Astrophysics in the Canaries began here at this Observatory. Located in Izaña (Tenerife) at 2390 metres above sea level, the site marks the point at which the municipal boundaries of La Orotava, Fasnia, and Güímar meet. The first telescope on the site was set up by the University of Bordeaux in 1964 and was used to carry out pioneering studies of the zodiacal light (light scattered by diffuse interplanetary matter).

The Observatory’s geographical location (midway between the solar observatories of the east and west), combined with the excellent quality of the sky for astronomy, led to Teide Observatory being dedicated mainly to  the study of the sun. As a consquence, the site hosts the best European solar telescopes, such as the 1.5-metre diameter GREGOR. In 1979, this Observatory became the birthplace of helioseismology (a technique that provides us with an insight into the interior of our star through the study of its internal and surface vibrations).Teide Observatory also hosts other kinds of excellent professional instruments, including standard nocturnal telescopes, robotic and remotely operated telescopes, and experiments to measure the cosmic microwave background radiation. With their help the most important comets in recent years have been monitored, including the collision of Comet P/Shoemaker-Levy with Jupiter, and the compilation of large-scale maps of the Galactic centre.