RNO 1B/1C: a double FU Orionis system

We present infrared imaging and spectroscopic data of the RNO 1 region in the L1287 molecular cloud. Both RNO 1B and RNO 1C show the strong 2.3 μm CO absorption bands observed in the pre-main-sequence FU Orionis variables (FUors). These results confirm Staude & Neckel's [ApJ, 400, 556 (1992)] identification of RNO 1B as a FUor from optical spectra; its nearby (6″ separation), heavily extincted companion - RNO 1C - also appears to be a FUor. The combined light of RNO 1B/1C has a spectral energy distribution similar to the embedded FUor V1735 Cyg (Elias 1-12). Over half of the known FUors now appear deeply embedded within dusty molecular gas, which suggests they have ages of roughly 1-3×10 5 yr