The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) announces the death of its founding director, Professor Francisco Sánchez Martínez, whose determination led to the creation of one of Europe's leading research centres and two of the world's finest astrophysical observatories: the Teide Observatory in Tenerife and the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory in La Palma. He passed away today in Madrid, where he had been living for the last few years, at the age of 89.
The director of the IAC, Valentín Martínez Pillet, emphasises that "Professor Sánchez's legacy is incalculable. He was a man who paved the way for Spanish astrophysics with vision, courage and undisputed leadership. Not only did he found the IAC, but he also laid the foundations for an entire discipline in our country. Thanks to his efforts, Spain is now a recognised powerhouse in astrophysical research. His figure, as a pioneer and teacher, will be an eternal inspiration for future generations".
The man who dreamed of stars: biography
Francisco Sánchez (Toledo, 1936–Madrid, 2025) was one of the pioneers and promoters of astrophysics in Spain since he first travelled to Tenerife in 1961 and began the first studies of the astronomical quality of the Canary Islands' skies.
Firmly convinced that the Canary Islands' skies were exceptional for astronomical observation, in 1964 he persuaded the University of Bordeaux to install the first professional telescope at the Teide Observatory. This international agreement laid the foundations for all subsequent agreements that allowed the installation of international telescopes in exchange for 20% of observation time for Spanish science.
Francisco Sánchez also founded the country's first astrophysics research group, “Upper Atmosphere and Interplanetary Environment”, and the first doctoral theses were completed.
In 1965, he joined the University of La Laguna (ULL) as an assistant professor of physics at the Teide Observatory, and in 1969 he presented his doctoral thesis, which was the first on astrophysics to be read in Spain. This marked the beginning of a long career, and in 1970 the first professorship in astrophysics at a Spanish university was created at the ULL, which was filled by Francisco Sánchez, who also became the first professor of the subject in our country in 1974.
In 1973, Sánchez's efforts led to the creation of the University Institute of Astrophysics at the University of La Laguna, which was the precursor to the current IAC.
Between 1976 and 1978, work was carried out on the access road to Roque de los Muchachos in La Palma, which led to the creation of the current Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, now one of the most important in the world.
Another of Francisco Sánchez's major achievements was the implementation, in 1988, of the Law for the Protection of the Astronomical Quality of the IAC Observatories, known as the Sky Law, making the Canary Islands the first autonomous community to limit artificial lighting levels in order to prevent light pollution of the sky.
Among his countless achievements, it should be noted that Francisco Sánchez was the driving force behind the construction and commissioning of the Gran Telescopio de Canarias (Great Canary Telescope), through the public limited company GRANTECAN, S.A., which was inaugurated in 2009 and is currently the largest visible and infrared telescope in the world, located at Roque de los Muchachos.
In 2007, Francisco Sánchez participated in the Starlight International Conference in La Palma, which gave rise to ‘The Declaration in Defence of the Night Sky and the Right to Starlight’. In 2011, he promoted the creation of the Starlight Foundation with the aim of spreading the principles of the La Palma Declaration.
In 2013, Francisco Sánchez stepped down as director of the IAC and, since then, has participated in conferences and received new distinctions for his academic and professional career. In 2019, he published the book ‘Soñando estrellas’ (Dreaming Stars), an autobiographical account that illuminated his love for the universe and his commitment to Spanish astrophysics.
Among other distinctions, Francisco Sánchez was awarded the Canary Islands Research Prize and was a member of the Royal Society of Friends of the Country since 1985 and of the Canary Islands Academy of Sciences since 1987. He was also vice-president of the European Astronomical Society (EAS), a member of the Advisory Council for Science, Technology and Innovation and the Science and Society Area Committee of the Ibero-American Programme of Science and Technology for Development (CYTED).
