Context. The derivation of the effective temperature of a star is a critical first step in a detailed spectroscopic analysis. Spectroscopic methods suffer from systematic errors related to model simplifications. Photometric methods may be more robust, but are exposed to the distortions caused by interstellar reddening. Direct methods are difficult

We report the discovery of a highly eccentric, double-lined spectroscopic binary star system (TYC 3010-1494-1), comprising two solar-type stars that we had initially identified as a single star with a brown dwarf companion. At the moderate resolving power of the MARVELS spectrograph and the spectrographs used for subsequent radial-velocity (RV)

We present the results of the analysis of the first black hole confirmed with GTC in the X-ray binary system XTE J1859+226. By combining optical photometry taken with the INT, WHT and NOT with long-slit spectroscopy with OSIRIS+GTC, we have obtained an orbital period of 6.58 h, a secondary star radial velocity amplitude of K_2=541±70 km s^-1 and an

Bars are strong drivers of secular evolution in disk galaxies. Bars themselves can evolve secularly through angular momentum transport, producing different boxy/peanut and X-shaped bulges. Our Milky Way is an example of a barred galaxy with a boxy bulge. We present a self-consistent N-body simulation of a barred galaxy which matches remarkably well

We show the effects of environmental evolution on Virgo cluster and field dwarf elliptical galaxies (dEs), presenting the first large-scale integral-field spectroscopic data for this galaxy class. The great variety of morphological, kinematic, and stellar population parameters seen in our data supports the claim that dEs are defunct dwarf spiral

We present the XMM-Newton X-ray analysis of RX J1720.1+2638 and Abell 267, a non-fossil and a fossil system, respectively. The whole spectrum of both objects can be explained by thermal emission. The luminosities found for RX J1720.1+2638 and Abell 267 in the 2-10 keV band are 6.20+0.04-0.02{×}1044 and 3.90+0.10-0.11{×}1044 erg s-1, respectively