Distances of Five Open Cluster Near Eta Carinae

Colour-magnitude diagrams have been constructed for five open clusters in the Southern Milky Way near η Carinae and the results tabulated below. Photometry is on Johnson's standard UBV system, and observations were limited to stars brighter than magnitude, V , 15. Ages were estimated from Limber's tabulations ( Ap. J. , 131 , 168, 1960). Although NGC 3496 and Tr 17 are easily seen on plates, the corresponding colour-magnitude and two-colour diagrams are very scattered, and it would be as well to await further proof of their reality as clusters.