Panoptic spectroscopy of our universe with OSIRIS+MAAT at GTC

MAAT* (Mirror-slicer Array for Astronomical Transients) is proposed as a visitor mirror-slicer optical system that will allow the OSIRIS spectrograph on the GTC the capability to perform Integral-Field Spectroscopy (IFS) over a seeing-limited field-of-view 14.20'' x 10'' with a slice width of 0.303''. MAAT will enhance the resolution power of OSIRIS by 1.6 times with respect to its 0.6'' wide long-slit.

Magnetic fields, rotation, and activity in M dwarf stars

M dwarfs are known to generate the strongest magnetic fields among main-sequence stars with convective envelopes, but we are still lacking a consistent picture of the link between the magnetic fields and underlying dynamo mechanisms, rotation, and activity. For instance, models predict that the maximum magnetic flux a star can generate scales with convective energy stored in its envelope, but no accurate measurements existed until recently.

16th school of the Spanish Virtual Observatory

The Spanish Virtual Observatory (SVO) is organising a VO school at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía. The school is partly supported by the ESCAPE project and by the IAA-CSIC Severo Ochoa Excellence programme. The Virtual Observatory (VO) is opening new ways of exploiting the huge amount of data provided by the ever-growing number of ground-based and space facilities, as well as by computer simulations.

TuMaG: un magnetógrafo para Sunrise III

After the scientific success of the two first flights of the Sunrise stratospheric balloon mission, the international consortium led by MPS (Göttingen, Germany) decided to re-issue the mission for a third time. For Sunrise III, a new gondola and navigation system will be provided by APL (Johns Hopkins University, MD) and the re-furbished telescope by MPS. The latter also provides the instrumental platform and the light distribution system while KIS (Freiburg, Germany) is responsible for the correlation wavefront sensor in charge of stabilizing the image in real time.

What is climate change, why is it anthropogenic and why is it an urgent problem?

Galaxies. Geometry of star formation

If we cannot save Galapagos, what can we save?

Exploring the origin of gas-rich ultra-diffuse galaxies with HI kinematics

Ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) are one of the most discussed topics in extra-Galactic astronomy in the last lustrum given their puzzling properties: they have luminosities typical of dwarf galaxies, but optical scale lengths similar to very massive spirals. This intriguing combination is hard to explain, and up to date the precise formation mechanism of UDGs remains unknown.

Cosmic butterflies: the product of tempestuous stellar marriages

Planetary nebulae are some of the most strikingly beautiful astrophysical phenomena known, gracing many a glossy-paged, coffee-table book and earning them the nickname "cosmic butterflies".  Classical stellar evolutionary theory states that all intermediate mass stars should produce a planetary nebula, forming as the star leaves the Asymptotic Giant Branch and evolves towards the white dwarf phase.  While it remains the standard for astronomy textbooks, this paradigm has gradually become less and less accepted by the planetary nebula community.

The Arp299 puzzle. Black holes that devour stars

In January 2005, a bright flash was detected in the nucleus of the galaxy in the process of fusion Arp 299-B, which was considered a supernova explosion. However, ten years of observations at different wavelengths have allowed us to witness how the luminous region was lengthening and expanding, and to conclude that it is a jet of material expelled by the galaxy's central super-massive black hole after tearing a star.

The Hubble-Lemaître constant: is it really a constant?

Following an open debate, the International Astronomical Union recently recommended that the rate of expansion of the universe, traditionally referred to as the "Hubble Constant", should henceforth be referred to as the "Hubble-Lemaître Constant". In this session we will see why the change of designation was necessary to do justice to the work of Georges Lemaître, one of the fathers of relativistic cosmology, but also the reasons that point out that in reality it is not a constant.

Climate change in Mars

Visit of the Delegation of Environment of the Junta de Andalucía at Sierra Nevada Observatory

On Thursday September 15 the Delegate of Environment of the Junta de Andalucía, Inmaculada Oria, visited the Sierra Nevada Observatory (OSN). The visit is part of a collaboration agreement between the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA) and the Provincial Delegation which began following the First Day of Sky Quality held last June.

The visit was also attended by the Mayor of Monachil, Jose Morales, Councilman Environment of the City of Monachil, Franciso Alvarez, and the Director of the Sierra Nevada National Park, Javier Sanchez.

The IAA hosts a conference on the quality of the sky

Tomorrow will be held at the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA-CSIC), a technical conference which seeks to establish a strategy for joint action among the various regional actors involved in the protection of the sky.