Based on a deep optical CCD ( UBV ( RI ) _ { C } ) photometric survey and on the Two-Micron All-Sky-Survey ( 2MASS ) data we derived the main parameters of the open cluster NGCÂ 2401 .
We found this cluster is placed at 6.3 \pm 0.5 kpc ( V _ { O } - M _ { V } = 14.0 \pm 0.2 ) from the Sun and is 25Â Myr old , what allows us to identify NGCÂ 2401 as a member of the young population belonging to the innermost side of the extension of the Norma-Cygnus spiral–arm in the Third Galactic Quadrant .
A spectroscopic study of the emission star LSSÂ 440 that lies in the cluster area revealed it is a B0Ve star ; however , we could not confirm it is a cluster member .
We also constructed the cluster luminosity function ( LF ) down to V \sim 22 and the cluster initial mass function ( IMF ) for all stars with masses above M \sim 1 - 2 M _ { \sun } .
It was found that the slope of the cluster IMF is x \approx 1.8 \pm 0.2 .
The presence of a probable PMS star population associated to the cluster is weakly revealed .