Spectroscopy and BVIc photometry of the young open cluster NGC 6604

BVIC photometry and classification spectroscopy is presented for the young open cluster NGC 6604. Additional Echelle spectroscopy of the brightest mem bers is used to check the reddening against the interstellar NaI and KI abs orption lines, to measure the cluster radial velocity and to derive the ind ividual rotational velocities. We obtain 1.7 kpc as the cluster distance, a n age of similar to 5 10(6) years and a reddening EB-V= 1.02 (+/-0.01 from three independent methods). Pre-ZAMS objects are apparently not detected ov er the Delta m = 8.5 mag explored range. The cluster radial velocity is in agreement with the Hron (1987) model for the Galaxy disk rotation.