BVRIJHK photometry and proper motion analysis of NGC 6253 and the surrounding field

Context: We present a photometric and astrometric catalog of 187 963 stars located in the field around the old super-metal-rich Galactic open cluster NGC 6253. The total field-of-view covered by the catalog is 34”×33”. In this field, we provide CCD BVRI photometry. For a smaller region close to the cluster's center, we also provide near-infrared JHK photometry. Aims: We analyze the properties of NGC 6253 by using our new photometric data and astrometric membership. Methods: In June 2004, we targeted the cluster during a 10 day multi-site campaign, which involved the MPG/ESO 2.2 m telescope with its wide-field imager and the Anglo-Australian 3.9 m telescope, equipped with the IRIS2 near-infrared imager. Archival CCD images of NGC 6253 were used to derive relative proper motions and to calculate the cluster membership probabilities. Results: We have refined the cluster's fundamental parameters, deriving (V_0-M_v)=11.15, E(B - V) = 0.15, E(V - I) = 0.25, E(V - J) = 0.50, and E(V - H) = 0.55. The color excess ratios obtained using both the optical and near infrared colors indicate a normal reddening law in the direction of NGC 6253. The age of NGC 6253 at 3.5 Gyr, determined from our best-fitting isochrone appears to be slightly older than the previous estimates. Finally, we estimated the binary fraction among the cluster members to be ~20%-30% and identified 11 blue straggler candidates. Based on observation made at the European Southern Observatory, La Silla, Chile and at the Anglo-Australian Observatory, Siding Spring, Australia. The catalog presented in this paper is only available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/505/1129