Related papers: A New Luminous blue variable in the outskirt of th…
GR 290 (M 33 V0532 = Romano's Star) is a unique variable star in the M33 galaxy, which simultaneously displays variability typical for luminous blue variable (LBV) stars and physical parameters typical for nitrogen-rich Wolf-Rayet (WR)…
A faint dwarf irregular galaxy has been discovered in the HST/ACS field of LV J1157+5638. The galaxy is resolved into individual stars, including the brightest magnitude of the red giant branch. The dwarf is very likely a physical satellite…
It remains unclear whether massive star evolution is facilitated by mass loss through stellar winds only, or whether episodic mass loss during an eruptive luminous blue variable (LBV) phase is also significant. LBVs exhibit unique…
HST-WFPC2 F555W and F814W photometry were obtained for 16 fields of the luminous nearby spiral galaxy M31, sampling the stellar content of the disk and the halo at different distances from the center, from ~ 20 to ~ 150 arcmin (i.e. ~ 4.5…
We present the first detailed spectroscopic and photometric analysis of an eclipsing binary in the Andromeda Galaxy (M31). This is a 19.3-mag semi-detached system with components of late-O and early-B spectral types. From the light and…
We obtained medium-resolution ultraviolet (UV) spectra between 1150 and 1450 Angstroms of the four UV-bright, infrared (IR)-luminous starburst galaxies IRAS F08339+6517, NGC 3256, NGC 6090, and NGC 7552 using the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph…
MWC 930 is a star just ~2{\deg} above the Galactic plane whose nature is not clear and that has not been studied in detail so far. While a post-Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) classification was proposed in the past, studies of its optical…
B[e] supergiants (B[e]SGs) are transitional objects in the post-main sequence evolution of massive stars. The small number of B[e]SGs known so far in the Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds indicates that this evolutionary phase is short.…
We measure the extinction curve in the central 200 pc of M31 at mid-ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelengths (from 1928A to 1.5{\mu}m), using Swift/UVOT and HST WFC3/ACS observations in thirteen bands. Taking advantage of the high angular…
We confirm our earlier tentative detection of M31* in X-rays and measure its light-curve and spectrum. Observations in 2004-2005 find M31* rather quiescent in the X-ray and radio. However, X-ray observations in 2006-2007 and radio…
We present an observational study of the luminous red nova (LRN) AT\,2021biy in the nearby galaxy NGC\,4631. The field of the object was routinely imaged during the pre-eruptive stage by synoptic surveys, but the transient was detected only…
The classical nova, AT 2023prq, was discovered on 2023 August 15 and is located at a distance of 46 kpc from the Andromeda Galaxy (M 31). Here we report photometry and spectroscopy of the nova. The 'very fast' ($t_{2,r^{\prime}}\sim3.4$ d)…
We characterise the variability in the physical properties of the luminous blue variable AFGL2298 between 1989-2008. In conjunction with published data from 1989-2001, we have undertaken a long term (2001-2008) near-IR spectroscopic and…
Our ability to study the most remote supernova explosions, crucial for the understanding of the evolution of the high-redshift universe and its expansion rate, is limited by the light collection capabilities of telescopes. However, nature…
With the progressive release of data from numerous sky surveys, humanity has entered the era of astronomical big data. Multi-wavelength, multi-method research is playing an increasingly crucial role. Binaries account for a substantial…
(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…
GN-108036 is a star-forming galaxy at $z=7.21$, and one of the most distant known sources in the Northern hemisphere. Based on observations from the NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA), here we report the tentative detection of the…
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 report on the discovery of J0644+3344, a bright deeply eclipsing cataclysmic variable (CV) binary. Spectral signatures of both binary components and an accretion disk can be seen at optical wavelengths. The optical spectrum shows broad H…
We present optical light curves of twenty-nine novae in M31 during the 2009 and 2010 observing seasons of the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF). The dynamic and rapid cadences in PTF monitoring of M31, from one day to even ten minutes,…