Starwatch: the Double Cluster, a secret in the deep sky

To find these distant objects you need to get well away from the city lights and give your eyes time to adjust

This week's challenge is for northern hemisphere observers to see a pair of faint star clusters. The Double Cluster is a pair of side-by-side star clusters, both of which are about 13 million years old and located at a distance of 7,650 light years. Although they will appear together as little more than an elongated smudge, there is a unique satisfaction in seeing these "deep sky objects". It's like you've uncovered a secret in the sky.