Overview

• The Spanish government’s €400 million bid to the TMT consortium addresses a $1 billion shortfall after the National Science Foundation withdrew its final-phase funding.
• More than 100 researchers, IAC staff and regional officials convened on La Palma to honor the institute’s four decades of astrophysical achievements.
• The IAC has expanded since 1985 into a network of three observatory sites on Tenerife and La Palma, employing over 500 scientists from around 30 countries.
• A new array of Cherenkov telescopes is under installation on La Palma, creating the largest global concentration of these high-energy observatories.
• Canary Islands legislation safeguarding sky quality, along with existing permits and infrastructure, underpins the archipelago’s appeal as the leading alternative to Mauna Kea for next-generation astronomical projects.