We present a catalogue of previously unpublished optical and infrared photometry for a sample of 162 emission-line objects and shell stars visible from the southern hemisphere. The data were obtained between 1978 and 1997 in the Walraven (WULBV), Johnson/Cousins (UBV(RI)c) and ESO and SAAO near-infrared (JHKLM) photometric systems. Most of the

We present evidence for a strong correlation between the concentration of bulges and the mass of their central supermassive black hole (Mbh)-more concentrated bulges have more massive black holes. Using Cre(1/3) from Trujillo, Graham, & Caon as a measure of bulge concentration, we find that log(Mbh/Msolar)=6.81(+/- 0.95)Cre(1/3)+5.03+/-0.41. This

We report the first results of a Hubble Space Telescope (HST) program which performed WFPC2 multi-color imaging of a sample of A- and B-type supergiant stars in M31 and M33. This sample has previously been studied by us spectroscopically with the High Resolution Echelle Spectrograph (HIRES) on the 10m Keck-I Telescope. In particular, fits to the P

We present WeCAPP, a long term monitoring project searching for microlensing events towards M 31. Since 1997 the bulge of M 31 was monitored in two different wavebands with the Wendelstein 0.8 m telescope. In 1999 we extended our observations to the Calar Alto 1.23 m telescope. Observing simultaneously at these two sites we obtained a time coverage

We explore the application of artificial neural networks (ANNs) for the estimation of atmospheric parameters (Teff, logg, and [Fe/H]) for Galactic F- and G-type stars. The ANNs are fed with medium-resolution (Δλ~1-2 Å) non-flux-calibrated spectroscopic observations. From a sample of 279 stars with previous high-resolution determinations of

The photometric and morphological properties, as well as the star formation history, of the Draco dwarf spheroidal galaxy are analyzed on the basis of wide-field CCD photometry of the resolved stars covering about 1 deg2. Draco is at a distance of d=80+/-7 kpc and has a metallicity, [Fe/H], of -1.8+/-0.2. No metallicity gradient is detected. The