We report preliminary results from an automated cluster survey of the Magellanic Clouds aimed at improving the cluster census and at deriving cluster properties from their resolved stellar content. The survey is tripling the number of known clusters. The cluster age distribution shows similar peaks at 100–200 Myr in LMC and SMC, coincident with the closest encounter of the Clouds and perigalacticon.

We present the results of the astrometric monitoring of βPictoris b, the closest exoplanet imaged so far, using all VLT/NaCo data we obtained so far.

With the current convergence of determinations of the Hubble Constant (e.g. The Extragalactic Distance Scale, 1997, Livio, Donahue and Panagia, eds.) to values within ±25% rather than a factor of two, and the clear possibility of determining q0 using high redshift supernovae (Garnavich et al. 1998), the major remaining problem in observational cosmology is the determination of Ω — what is the dark matter, how much is there, and how is it distributed?

The most direct approach to the last two parts of the question has been to study galaxy dynamics, first through the motions of galaxies in binaries, groups and clusters, and in the last decade and a half, driven by the observation of our motion w.r.t. the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and thenotion that DM must be clumped on larger scales than galaxy clusters if (Ω is to be unity, through the study of large scale galaxy flows.

The ratio of the mass density to the closure mass density, Ω, is thought by most observers to be ~0.1-0.3, primarily based on the results of dynamical measurements of galaxy clusters and, more recently, gravitational lensing studies of clusters. In contrast, most theoretical cosmologists opt for a high density universe, Ω = 1.0, based on the precepts of the inflation scenario, the difficulty of forming galaxies in low density models given the observed smoothness of the microwave background radiation, and the observational evidence from the matching of the available large scale flow measurements (and the absolute microwave background dipole velocity) to the local density field. However this last result is extremely controversial—matching the velocity field to the density field derived from IRAS (60μ) selected galaxy samples yields high Ω values (e.g., Dekel et al. 1993) but matching to optically selected samples yields low values (Hudson 1994; Lahav et al. 1994; Santiago et al. 1995). On small scales, the high Ω camp argues that the true matter distribution is much more extended than the distribution of galaxies, so the dynamical mass estimates are biased low.

After some general remarks on the dynamical evolution of the galactic disk, we review mechanisms which may affect the velocities of disk stars: stochastic heating, deflections, adiabatic cooling or heating. We compare the observed velocities of nearby disk stars with theoretical predictions based on the diffusion of stellar orbits.

RR Lyrae stars being distance indicators and tracers of old population serve as excellent probes of the structure, formation, and evolution of our Galaxy. Thousands of them are being discovered in ongoing wide-field surveys. The OGLE project conducts the Galaxy Variability Survey with the aim to detect and analyze variable stars, in particular of RRab type, toward the Galactic bulge and disk, covering a total area of 3000 deg2. Observations in these directions also allow detecting background halo variables and unique studies of their properties and distribution at distances from the Galactic Center to even 40 kpc. In this contribution, we present the first results on the spatial distribution of the observed RRab stars, their metallicity distribution, the presence of multiple populations, and relations with the old bulge. We also show the most recent results from the analysis of RR Lyrae stars of the Sgr dwarf spheroidal galaxy, including its center, the globular cluster M54.

Observations of the night-sky brightness were organized at 106 places in Japan by a promotion of the Environmental Agency with the help of many local governments. Two kinds of measurements were carried out: 1) Number of stars were counted in a region of triangle formed by Alpha Lyr, Epsilon Lyr, and Zeta Lyr by at least 10 contributors at each point. 2) Photographs of a star field at the zenith at each point were taken with the same type of camera and film. These results gave us a good idea on distribution of night-sky brightness in Japan.

Spectrographs like HARPS can now reach a sub-ms−1 precision in radial-velocity (RV) (Pepe & Lovis 2008). At this level of accuracy, we start to be confronted with stellar noise produced by 3 different physical phenomena: oscillations, granulation phenomena (granulation, meso- and super-granulation) and activity. On solar type stars, these 3 types of perturbation can induce ms−1 RV variation, but on different time scales: 3 to 15 minutes for oscillations, 15 minutes to 1.5 days for granulation phenomena and 10 to 50 days for activity. The high precision observational strategy used on HARPS, 1 measure per night of 15 minutes, on 10 consecutive days each month, is optimized, due to a long exposure time, to average out the noise coming from oscillations (Dumusque et al. 2011a) but not to reduce the noise coming from granulation and activity (Dumusque et al. 2011a and Dumusque et al. 2011b). The smallest planets found with this strategy (Mayor et al. 2009) seems to be at the limit of the actual observational strategy and not at the limit of the instrumental precision. To be able to find Earth mass planets in the habitable zone of solar-type stars (200 days for a K0 dwarf), new observational strategies, averaging out simultaneously all type of stellar noise, are required.

We present high quality polarimetric observations with the Effelsberg radio telescope of the Crab pulsar at 8.35 GHz using a new sensitive receiver with a very large bandwidth. We present our observations and discuss them in the context of the conclusions reached by Moffett & Hankins (1999) about the geometry and the origin of the various pulse components.

For the purposes of this talk I will take “high resolution” to mean 1 milliarcsecond (mas). Only objects of high surface brightness when averaged over 1 mas are considered; as H. McAlister will discuss stellar applications, I will speak only about nonstellar applications.

We present the first sub-kpc (∼ 0.7 ≈ 0.8 kpc) resolution 12CO(1–0) observations of the ISM in the host galaxy of the QSO I Zw 1 which were obtained with the BIMA mm-interferometer in its A configuration. The measurements, which are part of a multi-wavelength study of I Zw 1, will allow comparison of the ISM properties of a QSO host with those of nearby galaxies and place constraints on galaxy formation/evolution models. Our maps of the 12CO(1–0) line emission from the host galaxy of a QSO show a ring-like structure in the circumnuclear molecular gas distribution with a radius of about 900 pc. The presence of such a molecular gas ring was already predicted from earlier lower angular resolution PdBI observations (Schinnerer, Eckart, & Tacconi 1998). A first comparison of the BIMA data with new PdBI 12CO(2–1) observations with 0.9 angular resolution shows variations in the excitation conditions of the molecular gas in the innermost 3 comprising the nuclear region of I Zw 1.

The present short notes on cosmology start with two conclusions based on observational data. The first of them is the well-known conclusion that the Universe from the global point of view is at the present epoch of its evolution in a uniform and isotropic expansion. If we accept the very convincing arguments of Bondi (1962) that the geometry of the cosmic space is Riemannian, its properties are described at the present epoch of the cosmic evolution by the well-known Robertson-Walker metric expressing the cosmological principle (Robertson, 1935, 1936; Walker, 1936). The form of the geodesical lines depends on the assumed theory of gravitation. For instance, in the closed Friedman world model they are cycloids with a singularity at the start of the expansion.

Very recent observations of the $^6$Li isotope in halo stars reveal a $^6$Li plateau about 1000 times above the predicted BBN abundance. We calculate the evolution of $^6$Li versus redshift generated from an initial burst of cosmological cosmic rays (CCRs) up to the formation of the Galaxy. We show that a pregalactic production of the $^6$Li isotope can account for the $^6$Li plateau observed in metal poor halo stars without additional over-production of $^7$Li. The derived properties of the CCRs could then be used to put constraints on the physics and history of the objects, such as Pop III stars, possibly responsible for these early cosmic rays. Consequently, we consider the evolution of $^6$Li in the Galaxy. Since $^6$Li is also produced by Galactic cosmic ray nucleosynthesis, we argue that $^6$Li can be depleted in halo stars with metallicities between [Fe/H]=−2 and −1.

Thermal emission spectra from the MGS TES instrument permit retrieval of atmospheric properties that are of interest in the study of Martian meteorology, including temperature, dust, and water ice. Examples of analyses of zonal mean meridional thermal sructure for equinox and solstice conditions are presented.

BlaSGalF is the name of an online, regularly updated list of known RR Lyraes exhibiting the Blazhko effect. It is an acronym of Blazhko Stars of Galactic Field. The list currently contains about 270 stars. It gives basic information about positions, brightnesses, pulsation and modulation periods based on data from catalogs and more than sixty papers. Using this database we found a lack of Blazhko stars with appropriate period characteristics. We introduce the present form of the list and discuss future plans for this database.

20 OH/IR stars are monitored in the 1612 MHz OH maser line with the Nançay Radio Telescope. The program started in 2008 with monthly observations of the full sample and will last at least until end of 2012. The aim is the determination of the linear diameter of the circumstellar shell using the phase lag between the light curves of the varying OH maser lines. To use them for distance determinations, angular diameters are obtained by interferometric measurements while the stars pass the maximum of their OH maser flux density variations. The periods of the OH/IR stars monitored are between 425 and >2000 days.

A series of standard programmes has been developed for numerical integration by Cowell's method of the differential equations of motion of minor bodies. A variable step is used, and perturbations by eight major planets and nongravitational effects are taken into consideration. Further programmes have been constructed as part of a general attempt at ITA to produce numerical theories of cometary motion. They include the reduction of observations, the comparison of the observations with theory and the improvement of orbits. The programmes make it possible to calculate (O–C) residuals of up to 2000 observations simultaneously.

We have used far-ultraviolet spectroscopy and broad-band photometry to identify and study dynamically-formed stellar exotica in the core of 47 Tucanane. Here, we present a subset of our main results, including: (i) the spectroscopic confirmation of three cataclysmic variables; (ii) the discovery of stripped sub-giant core in a binary system with a dark primary; (iii) the discovery of a Helium white dwarf; (iv) the discovery of a blue straggler with a white dwarf companion.