A pioneering study from the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) which combines laboratory chemistry with astrophysics, has shown for the first time that grains of dust formed by carbon and hydrogen in a highly disordered state, known as HAC, can take part in the formation of fullerenes, carbon molecules which are of key importance for the development of life in the universe, and with potential applications in nanotechnology. The results are published as a Letter to the Editor in the prestigious journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. Fullerenes are carbon molecules which are very big

The first satellite developed by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias,, which was launched into space last December, has sent back its first images. The quality of the observations shows the perfect performance of its DRAGO-2 infrared camera. The pointing test of its laser optical communications module has also been successfully carried out, making it the first Spanish satellite to use this technology. Today, at a press conference, the first images obtained with the ALISIO-1 satellite (Advanced Land-Imaging Satellite for Infrared Observations), an Earth observation satellite whose

After a break of 4 years, on June 23rd and 24th the Teide Observatory will be celebrating its Open Days. This activity is free; its aim is to bring some knowledge of astronomy to the general public, including those people who happen to be visiting the island on those two days. To make a visit it is essential to register using a special form before June 16th. In this year’s edition the activity will be guided, and 9 points of interest will be visited, one every 20 minutes, so that the complete visit should take 3 hours, from 10:00 to 13:00 for the morning session, and from 16:00 to 19:00 for