News

This section includes scientific and technological news from the IAC and its Observatories, as well as press releases on scientific and technological results, astronomical events, educational projects, outreach activities and institutional events.

  • Recreation of a burst, identified as CSS161010, in which a small black hole swallows a star. Credits: Gabriel Pérez (IAC)
    The team led by Claudia Gutiérrez from the ICE-CSIC and IEEC has used the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) and the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT), at the Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory, of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), in La Palma. The CSS161010 burst reached its maximum brightness in just 4 days in a small galaxy 500 million light-years away from us. An international scientific team, led by the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC) and the Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC), has managed to detect an exceptionally fast and bright cosmic burst in a small
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  • The Mercator telescope and the new domes of the Marvel instrument / IAC
    The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) and the KU Leuven , Belgium, have amplified their framework of collaboration in astrophysical research. The two institutions have signed an agreement which gives continuity to the operations of the Mercator Telescope at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (ORM), which started in 2002, and whose work will be strengthened by the installation of a new instrument called MARVEL (Mercator Array for Radial Velocities). Mercator is a semi-robotic telescope with a 1.2 metre primary mirror. Its name comes from that of the famous Flemish cartographer
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  • Observation of 2024 NP2 obtained with the TST telescope
    The discovery of 2024 NP2 took place during the night of July 4th in images taken during the commissioning of the TST, a new telescope recently installed at the Teide Observatory. On July 4th the first regular observations were made in the commissioning of the Transient Survey Telescope (TST), an astronomical installation produced by a public-private collaboration between the IAC and the Canary company Light Bridges , at the Teide Observatory (Tenerife). The TST is a robotic telescope with a wide field. With a 1 metre telescope and a camera using an sCMOS detector at its prime focus, it can
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  • Phellower realizando una observación solar en el Observatorio del Teide
    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
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  • Neighbours of Garafía together with the staff of the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory during the Open House Days
    Today, Friday 16th August, the traditional Open Day of the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (ORM) was held for the residents of the village of Garafía, in La Palma. With this event, the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) participates in the programme of the Fiestas Patronales of the municipality where the Observatory is located. This fraternisation event, between the town and the scientific, technical and working staff who work at the centre's facilities, has been taking place since the first years of its opening and celebrates its 39th edition. The IAC and the scientific
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  • TST en el Observatorio del Teide
    The robotic Transient Survey Telescope (TST) installed in the Teide Observatory of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) has successfully started its scientific observations. It is a 1 metre telescope which permits the detection of rapidly varying objects, and is set up to map the sky. The TST has been built and run via a public-private collaboration with Canary funding. The Transient Survey Telescope (TST) is a telescope with a 1 metre primary mirror, built to take long-term observations called surveys, for the detection of faint, rapidly varying objects over a wide area of the sky
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