This Letter presents wide-field optical and near-IR (UBVRIHαK') images of the galaxy M74 that were taken between 0.6 and 8.3 yr before the discovery of the Type Ic supernova 2002ap. We have located the position of the supernova on these images with an accuracy of 0.3". We find no sign of a progenitor object on any of the images. The deepest of

We have investigated the formation of globular cluster (GC) systems in the fiducial semi-analytic model of galaxy formation of Cole et al., by assuming that GCs are formed at high redshifts (z>5) in protogalactic fragments, and during the subsequent gas-rich merging of these fragments. Under these assumptions we have simulated the GC systems of 450

The proto-planetary nebula Hen 3-1475 shows a remarkable highly collimated optical jet with a S-shaped string of shock-excited knots. Moreover, extremely high velocities have been observed in the innermost regions of its jet. We present a detailed analysis of the kinematic structure, and the excitation conditions in the shock-excited knots based on

We present near-IR spectroscopy of a sample of 30 IRAS sources recently identified as late AGB stars, post-AGB stars or early PNe. The spectra obtained are centered at various wavelengths covering the molecular hydrogen v=1-> 0 S(1) 2.122 mu m and v=2->1 S(1) 2.248 mu m emission lines, the recombination lines of hydrogen Brgamma 2.166 mu m, Pfgamma

We present a theoretical model for the observed mass functions (MF's) of interstellar clouds, and test it by comparison with interferometrically observed MF's. We consider the time evolution of velocities using the stochastic differential Langevin equation for the objects (in fact gas clumps of sizes below 1pc) under Brownian motion, with friction

We report complete near-infrared (0.9-2.4 mu m) spectral observations of the largest know trans-Neptunian objects (TNO) 28976 = 2001 KX76 taken in two different nights using the new Near Infrared Camera Spectrometer (NICS) attached to the 3.56 m Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG). The spectra are featureless and correspond to a neutral colored