An international scientific team, including members of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), has launched an ambitious program to map exoplanets located around the Neptunian Desert —a region around stars where planets the size of Neptune are very rare— in order to better understand the mechanisms of planetary system evolution and formation. This scientific expedition has delivered its first results with the observation of the TOI-421 planetary system. Analysis of this system reveals a surprisingly inclined orbital architecture, offering new insights into the chaotic history of

El Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias organiza visitas guiadas y participa en la Feria de las Vocaciones Científicas de Canarias dentro de la Noche Europea de los Investigadores de la Macaronesia El Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) participará en MacaroNight 2025, la Noche Europea de los Investigadores e investigadoras de la Macaronesia, con dos actividades dirigidas a estudiantes de diferentes niveles educativos para acercar la astrofísica y fomentar las vocaciones científicas entre la juventud canaria. Visitas guiadas a la sede central del IAC Los días 22 y 23 de septiembre, el

A study published today in Nature Astronomy , in which a researcher from the IAC has participated, outlines the discovery of an extremely rare type of binary system composed of two high mass white dwarfs. The two stars are so close together that they will eventually collide resulting in a supernova explosion which, due to its proximity to the Earth, will appear ten times brighter than the Moon. Type 1a supernovae are a class of cosmic explosion often used as "standard candles" to measure the expansion of the Universe. They occur when a white dwarf exceeds the Chandrasekhar mass - the limit