UBV I CCD photometry is obtained for the open clusters NGC 4609 and Hogg 15 in Crux. For NGC 4609, CCD data are presented for the first time. From new photometry we derive the reddening, distance modulus and age of each cluster - NGC 4609 : E(B-V ) = 0.37 ± 0.03, V0 - MV=10.60 ± 0.08, log τ = 7.7 ± 0.1; Hogg 15 : E(B - V ) = 1.13 ± 0.11, V0 - MV = 12.50 ± 0.15, log τ ≲ 6.6. The young age of Hogg 15 strongly implies that WR 47 is a member of the cluster. We also determine the mass function of these clusters and obtain a slope Γ = -1.2 (±0.3) for NGC 4609 which is normal and a somewhat shallow slope (Γ =-0.95 ± 0.5) for Hogg 15.

UBVI CCD photometry is obtained for the Ruprecht 93 (Ru 93)region. We are unable to confirm the existence of an intermediate-age open cluster in Ru 93 from the spatial distribution of blue stars. On the other hand, we find two young star groups in the observed field: the nearer one (Ru 93 group) comprises the field young stars in the Sgr-Car arm at d ≈ 2.1 kpc, while the farther one (WR 37 group) is the young stars around WR 37 at d ≈ 4.8 kpc. We derive an abnormal extinction law (RV = 3.5) in the Ruprecht 93 region.

Observation of standard stars is of crucial importance in stellar photometry. We have studied the standard transformation relations of the UBV RI CCD photometric system at the Maidanak Astronomical Observatory in Uzbekistan. All observations were made with the AZT-22 1.5m telescope, SITe 2k CCD or Fairchild 486 CCD, and standard Bessell UBV RI filters from 2003 August to 2007 September. We observed many standard stars around the celestial equator observed by SAAO astronomers. The atmospheric extinction coefficients, photometric zero points, and time variation of photometric zero points of each night were determined. Secondary extinction coefficients and photometric zero points were very stable, while primary extinction coefficients showed a distinct seasonal variation. We also determined the transformation coefficients for each filter. For B, V , R, and I filters, the transformation to the SAAO standard system could be achieved with a straight line or a combination of two straight lines. However, in the case of the U filter and Fairchild 486 CCD combination, a significant non-linear correction term - related to the size of Balmer jump or the strength of the Balmer lines - of up to 0:08 mags was required. We found that our data matched well the SAAO photometry in V , B - V , V - I, and R - I. But in U - B, the difference in zero point was about 3:6 mmag and the scatter was about 0:02 mag. We attribute the relatively large scatter in U -B to the larger error in U of the SAAO photometry. We confirm the mostly small differences between the SAAO standard UBV RI system and the Landolt standard system. We also attempted to interpret the seasonal variation of the atmospheric extinction coefficients in the context of scattering sources in the earth’s atmosphere.