Speaker
Description
The Canary Island observatories, operated by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), constitute one of the leading astronomical observing sites worldwide. Located at the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos (La Palma) and the Observatorio del Teide (Tenerife) in Spain, the sites offer excellent atmospheric conditions, with stable seeing, and a high fraction of clear nights.
The observatories host a broad range of optical, infrared, and solar facilities, including the 10.4-m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) along with smaller telescopes such as the William Herschel Telescope (WHT), Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG), and the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT), which has long played an important role for the Nordic astronomical community. In addition, the observatories support robotic and survey telescopes and advanced solar instruments, facilitating research from time-domain astrophysics and exoplanets to stellar, galactic, and solar physics.
Observing time is generally allocated by the national community or the consortium of countries that own or operate the telescope, as well as the International Time Programme (ITP), which promotes multinational collaboration and allows broader international access to the Canary Islands telescopes.