Optical photometry and basic parameters of 10 unstudied open clusters

TL;DR

This study provides new optical photometry and fundamental parameters for 10 previously unstudied open clusters, revealing their distances, ages, and positions relative to the Galactic plane, and expanding the known data for clusters in this region.

Contribution

First optical photometry for 8 clusters, estimating their parameters and expanding the dataset of clusters beyond 2 kpc in the first galactic quadrant.

Findings

8 clusters are located beyond 2 kpc from the Sun.

6 clusters are well above or below the Galactic plane.

7 clusters are 500 Myr or younger.

Abstract

We present BVI CCD photometry of 10 northern open clusters, Berkeley 43, Berkeley 45, Berkeley 47, NGC 6846, Berkeley 49, Berkeley 51, Berkeley 89, Berkeley 91, Tombaugh 4 and Berkeley 9, and estimate their fundamental parameters. Eight of the clusters are located in the first galactic quadrant and 2 are in the second. This is the first optical photometry for 8 clusters. All of them are embedded in rich galactic fields and have large reddening towards them (E(B-V) = 1.0 - 2.3 mag). There is a possibility that some of these difficult-to-study clusters may be asterisms rather than physical systems, but assuming they are physical clusters, we find that 8 of them are located beyond 2 kpc, and 6 clusters (60% of the sample) are located well above or below the Galactic plane. Seven clusters have ages 500 Myr or less and the other 3 are 1 Gyr or more in age. This sample of clusters has increased the optical photometry of clusters in the second half of the first galactic quadrant, beyond 2 kpc, from 10 to 15. NGC 6846 is found to be one of the most distant clusters in this region of the Galaxy.