The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) is currently hosting the first Workshop of the European project UNDARK, a pioneering initiative that brings together international experts in astrophysics, cosmology, and particle physics to explore the great enigmas of the dark universe. The meeting, held at the IAC headquarters from September 29 to October 3, places special emphasis on radio wave observations and their connections with gravitational wave detection.

Throughout the week, leading researchers are discussing the latest advances, ongoing projects, and future observational and instrumental strategies to decipher the dark universe. The Workshop builds upon the IAC’s expertise in microwave astronomy and its participation in experiments such as QUIJOTE, TMS, LSPE-STRIP, and GroundBIRD.

As part of the public outreach activities, on Tuesday, September 30 at 7:00 p.m., a lecture will be held at the Real Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País de Tenerife (RSEAPT). Entitled “The Cosmic Microwave Background: Unveiling the Origin of the Universe”, Professor José Alberto Rubiño (IAC) will offer an accessible and up-to-date overview of how this “echo” of the Big Bang allows us to understand the history and composition of the cosmos.

UNDARK is a project funded by the European Union through the Widening participation and spreading excellence program, under the European Research Area (ERA) Policy Agenda. Led from the IAC by researcher Jorge Martín Camalich, the consortium brings together leading institutions, including CERN, with the aim of harmonizing research capacities across Europe and collaboratively addressing one of the greatest challenges of contemporary physics: unveiling the nature of the dark universe.