We analysed two-dimensional maps of 48 early-type galaxies obtained with the SAURON and OASIS integral-field spectrographs using kinemetry, a generalization of surface photometry to the higher order moments of the line-of-sight velocity distribution (LOSVD). The maps analysed include: reconstructed image, mean velocity, velocity dispersion, h3 and

In the last decade the importance of mergers in the evolution of galaxies has become evident. In this paper we illustrate this importance by showing examples of merging galaxies, both local and at increasing redshift. However before getting carried away by the charms of the hierarchical model in which large galaxies have been built up by successive

The photometric and kinematic properties of Sb NGC 1292 suggest it hosts a pseudobulge. The properties of the stellar population of such a pseudobulge are consistent with a slow buildup within a scenario of secular evolution.

Using data obtained with the ESO-Very Large Telescope, we have performed a deep optical and NIR photometric study of the fields of three Accreting Millisecond X-ray Pulsars (XTE J1814-338, XTE J0929-314 and XTE J1807-294) during quiescence in order to look for the presence of a variable counterpart. If suitable candidates are found, we also carried

The structural parameters of a magnitude-limited sample of 148 unbarred S0-Sb galaxies were derived to study the correlations between bulge and disk parameters as well as the probability distribution function (PDF) of the intrinsic equatorial ellipticity of bulges. A new algorithm (GASP2D) was used to perform the bidimensional bulge-disk

We briefly review the revised classification of the radial surface brightness profiles focusing on the outer disk structure, discussing possible formation scenarios, and posing some open questions.