NGC 2281

(Melotte 51; Collinder 116; MWSC 989; OCL 446; OCSN 228)

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1.0 UTI
1.0
CN
1.0
Cdens
1.0
CC3
1.0
Clit
1.0
Cdup
N50 (P>50% members) 868
Stellar density (N50/rad) 56.3 [N/pc2]
C3 classification AA
  • CN 1.0 Very rich
  • Cdens 1.0 Very dense
  • CC3 1.0 Very high quality
  • Clit 1.0 Very well-studied
  • Cdup 1.0 Unique
đŸ“Ĩ Members 📊 Colab đŸ”Ŧ Bayestar19 MOCAMOCA 🔍 CDS 🔍 Simbad 🔍 CDS (Îą, δ) 🔍 Simbad (Îą, δ)

Overview
ℹī¸
NGC 2281 is a very rich, very dense object of very high C3 quality. Its parallax locates it at a close distance, above the mid-plane, affected by low extinction. It is catalogued as a near-solar metallicity, intermediate-age cluster, but with a large variance across recent sources for the absorption, metallicity, and mass parameters (see Parameters). It is very well-studied in the literature.

Yan et al. (2026)
Number of WDs: expected from single-star evolution N=23, with probability of formation through binary evolution >=0.5 N=1.

Almeida et al. (2025)
Mass determination: good fit. Isochrone match: good fit.

Cavallo et al. (2024)
Gold sample.

Hunt & Reffert (2024)
Classified as open cluster. CMD class: 1.00 (50th percentile).

Richer et al. (2021)
The expected number of WDs is 28.0, 0 WD candidates found, and 0 WD candidates found in the wide search.

Ahumada & Lapasset (2007)
This cluster shows mass segregation (1978PASJ...30..123Y); in particular, the binaries appear concentrated. Star 62=HD 49010 is cited as a blue straggler in (1985ApJ...294L.103A) and (1982A&A...109...37M). In (1985ApJ...294L.103A) this star is given a spectrum A2:Vp (Si(st),Ca(wk)), and a projected velocity v.sin i=40,100 km/s, while in (1959AJ.....64..170V) it is given a membership probability of 91%.

Data
🔍 Search references for NGC 2281 in: SciX Simbad
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Reference Year RA [deg] DEC [deg] Plx [mas] pmRA [mas/yr] pmDE [mas/yr] Rv [km/s]
UCC 99999– 102.068 41.05 1.918 -3.001 -8.29 19.685
Yan et al. 2026 102.09 41.094 1.931 -2.98 -8.278 –
Li et al. 2025 102.091 41.06 1.896 -2.946 -8.321 –
Almeida et al. 2025 102.079 41.047 – – – –
Alfonso et al. 2024 102.093 41.05 1.889 -2.973 -8.276 –
Zhang et al. 2024 102.09 41.094 – – – –
Hunt & Reffert 2024 102.09 41.094 1.931 -2.98 -8.278 19.472
Cavallo et al. 2024 102.088 41.033 1.929 – – –
Hunt & Reffert 2023 102.09 41.094 1.931 -2.98 -8.278 19.472
Almeida et al. 2023 102.035 40.996 – – – –
Cordoni et al. 2023 102.079 41.047 1.89 -2.953 -8.309 –
Qin et al. 2023 102.08 41.07 1.92 -2.95 -8.27 20.75
Just et al. 2023 102.065 41.081 – – – –
He et al. 2022 102.09 41.05 1.929 -2.979 -8.277 –
Tarricq et al. 2022 102.106 41.063 1.927 -2.974 -8.275 –
Jadhav & Subramaniam 2021 102.091 41.06 – – – –
Jaehnig et al. 2021 102.094 41.072 1.925 -2.952 -8.323 –
Rain et al. 2021 102.091 41.06 1.896 -2.946 -8.321 –
Richer et al. 2021 102.079 41.041 1.886 -2.954 -8.316 –
Dias et al. 2021 102.079 41.047 1.89 -2.953 -8.309 17.746
Cantat-Gaudin et al. 2020 102.091 41.06 1.896 -2.946 -8.321 –
Zhong et al. 2020 102.091 41.06 – -2.946 -8.321 15.333
Cantat-Gaudin & Anders 2020 102.091 41.06 1.896 -2.946 -8.321 –
Bossini et al. 2019 102.091 41.06 – – – –
Soubiran et al. 2018 102.091 41.06 – – – 19.58
Bica et al. 2019 102.081 41.083 – – – –
Cantat-Gaudin et al. 2018 102.091 41.06 1.896 -2.946 -8.321 –
Loktin & Popova 2017 102.075 41.078 – -0.756 -2.204 13.3
Kharchenko et al. 2016 102.065 41.081 – – – –
Dias et al. 2014 102.071 41.078 – -2.48 -6.76 –
Kharchenko et al. 2013 102.075 41.08 – -3.75 -7.0 13.3
Gozha et al. 2012 102.071 41.078 – – – –
Kharchenko et al. 2012 102.075 41.08 – -3.75 -7.0 13.29
Piskunov et al. 2008 102.069 41.079 – – – –
Kharchenko et al. 2007 102.07 41.08 – 0.43 – 13.29
Piskunov et al. 2007 102.069 41.079 – – – –
Ahumada & Lapasset 2007 102.075 41.083 – – – –
van den Bergh 2006 102.075 41.083 – – – –
Kharchenko et al. 2005 102.07 41.08 – -4.13 -7.74 21.0
Kharchenko et al. 2003 102.07 41.08 – -4.49 -8.42 –
Chen et al. 2003 102.228 41.075 – -2.78 -7.59 11.0
Dias et al. 2002 102.071 41.078 – -2.48 -6.76 19.05
Lynga 1987 102.337 41.056 – – – 18.0
Sulentic et al. 1973 102.339 41.054 – – – –

💡 Note: The UCC values are estimated from its identified members.

Reference Year Dist [kpc] Av [mag] DAv [mag] Age [Myr] [Fe/H] [dex] Mass [Msun] Bfrac BSS
UCC 99999– 0.52 0.21 0.89 562 0.023 681 0.375 0
Yan et al. 2026 – – – 616 – – – –
Li et al. 2025 0.50 0.30 – 661 -0.035 – – –
Almeida et al. 2025 0.52 0.43 – 590 – 722 – –
Alfonso et al. 2024 0.54 0.09 – 751 -0.035 – – –
Zhang et al. 2024 – – – – 0.023(1) – – –
Hunt & Reffert 2024 – – – – – 838(1) – –
Cavallo et al. 2024 0.52 0.32 – 372 0.350 – – –
Hunt & Reffert 2023 0.49 0.22 0.89 274 – – – –
Almeida et al. 2023 0.51 0.34 – 545 -0.032 681(1) 0.51 –
Cordoni et al. 2023 0.52 0.43 – 590 -0.037 897 0.24 0(1)
Qin et al. 2023 0.56 0.25 – 562 – – – –
Just et al. 2023 – – – 610 – 40 – –
He et al. 2022 – 0.65 – 282 – – – –
Tarricq et al. 2022 0.54 – – 631 – – – –
Jadhav & Subramaniam 2021 0.54 0.09 – 617 – 1133 – 0(1)
Jaehnig et al. 2021 0.52(1) – – – – – – –
Rain et al. 2021 0.52 0.19 – 355 – – – 0
Richer et al. 2021 – 0.37 – 617 – – – –
Dias et al. 2021 0.52 0.43 – 590 -0.037 – – –
Cantat-Gaudin et al. 2020 0.54 0.09 – 617 – – – –
Kounkel et al. 2020 0.51 0.39 – 269 – – – –
Zhong et al. 2020 0.52(1) 0.14 – 8779 -0.085 – – –
Cantat-Gaudin & Anders 2020 0.52 – – – – – – –
Bossini et al. 2019 0.49 0.14 – 601 0.130 – – –
Soubiran et al. 2018 0.52 – – – – – – –
Cantat-Gaudin et al. 2018 0.52 – – – – – – –
Loktin & Popova 2017 0.56 0.20 – 360 – – – –
Kharchenko et al. 2016 0.50 0.21 – 610 – – – –
Kharchenko et al. 2013 0.50 0.21 – 610 0.130 – – –
Gozha et al. 2012 0.56 – – 358 0.130 98 – –
Kharchenko et al. 2012 0.50 0.21 – 610 0.130 – – –
Piskunov et al. 2008 0.56 0.19 – 501 – 239(1) – –
Piskunov et al. 2007 0.56 0.19 – 501 – 88 – –
Ahumada & Lapasset 2007 – 0.19 – 355 – – – 1
van den Bergh 2006 0.56 0.19 – 355 – – – –
Kharchenko et al. 2005 0.56 0.19 – 501 – – – –
Kharchenko et al. 2003 0.56 0.47 – – – – – –
Chen et al. 2003 0.56 0.20 – 350 0.130(1) – – –
Dias et al. 2002 0.56 0.20 – 358 0.130 – – –
Lynga 1987 0.50 0.25 – 302 -0.040 – – –

(N): Indicates that there are N extra values assigned to this parameter in the corresponding reference.

Visualization
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NGC 2281 UCC
NGC 2281 HUNT23
NGC 2281 CANTAT20
Galactocentric position diagram