How did galaxies evolve from primordial fluctuations to the well-ordered but diverse population of disk and elliptical galaxies that we observe today? Stellar populations synthesis models have become a crucial tool in addressing this question by helping us to interpret the spectral energy distributions of present-day galaxies and their high redshift progenitors in terms of fundamental characteristics such as stellar mass and age. I will review our current knowledge on the evolution of stellar populations in early- and late type galaxies at z < 1 and the tantalizing – but incomplete – view of the stellar populations in galaxies at 1 < z < 3, during the global peak of star formation. Despite great progress, many fundamental questions remain: what processes trigger episodes of galaxy-scale star formation and what quenches them? To what degree does the star formation history of galaxies depend on the merger history, (halo) mass, or local environment? I will discuss some of the challenges posed in interpreting current data and what improved results might be expected from new observational facilities in the near- and more distant future.

Many Retrograde Orbit Satellites around Jupiter and Saturn have been found recently. Most of them are small with irregular shapes. They are farther from the planet than regular satellites. Their orbits have big eccetricities.

We tested their dynamical origin and found:

1. 1. The small bodies can be captured by normal satellites and form retrograde orbits. But these orbits are not stable. Sooner or later, they would escape from planetary region or fall down into the planets.

2. 2. Another way is that they have formed by collisions just after regular moons formed. We studied the mechanism and obtained good results.

To understand the slow growth of massive galaxies at z < 1, we have modeled how these galaxies populate dark matter halos. The models are constrained with the observed luminosity function and clustering of z < 1 red galaxies. In the most massive halos, much of the stellar mass resides within multiple satellite galaxies rather than a single central galaxy. Consequently, massive galaxies grow slowly within rapidly growing dark matter halos.

Lagos, Padilla & Cora (2009) show that if alignments between the galaxy kinematics and the AGN system were to occur, massive galaxies should host BHs with high spin values, regardless of the detailed physics of the BH. Since the BH spin regulates the mass-to-energy conversion (Marconi et al. 2004) and possibly the existence of radio jets (Sikora et al. 2007), this study has a strong impact in our understanding of galaxy formation.

Many attempts have been made to carry out a complete observational census of Milky Way star clusters based on recent near- and mid-infrared surveys. However, more clusters are still being discovered, indicating that existing catalogs are incomplete. We attempt to estimate the total number of supermassive (SM; Mcl ≥ 104 M⊙) clusters in the Galaxy, and to improve the yield from the automated cluster searches. Assuming that the ‘local’ census of SM clusters is complete, and that their surface density accross the disk follows that of the stars, we predict that the Milky Way contains ≥81 ± 21 SM clusters. We apply a cluster-detection algorithm to the 2mass Point Source Catalog after a preliminary color and/or magnitude selection of the point sources to improves the surface-density cluster-to-field contrast. Our algorithm identified 94 new candidates, and re-identified 34 known clusters. During the visual inspection, we detected an additional 41 new candidates, and re-identified 32 known objects. Preliminary characterization suggests that the new list may contain red-supergiant, open and globular clusters.

We present here several gravity tests made with the latest INPOP08 planetary ephemerides. We first propose two methods to estimate the PPN parameter β and its correlated value, the Sun J2, and we discuss the correlation between the Sun J2 and the mass of the asteroid ring. We estimate a possible advance in the planet perihelia. We also show that no constant acceleration larger than 1/4 of the Pioneer anomaly is compatible with the observed motion of the planets in our Solar System.

The main AB pair of the nearby Alpha Centauri triple system has one of the most extensive X-ray records of any cosmic object, stretching over three decades. The primary, α Cen A (G2V), is a near twin of the Sun, with a similarly soft (1–2 MK) corona. The secondary, α Cen B (K1V), is more active than the Sun, with a generally harder coronal spectrum. Here, spatially resolved measurements of the pair by Chandra's High Resolution Camera are compared, on a common basis, with previous pointings from ROSAT and XMM-Newton.

The abundance derivation of heavy r-elements may provide a better understanding of the r-process, and the determination of several reference r-elements should allow a better determination of the star's age. The spatial ultraviolet (UV) region presents a large number of lines of heavy elements, and in some cases such as Bi, Pt, Au, detectable lines are only available in the UV. The extreme “r-process star” CS 31082-001 ([Fe/H] = −2.9) was observed in the spatial UV in order to determine abundances of the heavy elements, using STIS on board HST.

We show that the current data of the HB branch of 47 Tuc show a particular feature that cannot be explained if a single population with an unique mechanism of mass loss is considered. We find that a spread in helium abundance among the stars is necessary, of ~0.02. We indicate that the same variation in helium is present among the sub giant branch stars and suggest that is responsible of the spread in luminosity of the bright sub giant branch, while only a small part of the second generation is characterized by C+N+O increase and gives the faint sub giant branch.

In 2002 in the region of North-East Macedonia a site was discovered, for which archaeoastronomical analyses have shown that it encompasses all elements of an ancient observatory dated 2000 BCE. In line with the analysis the existence of a central position, from where Sunrises and rises of Full Moon were observed, was confirmed, as well as that in the rocks on the east horizon a markers were crafted marking the places of the rise of the Sun and Moon in exactly determined days. From this central position, total 9 markers can be seen on the east horizon, 3 of which used to mark the places of the Sunrise in the course of the year, and remaining 6 marked the places of Full Moon rise. By continuous monitoring of the periodicity of the Full Moon rise, ancient sky observers could develop 19 years periodic lunar calendar. In addition, on the site there is a special observation place related to the cycles of solar and lunar eclipse. Only from there and toward the east horizon 4 markers can be seen, which were used for marking the positions of the Full Moon rise on the day of the beginning of the new periodic cycle of eclipse of 54 years and 34 days. The most outstanding content on the territory of the observatory are 4 stone seats called thrones. Also, on the east horizon there is one specially crafted marker that had ritual purpose. Archaeoastronomical analysis has shown that on the day when the harvest ends, rise of Sun could be seen exactly trough the aperture of this marker, enlightening by beam only one of the thrones where most probably a community headman was sitting. That was a ritual joining of the God Sun with the community headman and renewal of his energy as a guarantee for rich harvest in the coming year. This is just a fragment of information that Megalithic Observatory Kokino has to offer, linked with the culture and cosmological presentations of people of the early agricultural community in the Bronze Age.

We study the dynamics of stellar-mass black holes (BHs) in star clusters, with particular attention to the formation of BH–BH binaries, which are interesting as sources of gravitational waves (GWs). We examine the properties of these BH–BH binaries through direct N-body simulations of Plummer clusters of N ≤ 105 low-mass stars with an initial population of stellar-mass BHs, using the nbody6 code. We find that the stellar-mass BHs segregate rapidly into the cluster core and form a dense subcluster of BHs in which BH–BH binaries form through three-body encounters. While most BH binaries are ejected from the cluster by recoils due to superelastic encounters with the single BHs, we find that for clusters with N ≳ 5 × 104, typically a few of them harden sufficiently so that they can merge via GW emission within the cluster. Also, for each of such clusters there are a few escaping BH binaries that merge within a Hubble time, with most merger times being within a few Gyr. These results imply that the intermediate-age massive clusters constitute the most important class of star cluster candidates that can produce dynamical BH–BH mergers at the present epoch. The BH–BH merger rates obtained from our computations imply a significant detection rate (~30 yr−1) for the proposed Advanced LIGO GW detector.

It is demonstrated that, in addition to the precursor method, harmonic analysis approach to solar cycle prediction is also strongly conditioned by the Waldmeier effect.

The current situation on astronomy education in mainland China is introduced. IYA 2009 was a great opportunity for promotion of astronomy education and some basic ideas and plans in mainland China are presented.

Approximately 20% of very metal-poor stars ([Fe/H] < −2.0) are strongly enhanced in carbon ([C/Fe] > +1.0). Such stars are referred to as carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars. We present a chemical abundance analysis based on high resolution spectra acquired with UVES at the VLT of three dwarf CEMP stars: SDSS J1349-0229, SDSS J0912+0216 and SDSS J1036+1212. These very metal-poor stars, with [Fe/H] < −2.5, were selected from our ongoing survey of extremely metal-poor dwarf candidates from the SDSS.

Among these CEMPs, SDSS J1349-0229 has been identified as a carbon star ([C/O] > +1.0). First and second peak s-process elements, as well as second peak r-process elements have been detected in all stars. In addition, elements from the third r-process peak were detected in one of the stars, SDSS J1036+1212. We present the abundance results of these stars in the context of neutron-capture nucleosynthesis theories.

In the seventies of the last century the EPM ephemerides (Ephemerides of Planets and the Moon) of IAA RAS originated and have been developed since that time. These ephemerides are based upon relativistic equations of motion of celestial bodies and light rays and upon relativistic time scales. The updated model of EPM2008 includes the new values of planet masses and other constants, the improved dynamical model with adding Trans–Neptunian Objects and the expanded database (1913–2008). More than 260 parameters have been determined while improving the planetary part of EPM2008 to 550000 observations. EPM2008 have been oriented to ICRF by including into the total solution the VLBI data of spacecraft near the planets. The real uncertainty of EPM ephemerides has been checked by comparison with the JPL's DE ephemerides. Some estimates of the post–model parameters have been obtained: |1−β| < 0.0002, |1−γ| < 0.0002, /G = (−5.9±4.4) ⋅ 10−14 per year, the statistic zero corrections to the planet perihelion advances.

We present the first results of a Spitzer Space Telescope survey of 28 LIRGs and ULIRGs. We used infrared emission lines to separeate AGN and starburst powered systems. We find strong evidence that the incidence of nuclear activity increases with infrared luminosity.

We employ IRTF SpeX NIR (0.8–2.4μm) spectra to investigate the stellar population (SP), active galactic nuclei (AGN), featureless continuum (FC) and hot dust properties in 9 Sy 1 and 15 Sy 2 galaxies. Both the starlight code and the hot dust as an additional base element were used for the first time in this spectral range. Our synthesis shows significant differences between Sy 1 and Sy 2 galaxies: the hot dust component is required to fit the K-band spectra of ~90% of the Sy 1 galaxies, and only of ~25% of the Sy 2; about 50% of the Sy 2 galaxies require an FC component contribution ≳20%; this fraction increases to about 60% in the Sy 1. In about 50% of the Sy2, the combined FC and young components contribute with more than 20%, while this occurs in 90% of the Sy1, suggesting recent star formation in the central region. The central few hundred parsecs of our galaxy sample contain a substantial fraction of intermediate-age SPs with a mean metallicity near solar. Our SP synthesis confirms that the 1.1μm CN band can be used as a tracer of intermediate-age stellar populations.

The determination of lithium (Li) abundances in Globular Clusters (GCs), along with proton-capture elements (Na, O, Mg, Al), offer a key tool to address the pollution scenario and its mechanisms, the dilution process acting within each star and the first phases in the lifetime of GCs. We present our results on Na, O and Li abundance determination in a large sample of dwarf stars in the GC 47 Tucanae (NGC 104). While we found a clear Na-O anti-correlation, in perfect agreement with giant members by Carretta et al. (2009a, b), Li abundance appears neither positively correlated with oxygen, nor anti-correlated with sodium. Our finding unveils an intrinsic scatter in Li content, independent of intra-cluster pollution by a first generation of more massive, faster evolving stars.

We use deep nIR imaging of 15 galaxy clusters at z ≃ 1 to study the build-up of the red-sequence in rich clusters since the Universe was half its present age. We measured, for the first time, the luminous-to-faint ratio of red-sequence galaxies at z=1 from a large ensemble of clusters, and found an increase of 100% in the ratio of luminous-to-faint red-sequence galaxies from z=0.45 to 1.0. The measured change in this ratio as function of redshift is well-reproduced by a simple evolutionary model developed in this work, that consists in an early truncation of the star formation for bright cluster galaxies and a delayed truncation for faint cluster galaxies.

We numerically investigate the long-term dynamics of the Saturn's small satellites Methone (S/2004 S1), Anthe (S/2007 S4) and Pallene (S/2004 S2). In our numerical integrations, these satellites are disturbed by non-spherical shape of Saturn and the six nearest regular satellites. The stability of the small bodies is studied here by analyzing long-term evolution of their orbital elements.

We show that long-term evolution of Pallene is dictated by a quasi secular resonance involving the ascending nodes (Ω) and longitudes of pericentric distances (ϖ) of Mimas (subscript 1) and Pallene (subscript 2), which critical argument is ϖ2−ϖ1−Ω1+Ω2. Long-term orbital evolution of Methone and Anthe are probably chaotic since: i) their orbits randomly cross the orbit of Mimas in time scales of thousands years); ii) long-term numerical simulations involving both small satellites are strongly affected by small changes in the initial conditions.