The LkH \alpha 101 cluster takes its name from its more massive member , the LkH \alpha 101 star , which is an \sim 15 M _ { \odot } star whose true nature is still unknown .
The distance to the LkH \alpha 101 cluster has been controversial for the last few decades , with estimated values ranging from 160 to 800 pc .
We have observed members and candidate members of the LkH \alpha 101 cluster with signs of magnetic activity , using the Very Long Baseline Array , in order to measure their trigonometric parallax and , thus , obtain a direct measurement of their distances .
A young star member , LkH \alpha 101 VLA J043001.15+351724.6 , was detected at four epochs as a single radio source .
The best fit to its displacement on the plane of the sky yields a distance of 535 \pm 29 pc .
We argue that this is the distance to the LkH \alpha 101 cluster .