Wolf-Rayet stars have been detected in a large number of galaxies experiencing intense bursts of star formation. All stars initially more massive than a certain, metallicity-dependent, value are believed to experience the Wolf-Rayet phase at the end of their evolution, just before collapsing in supernova explosion. The detection of Wolf-Rayet stars

We report the results of near-infrared Very Large Telescope (VLT)-Infrared Spectrometer and Array Camera (ISAAC) spectroscopy of a sample of 12 galaxies at z=0.4-1.4, drawn from the ISOCAM survey of the Hubble Deep Field South. We find that the rest-frame R-band spectra of the ISOCAM galaxies resemble those of powerful dust-enshrouded starbursts

Our aim is to present an atlas containing 35 low-resolution spectra that correspond to 19 Type II supernovae. These spectra cover different phases of postmaximum supernova evolution, ranging from ~2 weeks to >~1 yr after maximum brightness. The Canarias Database of Nearby Type II Supernovae contains spectra obtained from two different programs: the

The Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) is a 10 m-class telescope which is under construction and will be operational at the Observatorio del Roque de Los Muchachos at the end of 2003. The goal of this paper is to describe the current status of the design and construction of the primary, secondary and tertiary mirrors of the GTC and their opto

Numerous planetary candidates have been detected on nearby G and K dwarfs by high precision radial velocity measurements. The sensitivity to the planet detection by astrometric surveys is very different from the radial velocity searches. Discussions about current results on the detection of extra- solar planets and the impacts of these detections

Rayleigh scattering produced in the lower atmosphere by laser launched from the ground, could be very relevant for performances of Laser Guide Stars systems and for light contamination measurements in other close telescopes. We have studied the scattering above Teide Observatory (Canary Islands) produced by a potassium laser. We show measurements