| Abstract
| - A sample of 42 new infrared star clusters, stellar groups and candidates was found throughout the Galaxy in the 2MASS J, H and especially KS atlases. In the Cygnus X region 19 new clusters, stellar groups and candidates were found as compared to 6 such objects in the previous literature. Colour-Magnitude Diagrams using the 2MASS Point Source Catalogue provided preliminary distance estimates in the range $1.0 < {\it d_{odot}} < 1.8$ kpc for 7 Cygnus X clusters. Towards the central parts of the Galaxy 7 new IR clusters and candidates were found as compared to 61 previous objects. A search for prominent dark nebulae in KS was also carried out in the central bulge area. We report 5 dark nebulae, 2 of them are candidates for molecular clouds able to generate massive star clusters near the Nucleus, such as the Arches and Quintuplet clusters.
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