We present the results of VLT-MUSE (Very Large Telescope-Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer) integral field spectroscopy of SECCO 1, a faint, star-forming stellar system recently discovered as the stellar counterpart of an ultracompact high-velocity cloud (HVC 274.68+74.0), very likely residing within a substructure of the Virgo cluster of galaxies

We report chemical abundances obtained by Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)-III/Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment for giant stars in five globular clusters located within 2.2 kpc of the Galactic Centre. We detect the presence of multiple stellar populations in four of those clusters (NGC 6553, NGC 6528, Terzan 5 and Palomar 6)

We present deep photometry of the Carina dwarf spheroidal galaxy in the B and V filters from CTIO/MOSAIC out to and beyond the tidal radius of rell ≈ 0.48 degrees. The accurately calibrated photometry is combined with spectroscopic metallicity distributions of red giant branch (RGB) stars to determine the detailed star formation and chemical

Galactic globular clusters (GCs) are known to host multiple stellar populations: a first generation (FG) with a chemical pattern typical of halo field stars and a second generation (SG) enriched in Na and Al and depleted in O and Mg. Both stellar generations are found at different evolutionary stages (e.g., the main-sequence turnoff, the subgiant

We present new multiband (UBVI) time-series data of helium burning variables in the Carina dwarf spheroidal galaxy. The current sample includes 92 RR Lyrae—six of them are new identifications—and 20 Anomalous Cepheids, one of which is new identification. The analysis of the Bailey diagram shows that the luminosity amplitude of the first overtone

Context. Accurate star formation histories (SFHs) of galaxies are fundamental for understanding the build-up of their stellar content. However, the most accurate SFHs - those obtained from colour-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of resolved stars reaching the oldest main-sequence turnoffs (oMSTO) - are presently limited to a few systems in the Local Group

We present the high-resolution spectroscopic study of five -3.9 ≤ [Fe/H] ≤ -2.5 stars in the Local Group dwarf spheroidal, Sculptor, thereby doubling the number of stars with comparable observations in this metallicity range. We carry out a detailed analysis of the chemical abundances of α, iron peak, and light and heavy elements, and draw

We present deep near-infrared J, {K}{{s}} photometry of the old, metal-poor Galactic globular cluster M15 obtained with images collected with the LUCI1 and PISCES cameras available at the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). We show how the use of First Light Adaptive Optics (FLAO) system coupled with the PISCES camera allows us to improve the limiting

We identified and characterized the largest (536) RR Lyrae (RRL) sample in a Milky Way dSph satellite (Sculptor) based on optical photometry data collected over ˜24 years. The RRLs display a spread in V-magnitude (˜0.35 mag) which appears larger than photometric errors and the horizontal branch (HB) luminosity evolution of a mono-metallic

Estimates of the mass distribution and dark-matter (DM) content of dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) are usually derived under the assumption that the effect of the tidal field of the host galaxy is negligible over the radial extent probed by kinematic data sets. We assess the implications of this assumption in the specific case of the Fornax dSph

We conduct a comprehensive numerical study of the orbital dependence of harassment on early-type dwarfs consisting of 168 different orbits within a realistic, Virgo-like cluster, varying in eccentricity and pericentre distance. We find harassment is only effective at stripping stars or truncating their stellar discs for orbits that enter deep into

We discuss how knowledge of the whole evolutionary history of dwarf galaxies, including details on the early star formation events, can provide insight on the origin of the different dwarf galaxy types. We suggest that these types may be imprinted by the early conditions of formation rather than only being the result of a recent morphological

Massive relic galaxies formed the bulk of their stellar component before z ˜ 2 and have remained unaltered since then. Therefore, they represent a unique opportunity to study in great detail the frozen stellar population properties of those galaxies that populated the primitive Universe. We have combined optical to near-infrared line-strength

We have performed a new abundance analysis of Carina red giant (RG) stars from spectroscopic data collected with UVES (high spectral resolution) and FLAMES/GIRAFFE (high and medium resolution) at ESO/VLT. The former sample includes 44 RGs, while the latter consists of 65 (high-resolution) and ~800 (medium-resolution) RGs, covering a significant

Aims: We present a new calibration of the calcium II triplet equivalent widths versus [Fe/H], constructed upon K giant stars in the Galactic bulge. This calibration will be used to derive iron abundances for the targets of the GIBS survey, and is in general especially well suited for solar and supersolar metallicity giants, which are typical of

We investigated the absolute age of the Galactic globular cluster M71 (NGC 6838) using optical ground-based images (u\prime ,g\prime ,r\prime ,i\prime ,z\prime ) collected with the MegaCam camera at the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope (CFHT). We performed a robust selection of field and cluster stars by applying a new method based on the 3D (r\prime

We present precision radial velocities and stellar population parameters for 77 star clusters in the Local Group galaxy M33. Our Gran Telescopio de Canarias and William Herschel Telescope observations sample both young, massive clusters and known/candidate globular clusters (GCs), spanning ages ˜106-1010 yr, and metallicities, [M/H] ˜ -1.7 to solar

Context. Open clusters are key to studying the formation and evolution of the Galactic disc. However, there is a deficiency of radial velocity and chemical abundance determinations for open clusters in the literature. Aims: We intend to increase the number of determinations of radial velocities and metallicities from spectroscopy for open clusters

We present new wide-field photometry and spectroscopy of the globular clusters (GCs) around NGC 4649 (M60), the third brightest galaxy in the Virgo cluster. Imaging of NGC 4649 was assembled from a recently obtained Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys mosaic, and new Subaru/Suprime-Cam and archival Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope

We present the discovery of a new dwarf galaxy, Hydra II, found serendipitously within the data from the ongoing Survey of the Magellanic Stellar History conducted with the Dark Energy Camera on the Blanco 4 m Telescope. The new satellite is compact ({{r}h}=68 ± 11 pc) and faint ({{M}V}=-4.8 ± 0.3), but well within the realm of dwarf galaxies. The