New infrared star clusters and candidates in the Galaxy detected with 2MASS

¹ Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, IF, CP 15051, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil
² Instituto Astronomico e Geofisico da USP, CP 3386, São Paulo 01060-970, SP, Brazil

Corresponding author: C. M. Dutra, dutra@iagusp.usp.br

Received: 17 April 2001
Accepted: 5 July 2001

Abstract

A sample of 42 new infrared star clusters, stellar groups and candidates was found throughout the Galaxy in the 2MASS J, H and especially K_S atlases. In the Cygnus X region 19 new clusters, stellar groups and candidates were found as compared to 6 such objects in the previous literature. Colour-Magnitude Diagrams using the 2MASS Point Source Catalogue provided preliminary distance estimates in the range kpc for 7 Cygnus X clusters. Towards the central parts of the Galaxy 7 new IR clusters and candidates were found as compared to 61 previous objects. A search for prominent dark nebulae in K_S was also carried out in the central bulge area. We report 5 dark nebulae, 2 of them are candidates for molecular clouds able to generate massive star clusters near the Nucleus, such as the Arches and Quintuplet clusters.