We report on the discovery and characterization of the transiting planet K2-39b (EPIC 206247743b). With an orbital period of 4.6 days, it is the shortest-period planet orbiting a subgiant star known to date. Such planets are rare, with only a handful of known cases. The reason for this is poorly understood but may reflect differences in planet occurrence around the relatively high-mass stars that have been surveyed, or may be the result of tidal destruction of such planets. K2-39 (EPIC 206247743) is an evolved star with a spectroscopically derived stellar radius and mass of 3.88(-0.42)(+0.48) R-circle dot and 1.53(-0.13)(+0.13) M-circle dot, respectively, and a very close-in transiting planet, with a/R-* = 3.4. Radial velocity (RV) follow-up using the HARPS, FIES, and PFS instruments leads to a planetary mass of 50.3(-9.4)(+9.7) M-circle plus. In combination with a radius measurement of 8.3 +/- 1.1, this results in a mean planetary density of 0.50(-0.17)(+0.29) g cm(-3). We furthermore discover a long-term RV trend, which may be caused by a long-period planet or stellar companion. Because K2-39b has a short orbital period, its existence makes it seem unlikely that tidal destruction is wholly responsible for the differences in planet populations around subgiant and main-sequence stars. Future monitoring of the transits of this system may enable the detection of period decay and constrain the tidal dissipation rates of subgiant stars.

The field of the globular cluster NGC 362 was monitored between 1997 and 2015 in a search for variable stars. BV light curves were obtained for 151 periodic or likely periodic variable stars, over a hundred of which are new detections. Twelve newly detected variable stars are proper-motion members of the cluster: two SX Phe and two RR Lyr pulsators, one contact binary, three detached or semi-detached eclipsing binaries, and four spotted variable stars. The most interesting objects among these are the binary blue straggler V20 with an asymmetric light curve, and the 8.1 d semidetached binary V24 located on the red giant branch of NGC 362, which is a Chandra X-ray source. We also provide substantial new data for 24 previously known variable stars.

We present a new precision radial velocity (RV) data set that reveals multiple planets orbiting the stars in the similar to 360 au, G2+G2 "twin" binary HD 133131AB. Our six years of high-resolution echelle observations from MIKE and five years from the Planet Finder Spectrograph (PFS) on the Magellan telescopes indicate the presence of two eccentric planets around HD 133131A with minimum masses of 1.43 +/- 0.03 and 0.63 +/- 0.15 M-J at 1.44 +/- 0.005 and 4.79 +/- 0.92 au, respectively. Additional PFS observations of HD 133131B spanning five years indicate the presence of one eccentric planet of minimum mass 2.50 +/- 0.05 M-J at 6.40 +/- 0.59 au, making it one of the longest-period planets detected with RV to date. These planets are the first to be reported primarily based on data taken with the PFS on Magellan, demonstrating the instrument's precision and the advantage of long-baseline RV observations. We perform a differential analysis between the Sun and each star, and between the stars themselves, to derive stellar parameters and measure a suite of 21 abundances across a wide range of condensation temperatures. The host stars are old (likely similar to 9.5 Gyr) and metal-poor ([Fe/ H] similar to -0.30), and we detect a similar to 0.03 dex depletion in refractory elements in HD 133131A versus B (with standard errors similar to 0.017). This detection and analysis adds to a small but growing sample of binary "twin" exoplanet host stars with precise abundances measured, and represents the most metal-poor and likely oldest in that sample. Overall, the planets around HD 133131A and B fall in an unexpected regime in planet mass-host star metallicity space and will serve as an important benchmark for the study of long-period giant planets.

We report the discovery of a new ultra-short-period planet and summarize the properties of all such planets for which the mass and radius have been measured. The new planet, EPIC. 228732031b, was discovered in K2 Campaign 10. It has a radius of 1.81(-0.12)(+0.16) R-circle plus and orbits a G dwarf with a period of 8.9 hr. Radial velocities obtained with Magellan/PFS and TNG/HARPS-N show evidence for stellar activity along with orbital motion. We determined the planetary mass using two different methods: (1) the "floating chunk offset" method, based only on changes in velocity observed on the same night; and (2) a Gaussian process regression based on both the radial velocity and photometric time series. The results are consistent and lead to a mass measurement of 6.5. +/- 1.6 M-circle plus and a mean density of 6.0(-2.7)(+3.0) g cm(-3).

We derive relative proper motions of stars in the fields of the globular clusters M12, NGC 6362, M4, M55, M22, NGC 6752, NGC 3201, M30, M10, NGC 362, M5 and 47 Tucanae based on data collected between 1997 and 2015 with the 1-m Swope telescope of Las Campanas Observatory. We determine membership class and membership probability for over 446 000 objects, and show that these are efficient methods for separating field stars from members of the cluster. In particular, membership probabilities of variable stars and blue/yellow/red stragglers are determined. Finally, we find absolute proper motions for six globular clusters from our sample: M55, NGC 3201, M10, NGC 362, M5 and 47 Tuc. An electronic catalogue of the derived proper motions is publicly available via the internet.

We present a new precision radial velocity (RV) data set that reveals a multi-planet system orbiting the G0V star HD 34445. Our 18-year span consists of 333 precision RV observations, 56 of which were previously published and 277 of which are new data from the Keck Observatory, Magellan at Las Campanas Observatory, and the Automated Planet Finder at Lick Observatory. These data indicate the presence of six planet candidates in Keplerian motion about the host star with periods of 1057, 215, 118, 49, 677, and 5700 days, and minimum masses of 0.63, 0.17, 0.1, 0.05, 0.12, and 0.38 M-J, respectively. The HD. 34445 planetary system, with its high degree of multiplicity, its long orbital periods, and its induced stellar RV half-amplitudes in the range 2 m s(-1) less than or similar to K less than or similar to 5 m s(-1) is fundamentally unlike either our own solar system (in which only Jupiter and Saturn induce significant reflex velocities for the Sun), or the Kepler multiple-transiting systems (which tend to have much more compact orbital configurations).

We present the analysis of the top-quality photometry of RR Lyrae stars in the globular cluster NGC 6362, gathered over 11 observing seasons by the Cluster AgeS Experiment (CASE) project. 16 stars are fundamental mode pulsators (RRab stars) and 16 are first overtone pulsators (RRc stars). In two stars, previously identified as RRab, V3 and V34, we detect additional periodicity identified as radial first overtone mode. Lower than usual period ratios (0.730 and 0.728), dominant pulsation in the radial fundamental mode and presence of a longperiod modulation indicate that these two variables are not classical RRd stars, but are new members of the recently identified class of anomalous RRd variables. In a significant fraction of RRc stars, 63 per cent, we detect additional shorter period variability in the (0.60, 0.65) P1 range. This form of double-periodic pulsation must be common in first overtone RR Lyr stars, as space observations indicate. The incidence rate we find in NGC 6362 is the highest in ground-based observations reported so far. We study the properties of these stars in detail; in particular, we confirm that in the colour-magnitude diagram, this group is adjacent to the interface between RRab and RRc stars, as first reported in the analysis of M3 observations by Jurcsik et al. The incidence rate of the Blazhko effect is also very high: we observe it in 69 per cent of RRab stars and in 19 per cent of RRc stars. Rare, double-periodic modulation is reported in one RRab and in one RRc star. Finally, we discuss V37 -a peculiar variable in which we detect two close high-amplitude periodicities and modulation. Its previous classification as RRc must be treated as tentative.

Aims. Planets in the mass range from 2 to 15 M-circle plus are very diverse. Some of them have low densities, while others are very dense. By measuring the masses and radii, the mean densities, structure, and composition of the planets are constrained. These parameters also give us important information about their formation and evolution, and about possible processes for atmospheric loss.

The field of the globular cluster M22 (NGC 6656) was monitored between 2000 and 2008 in a search for variable stars. BV light curves were obtained for 359 periodic, likely periodic, and long-term variables, 238 of which are new detections. 39 newly detected variables, and 63 previously known ones are members or likely members of the cluster, including 20 SX Phe, 10 RRab and 16 RRc type pulsators, one BL Her type pulsator, 21 contact binaries, and 9 detached or semi-detached eclipsing binaries. The most interesting among the identified objects are V112 - a bright multimode SX Phe pulsator, V125 - a beta Lyr type binary on the blue horizontal branch, V129 - a blue/yellow straggler with a W UMa-like light curve, located halfway between the extreme horizontal branch and red giant branch, and V134 - an extreme horizontal branch object with P = 2.33 d and a nearly sinusoidal light curve. All four of them are proper motion members of the cluster. Among nonmembers, a P = 2.83 d detached eclipsing binary hosting a delta Sct type pulsator was found, and a peculiar P = 0.93 d binary with ellipsoidal modulation and narrow minimum in the middle of one of the descending shoulders of the sinusoid. We also collected substantial new data for previously known variables. In particular we revise the statistics of the occurrence of the Blazhko effect in RR Lyr type variables of M22.

Binary systems provide the most straightforward way of measuring the mass of individual stars, and through it, constraining the models of stellar evolution. Unfortunately, very few binary candidates containing RR Lyrae variables have been found previously. We continue our search for such systems in the photometric data of the OGLE survey towards the Galactic bulge, finding more than 30 such candidates. Furthermore, we show that our ongoing radial velocity follow-up observations have the potential to confirm or refute some of our candidates in the near future.