An Open Day for inhabitants of Garafía celebrated at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory

Vecinos de Garafía en la jornada de Puertas Abiertas en el Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos. Crédito: Antonio González/IAC.
Vecinos de Garafía en la jornada de Puertas Abiertas en el Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos. Crédito: Antonio González/IAC.
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Last Friday, 18th August, the villagers of Garafía (La Palma) took part in the traditional open day at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, which for more than ten years has been organized for them by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) and the scientific institutions of the observatory, in collaboration with the Town Council of Garafía, and its Department of Culture.

This Open Day, whose aim is to familiarize the scientific activities of these telescopes to the inhabitants of the municipality in which they are sited, coincides every year with the fiesta of the village, dedicated to the Virgin of Light.

Organized into 4 gorups, each with a "starlight" guide, more than one hundred residents of Garafía visited the Gran Telescopio CANARIAS (GTC), the two MAGIC telecopes, the William Herschel Telescope (WHT), of the Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes, and the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG). In all of these telescopes members of their scientific staffs offered explanation of their research activity.

At this Open Day there were two of the local police from Garafía, a sergeant an a Civil Guard from the station at Tijaraje, to which the Observatory is subscribed. In addition there were four personnel from Anaga Emergency Help,

Aftewards, just outside the Residence of the Observatory there was a traditional meal, shared by all the visitors, including the personnel of the telescopes and the local police.
The IAC had also collaborated with the Town Council of Garafía, and its Sports department in the fifth edition of the pioneering obstacle race, now established in La Palma, with the title "Extreme Nature" which took place on August 13th.

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Press release
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Observatorios de Canarias
General public
Communications media

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