We present the rationale, first observations and preliminary results of our radial velocity search for exoplanets around M dwarfs. So far we have obtained 2.5 nights (1.5 already done, 2 half nights pending) of Keck NASA time to collect high-resolution near-infrared spectra using NIRSPEC on the KECK II telescope. Our sample consists of 80 nearby

Recent results from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and the 2MASS All-Sky Survey have clearly revealed the extent of the spatial distribution of stars affiliated with the tidal debris tail of the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy (Sgr). Although these surveys help to constrain the shape of the Sgr orbit, kinematics of the tidal tail stars are crucial in

We have studied the kinematics of the HH 399 jet, which was recently discovered in the Trifid Nebula. The data were obtained in the [N II] 6583 Å line with a scanning Fabry-Pérot interferometer (TAURUS-2) and in the [S II] 6717, 6731 Å lines with an echelle spectrograph. The analysis of the radial velocities measured along the jet indicates that

Aims: Previous studies have indicated that faint and bright early-type galaxies (ETGs) present different coefficients and dispersions for their Kormendy relation (KR). A recently published paper states that the intrinsic dispersion of the KR depends on the magnitude range within which the galaxies are contained, therefore we investigate here

The study of BL Lac environments is hindered by the lack of knowledge regarding the environments of their putative parents, the FRI/II radio galaxies. To rectify this we have assembled a complete sample of FRI/II radio galaxies with z

We lack a reliable scenario for the formation and evolution of stars and their planetary systems, involving key factors such as magnetic fields and turbulence. We present the case for a mission concept that will clarify these problems and give us a global view of the evolution of combined star and planetary systems. This will be achieved by