Context. Baade's window (BW) is one of the most observed Galactic bulge fields in terms of chemical abundances. Owing to its low and homogeneous interstellar absorption it is considered the perfect calibration field for Galactic bulge studies. Aims: In the era of large spectroscopic surveys, calibration fields such as BW are necessary for cross

Aims: The B fields in OB stars (BOB) Collaboration is based on an ESO Large Programme to study the occurrence rate, properties, and ultimately the origin of magnetic fields in massive stars. Methods: In the framework of this program, we carried out low-resolution spectropolarimetric observations of a large sample of massive stars using FORS 2

We present a quick overview of several examples that illustrate the application of quasar microlensing to various problems of great interest in Astrophysics and Cosmology. We start introducing the main tool for simulating quasar microlensing, the magnification map. Then, the flux magnification statistics obtained from the magnification maps is used

Although the final definition of Archaeoastronomy is still under debate, what is clear is that this discipline offers a different approach to the knowledge of ancient cultures than traditional archaeology has done so far. Archaeoastronomy considers the sky as an inseparabe part of the environment and thus an element of the transformed landscape

Since 1970 surface brightness profiles of disc galaxies were classified as Type-I, single falling exponentials, or Type-II, broken exponentials with steeper decline in the outskirts. For the past decade Type-III profiles, (antitruncations), with a shallower fall-off in the outskirts, have been shown to occur in a significant fraction of galaxy

Star Formation Rate (SFR) inferences are based in the so-called constant SFR approximation, where synthesis models are require to provide a calibration; we aims to study the key points of such approximation to produce accurate SFR inferences. We use the intrinsic algebra used in synthesis models, and we explore how SFR can be inferred from the