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.

  • Image of the simulated local group used for the article. Left, image of dark matter; on the right, gas distribution. The three main galaxies of the Local Group (MW, M31 and M33) are indicated. Credit: CLUES simulation team.
    Historically most scientists thought that once a satellite galaxy has passed close by its higher mass parent galaxy its star formation would stop because the larger galaxy would remove the gas from it, leaving it shorn of the material it would need to make new stars. However, for the first time, a team led by the researcher at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), Arianna di Cintio, has shown using numerical simulations that this is not always the case. The results of the study were recently published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS).
    Advertised on
  • Governing Committee of the Roque de los Muchachos Visitor Centre
    Representatives of the Cabildo of La Palma, the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, and the Town Council of Garafía met yesterday at the Roque de los Muchachos to maintain the work needed to set up this important tourist and science outreach infrastructure. Previously they had visited the building to check on the progress of the work which is under way. The highest point on the island of La Palma was host yesterday to a meeting of the Governing Committee of the Roque de los Muchachos visitor centre. This committee is charged with monitoring the way the project is proceeding, and is
    Advertised on
  • Artist’s impression of the Nu2 Lupi planetary system. Credit: ESA.
    The exoplanet satellite hunter CHEOPS of the European Space Agency (ESA), in which the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) is participating along with other European institutions, has unexpectedly detected a third planet passing in front of its star while it was exploring two previously known planets around the same star. This transit, according to researchers, will reveal exciting details about a strange planet “without a known equivalent”.
    Advertised on
  • Participants in the meeting between the IAC and the ULPGC to renew the collaboration agreement of the Programme of Medical Technology of the IAC. Credit: Inés Bonet (IAC).
    The Director of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), Rafael Rebolo; the Deputy Director, Casiana Muñoz-Tuñón; the Rector of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Lluís Serra Majem; the Vice-rector of Research and Transfer, Marisol Izquierdo; and Juan Ruiz Alzola, director of the Group of Medical Technological and Audiovisual Research of the University Institute of Biomedical and Health Research of the ULPGC, met recently at the headquarters of the Institute in San Cristóbal de La Laguna with the aim of activating the new agreement between the two institutions for
    Advertised on
  • DRAGO's first image of the Canary Islands
    The DRAGO ( Demonstrator for Remote Analysis of Ground Observations) camera, developed entirely by the team of IACTEC-Microsatellites of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) has obtained its first images of the Canary Islands. DRAGO was launched into space on January 24th this year on a Falcon 9 rocket of the Space-X company, integrated into a small satellite called ION-mk02 by the D-orbit company. Since then the satellite and the DRAGO camera have undergone a setting up phase which was completed successfully by taking its first images of the Canary archipelago. These were taken on
    Advertised on
  • Gran Canaria
    During the afternoon of Sunday 20th June, as part of the outreach activities of the Energy Efficiency Laboratories (EELabs) project, coordinated by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) the sky-live.tv channel will broadcast the sunset of the summer solstice from the municipality of Tejeda, with the collaboration of the Town Council of the municipality and of World Heritage (Patrimonio Mundial) and Biosphere Reserve Institute of Grand Canary. “The summer solstice was one of the key dates in the astronomy of the aboriginal people of the Island of Grand Canary. We know this thanks to
    Advertised on