Based on a new large, homogeneous photometric database of 69 Galactic globular clusters extended out to 42 kpc from the galactic center, a set of distance and reddening free relative age indicators has been measured: delta (V-I)@2.5 and Delta VHBTO. Using this two independent indicators and two recent updated libraries of isochrones we have found

We report on a novel investigation of the complex magnetism of the quiet Sun which is based on a realistic three-dimensional modeling of the Hanle effect.

HETE-2 (High Energy Transient Explorer) is a small scientific satellite whose main task is to detect Gamma-Ray Bursts, promptly determine their coordinates, when possible, and distribute them immediately to the scientific community. HETE-2 has detected many of the most interesting events in recent years: GRB030329, which confirmed beyond any doubt

RX J1211+2242 is an optically faint (B ≃ 19.2 mag) but X-ray bright (f2 - 10 keV = 5 × 10-12 erg cm-2 s-1) AGN, which has been shown to be a BL Lac object at redshift z = 0.455. The ROSAT X-ray, Calar Alto optical, and NVSS radio data suggest that the peak of the synchrotron emission of this object is at energies as high as several keV. BeppoSAX

The metallicity distribution of stars in the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy is studied with infrared Ca II triplet spectroscopy for 117 red giants, obtained with FORS1 on the VLT. The results reveal a very wide distribution of metallicities in Fornax, including a surprising abundance of young, relatively metal-rich stars ([Fe/H]>-0.7). By combining

. Superstatistics is a superposition of two different statistics relevant to driven nonequilibrium systems with a stationary state and intensive parameter fluctuations. It contains Tsallis statistics as a special case. After briefly summarizing some of the theoretical aspects, we describe recent applications of this concept to three different