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
  • SFH of thick and thin disks
    Research news
    Chronology of our Galaxy from Gaia colour-magnitude diagram fitting (ChronoGal): II. Unveiling the formation and evolution of the kinematically selected Thick and Thin Discs
    Research on the formation, origin, and evolution of the dichotomy between the thin and thick disk components of the Milky Way has been a major topic of study, as it is key to understanding how our Galaxy formed. However, this is not an easy task, since populations defined by their morphology or kinematics show a mixture of chemically distinct stellar populations. Age therefore becomes a fundamental parameter for understanding the evolution of the Galactic disk. Our goal is to derive the age and metallicity distributions of the thin and thick disks defined kinematically, in order to reveal
    Advertised on
  • Edit-a-thon 11F
    Press release
    The IAC and Wikimedia Spain promote an edit-a-thon to raise the profile of women in astronomy on Wikipedia
    The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) and Wikimedia Spain are organising, on the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a Wikipedia editing workshop and an edit-a-thon of biographies of female astronomers and astrophysicists, an initiative that seeks to highlight the talent of women in the field of astronomy and astrophysics and contribute to reducing existing content gaps in the free encyclopaedia. The proposal is divided into two complementary days, designed to facilitate participation by anyone, regardless of their level of prior knowledge about editing
    Advertised on
  • Antonia Varela / IAC
    Researcher Antonia Varela, recognised by Forbes as one of the most influential women in the Canary Islands
    Dr Antonia Varela Pérez, a researcher at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), has been included in the prestigious list ‘ Forbes Women: The 30 Most Influential Women in the Canary Islands 2026’, a distinction that highlights her scientific career and her work in protecting the night sky and disseminating knowledge. Antonia Varela, who in addition to her research work at the IAC directs the Starlight Foundation and the Museum of Science and the Cosmos in Tenerife, stands out in this ranking for her leadership in the field of sustainable development and astro-tourism, establishing
    Advertised on
  • Main structure of the SELF Telescope, which serves as a technological prototype for the ExoLife Finder (ELF) Telescope.
    Press release
    The construction of the SELF telescope progresses with the arrival of its main structure
    The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) continues to make progress in the construction of the SELF (Small ExoLife Finder) telescope with the arrival of its mechanical structure at the IACTec facilities. The structure, shipped from the Basque Country, marks a new milestone in the development of this scientific and technological project. The assembly has been received at the IACTec Building, located in the Las Mantecas Science and Technology Park (La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife), a strategic site dedicated to the design, integration and validation of advanced astronomical
    Advertised on
  • Sebastián Francisco Sánchez / IAC
    Press release
    IAC collaborator Sebastián Francisco Sánchez, new director of the LVM project
    The international consortium Sloan Digital Sky Survey-V (SDSS-V) has appointed Dr Sebastián Francisco Sánchez, researcher at the Institute of Astronomy of the National Autonomous University of Mexico and senior scientist on leave from the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), as director of the Local Volume Mapper (LVM) project, one of the three surveys that make up the SDSS-V. This appointment recognises Dr Sánchez's academic excellence and consolidates the collaboration with the IAC, with which the researcher has maintained a close scientific relationship for many years. Dr Sánchez
    Advertised on
  • Eva Villaver Sobrino / IAC
    Eva Villaver, deputy director of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, joins the top scientific advisory body of the European Space Agency
    Eva Villaver, Deputy Director of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), has been appointed by the European Space Agency (ESA) to the Space Science Advisory Committee (SSAC), the highest advisory body to ESA's Director of Science on all matters related to the organization's mandatory science program. This role complements Dr. Villaver's duties as Deputy Director of the IAC. The SSAC carries out a strategic oversight role, sitting above the specialized working groups in areas such as astronomy or solar system exploration. Furthermore, it is responsible for issuing recommendations on
    Advertised on