FSR 0190: another old distant Galactic cluster

Abstract

We are conducting a large programme to classify newly discovered Milky Way star cluster candidates from Froebrich et al. Here we present near-infrared follow-up observations of FSR 0190 (α = 20 h 05 m 31. s 3 ,δ = 33 ◦ 34 ′ 09 ′′ , J2000). The cluster is situated close to the Galactic plane (l = 70. ◦ 7302, b =+ 0. 9498). It shows a circular shape, and 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 7 Gyr, a Galactocentric distance of 10.5 kpc, a distance of 10 kpc from the Sun, and an extinction of AK = 0.8 mag. The estimated mass is at least of the order of 10 5 M⊙, and the absolute brightness is MV � −4.7 mag; both are rather typical properties for Palomar-type globular clusters.