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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  • Vegetation moisture maps taken by space camera based on uncooled InGaAs technology
    Press release
    The IAC patents a key technology for improving the quality of space images
    The European Patent Office (EPO) has granted the IAC a patent on an invention developed within IACTEC-Space . This technology improves the quality of images obtained by high-performance cameras under the demanding conditions found in space. The effectiveness of this technology has already been tested on three space missions, applying it to the DRAGO (Demonstrator for Remote Analysis of Ground Observations) cameras, developed at the IAC for Earth observation from space. Carlos Colodro, electronics engineer at IACTEC-Space and the main person responsible for this development, comments that
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  • Cartel de la tercera sesión del ciclo de charlas "Del cielo a la tesis"
    Press release
    La inteligencia artificial y los agujeros negros protagonizan una nueva sesión del ciclo “Del cielo a la tesis” en el Museo de la Ciencia y el Cosmos
    El Museo de la Ciencia y el Cosmos , del Organismo Autónomo de Museos y Centros del Cabildo de Tenerife, acogerá el próximo jueves 23 de octubre a las 16:30 horas una nueva cita del ciclo de divulgación científica “Del cielo a la tesis”, organizado en colaboración con la Universidad de La Laguna (ULL) y el Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC). Este ciclo, impulsado por estudiantes de doctorado del IAC, tiene como objetivo acercar a la ciudadanía los temas más actuales de la investigación astrofísica contados en primera persona por quienes los desarrollan. Cada sesión, de carácter
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  • Deep optical image of the giant galaxy Malin 2
    Press release
    IAC research reveals hidden structures and a turbulent past in one of the largest spiral galaxies in the Universe
    Astronomers at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), using the 2-meter robotic Two-meter Twin Telescope (TTT) at the Teide Observatory, have obtained the deepest optical images ever taken of Malin 2, one of the largest and faintest spiral galaxies in the Universe. These ultra-deep observations have revealed previously unseen structures, including several diffuse stellar emissions and a striking, elongated spiral-like feature, hinting at past interactions with other galaxies. The team has also identified a potential ultra-diffuse dwarf galaxy (UDG) about 400,000 light-years from
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  • metrica_Halpha
    Research news
    A Hα metric for identifying dormant black holes in X-ray transients
    Dormant black holes in X-ray transients can be identified by the presence of broad Hα emission lines from quiescent accretion discs. Unfortunately, short-period cataclysmic variables can also produce broad Hα lines, especially when viewed at high inclinations, and are thus a major source of contamination. Here we compare the full width at half maximum (FWHM) and equivalent width (EW) of the Hα line in a sample of 20 quiescent black hole transients and 354 cataclysmic variables (305 from SDSS I to IV) with secure orbital periods (Porb) and find that: (1) FWHM and EW values decrease with Porb
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  • Laser launched from the Teide Observatory.
    Press release
    IAC technology is the key to the Spanish project which will ensure the secrecy of quantum communications by satellite
    The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias is designing and developing, as ordered by the Spanish company Thales Alenia Space , the adaptive optics which will be a parto f the ground station for the GARBO project, the first Spanish geostationary system for distributing quantum keys by satellite. This is a decisive step in the field of secure quantum communication on a large scale, and will strengthn the position of Spain, and of Europe at the Forefront of this technology. Within the framework of the project the IAC will lead the development of the adaptive optics systems, and will participate
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  • TTT telescopes at the Teide Observatory
    Photomontage
    The Teide Observatory hosts the presentation of the TTT telescopes
    The Teide Observatory of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) today hosted the official presentation of the Two-meter Twin Telescope (TTT), a private astronomical infrastructure that has been operating since December 2022 and consolidates the Canary Islands' role as a strategic international hub for astrophysical research. During the event, the President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, emphasized that the TTT project represents "a new stage in which the Economic and Fiscal Regime (REF), combined with science, promotes a knowledge-based economy that
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