The Galactic System of Open Star Clusters: A Personal Perspective

Technology is now allowing for the investigation of star clusters outside of the Milky Way. As attention turns to the extragalactic star clusters, a perception that the system of star clusters in the Milky Way is well understood may grow, resulting in the neglect of these important objects. In this review, the status of our understanding of the Milky Way's open star cluster population will be discussed. Specifically, I will attempt to illustrate not only the important information that can and must be learned from these nearby star clusters, but also the degree to which our understanding of the Galactic open clusters remains incomplete.