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The role of feedback in the self-regulation of star formation is a fundamental question in astrophysics. The Orion Nebula is the nearest site of ongoing and recent massive star formation. It is a unique laboratory for the study of stellar…
We observed asteroid (596) Scheila and its ejecta cloud using the Swift UV-optical telescope. We obtained photometry of the nucleus and the ejecta, and for the first time measured the asteroid's reflection spectrum between 290 - 500 nm. Our…
Solar, supernova, and atmospheric neutrinos, and possibly weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter, have been interacting in the Earth beneath our feet for billions of years. The ''paleo-detector'' technique seeks to detect…
We present a survey of >4,000 star compositions from the Hypatia Catalog to examine whether rocky exoplanets (i.e., those with rocky surfaces, dominated by silicates) might be geologically similar to Earth, at least with respect to…
Dawn is the first NASA mission to operate in the vicinity of the two most massive asteroids in the main belt, Ceres and Vesta. This double-rendezvous mission is enabled by the use of low-thrust solar electric propulsion. Dawn will arrive at…
Seven of the nine known Mars Trojan asteroids belong to an orbital cluster named after its largest member 5261 Eureka. Eureka is likely the progenitor of the whole cluster, which formed at least 1 Gyr ago. It was suggested that the thermal…
We present near-infrared (0.78-2.45 {\mu}m) reflectance spectra for nine middle and outer main belt (a > 2.5 AU) basaltic asteroids. Three of these objects are spectrally distinct from all classifications in the Bus-DeMeo system and could…
We revisit the ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy of the edge-on debris disk surrounding the A0V star $\eta$ Telescopii. Previous work found absorption components at four velocities ($\sim$ -23, -18, -10, -1 km s$^{-1}$), with the most…
V-type asteroids are a taxonomic class whose surface is associated to a basaltic composition. The only known source of V-type asteroids in the Main Asteroid Belt is (4) Vesta, that is located in the inner part of the belt. However, many…
In this work we study the link between the evolution of the internal structure of Vesta and thermal heating due to 26Al and 60Fe and long-lived radionuclides, taking into account the chemical differentiation of the body and the affinity of…
Context. Airless planetary objects have their surfaces covered by craters, and these can be used to study the characteristics of asteroid populations. Planetary surfaces present binary craters that are associated with the synchronous impact…
A well-preserved, ancient delta deposit, in combination with ample exposures of Mg-carbonate rich materials, make Jezero Crater in Nili Fossae a compelling astrobiological site and a top candidate for future landed missions to Mars. We use…
The aim of Dawn mission is the acquisition of data from orbits around two bodies, (4)Vesta and (1)Ceres, the two most massive asteroids. Due to the low thrust propulsion, Dawn will slowly cross and transit through ground-track resonances,…
We have made an extensive study of the UV spectrum of Eta Carinae, and find that we do not directly observe the star and its wind in the UV. Because of dust along our line of sight, the UV light that we observe arises from bound-bound…
In this work, we investigate the size, thermal inertia, surface roughness and geometric albedo of 10 Vesta family asteroids by using the Advanced Thermophysical Model (ATPM), based on the thermal infrared data acquired by mainly NASA's…
We present the results of the first-ever visible spectroscopic survey fully dedicated to the small (absolute magnitude H>20) near-Earth asteroid (NEA) population. Observations have been performed at the New Technology Telescope (NTT) of the…
We report the discovery and orbit determination of 14 trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) from the ESSENCE Supernova Survey difference imaging dataset. Two additional objects discovered in a similar search of the SDSS-II Supernova Survey…
The black-hole binary, V404 Cygni, went into outburst in June 2015, after 26 years of X-ray quiescence. We observed the outburst with the Neil Gehrels Swift observatory. We present optical/UV observations taken with the Swift Ultra-violet…
Chemical and mineral compositions of asteroids reflect the formation and history of our Solar System. This knowledge is also important for planetary defence and in-space resource utilisation. We aim to develop a fast and robust…
Context. The high-angular-resolution capability of the new-generation ground-based adaptive-optics camera SPHERE at ESO VLT allows us to assess, for the very first time, the cratering record of medium-sized (D~100-200 km) asteroids from the…