In order to ensure the quality of the source catalogue derived from the SASS processing an automatic as well as a visual screening procedure was applied to 1378 survey fields. Most (94%) of the 18,811 sources were confirmed by this screening process. The rest is flagged for various reasons. Broad band images are available for a subset of the flagged sources. Details of the screening process can be found at www.rosat.mpe-garching.mpg.de/survey/rass-bsc/doc.html.

ROSAT All Sky Survey observations of IRAS galaxies have revealed up to now a number of (10) optically non-Seyfert galaxies with X-ray (0.1–2.4 keV) luminosities up to a few 1043erg · s−1 (Boller et al. 1992). The sources are brighter than previous detection limits of a few 1041erg · s−1 as found by Stocke et al. (1991) or Green, Anderson & Ward (1992) for Einstein sources. The optical classification is based on follow-up observations which indicate clearly the non-Seyfert (LINER and HII region-like galaxies) nature. Our investigations reveal that galaxies classified as non-Seyferts on the basis of optical spectroscopy may reach exceptionally high X-ray luminosities which are similar to that of Seyfert galaxies. On the basis of the present observational material we suppose a hidden low luminosity AGN in the centre of these objects as the source of energy production. The objects are of interest when evaluating starburst versus central activity.

X-ray variability in the 0.1–2.4 keV ROSAT energy band with a doubling timescale of 800 s and a factor of 4 within a few hours has been detected in a 20 ksec pointing on the IRAS AGN 13224-3809. The optical spectrum indicates that IRAS 13224-3809 is a narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy with strong permitted Fe II emission, a member of the unusual I Zw 1 class objects. IRAS 13224-3809 appears to be one of the most rapidly variable AGN known so far. This is the first time that variability on a timescale smaller than 1000 s is reported at such high L (0.1–2.4 keV) = 3·1044erg · s−1 X-ray luminosity in Seyfert galaxies. It is also the first reported X-ray variability in I Zw 1 class objects. The δt = 800 s variation indicates that the X-rays come from a compact region of about 17 light minutes in size. Our results from the X-ray spectral analysis favour a scenario in which a hard X-ray source irradiates the accretion disk which reemits at soft X-ray energies. The absence of broad H I wings can be explained if only a part of the BLR, far from the centre, is observed and the bulk of the region, which emits the wings, is hidden. We want to draw attention to the fact that rapid X-ray variability could also be connected with the absence of broad H I lines in IRAS 13224-3809.

Two independent fields of 14′ × 14′ south east of M82 and 7′ × 7′ in SA 57 were completely spectroscopicaly searched for quasars using the Multi Slit Field Spectrograph at the 6-meter telescope of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (Dodonov, 1982).