Abstract. The distance dependence of interstellar extinction in the direction of the Aquila Rift is investigated using 473 stars observed in the Vilnius photometric system. The front edge of the dark clouds in the area is found to be at 225 ± 55 pc and the thickness of the cloud system is about 80 pc. The maximum extinction A V in the clouds is close to 3.0 mag. Two stars with larger extinction are found and discussed. Since the new distance of the clouds is larger than the previously accepted distance, the cloud system mass should be increased to 2.7 × 10 5 M which is close to the virial mass estimated from the CO velocity dispersion. Additional arguments are given in favor of the genetic relation between the Serpens and the Scorpio-Ophiuchus dark clouds.

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Abstract. Distance to a group of dark clouds at moderate galactic latitudes Lynds 1147Lynds , 1148Lynds , 1152Lynds , 1155Lynds , 1157Lynds , 1158Lynds , 1167Lynds , 1168Lynds , 1170Lynds , 1171Lynds , 1172Lynds , 1173 and 1174 is estimated from the extinction Ay vs distance plot. This dependence is based on photometry of 79 stars down to V = 12.5 in the Vilnius photometric system and their twodimensional classification. The distance of the L1147/1158 group of clouds is found to be 325±13 pc and that of the L1167/1174 or NGC 7023 group of clouds is 288±25 pc. A number of stars with peculiar energy distribution has been found.

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