The Bok globule CB230 (L1177) contains an active, low-mass star-forming core which is associated with a double NIR reflection nebula, a collimated bipolar molecular outflow, and strong mm continuum emission. The morphology of the NIR nebula suggests the presence of a deeply embedded, wide binary protostellar system. High-angular resolution observations now reveal the presence of two sub-cores, two distinct outflow centers, and an embedded accretion disk associated with the western bipolar NIR nebula. Judging from the separation and specific angular momentum, the CB230 double protostar system probably results from core fragmentation and will end up at the upper end of the pre-main sequence binary separation distribution.

The various methods for determining masses, radii, luminosities, effective temperatures, spectral types, and rotational velocities of the underlying Be stars are reviewed, and representative values listed for each.

Bulges are commonly believed to form in the dynamical violence of galaxy collisions and mergers. We model the stellar kinematics of the Bulge Radial Velocity Assay (BRAVA) and find no sign that the Milky Way contains a classical bulge formed by scrambling pre-existing disks of stars in major mergers. Rather, the bulge appears to be a bar seen somewhat end-on, as hinted from its asymmetric boxy shape. We construct a simple but realistic N-body model of the Galaxy that self-consistently develops a bar. The bar immediately buckles and thickens in the vertical direction. As seen from the Sun, the result resembles the boxy bulge of our Galaxy. We use the new kinematic constraints to show that the classical bulge contribution cannot be very significant. The model fits the BRAVA stellar kinematic data covering the whole bulge strikingly well with no need for a merger-made classical bulge. Our model contains an intriguing vertical X-shaped structure that resembles the similar structure reported recently in the Galactic bulge. The existence of the vertical X-shaped structure also suggests that the formation of the Milky Way bulge is shaped mainly by internal disk dynamical instabilities.

Preliminary results on the parsec-scale polarization properties at 15 GHz of 3 GHz-peaked-spectrum radio sources are presented.

The standard model of stellar structure is unable to account for various observational facts, and there is now a large consensus that some ‘extra mixing’ must occur in the radiation zones. The possible causes for such mixing are briefly reviewed. The most efficient among them is probably the shear-turbulence generated by the differential rotation, which itself results from the transport of angular momentum that can be mediated through the large-scale circulation induced by structural adjustments or by the applied torques (stellar wind, accretion, tides). In solar-type stars this angular momentum transport is ensured mainly by internal gravity waves that are excited at the boundary with convection zones. Another cause of mixing manifests itself in the red giant phase, namely the thermohaline instability due to an inversion of the molecular weight gradient. The implementation of these processes in stellar evolution codes is giving rise to a new generation of stellar models, which are in much better agreement with the observational constraints.

Analysis of optical spectra of HD102567 (HEN 715), the optical counterpart of the X-ray source 4U1145-61 is presented. Estimates of the star's rotation velocity, inclination angle, distance and envelope characteristics are given. Some consequences of the possible existence of a 190d orbital period for this Be/X-ray sources are discussed.

Since their discovery in 1977 (Elliot 1979), the dark, narrow rings of Uranus have intrigued dynamicists. The main enigma has been how the rings can remain so narrow - only a few km wide - when particle collisions and the Poynting-Robertson effect should cause the particles to disperse. The Uranian rings have posed other problems as well, and have proved to be a unique system for developing dynamical models of rings. The reason for this theoretical interest is the high precision and time coverage of the data available from occultation observations. With occultations we obtain a spatial resolution of 1 km in the position of ring segments and a resolution of 4 km in their structural details. These high-resolution data are available sufficiently often to be useful for dynamical purposes - at the rate of 1-2 events per year. This spatial resolution is somewhat better than that obtained by Voyager imaging of Jupiter’s and Saturn’s rings (Owen et al. 1979; Smith et al. 1981). Ground-based images of the Uranian rings, obtained by Matthews, Nicholson, and Neugebauer (1981), have a spatial resolution of ~50,000 km. Although unable to resolve individual rings, these data have established the mean geometric albedo of the rings at 0.030 ± 0.005.

Spectra of the Be star 28 CMa obtained with the HEROS echelle spectrograph in 1996 and 1997 were used to check the presence of transient periods in commonly measured scalar parameters of absorption and emission lines. Transient periods can be convincingly detected in modes of higher absorption and single peak emission lines of the Balmer series as well as in the V/R ratio of Fell lines. Consequences for the frequency analyses of datasets containing radial velocities derived from different ions are discussed. The significant differences in amplitudes of radial velocities of different ions and in individual seasons were confirmed and a mean ephemeris derived.

It is now well established that chemistry in external galaxies is rich and complex. In this review I will explore whether one can use molecular emissions to determine their physical conditions. There are several considerations to bear in mind when using molecular emission, and in particular molecular ratios, to determine the densities, temperatures and energetics of a galaxy, which I will briefly summarise here. I will then present an example of a study that uses multiple chemical and radiative transfer analyses in order to tackle the too often neglected ‘degeneracies’ implicit in the interpretation of molecular ratios and show that only via such analyses combined with multi-species and multi-lines high spatial resolution data one can truly make molecules into powerful diagnostics of the evolution and distribution of molecular gas.

I describe a new integral field spectroscopic survey called MaNGA (Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory). One of three core programs in the 6-year SDSS-IV project† that began on July 1st, 2014, MaNGA will deploy 17 fiber-bundle IFUs across the Sloan 2.5m Telescope's 3 degree field-of-view, targeting a mass-selected sample with a median redshift of 0.03, typical spatial resolution of 1-2 kpc, and a per-fiber signal-to-noise ratio of 4-8 in the outskirts of target galaxies. For each galaxy in the sample, MaNGA will provide maps and measured gradients of the composition and dynamics of both stars and gas. I discuss early results that highlight MaNGA's potential to shed light on the ionization and chemical enrichment of gas in galaxies, spatial patterns in their star formation histories, and the internal makeup of stellar populations. MaNGA's unprecedented data set will not only provide powerful new insight on galaxy formation and evolution but will serve as a valuable benchmark for future high-z observations from large telescopes and space-based facilities.

We discuss using high solar cycle atmospheric conditions as sensors for observing meteors and their properties. High altitude meteor trails (HAMTs) have sometimes been observed with HPLA (High Power Large Aperture) radars. At other times they are not seen. In the absence of systematic studies on this topic, we surmise that the reason might be differing atmospheric conditions during the observations. At EISCAT HAMTs were observed in 1990 and 1991. Very high meteor trails were observed with Israeli L-band radars in 1998, 1999 and 2001. Through the Leonid activity, around the latest perihelion passage of comet Tempel-Tuttle, optical meteors as high as 200 km were reported. This was partly due to new and better observing methods. However, all the reported periods of high altitude meteors seem to correlate with solar cycle maximum. The enhanced atmospheric and ionospheric densities extend the meteoroid interaction range with the atmosphere along its path, offering a better possibility to distinguish differential ablation of the various meteoric constituents. This should be studied during the next solar maximum, due within a few years.

We present new Keck/HIRES observations of seven of the highest-redshift known quasars. These include four with $z_{\rm qso}\ge 5.8$ and two with $z_{\rm qso}\ge 6.3$. The data will be used to produced a complete statistical description of the Ly$\alpha$ forest at $z > 5$, allowing us to better assess the significance of the strong absorption seen at $z>6.2$. We introduce the statistics of transmission gaps as a means of characterising the high-redshift evolution of the forest. In addition, we identify several clear absorption lines of low optical depth in the quasar proximity regions and briefly discuss using these to place constraints on the thermal history of the IGM at $z>5$.

The solar flux atlas is presented and some basic information on the observations is given.

We implemented sink particles in the Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) code FLASH to model the gravitational collapse and accretion in turbulent molecular clouds and cores. Sink particles are frequently used to measure properties of star formation in numerical simulations, such as the star formation rate and efficiency, and the mass distribution of stars. We show that only using a density threshold for sink particle creation is insufficient in case of supersonic flows, because the density can exceed the threshold in strong shocks that do not necessarily lead to local collapse. Additional physical collapse indicators have to be considered. We apply our AMR sink particle module to the formation of a star cluster, and compare it to a Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) code with sink particles. Our comparison shows encouraging agreement of gas and sink particle properties between the AMR and SPH code.

The VLBA is now achieving parallaxes and proper motions with accuracies approaching the micro-arcsecond domain. The apparent proper motion of Sgr A*, which reflects the orbit of the Sun around the Galactic center, has been measured with high accuracy. This measurement strongly constrains Θ0/R0 and offers a dynamical definition of the Galactic plane with Sgr A*at its origin. The intrinsic motion of Sgr A*is very small and comparable to that expected for a supermassive black hole. Trigonometric parallaxes and proper motions for a number of massive star forming regions (MSFRs) have now been measured. For almost all cases, kinematic distances exceed the true distances, suggesting that the Galactic parameters, R0 and Θ0, are inaccurate. Solutions for the Solar Motion are in general agreement with those obtained from Hipparcos data, except that MSFRs appear to be rotating slower than the Galaxy. Finally, the VLBA has been used to measure extragalactic proper motions and to map masers in distant AGN accretion disks, which will yield direct estimates of H0.

One of the very exciting discoveries in astronomy and planetary sciences in recent times is the detection of a series of narrow rings around Uranus. During more than three centuries, the rings of Saturn have had a special fascination and symbolism and an enormous amount of literature has been devoted to studies of their nature, properties and origin. The discovery of Uranus’s rings, and two years later of Jupiter’s rings has not only renewed interest but also raised a number of new cosmogonical questions.

Qualitative features of gravitational lensing are discussed in terms of a scalar framework based on Fermat's principle. The lensing action of galaxy-like models with spherical and elliptical mass distributions are described. The elliptical model has three distinct regimes of lensing, of which two correspond to lensing with three images and one with five images. One of the three-image geometries has been frequently explored in the past. Models proposed for 0957+561 correspond to this. The five-image geometry has been invoked for 1115+080. Some general model-independent properties of gravitational lensing are listed. If image parities were available, it might be possible to make statements about the lensing mass even when it is made up of dark matter.

The torques of the frictional forces on the bottoms of the seas are calculated in an approximate inertial system and not in the corotating system used hitherto. In this way, the loss of rotational energy of the Earth – corresponding to the mean torque – can be compared with the value obtained from astronomical observations. The calculations are based on velocities which are computed by numerical integrations of the hydrodynamical equations. Initial results are presented for the North Sea, the Bering Sea and rough models of theworld ocean.

It is now 22 years since quasars were discovered. When the ageing veterans of those pioneering investigations think back over two decades of boisterous debate, their reactions are probably rather mixed. Wonderment at the range and variety of novel phenomena revealed in all wavebands must be tinged with disappointment that we seem so slow in grasping what is really going on. Our understanding has advanced slowly, through many small steps — forward steps preponderating (fortunately) over backward ones.

A brief description of a problem-oriented language SLON for ephemeris and dynamical astronomy and a corresponding programming system ERA is given. In the frame of the system the user has easy access to an embedded universal program package to process high precision positional observations of Solar system bodies as well as of artificial Earth satellites.