Abstract:
This paper investigates a poorly studied open cluster, NGC 5288, using 2MASS JHKS and the recently released Gaia DR3 astrometric and photometric data. The mean proper motions in right ascension and declination are estimated as (−3.840 ± 0.230) and (−1.934 ± 0.162) mas yr−1 respectively. We also derive the age and distance of the cluster as 510 ± 190 Myr and 2.64 ± 0.11 kpc, using colormagnitude diagrams (CMDs). We also obtain the distance as 2.77 ± 0.42 kpc using the parallax method. Interstellar reddening E(B−V ) in the direction of the cluster is determined as 0.45 mag using the ((J −H),(J −K)) color-color diagram. We find the mass function slope for main-sequence stars as 1.39±0.29 within the mass range 1.0−2.7 M, which agrees with Salpeter’s value within the uncertainty. Galactic orbits are derived using the Galactic potential model, indicating that NGC 5288 follows a circular path around the Galactic center.