CCD BVI photometry is presented for 8 previously unstudied star clusters located
in the First and Fourth Galactic Quadrants: AL 1, BH 150,
NGC 5764, Lynga 9, Czernik 37, BH 261, Berkeley 80 and King 25.
Color magnitude diagrams of the cluster regions suggest that several
of them (BH 150, Lynga 9, Czernik 37 and BH 261 and King 25) are so embedded in
the dense stellar population toward the galactic center that their properties, or even their existence as
physical systems, cannot be confirmed. Lynga 9, BH 261 and King 25 appear
to be slight enhancements of dense star fields, BH 150 is probably just a
single bright star in a dense field, and Czernik 37 may be a sparse, but
real cluster superimposed on the galactic bulge population.
We derive preliminary estimates of
the physical parameters for the remaining clusters. AL 1 appears to
be an intermediate age cluster beyond the solar circle on the far side
of the galaxy and the final two clusters, NGC 5764 and Berkeley 80 are
also of intermediate age but located inside the
solar ring. This set of clusters highlights the difficulties inherent in
studying the stellar populations toward the inner regions of the galaxy