EL CVn is the prototype of a class of eclipsing binaries that consist of an A- or F-type main-sequence star and a hot, low-mass, pre-He white dwarf (pre-He WD), the stripped down remains of the former mass donor. Here we present the first direct detection and characterization of the spectrum of the pre-He WD in EL CVn that was made possible through

Context. Low-mass stars in eclipsing binary systems show radii larger and effective temperatures lower than theoretical stellar models predict for isolated stars with the same masses. Eclipsing binaries with low-mass components are hard to find due to their low luminosity. As a consequence, the analysis of the known low-mass eclipsing systems is

We present time-series photometry in the field of Stock 8 and identified 130 short-period variable stars. Twenty-eight main-sequence and 23 pre-main-sequence variables are found to be part of cluster Stock 8. The main-sequence variables are classified as slow pulsators of the B-type, β Cep, and δ Scuti stars. Fourteen main-sequence stars could be

We present time-resolved optical spectroscopy of the `redback' binary millisecond pulsar system PSR J1023+0038 during both its radio pulsar (2009) and accretion disc states (2014 and 2016). We provide observational evidence for the companion star being heated during the disc state. We observe a spectral type change along the orbit, from ˜G5 to ˜F6

We present measurements of the component masses in 15 Cataclysmic Variables (CVs) - 6 new estimates and 9 improved estimates. We provide new calibrations of the relationship between superhump period excess and mass ratio, and use this relation to estimate donor star masses for 225 superhumping CVs. With an increased sample of donor masses we

We present the results from VI CCD time-series photometry of the globular cluster M13 (NGC 6205). From the Fourier decomposition of the light curves of RRab and RRc stars we found an average metallicity of [Fe/H]zw = -1.58 ± 0.09. The distance to the cluster was estimated as 7.1 ± 0.1 kpc from independent methods related to the variable star

Many white dwarf stars show signs of having accreted smaller bodies, implying that they may host planetary systems. A small number of these systems contain gaseous debris discs, visible through emission lines. We report a stable 123.4-minute periodic variation in the strength and shape of the Ca II emission line profiles originating from the debris

The accretion of hydrogen onto a white dwarf star ignites a classical nova eruption1,2—a thermonuclear runaway in the accumulated envelope of gas, leading to luminosities up to a million times that of the Sun and a high-velocity mass ejection that produces a remnant shell (mainly consisting of insterstellar medium). Close to the upper mass limit of

AM CVn binaries are a class of ultracompact, hydrogen-deficient binaries, each consisting of a white dwarf accreting helium-dominated material from a degenerate or semi-degenerate donor star. Of the 56 known systems, only Gaia14aae undergoes complete eclipses of its central white dwarf, allowing the parameters of its stellar components to be

We present the discovery of a 3h5m orbital-period binary star at the heart of the planetary nebula M 3-1 - the shortest period photometrically variable central star known and second only to V458 Vul, in general. Combined modelling of light and radial velocity curves reveals both components to be close to Roche lobe filling, strongly indicating that

We present high-time-resolution photometry and phase-resolved spectroscopy of the short-period ({P_orb}= 80.52 min) cataclysmic variable SDSS J123813.73-033933.0, observed with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), the Kepler/K2 mission, and the Very Large Telescope (VLT). We also report observations of the first detected superoutburst. SDSS J1238-0339

Bipolar planetary nebulae (PNe) are thought to result from binary star interactions and, indeed, tens of binary central stars of PNe have been found, in particular using photometric time-series that allow for the detection of post-common envelope systems. Using photometry at the NTT in La Silla we have studied the bright object close to the centre

HiPERCAM is a quintuple-beam imager that saw first light on the 4.2 m William Herschel Telescope (WHT) in October 2017 and on the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) in February 2018. The instrument uses re- imaging optics and 4 dichroic beamsplitters to record ugriz (300-1000 nm) images simultaneously on its five CCD cameras. The detectors in

We present 45 ground-based photometric observations of the K2-22 system collected between 2016 December and 2017 May, which we use to investigate the evolution of the transit of the disintegrating planet K2-22b. Last observed in early 2015, in these new observations we recover the transit at multiple epochs and measure a typical depth of

To understand the physical processes governing accretion discs we can study active galactic nuclei (AGNs), X-ray binary systems (XRBs), and cataclysmic variables (CVs). It has been shown that XRBs and CVs show similar observational properties such as recurrent outbursts and aperiodic variability. The latter has been extensively studied for XRBs

The black hole transient V404 Cygni exhibited a bright outburst in June 2015 that was intensively followed over a wide range of wavelengths. Our team obtained high time resolution optical spectroscopy (! ˜ ! 90 s), which included a detailed coverage of the most active phase of the event. We present a data base consisting of 651 optical spectra

We analysed recent K2 data of the short-period eclipsing binary system HW Vir, which consists of a hot subdwarf-B type primary with an M-dwarf companion. We determined the mid-times of eclipses, calculated O-C diagrams, and an average shift of the secondary minimum. Our results show that the orbital period is stable within the errors over the

WD 1145+017 is currently the only white dwarf known to exhibit periodic transits of planetary debris as well as absorption lines from circumstellar gas. We present the first simultaneous fast optical spectrophotometry and broad-band photometry of the system, obtained with the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) and the Liverpool Telescope, respectively

M dwarfs are prime targets in the hunt for habitable worlds around other stars. This is due to their abundance as well as their small radii and low masses and temperatures, which facilitate the detection of temperate, rocky planets in orbit around them. However, the fundamental properties of M dwarfs are difficult to constrain, often limiting our

We present the discovery of SDSS J135154.46-064309.0, a short-period variable observed using 30-mincadence photometry in K2 Campaign 6. Follow-up spectroscopy and high-speed photometry support a classification as a new member of the rare class of ultracompact accreting binaries known as AM CVn stars. The spectroscopic orbital period of 15.65 ± 0.12