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
  • La ministra de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades ha presidido este jueves en el CaixaForum el acto de reconocimiento de las Acreditaciones Severo Ochoa y María de Maeztu, que concede el Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MICIU), a través de la Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI), a centros y unidades de investigación de excelencia.
    Photomontage
    The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, present during the formal awarding of the Severo Ochoa and María de Maeztu qualification
    The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) participated, during the afternoon of September 5th, in the awarding of the qualifications Severo Ochoa and María de Maeztu, offered by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU) via the National Agency for Research (AEI) to centres and research units of excellence in our country. For the IAC this qualification refers to the period 2020-2024, and was received by the outgoing Director, Rafael Rebolo, who was accompanied by the Director Valentín Martínez Pillet and by the project manager Dahimar Sánchez.
    Advertised on
  • Nayra Rodríguez Eugenio, director of the AEACI, welcomes the participants of the school
    Press release
    The IAC is celebrating 10 years of Educational Adventure in Astronomy
    Yesterday saw the start of the 10th International School Astronomy Education Adventure in the Canary Islands (AEACI 2024) which will be celebrated during the full week in the IACTEC building in La Laguna (Tenerife), and which 65 teachers from 23 countries are attending. This school, organized by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) together with other scientific and educational institutions, has reached its tenth anniversary, and has given training in the teaching of astronomy to 600 teachers from all over the world. With the title “Explore the Universe with us” the AEACI 2024 has
    Advertised on
  • Artist’s impression of TIC 241249530 b
    Press release
    Eccentric exoplanet reveals how hot jupiters form
    An international scientific team, in which the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) participates, has discovered the extremely eccentric orbit of a gas giant exoplanet. This world, called TIC 241249530 b, not only follows one of the most drastically stretched-out orbits of all known transiting exoplanets, but also is also orbiting its star backwards, lending insight into the mystery of how these high-mass gas giants evolve into hot Jupiters , with very close and circular trajectories. The study is published in Nature. Within the population of known exoplanets, there are those that
    Advertised on
  • Artist’s concept of WASP-39 b
    Press release
    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) participates, has confirmed variations in morning and evening atmosphere of the exoplanet WASP-39 b, about 700 light-years away from Earth. The research has revealed differences in temperature and atmospheric pressure, as well as indications of different cloudiness and winds that could reach thousands of miles per hour. The results are published in Nature. WASP-39 b, a giant planet with a diameter 1.3 times greater than Jupiter, but
    Advertised on
  • 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
  • An artist’s concept of the exoplanet SPECULOOS-3 b orbiting its red dwarf star. The planet is as big around as Earth, while its star is slightly bigger than Jupiter – but much more massive. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
    Press release
    Astronomers discover Earth-sized exoplanet orbiting ultra-cool star
    An international scientific team, with the participation of researchers from the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), has found a new world similar in size to our planet orbiting an ultra-cold red dwarf located about 55 light-years away. Observations from the SPECULOOS telescope network, which includes the ARTEMIS telescope at the Teide Observatory in Tenerife, have made this discovery possible. The Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC), at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on La Palma, has also played a key role in confirming the discovery, providing some of the most accurate ground
    Advertised on