After months of work, the Canary Islands Institute of Astrophysics (IAC) successfully concluded its scientific, outreach, and educational program in Palencia, where thousands of people enjoyed the total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026. The program, designed jointly by the IAC and the Palencia City Council, filled the streets and theaters throughout the province. This historic event concluded with a high turnout. Thousands of people—including locals and visitors from all over the world—packed the viewing areas set up in Palencia to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical spectacle live. The
The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), through its Communication and Scientific Culture Unit (UC3) and in collaboration with the Museum of Science and the Cosmos (MCC), part of Tenerife Museums, publishes the astronomical events for the year 2026 in its traditional calendar. The year 2026 will be marked by a total solar eclipse on 12 August, which will not be visible from the Canary Islands, but will be 70 per cent partial. In addition, 2026 will see the arrival of new comets, meteor showers and other interesting astronomical events. The IAC's 2026 Calendar is illustrated with a
A team of cosmologists from the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA-CSIC) and the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC) has obtained the most accurate census to date of the dark matter halos of the Universe. The work is based on the development of a new model, called GPS+, capable of predicting how many dark matter halos exist at each stage of cosmic history. In the universe, there are enormous invisible structures surrounding galaxies and galaxy clusters. These are dark matter halos, concentrations of matter that do not emit light and cannot be directly observed, but