We are using five different surveys to compile the largest sample of diffuse interstellar band (DIB) measurements ever collected. GOSSS is obtaining intermediate-resolution blue-violet spectroscopy of ~2500 OB stars, of which 60% have already been observed and processed. The other four surveys have already collected multi-epoch high-resolution

We present new 10.4 m-GTC/OSIRIS spectroscopic observations of the black hole X-ray binary XTE J1118+480 that confirm the orbital period decay at dot{P}=-1.90± 0.57 ms yr-1. This corresponds to a period change of -0.88 ± 0.27 μs per orbital cycle. We have also collected observations of the black hole X-ray binary A0620-00 to derive an orbital

We propose to continue our near-IR followup of ultracool dwarf candidates in the WISE survey. We identify candidate late-T and Y dwarfs at the faint limits of the survey by using WISE multiple measurements and photometric profile fits to identify non-variable point sources detected only in W2. Photometry at J identifies likely cool objects, and H

The recent infrared detection of fullerenes (C60 and C70) in Planetary Nebulae (PNe) and R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars offers a beautiful opportunity for studying the diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) in sources where fullerenes are abundant. Here we present for the first time a detailed inspection of the optical spectra of the hot RCB star DY Cen

In 2007 Yin, Zhang and Tian [1] [Yin et al., 2007] derived the expressions of the refractive indices of biaxial crystals evaluated from the refractive indices ellipsoid equation. In the past we have researched about the simultaneous measurement of birefringence and optical activity in different crystals [2] [Hernández-Rodríguez et al., 2000], [3]

We present deep, intermediate resolution, long-slit Gemini GMOS-S optical spectra of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) type II quasar J002531-104022, which is a highly disturbed system currently undergoing a major merger event. We use these data to model the ages and reddenings of the stellar populations in three distinct spatial regions and find