Open Superclusters II. Discovery of an Inactive Supercluster Including a New Star Cluster in the Solar Neighborhood

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of a new inactive supercluster, HC8, near the Sun, including a newly identified star cluster Duvia 1, and analyzes its properties and star formation history using Gaia data.

Contribution

It introduces the discovery of the HC8 supercluster and provides detailed analysis of its properties and member clusters, advancing understanding of local star groupings.

Findings

HC8 is a newly identified supercluster within 500 pc of the Sun.

HC8 includes the newly discovered cluster Duvia 1.

HC8's star formation history and kinematic properties are characterized.

Abstract

The number of known star clusters, associations, and moving groups in the vicinity of the Sun has increased significantly due to the use of Gaia data. We investigated the existence and properties of open superclusters (OSC) within 500 pc of the Sun, with a particular focus on a newly identified OSC, designated HC8. Using advanced Gaia-derived astrometric data and star cluster catalogs, we identify and analyze member stars of various clusters, deriving key parameters such as ages, distances, extinctions, and kinematic properties. Our findings reveal that HC8, a previously unrecognized OSC, encompasses several young clusters, including the newly discovered cluster Duvia 1. We provide a detailed examination of HC8's star formation history and its spatial and kinematic characteristics. This study contributes to the growing body of evidence supporting the existence of highly populated primordial groups and enhances our understanding of the formation and evolution of star clusters in the Galaxy.