Analysis of the stellar population in the central area of the HII region
  Sh 2-284
  There is a lack of state-of-the-art information on very young open clusters,
with implications for determining the structure of the Galaxy. Our main
objective is to study the timing and location of the star formation processes
which yielded the generation of the giant HII region Sh 2-284. The analysis is
based on UBVRcIc CCD measurements and JHKs photometry in the central part of
the HII region, where the cluster Dolidze 25 is located.The determination of
cluster distance, reddening and age is carried out through comparison with
ZAMS, post-MS and PMS isochrones. Reference lines for metallicity Z=0.004 are
used, in agreement with spectroscopic metallicity determination published for
several cluster members. The results are: E(B-V)=0.78+-0.02, M=12.8+-0.2,
LogAge(yr)=6.51+-0.07. A PMS member sequence is proposed, coeval within the
errors with the post-MS cluster age (LogAge(yr)=6.7+-0.2). The mass function
for this PMS population in the mass range above 1.3-3.5 Msun is well fitted by
a Salpeter mass function.The presence of a different star generation in the
cluster with a distinctly older age, around 40 Myr, is suggested. The NIR
results indicate a large number of sources with H-Ks excess, practically
distinct from the optical PMS candidate members.
  The distance determined for the cluster is distinctly lower than previously
published values. This result originates in the consistent use of low
metallicity models for ZAMS fitting, applying published metallicity values for
the cluster.
