Lines of research: Exoplanetary Systems & Solar System (SEYSS)

Exoplanetary Systems & Solar System (SEYSS)

The area of planetary and solar systems involves several research groups working on Exoplanets, Solar System and Cultural Astronomy. Our main objectives are:

  • The detection and characterization of giant and rocky planets around nearby stars using the most advanced instruments (CARMENES, ESPRESSO, HARPS Norte y Sur, SONG, LCO, MUSCAT2) and space missions (CoRoT, Kepler K2, CHEOPS, TESS and PLATO). The group is particularly interested in the study of terrestrial planets in the habitable zone of their host stars where water can be in liquid form.
  • The characterization of the atmospheres of planets to know their structure and composition, both by transits and direct imaging, using ground-based telescopes such as GTC and space missions such as CHEOPS.
  • Investigate the formation of exoplanet systems by studying the chemical composition of planet host stars, and the dynamical evolution of exoplanets at their early stages of formation.
  • Study the physical properties of different families of minor bodies of the Solar System (asteroids, comets, trans-neptunian objects, etc.) to understand the origin and evolution of Solar System with GTC and space missions such as OSIRIS-REx.
  • The study of ancient cosmologies through cultural astronomy and the defense of cultural heritage through the astronomy.
  • News
    Astronomers find missing link to Galaxy's most common planets
    One of the biggest recent surprises in astronomy is the discovery that most stars like the Sun harbor a planet between the size of Earth and Neptune within the...
  • News
    Astronomers make a significant advance in our knowledge of the asteroids nearest to the Earth, the Arjunas
    Research, in which the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias has participated has analyzed object 2023 FY3, a member of a group of asteroids which have...
  • News
    Astronomers observe differences in sunrises and sunsets on a distant world
    Using observations made with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), an international scientific team, in which the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC)...
  • News
    Astronomers spot a giant planet that’s as light as cotton candy
    An international team, led by a researcher from the University of Liège (Belgium) affiliated to the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), has discovered...
  • Publication
    Astronomy and Cartography in Benahoare: an orientated map of the Canary island of La Palma in an ancient petroglyph
    The Canary island of La Palma (ancient Benahoare) is one the richest island territory of the world in rock art manifestations (Martín Rodríguez and Pais Pais...
  • Publication
    Astronomy and Culture on the Camino de Santiago
    During the transition from the first to the second millennium, a new artistic and architectural style known as “Romanesque” emerged and developed in the Iberian...
  • Publication
    Astronomy and ritual in the protohistory of the southeast of the Iberian peninsula
    Along the first millennium BCE and up to the beginning of the Roman conquest at the end of III century BCE, the southeast part of the Iberian Peninsula was...
  • Event
    Astronomy Education Adventure in the Canary Islands 2023
    The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) and NUCLIO join hands again to promote the ninth edition of Astronomy Education Adventure in the Canary Islands...
  • Publication
    Astronomy in Roman urbanism: a statistical analysis of the orientation of Roman towns in the Iberian Peninsula
    The work presented in this article is part of a wide-ranging and ambitious project, started few years ago, to study the role of astronomy in Roman urban layout...