We examine the rotation rates, sizes and star formation (SF) efficiencies of a representative population of simulated disc galaxies extracted from the Galaxies-Intergalactic Medium Interaction Calculation (GIMIC) suite of cosmological hydrodynamic simulations. These simulations include efficient, but energetically feasible supernova feedback, but

Context. Several clusters of red supergiants have been discovered in a small region of the Milky Way close to the base of the Scutum-Crux Arm and the tip of the Long Bar. Population synthesis models indicate that they must be very massive to harbour so many supergiants. Amongst these clusters, Stephenson 2, with a core grouping of 26 red

We present a study of short-period, central helium-burning variable stars in the Local Group dwarf spheroidal galaxy LeoI, including 106 RR Lyrae stars and 51 Cepheids. So far, this is the largest sample of Cepheids and the largest Cepheids to RR Lyrae ratio found in such a kind of galaxy. Comparison with other Local Group dwarf spheroidals, Carina

We used extensive ground-based multisite and archival spectroscopy to derive observational constraints for a seismic modelling of the magnetic β Cep star V2052 Ophiuchi. The line-profile variability is dominated by a radial mode (f1 = 7.148 46 d-1) and by rotational modulation (Prot = 3.638 833 d). Two non-radial low-amplitude modes (f2 = 7.756 03

Context. Blue compact galaxies (BCG) are narrow emission-line systems that undergo a violent burst of star formation. They are compact, low-luminosity galaxies, with blue colors and low chemical abundances, which offer us a unique opportunity to investigate collective star formation and its effects on galaxy evolution in a relatively simple

In the last few years many globular clusters (GCs) have revealed complex color-magnitude diagrams, with the presence of multiple main sequences (MSs), broad or multiple sub-giant branches (SGBs) and MS turnoffs, and broad or split red giant branches (RGBs). After a careful correction for differential reddening, high-accuracy photometry with the