Peak metallicities of metal–rich (MR) populations of globular clusters (GCs) belonging to spheroids of different mass fall within the somewhat conservative −0.7 ≤[Fe/H]≤ −0.3 range. Indeed, if possible age effects are taken into account, this metallicity range might become smaller. Irregulars, like the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), with longer timescales of their formation and lower star format...

We have used the IRAM 30m telescope to map the C18O(1→0) and (2→1) transitions in a region of 0.5× 0.5 pc2 (200′′ × 200′′) in the nearby (460 pc distance) molecular cloud IC 5146 at resolutions of down to 0.025 pc. Additionally, we have observed the corresponding C17O transitions towards 24 positions in the central region of the cloud as a check on optical depth effects. On the basis of these o...

The year of 2005 marks the 75th anniversary since Trumpler (1930) provided the first definitive proof of interstellar grains by demonstrating the existence of general absorption and reddening of starlight in the galactic plane. This article reviews our progressive understanding of the nature of interstellar dust.

Aerosol-cloud interactions are an important source of uncertainty in current climate models. To understand and quantify the influence ice-nucleating particles cloud glaciation, it is crucial to have a reliable estimation hemispheric seasonal contrast top phase, which believed result from higher dust aerosol loading boreal spring. For this reason, we locate these contrasts by combining three dif...