With the goal of producing a reliable set of model atoms and singly ionized ions for use in building NLTE model atmospheres, we have combined measured energy levels, critically compiled line transition probabilities, and resonance-averaged calculations of photoionization cross sections. A majority of the elements from Li to Ca are considered

A lightcurve of comet 6P/d'Arrest from R-band CCD images taken at La Palma 2.52 m NOT telescope is presented. The lightcurve shows noticeable periodic changes in brightness produced by rotational modulation. The periodogram analysis of the lightcurve shows a peak with a confidence level exceeding 99.9% at 3.336 h. Assuming an elongated nucleus, the

Observations of magnetically sensitive lines in the visible and the infrared yield apparently contradictory values for the intrinsic field strength in the internetwork quiet Sun. It is shown that this discrepancy can be understood if one assumes that the magnetic field is not homogeneous over the resolution element. The difference between visible

We analyze a time sequence of Inter-Network (IN) magnetograms observed at the solar disk center. Speckle reconstruction techniques provide a good spatial resolution (0farcs5 cutoff frequency) yet maintaining a fair sensitivity (some 20 G). Patches with signal above noise cover 60% of the observed area, most of which corresponds to intergranular

We have studied the influence of gravitational microlensing on the Fe Kalpha line originating from a compact accretion disc of active galactic nuclei. We found that microlensing can produce line profile deformation as well as a significant amplification of the line flux. The line deformation and line flux amplification depend not only on the

The relics of disrupted satellite galaxies have been found around the Milky Way and Andromeda, but direct evidence of a satellite galaxy in the early stages of disruption has remained elusive. We have discovered a dwarf satellite galaxy in the process of being torn apart by gravitational tidal forces as it merges with a larger galaxy's dark matter