Compositional studies of primitive asteroid families provide constraints on the physical and chemical environment of the solar nebula and the evolution of the asteroid belt. Spectroscopic studies in the visible and near-infrared have shown spectral diversity between primitive families. Our goal is to better constrain the composition of two

We present reliable measurements of the metallicity distribution function (MDF) at different points along the tidal stream of the Sagittarius (Sgr) dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy, based on high-resolution, echelle spectroscopy of candidate M giant members of the Sgr system. The Sgr MDF is found to evolve significantly from a median [Fe/H]~-0.4 in

We hypothesize that hot Jupiters with inflated sizes represent a separate planet formation channel, the merging of two low-mass stars. We show that the abundance and properties of W UMa stars and low mass detached binaries are consistent with their being possible progenitors. The degree of inflation of the transiting hot Jupiters correlates with

In this paper, all the light-curves obtained during the PHEMU91 campaign of observations of the mutual phenomena of the Galilean satellites are presented. These observations give accurate astrometric positions of major interest for dynamical studies of the motion of the Galilean satellites. The aim of this work is to give observational data

Subarcsecond optical broad band images of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 985 are presented. A second nucleus located 3.8" NW of the Seyfert nucleus is clearly revealed by these images and confirmed by the study of its colors and brightness profile. We claim that this object is a spheroidal bulge with an absolute magnitude M_B_ = -16.6, and that it is

Context: .Statistical properties of H ii region populations in disk galaxies yield important clues to the physics of massive star formation. Aims: .We present a set of H ii region catalogues and luminosity functions for a sample of 56 spiral galaxies in order to derive the most general form of their luminosity function. Methods: .H ii region