  The sparse stellar ensemble NGC 6994 = M73 has recently been discussed as a
possible remnant of an old open cluster. In order to solve the controversy on
the nature of this object we have taken high-resolution spectra of the six
brightest stars within 6' angular distance of its nominal position. These stars
are the only obvious member candidates for an eventual cluster or cluster
remnant since fainter stars do not show any significant concentration in the
plane of the sky. The radial velocities, atmospheric parameters, and absolute
magnitudes derived from the spectra reveal that the six candidates do not share
the same kinematics and lie at different distances from the Sun. The proper
motions provided by the Tycho-2 catalogue show that there is also a large
spread in the tangential motions of these stars, in agreement with the
spectroscopic results. This leads to the conclusion that the few bright stars
that constitute NGC 6994 are not a physical system (cluster, cluster remnant,
or group). They must instead be understood as a projective chance alignment of
physically unrelated field stars.
