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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  • GRANCAIN instrument installed on the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC or Grantecan)
    Press release
    GRANCAIN, the first instrument to use the GTC's adaptive optics, is integrated into the telescope
    During October, the Adaptive Optics System team at the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTCAO) of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), in collaboration with the technical team at the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC or Grantecan), successfully completed the integration of the GRANCAIN instrument into the world's largest optical-infrared telescope. The installation was carried out at the GTCAO outlet on the telescope's Nasmyth B platform, a key step in initiating performance testing of the new adaptive optics system. This is the first scientific instrument to operate using the GTC's adaptive
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  • Big Science Industry Forum Spain 2025 BSIFS2025
    Press release
    The IAC takes part in the Big Science Industry Forum Spain 2025
    A delegation from the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), led by its Director, Valentín Martínez Pillet, is attending the Big Science Industry Forum Spain 2025 (BSIFS2025), the main national meeting dedicated to the Big Science Industry, on 3 and 4 December. The team is presenting the centre’s scientific and technological advances and strengthening strategic links with companies, technology centres and international scientific infrastructures. The IAC strengthens its presence at Spain’s largest Big Science Industry forum The Big Science Industry Forum Spain 2025, organised by CDTI
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  • Canary Islands Diamond Award
    Press release
    The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias receives the Canary Islands Diamond Award for Business and Economic Innovation
    The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) has been honoured with the Canary Islands Diamond Award in the category of Business and Economic Innovation, a distinction granted by Canal 4 Tenerife as part of the first edition of these awards on the occasion of its 30th anniversary. The recognition is bestowed “in acknowledgement of its scientific excellence and its international projection from the Canary Islands” and highlights the IAC’s contribution to the development of a knowledge-based economy in the Archipelago. The IAC was selected as the winner following a jury evaluation process
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  • El profesor Francisco Sánchez / IAC
    El IAC despide a Francisco Sánchez en un acto homenaje en La Palma
    El Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) celebrará el próximo viernes, 5 de diciembre, un acto homenaje y despedida al profesor Francisco Sánchez Martínez, director fundador del IAC y figura clave de la Astrofísica española, fallecido en Madrid el pasado 21 de octubre a los 89 años. El evento tendrá lugar a las 17:00 horas en el Espacio Cultural CajaCanarias, en Santa Cruz de La Palma, con entrada libre hasta completar aforo. El homenaje reunirá a destacadas personalidades vinculadas tanto a la historia del IAC y de los Observatorios de Canarias como a su actualidad y recordará el
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  • SO/PHI Science and Team Meetings
    Press release
    The IAC hosts scientific meetings on Solar Orbiter's SO/PHI instrument
    From today until 5 December 2025, the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) is hosting the SO/PHI Science and Team Meetings, an international gathering focused on the scientific and technical advances of the Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager (PHI) instrument aboard ESA's Solar Orbiter (SO) space mission. The development of PHI was co-led by the Spanish Space Solar Physics Consortium (S3PC), which also currently coordinates its scientific operation and exploitation. The IAC is part of this network. PHI is a high-precision solar observation instrument equipped with two telescopes—one
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  • Members of the NAOC, LJMU and IAC attending the meeting about the NRT at the IAC headquarters
    Photomontage
    The IAC hosts an international meeting to advance the design and construction of the New Robotic Telescope
    On 27 and 28 November, the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) hosted a meeting between representatives of the partner institutions of the New Robotic Telescope (NRT) —the IAC itself, Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), and the University of Oviedo— and a delegation from the National Astronomical Observatories of China (NAOC) headed by its director, Liu Jifeng. The meeting served to analyse the current status of the project and to define the steps required to formalise China’s incorporation into the international NRT consortium. NAOC’s participation opens up a major opportunity
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