The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) is joining the ninth edition of the PHE Festival, one of the most outstanding musical events of the summer in Tenerife. In this first collaboration, the IAC has organised a series of activities that bring astronomy closer to the general public, thus complementing the cultural offer of the festival.

On 21 and 22 August, the IAC offered guided tours of the Teide Observatory, allowing visitors to get a first-hand look at one of the most important astronomical research centres in the world. These exclusive visits provided the opportunity to explore the observatory's facilities and discover some of the secrets of the universe.

In addition, on Saturday 24 August from 11:00 am, there will be a solar observation with telescopes specially designed for this purpose and with explanations from the outreach staff of the IAC's Scientific Communication and Culture Unit and its COSMOLab project, in collaboration with the Innovation, Research and Development area of the Cabildo of Tenerife. As part of the family and leisure activities of PHE Festival, this action will allow the public to contemplate the Sun safely and learn about our nearest star.

‘We are very excited about this first collaboration with the PHE Festival within our IAC-POP line of work,’ says Valentín Martínez Pillet, director of the IAC. ‘We believe that astronomy and music are two forms of expression that connect with people in a profound way and this collaboration allows us to bring science to the public in a fun and accessible way. We look forward to collaborating again in future editions,’ he adds.

The PHE Festival is a music festival held annually in Puerto de la Cruz. With an eclectic programme covering various musical genres, the festival has established itself as a cultural reference in the Canary Islands.

PHE Festival offers parallel activities during the previous week such as Urban Sports exhibitions, associated with skateboarding, bmx and related disciplines; the workshops and outdoor practices of PHE Summer, where you can practice disciplines such as surfing, surfskate, slackline or acroyoga; the traditional PHE Yoga meeting; the collective exhibition of emerging artists PHE Gallery; the PHE Family, with free activities, designed especially for families; or the PHE Wine, dedicated to lovers of good wine.