New galactic open cluster candidates from DSS and 2MASS imagery

TL;DR

This study reports the discovery of 66 potential new open clusters in the Milky Way using DSS and 2MASS imagery, with detailed analysis of 24 candidates and fundamental parameters for some.

Contribution

First identification of 66 new open cluster candidates in the Milky Way using combined DSS and 2MASS data, including detailed photometric analysis for select candidates.

Findings

24 cluster candidates have detailed descriptions based on 2MASS photometry.

9 candidates have fundamental parameters derived from isochrone fitting.

10 candidates' distances and reddenings are estimated from red clump stars.

Abstract

An inspection of the DSS and 2MASS images of selected Milky Way regions has led to the discovery of 66 stellar groupings whose morphologies, color-magnitude diagrams, and stellar density distributions suggest that these objects are possible open clusters that do not yet appear to be listed in any catalogue. For 24 of these groupings, which we consider to be the most likely to be candidates, we provide extensive descriptions on the basis of 2MASS photometry and their visual impression on DSS and 2MASS. Of these cluster candidates, 9 have fundamental parameters determined by fitting the color-magnitude diagrams with solar metallicity Padova isochrones. An additional 10 cluster candidates have distance moduli and reddenings derived from K magnitudes and (J-K) color indices of helium-burning red clump stars. As an addendum, we also provide a list of a number of apparently unknown galactic and extragalactic objects that were also discovered during the survey.