We have analyzed archival Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys images in g and z of the globular cluster (GC) systems of 53 ellipticals in the Virgo Cluster, spanning massive galaxies to dwarf ellipticals (dEs). Several new results emerged. (1) In the giant ellipticals (gEs) M87 and NGC 4649, there is a correlation between luminosity

The Global Oscillations at Low Frequency: New Generation instrument (GOLF-NG), the successor of GOLF aboard SoHO, is devoted to the study the dynamics of the solar radiative zone thanks to the detection of solar gravity modes and low-frequency acoustic modes. This instrument built under a French-Spanish collaboration, is based on the Doppler

We present U and B galaxy number counts from a field that comprises a 0.29 square degrees area of sky, and which covers the Groth-Westphal Strip (Groth et al.,1994). Reached 50% limiting magnitudes are 24.8 magnitudes in U and 25.5 in B in the Vega system, which makes our U number counts to have the biggest area×depth product at the moment. These

First light of the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) is reviewed by Francisco Sánchez Martínez, encourager of such an endeavour which is today a reality.

Aims: We seek to detect and quantify the effects of surface convection (granulation) on the line spectra of K-dwarfs as a first step towards a rigorous testing of hydrodynamic models for their atmospheres. Methods: Very high-resolution (R≃160 000-210 000), high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N⪆300) spectra of nine bright K-dwarfs were obtained with the

A very high resolution (R = λ/Δλ = 200, 000), high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N ~= 340) blue-green spectrum of the very metal-poor ([Fe/H] ~= -2.6) red giant star HD 122563 has been obtained by us at McDonald Observatory. We measure the asymmetries and core wavelengths of a set of unblended Fe I lines covering a wide range of line strength. Line