Strömgren-Hβ Photometry of the Galactic Open Cluster M11

We present uvbyβ CCD photometry of the central region of the rich Galactic open cluster M11. Our study utilizes photometric data obtained with the 0.9-m WIYN telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory during two observing runs in 2007 and 2008. We match stars by position to identified stars in the WEBDA catalog and we compare our V and b-y observations to two previously-published data sets of V and B-V observations. From our photometry we identify nearly 250 stars earlier than spectral type A0 and we use them to derive a metallicity-independent average color excess and distance for the cluster. Our magnitude limit of V=17 allows us to reach late G spectral type and obtain accurate fits to the ZAMS in order to estimate the age of the cluster. Acknowledgements: this work was supported by NSF grants AST-0708950 and AST-1135760.