Context: The physical interpretation of scattering line polarization offers a novel diagnostic window for exploring the thermal and magnetic structure of the quiet regions of the solar atmosphere. Aims: We evaluate the impact of isotropic collisions with neutral hydrogen atoms on the scattering polarization signals of the 13 lines of multiplet 42

We present absorption line strength maps for a sample of 18 Sb-Sd galaxies observed using the integral-field spectrograph SAURON operating at the William Herschel Telescope on La Palma, as part of a project devoted to the investigation of the kinematics and stellar populations of late-type spirals, a relatively unexplored field. The SAURON spectral

While Abell 43 is entering the PG 1159 instability strip, in fact as an "hybrid-PG 1159" nucleus of a planetary nebula, PG 0122+200 presently defines its red edge. So these two stars define the limits of the instability strip along the evolutionary sequence from the planetary nebula nuclei to the pre-white dwarf PG 1159 stars. We describe the new

We present the results of a deep wide-field near-infrared survey of 12 deg2 of the Pleiades conducted as part of the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) Galactic Cluster Survey (GCS). We have extracted over 340 high-probability proper motion (PM) members down to 0.03 Msolar using a combination of UKIDSS

Context: The Galactic H ii region NGC 2579 has stayed undeservedly unexplored due to identification problems which persisted until recently. Both NGC 2579 and its companion ESO 370-9 have been misclassified as planetary or reflection nebula, confused with each other and with other objects. Due to its high surface brightness, high excitation

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