Related papers: MN112: a new Galactic candidate Luminous Blue Vari…

We describe here results of a photometric time-sequence survey of the globular cluster M3 (NGC 5272), in a search for contact and detached eclipsing binary stars. We have discovered only one likely eclipsing binary and one SX Phe type star…

The surroundings of Luminous Blue Variable (LBV) stars are excellent laboratories to study the effects of their high UV radiation, powerful winds, and strong ejection events onto the surrounding gas and dust. The LBV G79.29+0.46 powered two…

We present the first systematic spectropolarimetric study of Luminous Blue Variables (LBVs) in the Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds, in order to investigate the geometries of their winds. We find that at least half of our sample show…

Despite decades-old predictions of the expected presence of dozens of cataclysmic variables in the cores of globular clusters, the number of irrefutable, out-bursting candidates is still barely a handful. Using multi-wavelength, multi-epoch…

Deep BV photometry for a large field covering the outer-halo globular cluster NGC 6229 is presented. For the first time, a colour-magnitude diagram (CMD) reaching below the main sequence turnoff has been obtained for this cluster. Previous…

We present mid-IR observations of the Galactic Luminous Blue Variable (LBV) HR Car and its associated nebula carried out with the Spitzer Space Telescope using both IRAC and IRS, as part of a GTO program aimed to study stellar ejecta from…

We report the results of spectrophotometric observations of the massive star MN18 revealed via discovery of a bipolar nebula around it with the Spitzer Space Telescope. Using the optical spectrum obtained with the Southern African Large…

A photoelectric monitoring program has been applied, during the last four years, to five central stars of planetary nebulae (PNNs) with strong O\,VI $\lambda$ 3811--34 \AA \hspace{0.1mm} emission. NGC\,6905 and, marginally, NGC\,2452, show…

We present spectra of the supernova (SN) impostor AT 2016blu spanning over a decade. This transient exhibits quasiperiodic outbursts with a $\sim$113 d period, likely triggered by periastron encounters in an eccentric binary system where…

A mosaic of six, deep, CCD images in the light of the [O III] 5007 A nebular emission line has been obtained with the 1.3-m Skinakas (Crete) telescope of the filamentary nebulosity surrounding P Cygni. The [O III] 5007 A line discriminates…

We present a far-ultraviolet (FUV) study of the globular cluster M30 (NGC 7099). The images were obtained using the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS/SBC, F150LP, FUV) and the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2, F300W, UV) which were both…

We present photometric and spectroscopic observations of SN 2000ch, an unusual and extremely luminous variable star located in the galaxy NGC 3432. The object was discovered on 2000 May 3.2 during the course of the Lick Observatory…

The Luminous Blue Variable (LBV) R71 is currently undergoing an eruption, which differs photometrically and spectroscopically from its last outburst in the 1970s. Valuable information on the physics of LBV eruptions can be gained by…

We report discovery of a luminous F-type post-asymptotic-giant-branch (PAGB) star in the Galactic globular cluster (GC) M79 (NGC 1904). At visual apparent and absolute magnitudes of V=12.20 and Mv=-3.46, this "yellow" PAGB star is by a…

We present new BV CCD photometry, light curves, and ephemerides for 9 previously known, 29 newly detected RR Lyrae variables and one newly detected variable of an unknown type in the globular cluster M75. The photometry used for the…

Luminous blue variables (LBVs) are suprisingly isolated from the massive O-type stars that are their putative progenitors in single-star evolution, implicating LBVs as binary evolution products. Aadland et al. (A19) found that LBVs are,…

(abridged) We present VLT/X-shooter spectroscopic observations in the wavelength range 3000-23000A of the extremely metal-deficient blue compact dwarf (BCD) galaxy PHL 293B containing a luminous blue variable (LBV) star. We determine…

We present the discovery of a plausible super-luminous supernova (SLSN), found in the archival data of Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Stripe 82, called PSN 000123+000504. The supernova peaked at M_g<-21.3 mag in the second half of…

SN2002kg is a type IIn supernova, detected in October 2002 in the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 2403. We show that the position of SN2002kg agrees within the errors with the position of the LBV V37. Ground based and HST ACS images however show…

We present optical and near-infrared UBVRIJHK photometry of stars in the Galactic globular cluster M4 (NGC 6121) based upon a large corpus of observations obtained mainly from public astronomical archives. We concentrate on the RR Lyrae…