Exceptional measures adopted by the IAC because of the coronavirus COVID-19

Announcement of exceptional measures adopted by the iac because of the coronavirus COVID-19
Exceptional measures adopted by the iac because of the coronavirus COVID-19
Advertised on
Headquarter
Headquarters
Roque de los Muchachos Observatory
Teide Observatory
Center for Astrophysics in La Palma

In applying the latest measures adopted by the Government of Spain because of the health crisis due to the coronavirus COVID-19, which extend the state of alarm up till 00.00 hours on 26th April, but which apply the rules before 30th March, the Management Committee of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) has decided to re-establish the conditions existing in the last fortnight of March in its installations.

THE OBSERVATORIES

The Observatorios de Canarias will renew scientific operations but in a restricted access mode.  The operation of the telescopes which function remotely will be restarted. The robotic telescopes which work automatically will be in full operation. A support and maintenance service for the instruments guaranteeing that they and the telescopes work correctly has been defined. The observations needing an astronomer at the telescope will be performed in service mode, so that a specialist astronomer from the institutions will do it. The residences of the Observatories will work in minimum services mode, to support the workers who need to be up on the mountains, and at all events always ensuring the protocols of extreme security for the personnel.

HEADQUARTERS

In the headquarters of the IAC as much of the work as possible will be carried out remotely, and the presence of personnel will be required only for essential activities which cannot be done any other way. These essential services requiring the presence of personnel were defined for the period from 16th to 30th March. This situation will be maintained until 26th April, save for contrary indication.

REMOTE WORKING. The ISC will continue to keep working mainly by on-line means.

PERMISSION FOR MOBILITY.  Mobility of personnel will be limited to performing essential services.

MAXIMUM OPERATIONALITY OF THE INFORMATICS SYSTEMS OF THE IAC. The operationality and working will be guaranteed.

LA PALMA SUPERCOMPUTER. This will be kept fully operational.

COLLECTION AND OUTWARD GOODS DELIVERY. Post will be collected on Wednesdays and goods will be received on Thursdays (with a previous appointment via consultas [at] iac.es

PAYMENTS IN CASH. These are suspended for the time being

COLLECTION AND HANDLING OF BILLS ON PAPER. These are also suspended. Only electronic billing will be accepted on https://iac.sede.gob.es/ or via the Common Electronic Register of the AGE.

MORE INFORMATION AND DETAILS: consultas [at] iac.es 

 

INFORMATION FOR THE MEDIA AND ASTRONOMICAL CONSULTATIONS

We will continue to inform via our web https://www.iac.es/ and social media, attending to the communications media and giving astronomical advice at the email address prensa [at] iac.es

Working together we will overcome this world health crisis more quickly and better.

News type
Press release
Scope
Institutional information
General public
Communications media
Citizens
COVID-19
Coronavirus
COVID19

It may interest you

  • RGB image of PSZ1 G158.34-47.49, one of the clusters studied, which has a spectroscopic redshift z=0.311. In the image you can see a gravitational lens arc. The photometric image was taken with ACAM/WHT; the spectroscopic data are from DOLORES/TNG.
    Press release
    IAC Scientists have characterized over 200 new clusters of galaxies first detected by the Planck satellite using the telescopes on La Palma

    An international team led by the group of Cosmology with Galaxy Clusters of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), including researchers from the University of Paris-Saclay (France) and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (Garching, Germany) has finished the optical characterization of new clusters of galaxies in the northern hemisphere, detected first by the Planck satellite using tjhe Suyaev-Zel’dovich signal. These studies allow more accurate determination of the mean matter density in the universe and other cosmological parameters. The observations, which have

    Advertised on
  • Three images of the Supermoon of August 10, 2014, taken in the Teide National Park. In the image, the VTT and GREGOR telescopes. Author: Ovidio García (SECAT).
    Press release
    How to see April's Supermoon from home

    On April 8th, you will be able to see the third and biggest Supermoon of 2020. If you follow the recommendations we present below you will be able to obtain some beautiful images of the full Moon from your home.

    Advertised on
  • Eclipse de Sol
    Press release
    Scientists find the explanation at the high temperatures of the solar corona

    Caption: Total solar eclipse from Novosibirsk (Russia). In a total eclipse of the Sun, the Moon exactly covers the disk of the Sun. For a few minutes there is almost total darkness (in broad daylight) and you can see the sun's corona, the stars and the brightest planets. Credits: J.C. Married & D. Lopez - starryearth.com. Shelios 2008. An international team led by the University of Queen, of Belfast, and in which the researcher of the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC) Andrés Asensio Ramos participates, discovers why the magnetic waves inside the Sun strengthen and grow as

    Advertised on