The periods of most of the RRab stars in ω Centauri have increased during the past century at the same rate as evolutionary model calculations predict. This result raises the possibility that evolutionary changes in the periods are directly observed in this cluster.

Using the WENSS survey, we have selected a complete sample of 26 Giant Radio Galaxies. We have investigated the properties of their radio structures using multifrequency radio observations. A spectral ageing analisys reveals that, among other things, that these sources are typically 50 — 100 Myr old and that their lobes have higher advance velocities than smaller sources of similar radio power. Further, we find pressure gradients in their radio lobes, suggesting that the lobes are still overpressured with respect to the environment. We find no evidence for a cosmological evolution of the radio lobe pressures with increasing redshift, at least up to z ∼ 0.3, other than that caused by our selection technique. A faint, higher redshift sample of giant sources is needed to constrain the pressure in their environments, the IGM. We are well underway with selecting such a sample, and the GMRT can play an important role in studying the radio properties of these sources.

PC 11 (HD 149427, PK 331-5 1) is classified as a young planetary nebula with strong OIII 4363Å and a Zanstra temperature of TZ = 27000K. It is also classified as (D′ — type) yellow symbiotic star with A — F type companion. It is an IRAS source with detached cold dust with far intrared (IRAS) colours similar to planetary nebulae. The IUE short wavelength (SWP) spectra show emission lines due to OIII] (1661/1666Å). NIII] (1746/1754Å) CIII] (1907/1909Å). The OIII] and NIII] emission lines show significant variation. Variation in the strength of CIII] is not very significant. The strength of OIII] has decreased and NIII] has increased. The long wavelength (LWP) spectrum shows stellar continuum (A-F) and absorption lines due Mg II 2800Å feature. It also show emission lines at 2772Å (?) 3133Å −3140Å (very strong) (OIII, [FeV], 3209Å (He II?) ([FEII]). The variation in the strength of emission line due OIII] and NIII] and the presence of stellar continuum (A-F) suggests that the central star of PC 11 is a binary.

The first quantitative evidence for a large scale density excess or “metagalactic cloud” including the Local Group was obtained by Holmberg (1937) and confirmed by Reiz (1941). the present concept of the Local Supercluster (LSC) as a flattened aggregate of field galaxies, small groups and larger clouds centered at the Virgo cluster was formulated 25 years ago (de Vaucouleurs 1953) even before large-scale superclustering was recognized as a general phenomenon. See review papers in Vistas in Astronomy (1956), Soviet Astronomy (1960), Science (1970), Publ. Astron. Soc. Pacific (1971), and IAU Symp. No. 63 (Abell 1974).

The massive OB stars in our Galaxy form predominantly in the warm giant molecular clouds which constitute the spiral arms. The clouds are subject to a variety of mechanisms which retard or prevent further contraction, but are nevertheless able to form stable “cores”. In the regime of subsonic internal motions, the cores may be regarded as potential protostars. The formation of massive cores, which then form massive stars, may initially be determined by the statistics of fragmentation, but may then be a feedback process, once underway, due to the steep increase of the minimum Jeans' mass with increasing temperature of the surroundings. This concept is the basis for the model of bi-modal star formation, and its implications for the initial mass function and the distribution of massive stars and metallicity gradients in the Galaxy.

We investigate the properties of the dark halo of the dust-lane elliptical galaxy NGC 3108. This galaxy contains a large massive gaseous disk, which shows rapid and regular rotation. That makes NGC 3108 a target for measurements usually feasible only for spriral galaxies. Combining spectroscopic measurements of the disk in the optical- and the radio regime, we provide a reliable rotation curve of the galaxy out to 3 Reff and show that the rotation curve does not decline up to a radius of 5.5 Reff corresponding to 28 kpc.

The theoretical aspect of close flybies of space-crafts near planets-gravitational manoeuvres have been studied. It is proved that the space-craft motion with gravitational manoeuvres admits the existence of routing scheme and, consequently shows the existence of quasi-random motion.

Many nearby galaxies show optical evidence for low-luminosity AGNs that are far less luminous than classical Seyfert nuclei and QSOs. LINERs, the most common variety of such emission-line objects, comprise ~ 1/3 of nearby galaxies, and may serve as an important “missing link“ between normal and Seyfert galaxies. To shed light on the physical origin of LINERs, which remains controversial, we are conducting a high-resolution continuum survey of a representative sample of galaxies using the VLA to search for compact radio cores. We additionally discuss the dramatic radio variability in the LINER nucleus of M81.

The existence of meteoroid streams is indicated by the regular appearance of coherent meteor activity at specified times during the year. Since it is the interaction of the meteoroid with the atmosphere that is detected, the meteoroid has to be greater than about 100 micrometers in radius. Observation of these interactions gives information on individual meteoroids as well as collective phenomena. It is generally agreed that streams form through the ejection of dust particles from the surfaces of comets and asteroids at speeds considerably lower than the orbital speed. The subsequent motion of these particles is affected by gravitational perturbations from the planets and the effects of solar radiation forces. This review is intended to present an overview of the development of the subject and of our current state of knowledge.

Woltjer: Dr. Field raised the issue of the discrepancy between some estimates of the amount of graphite. I wonder if any of the authors have a comment on this point?

The complex radio source Sgr A is embedded in a region near our Galactic Center. The dynamical center of our Galaxy is considered to be Sgr A*, the compact non-thermal radio source. Dynamical mass within ~0.1 pc from Sgr A* has been estimated to be ~ 3×106 M⊙. This places Sgr A* to be a candidate of a massive blackhole (Eckart and Genzel, 1997 and reference therein).

We have been searching the northern sky for ultra-narrowband carriers of intelligent extraterrestrial origin at 21cm wavelength. The dual-polarization 65,536-channel receiver has a resolution bandwidth of 0.03Hz, matched to the Drake-Helou spreading of the interstellar medium. This maximizes signal/noise ratio, and simultaneously rejects carriers of terrestrial origin. The results of 15 months of observation are summarized.

In this talk I give a short overview of models for spectral lines in Be stars disks which I think are quite instructive. I then examine the arguments for my own model assumptions and discuss selected topics concerning radiative line transfer calculations in three dimensions. We show that symmetric Hα emission lines of Be stars can be understood in terms of Keplerian disks. It is also demonstrated that one-armed global disk oscillations provide the best available solution to understand the long-term V/R variations in Be star emission lines.

Advances in instrumentation and reduction methods are blurring the historical distinctions between various classes of double stars. One result of this is increasing confusion in double star nomenclature, as the conventions followed by different observers are sometimes incompatible. The Washington Multiplicity Catalog is presented as a means of developing a single nomenclature scheme for all types of doubles, as well as a comprehensive database for all duplicity information.

Local Group galaxies allow us to test some properties of massive star evolution which are inaccessible in our Galaxy, in particular the effects of different metallicities. Thus, after showing that we still do not know the exact process by which massive stars are formed, we examine the differences in the distributions of O-stars, blue and red supergiants and WR stars in the Local Group. The number ratios WR/O and WN/WC are well accounted for by stellar models in which the mass-loss rates depend on the metallicity, Z, as predicted by stellar wind theories. The number ratio of red supergiants to WR stars is growing for decreasing Z. Although this behaviour is qualitatively well explained, the models need some extra mixing to fit the observational data. The same is true for the explanation of the He- and N-excesses in O, B and A supergiants. Rotation and related mixing processes certainly play a major role in massive star evolution. The relative number of Be-stars is higher at lower Z, which suggests that rotation is faster, also with more mixing, in small, irregular low-metallicity galaxies.

The theoretical study of the evolution of massive stars has considerable relevance to many branches of observational astronomy. As an example, one may mention, first, the direct application of theoretical models in interpreting the observed properties of supergiants, and second, the use of calculations of the nucleosynthesis taking place in these stars, together with observed supergiant mass loss rates and supernova calculations, to estimate the rate and type of nucleosynthetic enrichment of the interstellar medium by supergiants.

Using the circumstellar envelope parameters (mean temperature, extent and opacity) derived by fitting theoretical energy distributions to those observed in a sample of 20 Be stars, we estimate the respective magnitude difference ΔV = V – V* of the continuum flux excess produced by their circumstellar envelopes. Using then the HIPPARCOS parallaxes of these stars and the ISM E(B-V) colour excesses derived with the surrounding normal B stars, we estimate the visual absolute magnitude of the central objects in the program Be stars. In most cases the results obtained are in good agreement with the absolute magnitudes obtained from the photospheric (λ1, D) components derived in the BCD spectrophotometric system. There are, however, strong discrepancies in 4 program stars which deserve further studies. The magnitude excess seems to be ΔV ≲ 0 for the higher effective temperatures only. There is no correlation between ΔV and Vsin i, as would be expected if the circumstellar envelopes were strongly flattened.

Searching for globular cluster candidates in nearby galaxies such as M31 is the first step to study the characteristics of extragalactic globular cluster systems. Previous searches for M31 globular clusters were mostly based on visual inspection of photograpic plates. We have selected globular cluster candidates from a wide-field Washington CCD survey of M31, using various methods: color-magnitude diagrams, color-color diagrams, point spread function subtraction and visual inspection of the objects. The efficiency and accuracy of these methods for finding globular clusters are presented.

Radio emission mechanisms for pulsars are reviewed with emphasis on five possible sites for the emission: the pair production front (PPF), two regions in the relativistically outflowing plasma (denoted ROP1 and ROP2) between the PPF and the light cylinder (LC), and two sited near the LC. Several maser emission mechanism are viable for ROP1, where radius-to-frequency mapping applies. Suggested Schott radiation from outside the LC is discussed critically.

It is well known that the radio galaxy NGC4486 has as a striking peculiarity a small and very bright ‘jet’ in its central part. It seems to us that the key to the understanding of the nature of this radio galaxy is the purely continuous spectrum of the jet, where not even a slight trace of emission or absorption lines is present.