Heliocentric (UVW) and galactocentric (VR VΦ VZ) space motions were derived for 38 RR Lyrae (RRL) and 79 blue horizontal branch (BHB) stars in a 200-sq degree area near the North Galactic Pole (NGP). A kinematic analysis of the 26 RRL and 52 BHB stars whose height (Z) above the plane is < 8 kpc shows that the sample is not homogeneous. Our BHB sample shows zero galactic rotation and roughly isotropic velocity dispersions. whereas the RRL sample shows a definite retrograde rotation and non-isotropic velocity dispersions. The combined BHB and RRL sample shows a smaller retrograde rotation that is similar to that found by Majewski et al. (1996) for a sample of subdwarfs in SA 57 at the NGP. There are significantly more RRL with negative W-velocity (streaming down) than positive W-velocity, whereas the numbers of BHB stars are comparable. This indicates the presence near the NGP of an accreted halo component that is rich in RRL (probably Oosterhoff type I) stars.

These results are presented in detail in a forthcoming paper (Kinman et al. 2007).

New GSC-II proper motions of RR Lyrae and Blue Horizontal Branch (BHB) stars near the North Galactic Pole are used to show that the Galactic Halo 5 kpc above the Plane has a significantly retrograde galactic rotation.

More and more spectra are being generated in digital form from photo-electronic devices. The digital form has important advantages for sky subtraction, telemetry and general analysis but it is cumbersome for publication and quick inspection where the pictorial form is better.

Four methods for finding emission-line galaxies have been compared. Method (a) uses the ultraviolet excess, as found either by filter photography (Haro 1956) or by objective prism spectra (Markarian 1967). glanco (1974) introduced a thin prism with the CTIO Schmidt (1740 Å mm-1 at Hβ) which with IIIa-J plates [Method (b)] gave enough resolution for Smith (1975) and MacAlpine et al. (1977a, 1977b) to detect and classify galaxies by strong emission lines. Following a suggestion by McCarthy that even higher dispersion might be useful, I have used the CTIO Schmidt with [Method (c)] the 4° prism, a GGl+55 filter and IIIa-J emulsion and with [Method (d)] the 10° prism, an RG630 filter and IIIa-F emulsion. These latter give about 400 Å mm-1 at Hβ and Hα respectively which improves the visibility of emission lines against the galaxy continuum so that [0111] 5007 and 4959 and Hβ can be seen on the green plates and Hα and [SII] 6725 can be seen on the red plates.

The optically variable quasars tend to have steep optical spectra and to show variable polarization; they tend to be associated with compact radio sources which have flat radio spectra at GHz frequencies. Objects are known which have continuous spectra (like BL Lac and OJ 287), but whose other properties closely parallel those of the variable quasars and N galaxies; in fact no sharp distinction can be drawn between them. The variation in the visibility of emission lines in quasars and N galaxies could be due to variations in the strength and spectral index of the radiation from the non-thermal source and from the differences in the amount and disposition of the material around it; it does not seem unlikely that a combination of these factors accounts for the observed range in emission line strength. The systematic difference in optical spectral index between continuous-spectrum objects (and OVV variables) on the one hand and those with emission lines on the other will produce a difference in K term between them, which may be expected to affect their relative distributions with respect to apparent magnitude.

The polarized optical and centimetric fluxes from BL Lac have their maxima at position angles which are roughly orthogonal. A similar tendency is found in other QSOs. If these fluxes are of synchrotron radiation then the magnetic fields associated with the optical and centimetric radiation are likely to be highly inclined with respect to each other. The implications of this are discussed.