A sample of ~150 compact Galactic PNe has been observed with the Spitzer/IRS spectrograph to characterize their dust properties. These PNe are likely to be at the onset of the PN evolutionary phase, and are therefore ideal for probing dust evolution. The molecular emission features in these Galactic PN spectra are similar to those found in our

We report spectrophotometric observations made with SOFIA/FORCAST on 2011 June 2 UT. Optical measurements have previously shown that the abundance discrepancy factor (adf) varies with position in several high-adf PNe, and is highest close to the central star. The very low electron temperature inclusions postulated to explain the abundance

The conditions of the exosphere of Mercury constitute a prime example of a magnetosphere subject to space weather. We aim at improving the diagnostic of the physical conditions of Na atoms in the exosphere of Mercury, with particular emphasis in the possibility of inferring the magnetic field through polarimetry of the Na D emission lines. We

In 2010, we organised a workshop in Tenerife with the aim of bringing together scientists concerned with the completeness and accuracy of atomic data for astrophysical applications. Participants included atomic physicists, theoretical astrophysicists and astronomers, and the workshop covered topics such as the evaluation of uncertainties in atomic

Context. Open clusters are ideal test particles for studying the formation and evolution of the Galactic disk. However, the number of clusters with information about their radial velocities and chemical compositions remains largely insufficient. Aims: We attempt to increase the number of open clusters with determinations of radial velocities and

We describe an ongoing project to migrate the emission-line analysis package nebular from its current environment, IRAF, to a modern programming environment where it can be used from command line, a local GUI, or the web. We are also updating the supporting atomic data where they have been superseded by superior calculations or measurements.