Credits: Keith Turnecliff

NGC 869 is an open cluster located 7,600 light years away. The cluster is most likely to be around 13 million years old.
NGC869 is the westermost cluster of the Double Cluster with NGC884 which frequently get photographed and viewed together.

Facts about NGC869 by Keith Turnecliff

The clusters are visible to the naked eye as a brighter patch in the winter Milky Way.
In small telescopes the cluster appears as an assemly of bright stars located in a rich star field.
Dominated by bright blue stars, the cluster also contains a few orange stars.

This star chart represents a view from Long Itchington for mid-November at 10pm.
Credits: Image courtesy of Starry Night Pro Plus 8, researched and implemented by Keith Turnecliff.