[2] Mel 186 is an object of considerable size both real and apparent, which corresponds to a low concentration of its member stars.

[3][1][2] Age is also the subject of debate, with measurements showing significant differences also here on the basis of which stars are considered as members; initial estimates have indicated an age of 20-30 million years, while more recent studies fix its origin at 100 million years, on the basis of measurements of as many as 628 possible star members with a mass between 1.3 and 0.03 M ⊙ .

[2] According to various studies it emerges that the Mel 186 stars have the same proper motion, average age and average distance as those of the nearby cluster IC 4665, suggesting a possible interaction between the two objects in the early stages of their existence; on the other hand, Mel 186 can also be seen as a scattered stellar association rather than a real open cluster due to the considerable distance between its components.

Though the open cluster is visible to the naked eye, it does not contrast well against the night sky due to its sparse appearance.

The brighter stars make up the "face" of the former constellation Taurus Poniatovii, due to their V-shaped formation which resembles the Hyades cluster.