The presence of compact and massive star clusters is a characteristic property of many starburst and interacting galaxies. Their extreme mechanical and radiation energy outputs are now believed to be the largest negative feedback agents leading to a large-scale structuring of the ISM and limiting star formation in the host galaxies. The aim of our

SUNRISE is an international project for the development, construction, and operation of a balloon-borne solar telescope with an aperture of 1 m, working in the UV/VIS spectral domain. The main scientific goal of SUNRISE is to understand the structure and dynamics of the magnetic field in the atmosphere of the Sun. SUNRISE will provide near

We present Gemini North GMOS/IFU observations of the roots of the NGC 1569 super-galactic wind. This forms part of a larger and on-going study of the formation and collimation mechanisms of galactic winds. Four IFU pointings cover the base of the outflows originating from the central super-star clusters; we present a preliminary analysis for two

In this contribution I present the main research activities of the IAC ``Stellar Populations in Galaxies'' research Group, with emphasis on the subtopics directly related with the study of the evolution of nearby galaxies. In particular, I discuss preliminary results of ongoing research on the Magellanic Clouds using deep ground-based observations

By mapping both the stellar kinematics and absorption-line strengths in a two-dimensional area, integral-field spectroscopy allows us to directly associate dynamical structures, such as disks or counter-rotating components, to changes in the stellar population. Using data from both the SAURON survey and OASIS follow-up survey, we explore the

Elliptical galaxies in Hickson Compact Groups (HCGs) are compared with their counterparts in the field. The stellar populations have been studied with two alternative models and reduction strategies to ensure the robustness of the results. Furthermore, great care has been taken to correct for emission contamination by Balmer lines, used to