We report optical photometry and spectroscopy of the candidate optical/NIR counterpart (ATEL #526, #533) to the millisecond X-ray pulsar HETE J1900.1-2455 (ATEL #516, #523, #538). Its consistency with the recent SWIFT localisation (ATEL #541) and our ground-based observations confirm its association with the X-ray source. Photometry was acquired

We present the first determination of the proper motion of the neutron star low mass X-ray binary Cen X-4 measured from relative astrometry of the secondary star using optical images at different epochs. We determine the Galactic space velocity components of the system and find them to be significantly different from the mean values that

We investigate the fine structure of the sunspot penumbra by means of a model that allows for a flux tube in horizontal pressure balance with the magnetic background atmosphere in which it is embedded. We apply this model to spectropolarimetric observations of two neutral iron lines at 1.56 μm and invert several radial cuts in the penumbra of the

High signal-to-noise ratio, low-resolution spectra have been obtained for 22 globular clusters (GCs) in NGC 4365. Some of these were selected as probable representatives of an intermediate-age (2-5 Gyr), extremely metal-rich GC subpopulation. The presence of such a subpopulation had been inferred from the unusual optical and near-infrared color

The Galactic Center region was observed in a series of 7 pointings with the Chandra X-ray Observatory on 5 June 2005 01:44-13:08 UTC. During these observations we found that the two faint X-ray transients GRS 1741.9-2853 (e.g., Muno et al. 2003, ApJ 598, 474, and references therein) and XMM J174457-2850.3 (Sakano et al. 2005, MNRAS 357, 1211) were

Most counterparts of the identified low-latitude γ-ray sources are isolated neutron stars (INSs). Since INSs are characterized by an extremely high value of f X/f opt, a systematic X-ray/optical coverage of the fields of unidentified low-latitude γ-ray sources is the best way to unveil INS counterparts of unidentified sources. Since the low