▁are ▁generally ▁the ▁results ▁of ▁mass ▁transfer ▁in ▁bin aries ▁or ▁stell ar ▁coll isions . ▁ ▁M 6 7 ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most - stud ied ▁open ▁clusters , ▁yet ▁estimates ▁of ▁its ▁physical ▁parameters ▁such ▁as ▁age , ▁mass , ▁and ▁number ▁of ▁stars ▁of ▁a ▁given ▁type , ▁vary ▁substantial ly . ▁ ▁Rich er ▁et ▁al . ▁estimate ▁its ▁age ▁to ▁be ▁ 4 ▁billion ▁years , ▁its ▁mass ▁to ▁be ▁ 1 0 8 0 ▁solar ▁masses , ▁and ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁white ▁d war fs ▁to ▁be ▁ 1 5 0 . ▁Hur ley ▁et ▁al . ▁estimate ▁its ▁current ▁mass ▁to ▁be ▁ 1 4 0 0 ▁solar ▁masses ▁and ▁its ▁initial ▁mass ▁to ▁be ▁approximately ▁ 1 0 ▁times ▁as ▁great . ▁ ▁M 6 7 ▁has ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 0 0 ▁stars ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁Sun , ▁and ▁numerous ▁red ▁gi ants . ▁ ▁The ▁total ▁star ▁count ▁has ▁been ▁estimated ▁at ▁well ▁over ▁ 5 0 0 . ▁ ▁The ▁ages ▁and ▁pre val ence ▁of ▁Sun - like ▁stars ▁contained ▁within ▁the ▁cluster ▁had ▁led ▁astronom ers ▁to ▁consider ▁M 6 7 ▁as ▁the ▁possible ▁parent ▁cluster ▁of ▁the ▁Sun . ▁However , ▁computer ▁simulations ▁have ▁suggested ▁that ▁this ▁is ▁highly ▁unlikely ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁case . ▁ ▁The ▁cluster ▁contains ▁no ▁main ▁sequence ▁stars ▁bl uer ▁than ▁spectral ▁type ▁F , ▁other ▁than ▁perhaps ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁blue ▁st rag gl ers , ▁since ▁the ▁br ighter ▁stars ▁of