Using the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope, we have obtained deep farultraviolet images of the compact elliptical galaxy M32. When combined with earlier near-ultraviolet images of the same field, these data enable the construction of an ultraviolet color-magnitude diagram of the hot horizontal branch (HB) population and other hot stars in late phases of stellar...

In this review we concentrate on the dynamical evolution of the Milky Way as monitored in the solar neighbourhood. The relevant data sets are presented and discussed in detail. In the second part we review various mechanisms, which drive the dynamical evolution. 1. Dynamical evolution of the galactic disk traced in the solar neighbourhood The key data set, which we use for this study, is the Fo...