Since massive stars form preferentially as members of close binary systems, we use dense grids of detailed binary evolution models to explore how binary evolution shapes the main-sequence morphology of young star clusters. We propose that binary mergers might be the origin of the blue main sequence stars in young star clusters. Our results imply

Empirical constraints are master keys for testing theoretical evolutionary model predictions. In massive stars, the region in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram (HRD) in which the Blue Supergiants (BSGs) are located sets several important constraints to the models, and in particular to the theoretical end of the main sequence (MS). So far, we are

We present results from a recent study of the spin rate properties of a sample of more than 400 Galactic O-type stars surveyed by the IACOB and OWN projects. We combine vsini, Teff, and logg estimates with information about the spectroscopic binarity status for 285 of the stars in the sample, and provide a renewed overview about how the empirical

On 26 September 2022, NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission impacted Dimorphos, the moonlet of near-earth asteroid (65803) Didymos, performing the world's first planetary defence test. ESA's Hera mission will be launched in October 2024 and rendezvous with the Didymos system end of 2026 or beginning of 2027. It will closely

The Gran Telescopio de Canarias Adaptive Optic System (GTCAO) is built to provide nearly diffraction-limited images to GTC. GRANCAIN (GRAN CAmara INfrarroja) is the first light cryogenic imaging instrument in J, H, and K infrared bands, which will be integrated into the Nasmyth focus of GTCAO. The instrument is designed to image the NIR

HARMONI is the first light visible and near-IR integral field spectrograph for the Extremely Large Telescope. It covers a large spectral range from 470nm to 2450nm with resolving powers from 3300 to 18000 and spatial sampling from 60mas to 4mas. It can operate in two Adaptive Optics modes (including a High Contrast capability) - or with Non