Near-infrared photometric survey of proto-planetary nebula candidates

We present JHK' photometric measurements of 78 objects mostly consisting of proto-planetary nebula candidates. Photometric magnitudes are determined by means of imaging and aperture photometry. Unlike the observations with a photometer with a fixed-sized beam, the method of imaging photometry permits accurate derivation of photometric values, because the target sources can be correctly identified and confusion with neighboring sources can be easily avoided. Of the 78 sources observed, we report nearly 10 cases in which the source seems to have been misidentified or confused by nearby bright sources. We also present nearly two dozen cases in which the source seems to have indicated a variability that prompts a follow-up monitoring. There are also a few sources that show previously unreported extendedness. In addition, we present H-band finding charts of the target sources.