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We report the first determination of a distance bracket for the high-velocity cloud (HVC) complex C. Combined with previous measurements showing that this cloud has a metallicity of 0.15 times solar, these results provide ample evidence that complex C traces the continuing accretion of intergalactic gas falling onto the Milky Way. Accounting for both neutral and ionized hydrogen as well as He, the distance bracket implies a mass of 3-14x10^6 M_sun, and the complex represents a mass inflow of 0.1-0.25 M_sun/yr. We base our distance bracket on the detection of CaII absorption in the spectrum of the blue horizontal branch star SDSS J120404.78+623345.6, in combination with a significant non-detection toward the BHB star BS 16034-0114. These results set a strong distance bracket of 3.7-11.2 kpc on the distance to complex C. A more weakly supported lower limit of 6.7 kpc may be derived from the spectrum of the BHB star BS 16079-0017., Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters

A new method for the determination of the extinction in the Galaxy is proposed. The method uses surface brightnesses of external galaxies in the B and R-bands. The observational data have been taken from the ESO-LV galaxy catalog. As a first application of our model we derive the ratio of R-band to B-band extinction. We introduce two methods for computing the ratio which give: 0.62 +/- 0.05 (the first method) and 0.64 +/- 0.06 (the second method) which is in agreement with the recent literature value of 0.61. This agreement confirms the validity and efficiency of our model and is an independent verification for the standard value of the "total to selective extinction". The method of extinction determination introduced in this paper will be explored in subsequent publication.

A new method for the determination of the extinction in the Galaxy is proposed. The method uses surface brightnesses of external galaxies in the B and R-bands. The observational data have been taken from the ESO-LV galaxy catalog. As a first application of our model we derive the ratio of R-band to B-band extinction. We introduce two methods for computing the ratio which give: 0.62 +/- 0.05 (the first method) and 0.64 +/- 0.06 (the second method) which is in agreement with the recent literature value of 0.61. This agreement confirms the validity and efficiency of our model and is an independent verification for the standard value of the "total to selective extinction". The method of extinction determination introduced in this paper will be explored in subsequent publication.