  Aims: We investigated in detail nine sources in the direction of the young
sigma Orionis cluster, which is considered a unique site for studying stellar
and substellar formation. The nine sources were selected because of some
peculiar properties, such as extremely red infrared colours or too strong
Halpha emission for their blue optical colours. Methods: We took high-quality,
low-resolution spectroscopy (R ~ 500) of the nine targets with ALFOSC at the
Nordic Optical Telescope. We also re-analyzed [24]-band photometry from
MIPS/Spitzer and compiled the best photometry available at the ViJHKs passbands
and the four IRAC/Spitzer channels for constructing accurate spectral energy
distributions covering from 0.55 to 24 mum. Results: The nine targets were
classified into: one Herbig Ae/Be star with a scatterer edge-on disc, two
G-type stars, one X-ray flaring, early-M, young star with chromospheric Halpha
emission, one very low-mass, accreting, young spectroscopic binary, two young
objects at the brown dwarf boundary with the characteristics of classical T
Tauri stars, and two emission-line galaxies, one undergoing star formation, and
another one whose spectral energy distribution is dominated by an active
galactic nucleus. Besides, we discover three infrared sources associated to
overdensities in a cold cloud in the cluster centre. Conclusions:
Low-resolution spectroscopy and spectral energy distributions are a vital tool
for measuring the physical properties and the evolution of young stars and
candidates in the sigma Orionis cluster.

Astrophysics