THE MOST DETAILED STAR CATALOGUE

OF THE GALACTIC CENTRE ARE PUBLISHED

The first results of the GALACTICNUCLEUS project.

COLLAPSING STAR BREAKS THE RECORDS

IN VERY HIGH ENERGY PHOTONS PRODUCTION

MAGIC telescopes, on the island of La Palma, detect photons in the range of teraelectronvolts
in a gamma ray explosion (GRB), the product of the death of a very massive star

IAA PARTICIPATES IN COMET INTERCEPTOR,

ESA´S NEW MISSION TO STUDY A PRISTINE COMET

IAA collaborates in the development of four of the nine instruments on board the mission

ASTRONOMERS FIND A STAR THAT HIDES FLARES

MILLIONS OF TIMES MORE INTENSE THAN SOLAR ONES

Observations with the Kepler satellite allow surface activity to be found in stars where, according to theoretical models,
it should not occur. In the sample highlights the star KIC 9716385, which presents, hidden between its pulsations,
flares millions of times more intense than the solar ones

Headlines

IAA collaborates in the development of four of the nine instruments on board the mission

The Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA-CSIC) participates in...

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The Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA-CSIC) participates in Comet Interceptor, ESA's new mission to study a pristine comet

Last summer the European Space Agency (ESA) selected Comet Interceptor as its first Fast mission, or class F (Fast), with a total development duration from the selection until the launch of about eight years. Comet Interceptor is a technological challenge that seeks to study a new comet, that is, a comet that has not yet been discovered and remains intact since its formation. The Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) participates in the mission through the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA-CSIC), where this week the complete mission team meets.
26/06/2019

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Observations with the Kepler satellite allow surface activity to be found in stars where, according to theoretical models, it should not occur. In the sample highlights the star KIC 9716385, which presents, hidden between its pulsations, flares millions of times more intense than the solar ones

Astronomers find a star that hides, among its pulsations, flares millions...

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Astronomers find a star that hides, among its pulsations, flares millions of times more intense than those of the Sun

The stars are classified into different types according to their temperature, in a sequence –OBAFGKM– where the O corresponds to the hottest stars, with up to thirty thousand degrees, and the M to the coldest stars, whose surface does not exceed three thousand degrees; the Sun, a medium-sized type G star, maintains a temperature of about six thousand degrees.
02/12/2019

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MAGIC telescopes, on the island of La Palma, detect photons in the range of teraelectronvolts in a gamma ray explosion (GRB), the product of the death of a very massive star. The detection, which requires contemplating new mechanisms in the energy production of GRBs, provides a fundamental perspective to complete our understanding of these events

Collapsing star breaks the records in very high energy photons production

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Collapsing star breaks the records in very high energy photons production

Gamma-ray bursts (GRB) are short, sudden and extremely powerful cosmic bursts produced by the collapse of massive stars or by the fusion of neutron stars in distant galaxies. They begin with a very intense initial flash whose duration varies between a fraction of a second and hundreds of seconds, followed by a less bright afterglow in a wide range of wavelengths that fades over time. The first GRB detected by MAGIC telescopes, called GRB 190114C, reveals for the first time the most energetic photons detected in these events.
20/11/2019

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Calar Alto Observatory opens a call for new instrumentation projects

Public Surveys and new instrumentation for Calar Alto Observatory

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Public Surveys and new instrumentation for Calar Alto Observatory

The Calar Alto observatory (CAHA) is a key institution for the international astronomical community, for its highly competitive astronomical facilities (telescopes and instrumentation). From 2019 on, the current administration of CAHA includes the Junta de Andalucía as a new partner - replacing the Max Planck Gesellschaft -, and together with the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) these two institutions manage the operation of the observatory.

20/11/2019

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An international group of astronomers led by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía finds a periodic variation in the X-ray emission of the central star of the Eskimo Nebula.

An invisible companion could explain the strong X-ray emission of the...

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An invisible companion could explain the strong X-ray emission of the Eskimo Nebula.

Planetary nebulae are one of the final stages in the life of low-mass and intermediate-mass stars, such as the Sun. After exhausting their fuel, these stars eject their outer layers, which form an envelope of ionized gas around a white dwarf-type star.
07/11/2019

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The hunt for Gamma-Ray-Bursts (GRBs) at very high energy (VHE) started more than 20 years ago. A hint of emission was already claimed by Milagrito from the observations of GRB 970417. On 19 of January the Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov (M...

Inverse Compton emission revealed by observations up to TeV...

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Inverse Compton emission revealed by observations up to TeV energies of GRB 190114C

The hunt for Gamma-Ray-Bursts (GRBs) at very high energy (VHE) started more than 20 years ago. A hint of emission was already claimed by Milagrito from the observations of GRB 970417. On 19 of January the Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov (MAGIC) clearly detected GRB 190114C above 0.2 TeV. This is the first highly significant detection (over 50sigma reached in the first few tens of minutes after the burst) of a GRB at VHE. GRB190114C was also detected by several other instruments providing a wealth of multi-wavelength data across 17 orders of magnitude in energy.

Dr. Elena Moretti
26/11/2019 - 12:30

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Ahora en serio: ¿hay alguien más ahí fuera?

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Seriously: Is anyone out there?

In this talk we are going to make philoso-science, a word that I have invented and that we actually do continuously.

The question often arises as to whether we are alone in the universe, and there are always all sorts of more or less elaborate answers.

Juan Carlos Suárez
31/10/2019 - 00:15

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The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) sees first light. DESI, a project with the participation of the IAA-CSIC, will improve the understanding of the role of dark energy in the history of the expansion of the universe

Five thousand "eyes" to capture the colors of the cosmos

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Five thousand "eyes" to capture the colors of the cosmos

28/10/2019

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GALACTICNUCLEUS will allow to study the stellar population surrounding the super-massive black hole of the galactic centre with unprecedented detail

The first results of the GALACTICNUCLEUS project, the most detailed star...

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The first results of the GALACTICNUCLEUS project, the most detailed star catalogue of the galactic centre, are published

Researchers at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC) have just published the most extensive catalogue of stars in the galactic centre to date. The centre of the Milky Way has a high scientific interest, since it houses a super massive black hole of about four million solar masses, which is surrounded by a dense stellar cluster.
14/10/2019

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CARMENES finds an anomalous planetary system that challenges our understanding of how planets form

CARMENES finds an anomalous planetary system

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CARMENES finds an anomalous planetary system that challenges our understanding of how planets form

CARMENES instrument, which operates from the Calar Alto Observatory (Almería), has found a giant gas planet around the red dwarf star GJ3512, as well as indications of the presence of another. The finding, published in the journal Science, calls into question the most accepted model of formation of the giant planets, which states that they are born from a solid nucleus that accumulates gas, and opens up the possibility of their formation after the rupture into fragments of a protoplanetary disk.
06/10/2019

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The mirror of the SUNRISE mission gets ready at Calar Alto

The mirror of the SUNRISE mission gets ready at Calar Alto

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The mirror of the SUNRISE mission, which will study the Sun from a stratospheric balloon, gets ready at Calar Alto

SUNRISE, a mission designed to study the Sun’s magnetic field from a stratospheric balloon, faces its third flight after its successful trips flying over the Arctic in 2009 and 2013. The instrumentation was recovered in both occasions, and now the mission team focuses on the preparation of the next phase, which will take place in 2021. In late September, the aluminizing of the SUNRISE telescope mirror took place at Calar Alto, a service offered by the observatory that permits to preserve the optimal conditions for observations.
06/10/2019

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Researchers from the IAA-CSIC has completed a detailed study of the so-called "Stephan's Quintet", a paradigmatic compact system of galaxies.

Rediscovering the "Stephan Quintet"

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Rediscovering the "Stephan's Quintet"

A team of IAA-CSIC researchers has completed a study of the so-called "Stephan's Quintet" (SQ), a paradigmatic compact group of galaxies in interaction.

They have used the the imaging Fourier transform spectrometer SITELLE, attached to the Canada-France-Hawaii-Telescope, a 3.58 meter diameter telescope at the Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii.

19/09/2019

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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 Arp299 puzzle. Black holes that devour stars

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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.

Miguel Ángel Pérez-Torres
25/10/2018 - 19:00

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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".

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

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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.

Emilio J. Alfaro
29/11/2018 - 19:00

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Artificial Intelligence and big data: the power of data. Outreach conference

Artificial Intelligence and big data: the power of data

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Artificial Intelligence and big data: the power of data

Artificial Intelligence and big data: the power of data. Outreach conference

Francisco Herrera
13/12/2018 - 19:00

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We review the evidence of the existence of methane on Mars and its possible implications.

Methane in Mars: what are we talking about?

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Methane in Mars: what are we talking about?

We review the evidence of the existence of methane on Mars and its possible implications.

José Juan López Moreno
31/01/2019 - 19:00

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Galactic superwinds, common phenomena in galaxies, are capable of releasing an extraordinary amount of energy and transporting material over long distances. Their influence on the host galaxy can be of great importance, to the extent that the formation of these "galactic hurricanes" can even determine the life of galaxies. The study of these phenomena provides us with some keys to solving the enigmas of modern astronomy about the evolution of galaxies.

Superwinds: galactic hurricanes

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Superwinds: galactic hurricanes

Galactic superwinds, common phenomena in galaxies, are capable of releasing an extraordinary amount of energy and transporting material over long distances. Their influence on the host galaxy can be of great importance, to the extent that the formation of these "galactic hurricanes" can even determine the life of galaxies. The study of these phenomena provides us with some keys to solving the enigmas of modern astronomy about the evolution of galaxies.

Sara Cazzoli
28/03/2019 - 19:00

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The Horizon Event Telescope (EHT), a planetary-scale telescope made up of eight radio telescopes and forged through international collaboration, was designed to capture the first image of a black hole. In a series of simultaneous international press conferences on April 10, EHT researchers revealed that they had succeeded and showed the first direct visual evidence of a super-massive black hole and its shadow.

The first image of a black hole

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The first image of a black hole

The Horizon Event Telescope (EHT), a planetary-scale telescope made up of eight radio telescopes and forged through international collaboration, was designed to capture the first image of a black hole. In a series of simultaneous international press conferences on April 10, EHT researchers revealed that they had succeeded and showed the first direct visual evidence of a super-massive black hole and its shadow.

José Luis Gómez
25/04/2019 - 19:00

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It has been 45 years since Calar Alto Observatory was founded. An observatory that, among its merits, has been one of the main engines of the development of astronomy in Spain and, of course, one of the foundations of the creation of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (Andalusian Astrophysics Institute). This year the observatory goes from being Hispano-German to being totally Hispanic, with the incorporation of the Junta de Andalucía as a 50% partner. This talk reviews the scientific milestones that mark its history and share the objectives of this new stage.

The Calar Alto Astronomical Observatory: 45 years of cutting-edge astronomy

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The Calar Alto Astronomical Observatory: 45 years of cutting-edge astronomy

It has been 45 years since Calar Alto Observatory was founded. An observatory that, among its merits, has been one of the main engines of the development of astronomy in Spain and, of course, one of the foundations of the creation of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (Andalusian Astrophysics Institute). This year the observatory goes from being Hispano-German to being totally Hispanic, with the incorporation of the Junta de Andalucía as a 50% partner.

Jesús Aceituno
30/05/2019 - 19:00

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Outreach conference about the atmosphere and climate variability of the red planet

Cambio climático en Marte
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Climate change in Mars

Francisco González Galindo
27/06/2019 - 19:00

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Annual activity reports

Annual activity reports

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Annual activity reports

2018 annual activity report released !

At 22:25 in the evening (local time) of December 11 a brilliant fireball crossed the south of Spain and was recorded from the Sierra Nevada Observatory (Granada).

Fireball on Granada on December 11, 2016

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Fireball on Granada on December 11, 2016

At 22:25 in the evening (local time) of December 11 a brilliant fireball crossed the south of Spain. The fireball, which overflew the provinces of Granada and Jaén, could be seen from much of the country. The phenomenon has been recorded from the Sierra Nevada Observatory (Granada), as well as from the meteor detection stations operating under the SMART Project from the observatories of La Hita (Toledo), Calar Alto (Almería), La Sagra (Granada) and Seville.

12/12/2016

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The Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia participates in the candidacy of Granada as "City of Science"

The IAA participates in Granada City of Science

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The Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia participates in the candidacy of Granada as "City of Science"

The mayor of Granada, Francisco Cuenca, has conducted a public event in which he has introduced the proposal submitted yesterday to the Secretary of State for Science and Innovation. Representatives of the Government of Andalusia, the University of Granada, The Technological Health Park, the Higher Council for Scientific Research and the Science Park have attended the event.
08/11/2016

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The broadcast, which will take place on Wednesday 19 at 18pm, coincides with the entry into orbit around Mars of the TGO module and the the Schiaparelli module landing on the red planet, both of the ExoMars (ESA) mission

Preview of Upwards, the documentary

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La 2 premieres documentary about UPWARDS, a project for the study of Mars led by the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia

The UPWARDS project is coordinated by the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA-CSIC), with the participation of seven European scientific institutions. It will develop new analytical techniques to exploit the Mars Express and ExoMars data. Among the activities to publicize the project is the documentary "Rediscovering Mars: UPWARDS project", which airs today at 18h in La 2 of Spanish Television.

19/10/2016

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New Instrumentation and Legacy Projects for Calar Alto

New Instrumentation and Legacy Projects for Calar Alto

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New Instrumentation and Legacy Projects for Calar Alto

Calar Alto Observatory constitutes an astronomical reference for the international scientific community for the quality of its telescopes and astronomical instrumentation.

10/10/2016

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Special issue of the IAA: Información y Actualidad Astronómica magazine to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia

40th anniversary of the IAA

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40 aniversario del IAA

We wanted to celebrate the anniversary of the IAA with a special issue of this magazine which, with over a decade of life, is also part of the history of the center.
02/11/2016

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La visita se enmarca en un reciente acuerdo de colaboración para mejorar la calidad del cielo

Visit of the Delegation of Environment of the Junta de Andalucía at Sierra...

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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.

19/09/2016

The dark sky as equity or fighting light pollution constitute some of the axes of the session. The conference seeks to create a meeting place where the various actors involved in the protection of Andalusian sky will exchange knowledge, perspectives and experiences

The IAA hosts a conference on the quality of the sky

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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.
27/06/2016

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Seminars, meetings, outreach conferences and training sessions.

Conferences and events calendar
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Conferences and events calendar

Check out the list of events and conferences.

Seminars

Scientitifc meetings

Lucas Lara outreach conferences

Manuel Félix Herrera training sessions

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Research

Technology

The scientific activities of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía require the analysis, design, prototyping, manufacture and integration of astrophysical instrumentation. To carry out all these tasks the Instrumental and Technological Development Unit UDIT has a Mechanical department, Optics laboratories, Electronics and Software as well as two clean rooms of ISO 8 class.

Space Projects

UDIT

Ground-based Instrumentation

Technology Areas

Contribution in the technological areas of Electronics, Mechanics, Optics, Project Management and Software.

Clean Rooms

Among our facilities we have clean rooms for testing and assembly equipment that require special conditions of environmental cleanup.

Optical Engineering Service

We provide related to optical metrology and optical engineering consultancy services.

Cosmic Dust Laboratory

Designed to study the dispersion of light in dust samples that are of interest in the field of astrophysics.

Optical Laboratory

Dedicated to the maintenance and development of optical telescopes and astronomical instrumentation in the visible and near infrared.

Partners

Companies and technology centers collaborators in projects carried out in the center.

Instituto Astrofísica Andalucía

The Instituto Astrofísica Andalucía (IAA) is an institute belonging to the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) in Granada - Andalucía. The activities of the IAA - CSIC are related to research in the field of astrophysics and the development of instrumentation for telescopes and spacecraft.

Presentation

General overview of the activities carried out in the IAA - CSIC, organization and internal structure, as well as some of its history.

Career

Jobs, scholarships and contracts granted, and any relevant administrative information for members of the IAA - CSIC.

Gender Equality Commission

It is responsible for advising on the necessary or convenient measures to actively integrate the principle of equality for women and men in the daily life of the center.

Excelencia Severo Ochoa

Web portal where you may find specific information related with activities performed in the frameworfk of Excelencia Severo Ochoa distinction label.

External Scientific Advisory Board

General aims and composition of the external scientific advisory board in IAA - CSIC

Associated Units

Description and composition of groups and scientific units associated with the IAA - CSIC.

Computer Center

Responsible for the communications and computing infrastructure needed in scientific research and business partnerships.

Activity Reports

Check out the different activities in the IAA - CSIC through the annual reports published in recent years.

Members

List of personnel assigned to IAA - CSIC through its scientific departments and internal units.

Seminars

List of scientific seminars that are held weekly in the ceremony hall of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía.

IAA International Office

The main goal of the IAA International Office is to improve the fund raising level of the centre by securing funds beyond the support already provided by national and international grants.

Funded Projects

Scientific and technological projects led by IAA - CSIC members

Intranet

Access to restricted information for personnel assigned to IAA - CSIC through its intranet.

Outreach

Deconstruyendo la luz

Ciclo de Conferencias Lucas Lara

Revista IAA

Astronomía accesible

Astronomía Accesible

El TeslaBlog

El diario de Henrietta Leavitt

Astronomical Observatories

Sierra Nevada Calar Alto

The Sierra Nevada Observatory (OSN) is a high mountain observatory located in Loma de Dilar, in the ski resort of the Sierra Nevada mountain range (Granada). The OSN is operated, maintained and supplied by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC). It consists of a main building which hosts two Nasmyth optical telescopes of 90-cm and 1.50-m diameter each, as well as a 60-cm IR semi-automated telescope and a 35-cm telescope.

The German-Spanish Astronomical Center at Calar Alto is located in the Sierra de Los Filabres (Andalucía, Southern Spain) north of Almeria. It is operated jointly by the Junta de Andalucía and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC) in Granada/Spain. Calar Alto provides three telescopes with apertures of 1.23m, 2.2m and 3.5m to the general community. A 1.5m-telescope, also located on the mountain, is operated under the control of the Observatory of Madrid.

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View Map Address

Address Airport Train Bus

Address

Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía
Glorieta de la Astronomía s/n, 18008 Granada
Telephone: (+34) 958 12 13 11
Fax: (+34) 958 814 530

Postal Address

Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía
Apartado 3004,18080 Granada

Take a taxi to the IAA or your hotel directly. There are some buses from the aiport to Granada, but they are not syncronous with the planes...

At the train station, ask for Av. de la Constitución and get on bus LAC to Palacio de Congresos. Get off Palacio de Congresos stop and change to bus S2, direction to Villa Argaz. This bus has a stop very close to the IAA, only a few meters.

At the bus station, get on bus SN2 to Palacio de Congresos. Get off at the bus stop Tierno Galván - Palacio de Congresos and change to bus S2 to Villa Argaz. The S2 route passes in front of the IAA. Get off at the first stop of Camino Bajo de Huétor Street, then walk for a few seconds and you'll be here.