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Reliable fundamental parameters of open clusters (OCs) such as distance, age, and extinction are key to our understanding of Galactic structure and stellar evolution. In this work, we use Gaia Data Release 2 (DR2) to investigate 45 OCs listed in the New catalogue of optically visible open clusters and candidates (DAML) but with no previous astrometric membership estimation based on Gaia DR2. In the process of selecting targets for this study, we found that some clusters reported as new discoveries in recent papers based on Gaia DR2 were already known clusters listed in DAML. Cluster memberships were determined using a maximum likelihood method applied to Gaia DR2 astrometry. This has allowed us to estimate mean proper motions and mean parallaxes for all investigated clusters. Mean radial velocities were also determined for 12 clusters, 7 of which had no previous published values. We have improved our isochrone fitting code to account for interstellar extinction using an updated extinction polynomial for the Gaia DR2 photometric bandpasses and the Galactic abundance gradient as a prior for metallicity. The updated procedure was validated with a sample of clusters with high-quality [Fe/H] determinations. We then did a critical review of the literature and verified that our cluster parameter determinations represent a substantial improvement over previous values.

The main objective of this work is to determine the cluster members of 1876 open clusters, using positions and proper motions of the astrometric fourth United States Naval Observatory (USNO) CCD Astrograph Catalog (UCAC4). For this purpose, we apply three different methods, all based on aBayesian approach, butwith different formulations: a purely parametric method, another completely non-parametric algorithm and a third, recently developed by Sampedro & Alfaro, using both formulations at different steps of the whole process. The first and second statistical moments of the members' phase-space subspace, obtained after applying the three methods, are compared for every cluster. Although, on average, the three methods yield similar results, there are also specific differences between them, as well as for some particular clusters. The comparison with other published catalogues shows good agreement. We have also estimated, for the first time, the mean proper motion for a sample of 18 clusters. The results are organized in a single catalogue formed by two main files, one with the most relevant information for each cluster, partially including that in UCAC4, and the other showing the individual membership probabilities for each star in the cluster area. The final catalogue, with an interface design that enables an easy interaction with the user, is available in electronic format at the Stellar Systems Group (SSG-IAA).© 2017 The Authors.

Optical UBVRI photometric measurements using the Faulkes Telescope North were taken in early 2011 and combined with 2MASS JHKs and WISE infrared photometry as well as UCAC4 proper motion data in order to estimate the main parameters of the galactic open cluster NGC 2215 of which large uncertainty exists in the current literature. Fitting a King model we estimate a core radius of 1.′12 ± 0.′04 (0.24 ± 0.01 pc) and a limiting radius of 4.′3 ± 0.′5 (0.94 ± 0.11 pc) for the cluster. The results of isochrone fits indicates an age of log(t) = 8.85 ± 0.10 with a distance of d = 790 ± 90 pc, a metallicity of [Fe/H] = -0.40 ± 0.10 dex, and a reddening of E (B - V) = 0.26 ± 0.04. A proportion of the work in this study was undertaken by Australian and Canadian upper secondary school students involved in the Space to Grow astronomy education project, and is the first scientific publication to have utilized our star cluster photometry curriculum materials.

Fitzgerald, M.T., Inwood, L., McKinnon, D.H., Dias, W.S., Sacchi, M., Scott, B., Zolinski, M., Danaia, L., Edwards, R. (2015). PHOTOMETRIC AND PROPER MOTION STUDY OF THE NEGLECTED OPEN CLUSTER NGC 2215 in Astronomical Journal, 149(6). Available here.