Testing the Physical Reality of the NGC 7686

In this paper, a rigorous multidimensional test of the physical reality of the object NGC 7686, which is classified as an open cluster in historical and many contemporary catalogs, was performed. Using precise data from the Gaia Data Release 3 (DR3) database, we analyzed the three-dimensional kinematics (vector point diagrams of proper motion – VPD; radial velocity histograms – v_r), spatial distribution (distance histograms), and the evolutionary status (color-magnitude diagrams – CMD) of stars in the direction of the object. The study encompassed two angular sizes taken from the literature (radii of 15' and 3.60') along with their corresponding outer control fields. To verify the methodology and computing scripts, the physically confirmed open cluster Pleiades (M45) was analyzed under identical criteria. The results show that stars in the NGC 7686 region do not exhibit kinematic cohesion in 3D space, are not spatially localized at a unique distance, and do not form an evolutionary main sequence. In contrast, the control sample of the Pleiades clearly reproduces all the physical attributes of a real open cluster. Based on the obtained results, it is concluded that NGC 7686 does not satisfy the criteria of a gravitationally bound system and is thus defined as an asterism.