Context. The standard prescription of angular momentum loss in compact binaries assumes magnetic braking to be very efficient as long as the secondary star has a radiative core, but to be negligible if the secondary star is fully convective. This prescription has been developed to explain the orbital period gap observed in the orbital period

Aims: We aim to interpret the photometric and spectroscopic variability of the luminous blue variable supergiant HD 50064 (V = 8.21). Methods: CoRoT space photometry and follow-up high-resolution spectroscopy with a time base of 137 d and 169 d, respectively, was gathered, analysed, and interpreted using standard time series analysis and light

Aims: In this paper we establish a compositional and dynamical connection between two B-type objects: main belt asteroid (2) Pallas and near-Earth asteroid (3200) Phaethon. The final purpose is to help understand the origin of this very interesting object. Methods: We first compare visible and near-infrared spectra of asteroids Phaethon and Pallas

The transient black hole candidate GX 339-4 is currently softening in X-ray, making a transition out of the hard state (ATel #2545). We are monitoring the source with the Faulkes Telescope South (located at Siding Spring, Australia) and the SMARTS 1.3m telescope and ANDICAM instrument (at Cerro Tololo, Chile). From the Faulkes monitoring, the

We present high time-resolution multicolour optical observations of the quiescent X-ray transients GRS 1124-684 (=GUMus) and Cen X-4 (=V822Cen) obtained with ULTRACAM. Superimposed on the secondary stars' ellipsoidal modulation in both objects are large flares on time-scales of 30-60min as well as several distinct rapid flares on time-scales of a

Available from the Minor Planet Center.