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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  • An artist's impression of Japan’s Hayabusa2 space mission touching down on the surface of the asteroid 1998 KY26.
    Press release
    Gran Telescopio Canarias observations confirm that Hayabusa2's asteroid target is smaller and faster than expected
    Astronomers have used telescopes around the world, includingthe Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC or Grantecan) at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on La Palma, to study the asteroid 1998 KY26, revealing it to be almost three times smaller and spinning much faster than previously thought. The asteroid is the 2031 target for Japan’s Hayabusa2 extended mission. The new observations offer key information for the mission’s operations at the asteroid. “We found that the reality of the object is completely different from what it was previously described as,” says astronomer Toni Santana-Ros, a
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  • EIRIF technicians cut the brush to create an fire barrier in the close surroundings of the Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory on La Palma
    Photomontage
    The IAC collaborates in a simulated forest fire emergency of strategic importance for La Palma
    The teams of intervention and reinforcement for forest fires of the Government of the Canaries carried out trials at the roque de los Muchachos Observatory with participation by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias On July 11th the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory was host to a very important trial relevant to the safety of the mountain tops of the Island of La Palma with participation by the Teams of Intervention and Reinforcement against Forest Fires (EIRIF) of the Canary Government, and the collaboration of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC). The exercise centred on two
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  • 4th ESO students from the Santo Domingo de Guzmán school in La Palma during their visit to the GTC as part of the “Nuestr@s Alumn@s y el ORM” program.
    Photomontage
    The outreach programme “Our students and the ORM” celebrates its 15th birthday, praised by students and teachers.
    The outreach program "Our Students and the ORM," (“ Nuestr@s Alumn@s y el ORM”) aimed at schools in La Palma, is celebrating its 15th edition and is commemorating its 15th anniversary with unanimous recognition from its user community. This consolidated initiative of the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (ORM) of the Canary Islands Institute of Astrophysics (IAC) has concluded this academic year with 100% satisfaction from the schools in La Palma that participated in this edition. This program seeks to bring font-line science and technology to the island's younger generations by involving
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  • El director del Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, durante el acto de conmemoración del 40 Aniversario / IAC
    Press release
    El IAC dedica su 40 aniversario a todas las personas que han trabajado para ‘soñar estrellas’
    El Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) ha celebrado, este jueves 24 de julio de 2025, el 40 aniversario de la inauguración oficial de su sede central y de sus dos observatorios. Un acto que ha estado centrado en destacar el trabajo de los cientos de personas que han contribuido a convertir el IAC en uno de los centros de excelencia investigadora y técnica más importantes del mundo. En el acto, el director fundador del IAC, Francisco Sánchez, ha tenido un papel fundamental pese a que sus problemas de salud no le hayan permitido participar en el mismo. El lema de este 40 aniversario ha
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  • La ministra Diana Morant junto al director del CDTI, José Moisés Martín; el director del IAC, Valentín Martínez; la subdirectora del IAC, Eva Villaver y la Secretaria General de Innovación, Teresa Riesgo.
    Press release
    La ministra de Ciencia anuncia en el Consejo Rector del IAC que el Gobierno de España ofrece hasta 400 millones de euros para construir en La Palma el TMT
    La ministra de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Diana Morant, ha anunciado que el Gobierno de España está dispuesto a ofrecer hasta 400 millones de euros, a través del Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico y la Innovación (CDTI), para atraer a la isla de La Palma, en Canarias, el Telescopio de Treinta Metros (TMT, por sus siglas en inglés). La ministra lo ha anunciado durante la reunión del Consejo Rector del Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), que ha presidido hoy en La Palma, donde ha informado que esta tarde ha remitido una propuesta formal a la Fundación que gestiona el TMT
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  • El LST-2 completa la instalación de su estructura de soporte
    Press release
    The support structure of the LST-2 at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory is completed
    The four large sized telescopes of the CTAO on La Palma reach a key milestone in their construction The LST-2 telescope has successfully completed the installation of its camera support structure (CSS), making it the last of the four Large Sized Telescopes ( LST ) to reach this important milestone in its construction at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) on La Palma. This telescope is part of the ambitious CTAO ( Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory ) project, which will create the world's largest network of telescopes for the detection
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