Dormant black holes in X-ray transients can be identified by the presence of broad Hα emission lines from quiescent accretion discs. Unfortunately, short-period cataclysmic variables can also produce broad Hα lines, especially when viewed at high inclinations, and are thus a major source of contamination. Here we compare the full width at half maximum (FWHM) and equivalent width (EW) of the Hα line in a sample of 20 quiescent black hole transients and 354 cataclysmic variables (305 from SDSS I to IV) with secure orbital periods (Porb) and find that: (1) FWHM and EW values decrease with Porb

The most massive stars in the universe are often born and evolve in binary and multiple systems — that is, in pairs or groups bound by their mutual gravity. Understanding how they interact with each other is key to explaining everything from their formation to the impact they have on the galaxies they inhabit. The MONOS project (Multiplicity Of Northern O-type Spectroscopic systems) aims to study these systems in the northern sky, combining spectroscopic observations (which analyze light split into its component colors to measure stellar velocities and physical properties) with photometry

Nuclear star clusters are dense and compact stellar systems, with sizes of a few parsecs, found at the centers of many galaxies. Their formation is thought to be closely connected to the assembly history of their host galaxies, and astronomers think that these clusters contain important clues about how galaxies formed and evolved over cosmic time. Recent studies suggest that different formation pathways may operate in late- and early-type galaxies, but the dominant mechanisms and their dependence on galaxy morphology remain unclear. While most observational studies have focused on early-type