SIMBAD references

Astronomers have access to precious few nearby, middle-aged benchmark star clusters. Within 500 pc, there are only NGC 752 and Ruprecht 147 (R147) at 1.5 and 3 Gyr, respectively. The Database for Galactic Open Clusters (WEBDA) also lists Loden 1 as a 2 Gyr cluster at a distance of 360 pc. If this is true, Loden 1 could become a useful benchmark cluster. This work details our investigation of Loden 1. We assembled archival astrometry (PPMXL) and photometry (2MASS, Tycho-2, APASS), and acquired medium resolution spectra for radial velocity measurements with the Robert Stobie Spectrograph at the Southern African Large Telescope. We observed no sign of a cluster main-sequence turnoff or red giant branch among all stars in the field brighter than J\lt 11 . Considering the 29 stars identified by L.O. Loden and listed on SIMBAD as the members of Loden 1, we found no compelling evidence of kinematic clustering in proper motion or radial velocity. Most of these candidates are A stars and red giants, and their observed properties are consistent with distant field stars in the direction of Loden 1 in the Galactic plane. We conclude that the old nearby cluster Loden 1 is neither old, nor nearby, nor a cluster.