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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  • Cartel donde se ve un reloj de arena con una luna y un sol junto a una paloma de la paz
    Photomontage
    On March 20 we celebrate Equal Day to promote peace through Astronomy
    The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias wants to join the international initiative Equal Day. For this purpose, we have organized an event open to all Spanish-speaking schools where two astrophysicists will explain what the equinoxes are, make a live astronomical observation and invite attendees to share a message of peace. March 20 is the day of the equinox, when day and night have the same duration in the entire globe. This reminds us that all human beings live on the same small planet and share the same fascination when observing the Cosmos. The Equal Day initiative aims to unite people
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  • Federico de La Paz (OTPC) durante la jornada 'Contaminación lumínica y biodiversidad’
    Photomontage
    El IAC colabora en el proyecto LIFE Natura@Night que promueve la lucha contra la contaminación lumínica
    El Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) colabora en el proyecto LIFE Natura@Night que se desarrolla en Madeira, Azores y Canarias con el objeto de proteger los cielos oscuros y concienciar sobre la contaminación lumínica. Así, este miércoles el técnico de la Oficina Técnica de Protección del Cielo del IAC, Federico de La Paz, formó parte del panel de expertos de la jornada ‘Contaminación lumínica y biodiversidad’ que se celebró en el Museo de la Ciencia y el Cosmos (MCC). La jornada estuvo organizada por el proyecto LIFE Natura@night y contó con el apoyo del Cabildo de Tenerife y del
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  • Image of Deimos with Mars on the background, obtained with the HyperScout-H instrument on board the Hera spacecraft
    Press release
    Hera mission flies by Mars on its way to Didymos and captures unique images of its moons
    ESA’s Hera mission for planetary defense performed a flyby of Mars, as part of its gravitational assistance manoeuvre to shorten its journey to the binary asteroid system Didymos. During the flyby, the spacecraft came around 5000 km from the surface of Mars, having also the opportunity to obtain images of its two moons, Deimos (during the approach) and Phobos (when departing Mars). Julia de León, Javier Licandro, and George Prodan, researchers at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, participate in this mission, successfully launched from Cape Cañaveral, Florida (USA) on October 7, 2024
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  • Artist's impression of GJ 3998 d, a super-Earth in the habitable zone of its star
    Press release
    IAC discovers a super-Earth in the habitable zone of a nearby red dwarf
    An international team, led by a student from Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), has detected a super-Earth orbiting in the habitable zone of GJ 3998, a nearby red dwarf located 59 ly away. The new planet, named GJ 3998 d, is the third planet found in the system. ‘GJ 3998 d is a welcome addition to the planetary census of our cosmic neighbourhood’, states Atanas Stefanov, a "La Caixa" funded PhD student at the IAC and the University of La Laguna (ULL) and the study’s lead author, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics . 'This super-Earth appears to be in the habitable zone of one of
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  • La divulgadora señala al público un área del cielo que aparece en la pantalla
    Photomontage
    El IAC participa en el encuentro ‘Hoy Visibles, Mañana Inspiradoras’ que se organiza con motivo del 8M
    El Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) ha participado en el encuentro ‘Hoy Visibles, Mañana Inspiradoras’, organizado por el Programa Mujer y Niña En Ciencia e Innovación y que ha tenido lugar en la mañana del viernes 7 de marzo con motivo del Día Internacional de la Mujer. En este acto se han reunido ponentes de diferentes ramas de la ciencia, entre las que está incluida la astrofísica y divulgadora del IAC Alejandra Goded quien ha impartido el taller ‘Desentrañando los misterios del Universo’ El objetivo del evento es mostrar a los escolares de qué consta realmente su profesión
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  • 8M "Las mujeres sostienen la mitad del cielo"
    Press release
    The IAC strengthens its commitment to Equality
    The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) is strengthening its commitment to Equality and, to coincide with the commemoration of March 8th, International Women’s Day, is presenting its IV Plan for Equality. This document covers the active work within the IAC to support Equality and Fairness in the working and institutional environment, and proposes specific measures to ensure that both of these aims are achieved. The IAC has pioneered the introduction of policies of Equality in the field of science in Spain. Even before the approval of the Organic Law 3/2007 for the effective equality
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