We present a study of the flickering activity in two nova-like systems, KR Aur and UU Aqr. We applied a statistical model of flickering simulations in accretion discs based on turbulent angular momentum transport between two adjacent rings with an exponential distribution of the turbulence dimension scale. The model is based on a steady-state disc

Not Available

Our observations were obtained using the VLT spectrometer and imager for the MIR (VISIR) currently located at the Cassegrain focus of UT3. These observations were carried out in service mode in the period between October 3, 2009 and January 30, 2010. (1 data file).

Available from the Minor Planet Center.

We present the optical to near-infrared spectrum of MAXI J1659-152 during the onset of its 2010 X-ray outburst. The spectrum was obtained with X-shooter on the ESO Very Large Telescope early in the outburst simultaneous with high-quality observations at both shorter and longer wavelengths. At the time of the observations, the source was in the low

For some time the Milky Way has been understood as a barred disk galaxy. Star count observations have provided evidence for two bars at apparently different orientations, the boxy bulge and a long planar bar. We report recent work in which we argued for a scenario where these observations can be reproduced with a single boxy bulge/bar: an evolved