We investigated the structural parameters of a sample of 30 dwarf galaxies(15 dEs and 15 dS0s) in the Virgo Cluster using i-band images from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 4. Among 28 galaxies for which surface brightness profiles were derived from ellipse fittings, 23 galaxies had a single component that was adequately described by a generalized Sersic function with a shape parameter ranging from n=0.5 to 2, while 5 galaxies(2 dEs and 3 dS0s) had bulge and disk components that were fitted by a generalized Sersic function and an exponential function, respectively. Since the majority of dwarf galaxies in the present sample had a single component, it seems likely that genuine dS0 galaxies that have disk and bulge components are quite rare in the Virgo Cluster. The similarity in structural parameters of genuine dS0 galaxies in the Virgo Cluster with those of Magellanic-type galaxies implies that the progenitors of dwarf lenticular galaxies in the Virgo Cluster were most likely Magellanic-type galaxies if dS0s are harassed late-type spirals.

We present BV CCD photometry for the open clusters Czernik 24 and Czernik 27. These clusters have never been studied before, and we provide, for the first time, the cluster parameters; reddening, distance, metallicity and age. Czernik 24 is an old open cluster with age 1.8 ± 0.2 Gyr, metallicity [Fe/H]=-0.41 ± 0.15 dex, distance modulus (m-M)0=13.1 ± 0.3 mag (d=4.1 ± 0.5 kpc), and reddening E(B-V)=0.54 ± 0.12 mag. The parameters for Czernik 27 are estimated to be age=0.63 ± 0.07 Gyr, [Fe/H]=-0.02 ± 0.10 dex, (m-M)0=13.8 ± 0.2 mag (d=5.8 ± 0.5 kpc), and E(B-V)=0.15 ± 0.05 mag. The metallicity and distance values for Czernik 24 are consistent with the relation between the metallicity and the Galactocentric distance of other old open clusters. We find the metallicity gradient of 51 old open clusters including Czernik 24 to be Δ[Fe/H]/ΔRgc = -0.064±0.009 dex kpc-1.

We have conducted a V-band CCD surface photometry of 68 disk galaxies to analyze the bulge morphology of nearby spirals. We classify bulges into four types according to their ellipticities and the misalignments between the major axis of the bulge and those of the disk and the bar: spherical, oblate, pseudo triaxial, and triaxial. We found that one third of the bulges are triaxial and they are preponderant in barred galaxies. The presence of the triaxial bulges in a significant fraction of unbarred galaxies as well as in barred galaxies might support the secular evolution hypothesis which postulates that the bar driven mass inflow leads to the formation of triaxial bulges and the destruction of bars when sufficient mass is accumulated in the central regions.

We have examined bulge morphology of 104 bright barred galaxies, using V-band surface photometry based on the Kiso Schmidt plates. By measuring the bulge ellipticity and bulge-disk misalignment, we have classified bulges into four morphological types: sphere, oblate spheroid, triaxial ellipsoid, and pseudo triaxial ellipsoid. About half of the observed galaxies are found to have triaxial bulges with mean ellipticity of 0.24. They are distributed uniformly along the Hubble sequence.

We analyzed the reddening of 873 bright G and K stars from the DDO photometry in combination with MK spectral classes and (B-V) colors. About a quarter of the sample stars have DDO indices beyond the limits of DDO calibrations. To extend the reddening determination to all stars, we applied a scheme for reddening determination of field G and K stars by using the DDO calibrations (Janes 1977, 1979b) and MK-(B-V) relation of FitzGerald (1970).

For F,G,K stars, their photometric data and metallicity, [Fe/H] are collected and their correlations between δ δ (U-B) and [Fe/H] for each spectral group are examined, using a reference sequence which is defined by the stars in Woolley's catalogue and other reference sequences. Detailed examination shows that the reference sequence by Woolley's catalogue appears to be properly defined for the calculation of δ δ (U-B) of population I stars in the solar neighborhood. It is suggested that accuracies of metallicities derived from δ δ (U-B) can be improved if we derive the correlations between [Fe/H] and δ δ (U-B) from the stars in each spectral group.