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.

List view
  • Collages of images from the different editions of the ""Nuestros Alumnos y el ORM"" programme
    Photomontage
    The "Nuestros Alumnos y el Roque de los Muchachos" programme receives unanimous high opinions from the schools of La Palma
    This educational programme, organised and developed by the scientific institutions of the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), is celebrating its 14th birthday, and it does so with unanmiously high opinions from the schools which have participated in the programme this year. This can be gleaned from the data in the questionnaire circulated by the IAC among the educational centres which participated in this edition of the programme in 2024, which reflect 100% satisfaction. In 2024 the programme included 14 lectures in educational centres, and
    Advertised on
  • Ignacio Ferreras, Research Scientist at the IAC
    Photomontage
    IAC Researcher Ignacio Ferreras is newly elected councillor of the European Astronomical Society
    Ignacio Ferreras, a researcher at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) has taken up the job as councillor of the European Astronomical Society (EAS), whose aim is the development of astronomy in Europe and which defends the interests of the astronomical community in the región. He was elected at the recent General Assembly of the EAS, celebrated in Padua last week. Founded in 1990 the EAS is a society with individual members which collaborates with affiliated national societies, and also with european research organizations and networks. The society has a converning Council
    Advertised on
  • CAI
    Photomontage
    The IAC hosts the meeting of the Research Advisory Commission
    Today, Monday July 8th, at the Headquarters of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias the Research Advisory Commission (CAI) , which is the highest level advisory committee for research at the Institute, and which analysis its scientific and technological production, has started its annual meeting. During the meeting Rafael Rebolo, who was Director of the iAC until 1st July 2024, gave an account of the scientific and technological activities of the Institute during the past year, and the incoming Director, Valentín Martínez Pillet, presented his visión, and his mission for the Institute
    Advertised on
  • Students of the CTAO School at the ORM
    Photomontage
    Roque de los Muchachos Observatory successfully hosts the first CTAO school
    The first CTAO School, which ended on 29 June, was a resounding success. The 27 PhD students travelled from 12 different countries for the two-week workshop that took them to Italy and Spain for a deep dive into CTAO science, technology and data analysis of CTAO, the largest and most powerful gamma-ray observatory in the world, which has its northern site at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (ORM) on La Palma. The school kicked off in Bertinoro, Italy, with a masterclass in gamma-ray astrophysics that included hands-on sessions on how to prepare a science proposal for the prototype
    Advertised on
  • RSOph_MWL_TransientsUniverse
    Research news
    A Very-High-Energy Gamma-Ray View of the Transient Sky
    The development of the latest generation of Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) over recent decades has led to the discovery of new extreme astrophysical phenomena in the very-high-energy (VHE, E > 100 GeV) gamma-ray regime. Time-domain and multi-messenger astronomy are inevitably connected to the physics of transient VHE emitters, which show unexpected (and mostly unpredictable) flaring or exploding episodes at different timescales. These transients often share the physical processes responsible for the production of the gamma-ray emission, through cosmic-ray acceleration
    Advertised on
  • Taking office of the Director of the IAC, Valentín Martínez Pillet. Credit: Inés Bonet (IAC)
    Press release
    Valentin Martínez Pillet takes office as Director of the IAC
    The researcher Valentín Martínez Pillet has taken up his duties as Director of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) today, Monday 1st July, in a ceremony with the participation of the Secretary General for Research of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities Eva Ortega-Paíno, and the outgoing Director of the IAC, Rafael Rebolo. The new Director of the IAC, Valentín Martínez Pillet, takes up the challenge of running the centre in which he is a Research Professor with “a great sense of responsibility” and with the aim of mainaining and enhancing its scientific and
    Advertised on