An international team, including researchers from the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC), has discovered a universal
mechanism that explains how jets—powerful streams of matter and energy—maintain their shape as they travel through space.
This breakthrough was made possible thanks to observations from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA),
a highly versatile radio observatory located on the San Agustin Plains, United States.
IDENTIFIED ON CERES
Thanks to an innovative approach combining high spatial and spectral resolution, the IAA-CSIC
has analyzed the distribution of organic compounds on Ceres with unprecedented detail
This study paves the way for a potential future return to Ceres to clarify the nature
of the detected material and examine its astrobiological implications
A NEW WAY TO STUDY THE UNIVERSE
A team co-led by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía has created ViewCube, an innovative tool
that not only allows for the visualization of astronomical data but also enables its auditory experience
This breakthrough adds a new sensory dimension to the analysis of complex data while promoting inclusion
and accessibility, facilitating the active participation of people with visual impairments in the study of galaxies
An international scientific team, with significant Spanish participation through a consortium led by the Instituto de Astrofísica
de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC), has, for the first time, obtained simultaneous data from the Sun in ultraviolet, visible, and infrared light bands.
This information was gathered during the successful scientific flight of the Sunrise III mission in July 2024
The course will be taught in seven sessions of 1.5 hours each from Jan 27 to Feb 17 2025. This course is taught by Professor Ángeles I. Díaz (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid)
The course will be taught in seven sessions of 1.5 hours each. 27 Jan 2025: Cosmic elemental abundances. Data sources. Stellar abundances.
Granada
Historically, understanding the cosmos has depended on interpreting complex data and images—useful tools that, however, have certain limitations in capturing the full richness of the information the universe offers. In this context, a recent study published in the journal Royal Astronomical Society Techniques and Instruments (RASTI) introduces, for the first time, an innovative technique for interactively exploring galaxies: data sonification.
15/01/2025
The Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) has made a significant stride toward becoming the world's largest and most powerful gamma-ray astronomy observatory. The European Commission has officially established the CTAO as a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC), a recognition that not only accelerates the construction of the observatory but also ensures a solid framework for the global distribution of its valuable scientific data.
10/01/2025
Jets are powerful streams of matter and energy observed on a wide range of scales across the universe, from supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies to protostars—forming stars—within our own Milky Way. Despite the diversity of their energy sources, these jets, which travel at supersonic speeds—sometimes near the speed of light—and play a key role in shaping their environments, are believed to be different manifestations of a single universal phenomenon.
08/01/2025
Ground-based observatories currently employ a wide range of instruments to study the Sun’s surface in the visible and infrared ranges. However, combining these observations with those in the near-ultraviolet, covering wavelengths from 400 to 200 nanometers, is not possible due to atmospheric turbulence, and extended periods of uninterrupted observation are unfeasible.
17/12/2024
Approximately 75% of known exoplanets have been discovered by identifying transit signals in the light curves of their host stars. These discoveries start with the acquisition of raw images of the sky, followed by the extraction of stellar time-series photometry. In this workshop, we will process ground-based observations of the star TRAPPIST-1 to replicate the detection of its first exoplanet transit using original data from the TRAPPIST telescope.
Approximately 75% of known exoplanets have been discovered by identifying transit signals in the light curves of their host stars. These discoveries start with the acquisition of raw images of the sky, followed by the extraction of stellar time-series photometry. In this workshop, we will process ground-based observations of the star TRAPPIST-1 to replicate the detection of its first exoplanet transit using original data from the TRAPPIST telescope.
Granada
The Academic Spanish course for foreigners is designed to facilitate effective communication in academic and profesional contexts. Through a practical and personalized focus, the participants will develop essential linguistic abilities to discuss scientific articles, participate in conferences, give presentations, and collaborate in international projects. The program includes technical vocabulary, beginner and advanced grammar, and simulations of real-life situations.
Granada
The school is designed for researchers at all career stages who are particularly interested in the formation and evolution of galaxies. The school is ideally positioned to offer an up-to-date scientific perspective on the recent exciting findings in extragalactic research, especially from the JWST and other space- and ground-based facilities. An exciting and bright future for observational astronomy and theoretical advancements awaits the generations of young astronomers, thanks in large part to the array of powerful facilities available currently and also in the near future.
Granada
Interferometry arrived decades ago to revolutionize astronomy, overcoming the limitations of individual telescopes. This technique combines the signals from multiple antennas or telescopes, achieving resolutions and sensitivities unattainable with a single telescope. Until now, this advancement has primarily been applied in radio waves, with facilities like ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array), and in infrared, with the VLTI (Very Large Telescope Interferometer) of the European Southern Observatory, located in northern Chile.
05/12/2024
Six years ago, NASA’s Dawn mission communicated with Earth for the last time, ending its exploration of Ceres and Vesta, the two largest bodies in the asteroid belt. Since then, Ceres —a water-rich dwarf planet showing signs of geological activity— has been at the center of intense debates about its origin and evolution. Now, a study led by IAA-CSIC, using Dawn data and an innovative methodology, has identified eleven new regions suggesting the existence of an internal reservoir of organic materials in the dwarf planet.
02/12/2024
In February 2023, Territorio Gravedad premiered its first season on RTVE Play. Now, this docu-series, produced by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC) in collaboration with Lipssync Medialab, returns to screens with new educational content exploring the sciences that study the cosmos. Starting Friday, 29 November, the Filmin and Vimeo On Demand platforms will host the four episodes of the second season, along with the eight episodes already available from the first.
27/11/2024
Within the Severo Ochoa Training Initiative of the IAA-CSIC we are offering short introductory practical courses about Python packages for astrophysical applications (PySnacks). We invite you to participate in the 4h course PySnack 9: GASTLI Understanding the interior composition of exoplanets is key to uncovering their formation and evolutionary histories, especially their metal content. By comparing observed mass and radius measurements with interior structure and evolution models, we can infer a planet’s metal mass fraction.
Granada
In the autumn of 2023, the Javalambre Astrophysical Observatory (OAJ) collected the first data for the J-PAS project (Javalambre Physics of the Accelerating Universe Astrophysical Survey). This initiative is designed to map a large portion of the sky and study the nature of the expanding Universe in detail.
20/11/2024
The Python Blob Detector and Source Finder (PyBDSF) is a CASA-based software designed for source detection in radio-interferometric images. Originally developed for the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR), PyBDSF is designed to work on a wide range of scales, cataloguing different types of sources and allowing post-extraction filtering depending on the user’s scientific purposes.
The Python Blob Detector and Source Finder (PyBDSF) is a CASA-based software designed for source detection in radio-interferometric images. Originally developed for the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR), PyBDSF is designed to work on a wide range of scales, cataloguing different types of sources and allowing post-extraction filtering depending on the user’s scientific purposes. PyBDSF works on images produced by any radio-interferometer.
Granada
This session is a hands-on introduction to using GitHub for scientific research collaboration within the Severo Ochoa Training Initiative of the IAA-CSIC. We’ll explore software repositories and their role in managing and sharing research work within a group.
This session is a hands-on introduction to using GitHub for scientific research collaboration within the Severo Ochoa Training Initiative of the IAA-CSIC. We’ll explore software repositories and their role in managing and sharing research work within a group. Key concepts—such as commits, forks, pushes, pulls, and pull requests—will be clarified with practical examples of their use. Participants will also receive practical guidance on repository management and effective collaboration techniques.
Granada
In recent years, the number of facilities capable of monitoring the entire sky and measuring variations in the brightness of stars and other astronomical objects has increased significantly. This has enabled the detection of more cases of objects whose behavior deviates from typical patterns, resulting in unusual phenomena known as exotic nuclear transient events.
13/11/2024
Fourteen years after the celebration of the First Workshop on robotic autonomous observatories in Málaga, the number of automatic astronomical facilities worldwide has significantly grown, as well as the level of robotisation, autonomy, and networking, with many recent developments motivated by the search of new electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational waves in the next months.
Fourteen years after the celebration of the First Workshop on robotic autonomous observatories in Málaga, the number of automatic astronomical facilities worldwide has significantly grown, as well as the level of robotisation, autonomy, and networking, with many recent developments motivated by the search of new electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational waves in the next months.
Torremolinos
The distribution of planets in the over five thousand distant solar systems discovered to date forms a complex puzzle. There is a region in the planetary orbit graph, known as the "Neptunian desert", where very few Neptune-like planets with orbits of between two and four days period around their star have been recorded to date. Now, a scientific team led by the IAA-CSIC and the IAC has validated, using a novel technique, new planets around red dwarf stars located precisely in this desert. The finding is published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
31/10/2024
Quasars are among the most luminous objects known in the universe. Like other active galaxies, they host a supermassive black hole at their center, with masses that vary from millions to billions of times the mass of the Sun. It is surrounded by a disk of plasma that feeds it. The enormous gravitational pull of the black hole generates extreme temperature and pressure in this accretion disk.
15/10/2024
The Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC) researcher Rafael Luque has obtained one of the Starting Grants awarded by the European Research Council (ERC) for the THIRSTEE project, which aims to study and understand the origin and properties of subneptune planets. The funding, 1.5 million euros over the next five years, is part of the European Union's Horizon Europe programme.
JANUS, the optical camera on ESA's JUICE probe, captured stunning images of the Earth and Moon during its first lunar and terrestrial flyby. This high-risk manoeuvre, successfully completed between 19-20 August, allowed JUICE to alter its speed and direction for a close flyby of Venus in August 2025. This critical step is part of JUICE's journey through the inner Solar System towards its final destination: the moons of Jupiter.
SETTING UP THE JANUS CAMERA
23/08/2024
Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are one of the most powerful and enigmatic cosmic events in the universe. Discovered just over a decade ago, these bursts release an immense amount of energy in milliseconds, making them one of the most energetic types of phenomena observed to date. However, the physical processes that give rise to them are still unknown and represent one of the most fascinating open questions in modern astrophysics today. In some cases, the brief flash of an FRB is accompanied by persistent fainter radio emission.
07/08/2024
An international team of astronomers, with participation from the Instituto de Ciencias del Espacio (ICE-CSIC) and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC), both from the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), and the Instituto de Estudios Espaciales de Cataluña (IEEC), presents the first high-resolution images of Didymos, a near-Earth binary asteroid system. The images obtained with the DART and LICIACube probes have allowed astronomers to infer key information about the geology and evolution of the asteroid system.
30/07/2024
La XVI Reunión Científica de la SEA se celebrará en Granada entre el 15 y el 19 de julio de 2024, organizada conjuntamente con el Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC). Como novedad, en esta ocasión se ofrecerá la posibilidad de organizar pequeños simposios temáticos en el seno de la reunión científica.
Granada
The CAVITY project, led by the University of Granada, and with an important participation of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC), launches its first public distribution of data, which means offering the scientific community spectroscopic information covering the two-dimensional extent (data cubes) of 100 galaxies. This is the only 3D mapping of galaxies in cosmic voids, i.e., those in whose interior there is almost no mass.
15/07/2024
After four attempts and more than a month of waiting, the Sunrise III mission has been successfully launched.
It has a strong participation of the Solar Physics Group of the IAA, which leads one of the three postfocus instruments (TuMag) and co-leads another (SCIP).
10/07/2024
Thanks to observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST - NASA/ESA/CSA), an international collaboration led by Angela Adamo of Stockholm University and the Oscar Klein Centre in Sweden has discovered a set of five gravitationally bound star clusters in a galaxy whose light was emitted when the Universe was only 460 million years old.
24/06/2024
The "CSIC4SKA" project, led by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC) and with the participation of members of other CSIC centres (IFCA, ICE and CAB), is one of the five projects that have obtained funding from the CSIC Programme for Large European Research Infrastructures (INFRAS 2024 Call), with an endowment of nearly 100,000 euros.
21/06/2024
The European Southern Observatory (ESO) has signed today an agreement with an international consortium of institutions, including the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC) and the Centro de Astrobiología de Madrid (CSIC-INTA), for the design and construction of ANDES (ArmazoNes high Dispersion Echelle Spectrograph).
05/06/2024
Just like Earth, Mars experiences four seasons throughout the year due to the tilt of its rotational axis. During Martian autumn and winter, temperatures in its polar regions can drop below the freezing point of carbon dioxide (around -125°C), which constitutes 95% of Mars' atmosphere by volume. This carbon dioxide can deposit on the surface of the red planet either by precipitating as snow or directly condensing into frost.
28/05/2024
Within the SPECULOOS project, led by the University of Liège with a strong participation of members of the IAA-CSIC, an exo-Earth, a planet similar in size to the Earth, has been discovered orbiting an ultra-cool dwarf star. This type of star, similar in size to Jupiter, is up to ten times less massive and a thousand times less luminous than our Sun.
15/05/2024
An international team, co-led by IAA-CSIC researcher Francisco J. Pozuelos, has discovered an extraordinarily light planet orbiting a distant star in our galaxy. This discovery, published today in the journal Nature Astronomy, challenges our understanding of the formation of giant and ultralight planets.
The new planet, dubbed WASP-193b, is about 50% larger than Jupiter, but its density is about 25 times lower, an extremely low value that suggests the planet is as ethereal as cotton candy.
14/05/2024
The tenth edition of the European Radio Interferometry School, ERIS2024, will be held in Granada, Spain, from Monday September 30th to Friday October 4th, 2024. ERIS will provide a week of lectures and tutorials on how to achieve scientific results from radio interferometry.
The tenth edition of the European Radio Interferometry School, ERIS2024, will be held in Granada, Spain, from Monday September 30th to Friday October 4th, 2024. ERIS will provide a week of lectures and tutorials on how to achieve scientific results from radio interferometry. The school is co-organised by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC) and JIVE - Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC. This school is sponsored by the OPTICON-RadioNET Pilot project and the Severo Ochoa training program of the IAA-CSIC.
Granada
The University of Córdoba (UCO), the state agency CSIC - through the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia, IAA-CSIC, in Granada - and the Hispanic Astronomical Center in Andalusia (CAHA) of Calar Alto have signed a general action protocol to promote a common plan of academic, scientific-technical and social activities. The aim is to promote the dissemination and development of Astronomy and related fields. Calar Alto observatory thus confirms its commitment with the dissemination of Astronomy and Astrophysics in the academic community and Andalusian society.
04/03/2024
The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration has published new results that describe for the first time how light from the edge of the supermassive black hole M87* spirals as it escapes the black hole’s intense gravity, a signature known as circular polarization. The way light’s electric field prefers to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise as it travels carries information about the magnetic field and types of high-energy particles around the black hole.
08/11/2023
The history of science in Spain has never been a subject that has been valued in its fair measure, even by Spanish scientists themselves today. In this talk we will focus on the figure of Azarquiel, a representative of medieval science who, in the opinion of the speaker, is the greatest Spanish astronomer of all time. The aim of rescuing this and other forgotten scientists is to settle, even if only partially, the historical debt we owe them.
#TheScienceOfEST series is now available as a book!
The volume includes 77 short articles on current research topics about the Sun, written in a plain language by scientists from 30 European research institutions and universities.
15/06/2020
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
Check out the list of events and conferences.
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
Contribution in the technological areas of Electronics, Mechanics, Optics, Project Management and Software.
Among our facilities we have clean rooms for testing and assembly equipment that require special conditions of environmental cleanup.
We provide related to optical metrology and optical engineering consultancy services.
Designed to study the dispersion of light in dust samples that are of interest in the field of astrophysics.
Dedicated to the maintenance and development of optical telescopes and astronomical instrumentation in the visible and near infrared.
Companies and technology centers collaborators in projects carried out in the center.
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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.
General overview of the activities carried out in the IAA - CSIC, organization and internal structure, as well as some of its history.
Jobs, scholarships and contracts granted, and any relevant administrative information for members of the IAA - CSIC.
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.
Web portal where you may find specific information related with activities performed in the frameworfk of Excelencia Severo Ochoa distinction label.
The Sky Quality Office of the IAA-CSIC was created with the objective of acting as a promoter in Andalusia of the celestial vault as a scientific, cultural, environmental and tourist resource.
General aims and composition of the external scientific advisory board in IAA - CSIC
Description and composition of groups and scientific units associated with the IAA - CSIC.
Responsible for the communications and computing infrastructure needed in scientific research and business partnerships.
Check out the different activities in the IAA - CSIC through the annual reports published in recent years.
List of personnel assigned to IAA - CSIC through its scientific departments and internal units.
List of scientific seminars that are held weekly in the ceremony hall of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía.
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.
Scientific and technological projects led by IAA - CSIC members
Composition, regulations and reports related to the National Astronomy Commission.
Access to resources and information delivered by the library service of IAA - CSIC. Content in Spanish.
Access to restricted information for personnel assigned to IAA - CSIC through its intranet.
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.
Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía
Glorieta de la Astronomía s/n, 18008 Granada
Telephone: (+34) 958 12 13 11
Fax: (+34) 958 814 530
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.
