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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  • ORM al amanecer
    Photomontage
    The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias formalizes the contract to strengthen submarine digital connectivity
    The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) has formalized with Telefónica de España the contract to carry out the project “ Redundancy of the Optical Maritime Network of the Iris Network” , financed with the investment “Despliegue de infraestructuras digitales transfronterizas” (C15.I5) del Plan de Recuperación ”. The project is planned to last for two years. The IAC manages the Canary Observatories, which comprise the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (ORM) on La Palma, and the Teide Observatory (OT) on Tenerife, which house telescopes and instruments from some 60 institutions
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  • Quaoar and its ring
    Press release
    The Gran Telescopio Canarias plays a key role in the discovery of the ring of the dwarf planet Quaoar
    Scientists have discovered a new ring system around a dwarf planet on the edge of the Solar System. The ring system orbits much further out than is typical for other ring systems, calling into question current theories of how ring systems are formed. The discovery, published in Nature, was made possible thanks to the HiPERCAM instrument on the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory in La Palma. A system of rings has been discovered around the dwarf planet Quaoar which is approximately half the size of Pluto and orbits the Sun beyond Neptune. The discovery
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  • Mujeres de IACTEC
    News report
    Con todas las letras de la ciencia
    La ciencia se escribe con muchas letras. Se escribe con f de física, con e de electrónica, con i de ingeniería. La ciencia se escribe también con m de mujer. En las jóvenes mentes de las investigadoras del Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) habitaba una pequeña chispa científica que daría inicio a sus carreras. Niñas que contaban estrellas para dejarse dormir y que lucharían años más tarde por llegar al día en que sus sueños se hicieran realidad. Para poder observar y entender los secretos que esconde el Universo se necesita tecnología. De esto se encarga el IACTEC, un espacio de
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  • Imagen del proyecto "Habla con Ellas: Mujeres en Astronomía"
    Press release
    Education and social awareness activities to promote the participation of women and girls in Science
    Some 40 women astronomers, engineers and technologists from the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), from IACTEC and from other collaborating institutions are taking part in around ten initiatives to raise awareness of the important contribution of women in Science and to stimulate the interest of girls in scientific and technological careers. The activities are part of the celebrations of 11F, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and they will extend from February till June. Even though the percentage of women in scientific and technical careers has grown in recent
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  • ExoLife Finder (ELF)
    Press release
    Initiation of LIOM, the IAC Laboratory for Innovation in Optomechanics
    From 13th to 17th of February, in IACTEC, the technical collaboration zone of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, the first scientific meeting of the Laboratory for Innovation in Optomechanics (LIOM) is taking place. This is a project for the development of new optical and mechanical technology which will form part of the next generaton of telescopes, such as the ExoLife Finder (ELF), aimed at the search for life outside the Solar System. The meeting has brought together 30 specialists in optics and photonics from Europe, Canada, and the United States. During the course of this week
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  • ESPRESSO Science Team Meeting 2023
    Photomontage
    The scientific team of the ESPRESSO instrument meets to review its first 5 years
    The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) in collaboration with the ESPRESSO consortium, has organized a conference in Lanzarote to review the current state of research carried out with the ESPRESSO instrument on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) at the European Southern Observatory (ESO). From 7th to 10th February, at Costa Teguise (Lanzarote, Spain) the “ESPRESSO Science Team Meeting 2023” was held. This conference, organized by the IAC, was aimed at reviewing the current status of the science carried out with the observations which used the guaranteed time on the ESPRESSO spectrograph
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