FSR0190 - Another old distant galactic cluster

Abstract

We are conducting a large program to classify newly discovered Milky Way star cluster candidates from Froebrich et al. (2007). Here we present NIR follow-up observations of FSR0190 (RA=20h05m31.3s, DEC=33deg34'09" J2000). The cluster is situated close to the Galactic Plane (l=70.7302deg, b=+0.9498deg). It shows a circular shape, a relatively large number of core helium burning stars -- which clearly distinguishes the cluster from the rich field -- but no centrally condensed star density profile. We derive an age of more than 7Gyr, a Galactocentric distance of 10.5kpc, a distance of 10kpc from the Sun, and an extinction of A_K=0.8mag. The estimated mass is at least of the order of 1E5M_sun, and the absolute brightness is M_V<=-4.7mag; both are rather typical properties for Palomar-type globular clusters.

5 pages, 6 figures, 1 table, Accepted for publication by MNRAS letters, A version with higher resolution figures can be found at http://astro.kent.ac.uk/~df/