BH-176 AND AM-2 - GLOBULAR OR OPEN CLUSTERS

We have obtained V I photometry for two low Galactic latitude star clu sters: BH 176 and AM-2, using the 2.2 m and the 3.5 m NTT telescopes a t ESO. Their V I colour-magnitude diagrams reveal that: BH 176 may be a globular cluster or a borderline object between a globular duster an d a disk cluster, showing a red horizontal branch and an extended red giant branch. We estimate E(B - V) = 0.77 and d. = 13.4 kpc. AM-2 appe ars to be an intermediate age open cluster, for which a reddening E(B - V) = 0.44 and d. = 12.4 kpc are estimated. It is located in the oute r regions of the Galactic disk.