CCD uvby-beta photometry of the young open cluster NGC 663

NGC 663 is a young, moderately rich open cluster, known to contain one of the largest fractions of Be stars among all galactic clusters. In this work we present CCD uvby-beta photometry for stars in its central area. We have used these data to obtain the main cluster physical parameters. We find that the reddening is highly variable, with values ranging from E(b-y)=0.639+/-0.032 in the central part to E(b-y)=0.555+/-0.038 in the south-east. The distance modulus is found to be 11.6+/-0.1 mag.(2.1 Kpc), and the age log t=7.4+/-0.1 years (25+7/-5 Myr). The age obtained is consistent with the interpretation of the Be phenomenon as an evolutionary effect.