We present JWST images of NGC 6720 (the Ring Nebula), covering wavelengths from 1.6 μm to 25 μm. The bright shell is strongly fragmented with some 20 000 dense globules, bright in H 2, with a characteristic diameter of 0.2 arcsec and density n H∼10 5–10 6cm ‑3. The shell contains a narrow ring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission. H 2

Gaia DR3 parallaxes of a sample of post-AGB candidates have allowed us to unequivocally establish their evolutionary stage. Making use of the available photometry, interstellar extinction, and parallax-derived distance, their spectral Energy Distributions (SED) were fitted. From this, luminosity and effective temperature were worked out, placing

The wide-field spectrographs 4MOST and MOONS are expected to enter operations in late 2024 at the ESO Paranal Observatory. These upcoming survey facilities will play an important role in various fields over the next decade. In particular, both will host surveys aimed at observing Local Group (LG) galaxies. We describe how their scientific

Planetary nebulae (PNe) are known to be extreme radiation environments. However, these extreme conditions do not preclude the presence of different types of molecules. PNe appear as unique laboratories where atoms and simple and complex molecules, including radicals and ions, coexist. Our recent high-resolution radio observations of the C-rich PNe

The Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) is the upcoming next-generation ground-based gamma-ray observatory. CTAO will have two sites, one located in the northern hemisphere in the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, La Palma (Spain) and a sourthern site in Paranal (Chile). CTAO will count on improved sensitivity, angular and spectral

Planetary nebulae (PNe) represent the final link in the chain of the gas and dust enrichment of low- and intermediate-mass stars. We present a comprehensive study of the relevant observational data of 10 PNe of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Analysing them from the UV to the IR, we characterise the nature of the central star (CS) and the dust