Related papers: Two confirmed compact elliptical galaxies in the A…
The M31 satellite galaxy M32 has long been considered an object of unique properties, being the most extreme example of the very rare compact elliptical galaxy class. Here we present the spectroscopic discovery of two M32 twins in the…
We report the discovery of a probable new globular cluster in the disk of the Milky Way. Visible in 2MASS and the GLIMPSE survey, it has an estimated foreground extinction of A_V ~ 24 mag. The absolute magnitude of the cluster and the…
Nearby massive compact elliptical galaxies (MCEGs) are strong candidates for relic galaxies (i.e. local analogs of red nuggets at high redshifts). It is expected that the globular cluster (GC) systems of relic galaxies are dominated by red…
The spatial distribution of known globular clusters (GCs) in the Milky Way shows that the current census of GCs is incomplete in the direction of the Galactic plane. We present the discovery of two new GCs located close to the Galactic…
Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCGs) are mostly elliptical galaxies and very rarely have prominent star formation. We found that five out of 8,812 BCGs are E+A (i.e. post-starburst) galaxies, having the H$\delta$~absorption line with an…
The abundance of elliptical, S0 and spiral galaxies in clusters is presented as a function of redshift comparing the results of the HST distant cluster studies with new data at z~0.2 and with the standard local comparison samples. This…
Observational work conducted over the last few decades indicates that all massive galaxies have supermassive black holes at their centres. Although the luminosities and brightness fluctuations of quasars in the early Universe suggest that…
We study the distribution of projected ellipticity n(epsilon) for galaxies in a sample of 20 rich (Richness >= 2) nearby (z < 0.1) clusters of galaxies. We find no evidence of differences in n(epsilon), although the nearest cluster in the…
Central line-strength indices were measured in the blue spectral region for a sample of 98 early-type galaxies in different environments. For most indices (Mgb and <Fe> in particular) ellipticals in rich clusters and in low-density regions…
The existence of the three most massive clusters of galaxies observed so far at z>0.5 is used to constrain the mass density parameter of the universe, Omega, and the amplitude of mass fluctuations, sigma_8. We find Omega=0.2 (+0.3,-0.1),…
We report the serendipitous discovery of a cluster of galaxies at z=0.369. Thirty-eight candidate members were identified based on rough broad-band photometric redshifts, and three members were confirmed spectroscopically. The brightest…
The distribution of global photometric, spectroscopic, structural and morphological parameters for a well defined sample of 350 nearby galaxies has been examined. The usual trends were recovered demonstrating that E/S0 galaxies are redder,…
We present an estimation of the expected number of arcs and arclets in a sample of nearby (z<0.1) clusters of galaxies, that takes into account the magnitude limit of the objects as well as seeing effects. We show that strong lensing…
Ellipticals in very low density environments are extremely rare but hold important clues about galaxy formation and evolution. In this paper we continue our study of isolated elliptical galaxies, presenting results on the radial stellar…
We have fitted the surface brightness of a sample of 79 elliptical galaxies pertaining to the Coma cluster of galaxies using the Sersic profile. This model is defined through three primary parameters: scale length (a), intensity (\Sigma_0),…
In this contribution the discovery and properties of ultra-compact dwarf galaxies are presented, and their possible origin is discussed. This new type of galaxy resides in the cores of galaxy clusters. In the fundamental plane diagram of…
We have extended our H alpha objective prism survey of 8 low-redshift clusters (viz. Abell 262, 347, 400, 426, 569, 779, 1367 and 1656) to include a complete sample of early-type galaxies within 1.5 Abell radii of the cluster centres. Of…
We present the serendipitous discovery of 195 extragalactic globular clusters (GCs) in one of the deepest optical images ever obtained, a 126 orbit HST/ACS imaging study of the nearby Galactic GC NGC 6397. The distant GCs are all found…
We present two newly-discovered compact elliptical (cE) galaxies, exhibiting clear evidence of tidal steams, and found during a search of SDSS DR7 for cE candidates. The structural parameters of the cEs are derived using GALFIT, giving…
We have carried out a search for substructure within the globular cluster systems of M84 (NGC 4374) and M86 (NGC 4406), two giant elliptical galaxies in the Virgo Cluster. We use wide-field (36 arcmin x 36 arcmin), multi-color broadband…