We obtained K-band (2.0-2.5 micron) infrared spectra of the visually obscured superluminal source GRS 1915+105 on three different epochs of the year 1995, at times when it was detected as a hard X-ray source. The three spectra exhibit HI Br(gamma) (2.167 micron) and HeI (2.058 micron) emission lines. The spectral morphology, absolute magnitude, and

There is strong anticipation that the Leonid meteor shower could produce storm-level activity in 1998 and/or 1999. The well-documented Leonid outburst in 1996 and the more poorly observed one in 1994 have been taken by many observers to imply that a storm is imminent, This article explores the possible relationship between the 1996 outburst in

We present intermediate dispersion optical spectroscopy for seven very low-mass stars in the α Per open cluster with spectral types between M3 and M6, including the brown dwarf candidate of Rebolo et al. (1992). Our radial velocity measurements are found to be generally consistent with the mean cluster velocity to within the measurement errors. Hα

A new, very fast approximate method is presented to determine mass-loss rates of O-stars from Halpha_ line profiles. The method uses H and HeII departure coefficients from unified model atmospheres parametrized in a simple way as function of wind velocity together with photospheric NLTE line profiles as the inner boundary condition for a

Modelling of asymmetries in spectral lines with different formation heights (K I 7699, Fe I 5576 and Fe I 5635A), observed in the quiet Sun at the disk center, has been performed with the aim of reproducing the absolute line bisectors obtained from low resolution observations. The influence of a number of physical and observational factors on the

Comet Hale-Bopp is, without doubt, one of the most important objects for cometary science which has ever been observed. The light curve is well-observed from a heliocentric distance 7.2 AU and some information is available at distances as great as 17 AU. This allows the photometric evolution of the comet to be studied as different volatiles