” shape of Cassiopeia in the northern sky and can be seen with just your eyes. If the sky is sufficiently free of light pollution and there is no moon, you should be able to see a “fuzzy patch.” Whether you find it or not with eyes alone, grab a pair of binoculars and have a look. Remarkable about the stars of the Double Cluster is not their brilliance to unaided eyes but their unusual pairing, appearing like nearly identical twins next to one another. Binoculars will show them plainly, as a pair of compact bursts of stars. A small telescope at low magnification offers a stunning view. The stars will appear brighter and you will see more of them. With a telescope, you can closely inspect and count the cluster stars, enjoy tracing their patterns and look for colors (a few of the faint stars are red). Higher magnification may show one cluster at a time; a slight nudge will take your telescope to the other cluster. The two star clusters are approximately 7,500 light years away (one is 7,600 and the other 6,800); that's how many years it takes for their light to reach us traveling in excess of 186,000 miles a second. (The Pleiades are only about 450 light years away.) These clusters are within the bounds of the constellation Perseus, an ancient Greek folk hero situated between the constellation Andromeda, Perseus’ mythological lover, and the constellation Cassiopeia, representing Andromeda's royal mother. The Double Cluster, to the Greeks, represents the jeweled handle of Perseus’s sword. Observed from antiquity as a curious patch of light, its true nature as a double assembly of stars was not revealed until William Herschel first examined it with a telescope in the early 19th century. To find the Double Cluster, first locate Cassiopeia. The five brightest stars form an unmistakable "M" which appears to be tipping, balancing on one end, at around 8 p.m. in mid-November. Binoculars will help you find the Double Cluster as you slowly scan to the right of the lower portion of the "M." The clusters are only a little farther from the "M" as it is between any of two stars marking the four "legs" of Cassiopeia's "M." Star clusters abound in the galaxy. A small telescope will help you locate scores of them along the star-studded Milky Way band. No optical aid is needed at all to see the beautiful Pleiades star cluster, its six or seven brightest stars easily seen, compacted close together. The Pleiades may be seen high in the east on autumn evenings. Lower left of the Pleiades is an even larger but dimmer star, the Hyades. This group traces a "V" shape but on its side when seen in the east. Astronomers list the two members of the Double Cluster as NGC 884 and NGC 869. The New General Catalog, one of several databases, identifies and locates thousands of star clusters, galaxies and nebulous patches found among the constellations. There ought to be a common name for the Double Cluster. After all, we don't call the Pleiades “Cluster” or “Single Cluster”! Maybe you would like to think of a name and share it with me. Your suggestions may be included in the next column; who knows, one may catch on! Send your suggestion to [email protected]. Let me know if you've seen the Double Cluster and what you thought! New moon is on November 22. Keep looking up! By Peter Becker More Content Now MailTribune.com By Peter Becker More Content Now Posted Nov. 21, 2014 at 9:48 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501