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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  • Image of the moment when doctoral students Stella Tsilia and Jun-Yan Zhang (Jerry) present Pope Leo XIV with the sticker bearing the IAC logo.
    Photomontage
    IAC doctoral students participate in the Vatican Observatory Summer School and present the Pope with a sticker bearing the Institute's logo
    The image of the moment was featured by Vatican News as the headline of its news channel. Two young researchers from the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), Stella Tsilia and Jun-Yan Zhang (Jerry), participated in the Vatican Observatory Summer School 2025, held from 1 to 27 June at the Vatican Observatory in Castel Gandolfo (Italy). During the audience granted by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV to the course participants, Tsilia and Zhang presented the Pontiff with a sticker bearing the IAC logo as a token of gratitude and institutional recognition. The gesture was picked up by the
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  • Carme Gallart and Enric Pallé, research professors at the IAC who have been awarded ERC Advanced Grants
    Press release
    Two IAC projects won the prestigious ERC Advanced Grants awarded by the European Research Council
    The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) has again shown its high quality in the field of international research. Two of its Research Professors, Carme Gallart and Enric Pallé, have been selected by the European Research Council (ERC) to receive ERC Advanced Grant s , the most prestigious and competitive grants of the Horizon Europe programme. This call for proposals is aimed at researchers who are leaders in their fields, with consolidated records and highly innovative proposals. Each grant can reach up to 2.5 million euros over five years, with additional funding for specific needs
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  • Rare pair of interacting dwarf galaxies observed by the CAVITY project
    Press release
    The IAC participates in the study of an unusual merger of two dwarf galaxies in a cosmic void environment
    An international team of researchers, including researchers from the IAC, have studied in detail a remarkable couple of dwarf galaxies “dancing with each other” inside an unpopulated area of the Universe. This uncommon pair of low-mass galaxies merging “in the middle of nowhere”, near the center of a cosmic void, offers a unique view of one-on-one interactions and of the evolution of galaxies located in very low density environments. Researchers from the Calar Alto Void Integral-field Treasury surveY (CAVITY) project, led by the University of Granada, have discovered a rare and ongoing
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  • Participants in the practical training of the EDUCADO project in the control room of the William Herschel Telescope (WHT) at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (La Palma).
    Press release
    Two nights under the stars: EDUCADO Project runs intensive observation school
    The EU-funded EDUCADO project (Exploring the Deep Universe by Computational Analysis of Data from Observations) at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) is organising a two-night astronomical observation school providing hands-on research training for early-stage researchers in astronomy and computer science. The program will convene 15 doctoral candidates from across Europe for an immersive, interdisciplinary learning experience. Attendees will engage in night time astronomical observations utilizing state-of-the-art telescopic instrumentation, guided data analysis workshops, and
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  • Participantes a la la segunda reunión de los grandes observatorios astronómicos de España celebrada en Granada
    Photomontage
    El IAC y el Gran Telescopio Canarias participan en la segunda reunión de los grandes observatorios astronómicos de España
    Del 10 al 13 de junio, las principales instalaciones astronómicas de España se dan cita en Granada para compartir conocimientos, tecnologías y estrategias de colaboración. Bajo el lema “Promoviendo sinergias entre grandes observatorios españoles”, este encuentro reúne a cerca de un centenar de expertos en tecnología, ingeniería y gestión que trabajan en las Infraestructuras Científicas y Técnicas Singulares (ICTS) en astronomía del país. El objetivo de esta segunda edición es consolidar los vínculos creados en la primera reunión, celebrada en La Palma en 2023, y seguir avanzando en
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  • Dr. Holly Gilbert at the inaugural Irene Gonzalez Hernandez Solar Physics Prize Ceremony in Anchorage, Alaska.
    Photomontage
    Holly R. Gilbert awarded the inaugural Irene González Hernández Prize in Solar Physics
    The award, instituted in honour of Canary Island scientist Irene González Hernández, recognises excellence in solar research and scientific leadership. The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) celebrates the awarding of the inaugural Irene González Hernández prize to Dr. Holly R. Gilbert, director of the High Altitude Observatory (HAO) of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) of the US National Science Foundation. The award was presented at the 56th meeting of the Solar Physics Division (SPD) of the American Astronomical Society (AAS), held jointly with the AAS and the
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