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.

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  • WISE1810 - Metal-poor brown dwarf
    Press release
    An ancient brown dwarf in our cosmic neighbourhood
    A study, led by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), has confirmed the presence of an unusual metal-poor brown dwarf less than 30 light-years away from the Sun. Its proximity could suggest a possible overabundance of brown dwarfs formed in the early stages of the Milky Way. Several telescopes located at the observatories of Roque de Los Muchachos (La Palma) and Calar Alto (Almería) have been used in the investigation. The results are published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics. On a cosmic scale, our immediate neighbourhood is composed of just a few hundred stars and brown
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  • INAF and IAC representatives next to the first telescope of the ASTRI network
    Photomontage
    ASTRI telescopes at the Teide Observatory: an example of environmental integration
    Esta semana, la junta directiva del Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica de Italia ha visitado el Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias para ver in situ, entre otros, el avance de la instalación de la red de telescopios ASTRI. Este proyecto mejora considerablemente las capacidades actuales de captación de eventos de alta energía del universo e incluye elementos innovadores para reducir su impacto medioambiental y mejorar la eficiencia energética del observatorio. A delegation of the board of directors of the Italian Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), including its president, vice
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  • Photomontage
    The Minister of the Presidency, Félix Bolaños, meets with the scientific community at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory
    After the meeting, which was attended by representatives of various scientific institutions of reference, both regional and national, the minister and his team visited the facilities of the Gran Telescopio de Canarias and the William Herschel telescope. Last July 19, 2022, the Minister of the Presidency, Relations with the Courts and Democratic Memory, Félix Bolaños, went to the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, in the municipality of Garafía. There he held a meeting with the scientific community that carries out research in La Palma in order to better understand how this community can
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  • News report
    The OTPC: thirty years working to protect the sky
    The Technical Office for the Protection of Sky Quality (OTPC, its Spanish initials) has become a model copied by other Spanish autonomous regional communities such as Catalonia, the Balearics, Analusía, Navarre, Cantabria, Castille & Leon, and Extremadura. It has also been a reference for other places in the world, such as Chile, Hawaii, and Italy. When night falls, we often think, mistakenly, that the more artificial lighting we have the better. There is more security, a greater sense of tranquility for people in general, and the important buildings are best presented. But this insistence
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  • Attendees of the "Acércate al Cosmos" 2022 course at sunset with the solar towers
    Photomontage
    The 5th edition of the "Acércate al Cosmos" course has been held
    After two years of absence due to the pandemic, the "Acércate al Cosmos" course organised by the National Institute of Educational Technologies and Teacher Training (INTEF), the Menéndez Pelayo International University (UIMP) and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) returned to Tenerife from 4 to 8 July. During this week, 35 teachers of secondary schools took part in talks and workshops on the Sun, the Moon, the Solar System, Exoplanets, Stellar Evolution, the Chemistry of the Cosmos, Galaxies, Cosmology and Astrophotography, given by researchers and specialists from the IAC, the
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  • DRAGO Proyecto Educativo
    Photomontage
    The first edition of the DRAGO educational project has been concluded
    The project "DRAGO: Canary Islands Educational Centres from Space" ended its 1st edition on Monday 27th June with a visit to the Teide Observatory for the winners and finalists, where they were also presented with the corresponding prizes. In this way, students and teachers from 5 schools in the Canary Islands were brought together in this first edition. DRAGO is an innovative educational project created by the space division of IACTEC, of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, together with the Regional Ministry of Education, Universities, Culture and Sports of the Canary Islands
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