A DEEP BVI PHOTOMETRIC-STUDY OF THE OPEN CLUSTER NGC-2453

CCD observations of the open cluster NGC 2453 have been carried out in B, V and I passbands. A total of 356 stars have been observed in a fi eld of about 4' x 6' of the sky centred on the cluster. Colour-magnitu de diagrams in V, B - V and V, V - I have been generated down to V = 2 0 and for the first time, the unevolved part of the cluster main seque nce has been observed. The mean true distance modulus derived from the se diagrams is 13.(m)85 +/- 0.2 yielding a distance of 5.9 +/- 0.2 kpc . A mean age of 25 Myr has been derived for the cluster by fitting iso chrones. The distance of approximately 6 kpc puts the cluster much bey ond the planetary nebula NGC 2452 whose largest estimated distance to date is about 3.5 kpc. The two are not physically associated.