MAXI J1659-152 was discovered on 2010 September 25 as a new X-ray transient, initially identified as a gamma-ray burst, but was later shown to be a new X-ray binary with a black hole as the most likely compact object. Dips in the X-ray light curves have revealed that MAXI J1659-152 is the shortest period black hole candidate identified to date

We present the results of the optical photometric observations of the Pleiades (125 Myr) cluster. The aim of this research is to look for variability, both due to rotation of single stars and the presence of eclipsing binaries. We have used differential photometry and two different methods of statistical analysis of the data. We have found

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Aims: We study small-scale brightenings in Ca II 8542 Å line-core images to determine their nature and effect on localized heating and mass transfer in active regions. Methods: High-resolution two-dimensional spectroscopic observations of a solar active region in the near-infrared Ca II 8542 Å line were acquired with the GREGOR Fabry-Pérot

We discuss the status of the calibration programme for CanariCam and related initiatives that aim to provide quality calibration facilities for users of the GTC and other telescopes. We have Visible and IR photometry of >300 stars apt for the calibration of CanariCam giving an initial density of ~ 1 star per 100 square degrees of sky. The