Abstract. Spectroscopic observations of the peculiar variable V838 Mon during the period from the second light outburst until the fast dimming are presented. We describe high resolution (R ≈ 60 000) high S /N spectra obtained a day before the second light maximum and low resolution (R ≈ 6000) spectra covering the whole period. The temporal run of intensities and radial velocities of various lines is presented. Using Na  D IS lines we determine the reddening distance of V838 Mon d > 3.1 kpc, and kinematic distance d > 4 kpc. We estimate that V838 Mon is slightly metal deficient but otherwise has a quite solar-like chemical composition except for enhanced abundances of Li, Ba and La.

Abstract. The halo symbiotic star AG Dra has been monitored spectroscopically at the Tartu Observatory, Estonia, from September 1997 to March 2003. Altogether 189 spectra are used in the present paper. In addition, photometric UBVri observations at the Piwnice Observatory, Poland, from March 1996 to May 2003 are presented. Equivalent widths (EW) of the strongest emission lines (Hα, Hβ, He  λ 4686, O  Raman scattered λ 6825) appear to be strongly variable, and in general, correlate with the U brightness of the star. No apparent correlation with the orbital motion of the binary system was found, except for Hβ in the quiescent state. At the same time, there is a clear convergence of the high values of EW to certain phases according to the shorter photometric period (378.5 days) proposed by Bastian (1998) and the pulsational period of the cool giant (355.27 days) by Gális et al. (1999). Higher resolution spectra show variability of the Hα profiles, with weak absorption component on the blue wing of the line around photometric minimum if the star is in quiescent state. The significant role of the cool giant in the activity of AG Dra is discussed.

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We present the results of high-resolution (0.24Å/pix) monitoring of the variability of Hα and He I 6678 lines in the spectrum of X Per in 1996-99 at Tartu Observatory. The main characteristics of the line variability distinguishable in our data are:1) the intensity of emission peaks in both lines varies with a cycle-length ≈450 days, and displays a phase-lag between curves of two lines considered,2) in a cycle, both violet or red emission peaks emerge at high Doppler velocities but attain their maxima and disappear gradually at much lower velocities,3) despite of the considerable variability of equivalent width (EW) of both lines, the “relative emission measure” (EW(Hα)/EW(HeI)) behaves more constantly.