On the nature of five open cluster candidates projected close to the Galactic centre

Abstract

We present CCD BVI observations obtained for 1759 stars in 4'x4' regions around the unstudied southern stellar aggregates Ruprecht 103, 124, 129, 146 and 166, which are described as open clusters in several catalogues. Our analysis shows that none of these stellar groups are genuine open clusters since no clear main sequences or meaningful features can be seen in their colour-magnitude diagrams. Star counts carried out within and outside the cluster candidate fields not only support these results but also show that the studied objects do not appear candidate late stages of star cluster dynamical evolution.