Distance and Reddening of NGC 6791 using Empirically Calibrated Isochrones

Although the theory of stellar structure and evolution is considered one of the most successful developments in astrophysics, there still remains a significant mismatch between theoretical stellar models and the observed main sequence of the best studied nearby open clusters. To ease the tension, empirical corrections to the color-temperature transformations are used as a simple, but practical way of overcoming the difficulty than directly examining stellar atmosphere models that have large theoretical complexities and uncertainties. I will describe our continuing effort to calibrate stellar isochrones using cool main-sequence stars in Praesepe, complementing our previous work based on the Hyades and the Pleiades, and provide an extensive test of our models using photometry of cool and metal-rich main-sequence stars in NGC 6791. Finally, I will discuss the implication of our results on the mass loss in NGC 6791.