We introduce our observational study of the orbital motion and the intrinsic variability of the double-lined spectroscopic binary beta Cen. Using 463 high signal-to-noise, high-resolution spectra obtained over a timespan of 12 years it is shown that the radial velocity of beta Cen varies with an orbital period of 357.0 days. We derive for the first

11 years of IRIS (the low degree helioseismology network) have been analysed for the study of p-modes parameters variability. The duty cycle of the network data has been improved by the partial gap filling method named "repetitive music". This paper discusses the variations of all p-modes parameters along these 11 years.

We present a new puzzle involving Galactic microwave emission and attempt to resolve it. On one hand, a cross-correlation analysis of the Wisconsin Hα Mapper map with the Tenerife 10 and 15 GHz maps shows that the well-known DIRBE correlated microwave emission cannot be dominated by free-free emission. On the other hand, recent high-resolution

We report on our search campaign for the fragments of the Jupiter family comet and target of NASA's CONTOUR mission, Comet 3P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, one orbit revolution after the splitting of its nucleus in 1995 (Boehnhardt et al., 1995). Fragment C was found back with coma in November 1999 at 4 AU inbound and it continued to be active during the

Wind fluctuations in [WC 8-9]-type central stars of planetary nebulae have been detected. Moving features seen on the top of the C III lambda 5696 and C IV lambda lambda 5801/12 emission lines of HD 826 (NGC 40) and BD +30^o3639 are interpreted as outflowing clumps which are radially accelerated in the Wolf-Rayet winds. Kinematic parameters of the

Chandra observations on Jan 16, 2002 surveyed M31 with a series of 5 short (1ks) HRC images. Preliminary analysis yields the following info on new transients and highly variable sources: A new source CXOU J004307.0+411809 (RA=00h43m07s.099, DEC=+41o18'09".95, +/- 1", J2000) is discovered at a luminosity of 2.7 x 1037 ergs/sec (emitted over 0.3-7.0