OBSERVATORIO DEL ROQUE DE LOS MUCHACHOS

This observatory is a must-see. First and foremost for the magnificent site itself, with its breathtaking view of the Taburiente Caldera National Park and its vast crater, ten kilometers in diameter and visible 900 meters below. A number of viewpoints are accessible from the road leading up to the observatory (the Los Andenes mirador). Hiking trails offer further opportunities for the inveterate hiker to discover the mountain from the summit itself, above the last domes of the observatory. Located at an altitude of 2,400 metres, the observatory comprises a dozen instruments administered by the Canary Islands Astrophysics Institute, and operated by a number of European countries. In July 2009, the world's largest visual telescope was inaugurated here. Installed at the El Roque de los Muchachos astrophysical observatory, built in 1985. The high altitude of the telescope ensures excellent air quality. As a result, scientists benefit from transparent observation of the sun and light waves from other galaxies. The facility is the result of an international collaboration involving a large number of countries that have participated in one or more observatory projects: Spain, the Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, etc. The William Herschel Telescope was completed in 1987, becoming the largest telescope in operation on a European territory at the time of its debut. With a diameter of 4.20 metres, it is the fruit of scientific cooperation between Spain, the UK and the Netherlands. It was surpassed only by the Gran Telescopio Canarias in 2009. The Gran Telescopio Canarias is a monumental project which, since its completion in 2009, has made it the largest telescope in Europe and the second largest in the world, with a diameter of 10.40 metres. Inaugurated with great fanfare by the King of Spain himself on July 24, 2009, the telescope was financed not only by the Spanish, but also by the Mexicans and Americans. Today, the observatory houses the William Herschel (4.2 m diameter), Isaac Newton (2.50 m) and Mercator (1.20 m) telescopes, the Nordic Optical Telescope (2.50 m), the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (3.58 m), a solar tower, telescopes dedicated to gamma-ray observations... and, of course, the GranTechnica.... and of course the GranTeCan (Gran Telescopio Canarias), one of the world's largest "monsters", measuring 10.4 m in diameter. These instruments are operated by various countries, including the UK, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Italy... and Spain. Organized tours provide access to the main installations, depending on any maintenance work in progress. Please check with us beforehand. Because of the altitude, it's a good idea to bring warm clothing to avoid any nasty surprises once you're there. The road up there is extremely winding, and the journey from the coast takes around 1h15. Any bad weather on the way up is not at all a sign that it will be the same once you arrive: you may even "break through" the clouds as you wind your way up, before emerging from the sea of clouds and enjoying a magnificent blue sky.The visit, lasting around 1h30, allows you to see the indoor and outdoor installations in operation and any telescope maintenance.

Hawaii versus La Palma. Launched in the 1990s, the project to build a 30-m telescope (TMT) is an international program driven by prestigious universities, which should result in the most powerful optical and infrared telescope in the northern hemisphere, with funding of almost 1,200 million euros. After several selections, the site of the Mauna Kea volcano in Hawaii was chosen. El Roque de los Muchachos in La Palma became the second option in the event of work not being carried out in Hawaii. However, work in Hawaii has been halted since October 2014 following protests from the inhabitants of Mauna Kea, who felt that the installation would run counter to their cultural practices, as the mountain is considered sacred. Numerous judicial back-and-forths followed, but in July 2017, a Hawaiian judge's report recommended that the telescope be built on the agreed site, subject to an environmentally friendly installation. In November 2018, a new decision by the Hawaii Supreme Court validating the possibility of building the telescope in Hawaii seems to give La Palma less of a chance. However, local authorities in the Canary Islands believe that there is still a certain amount of data that may still delay the project's implementation in Hawaii, and continue to prepare to welcome it. This was reaffirmed by Angel Victor Torres, President of the Canary Islands, in 2019. He added that the Canaries would continue to take all the necessary steps to facilitate the definitive installation of the large telescope (TMT) on the Roque de los Muchachos site. A logical move, given that the award is expected to generate an economic contribution to the region estimated at at least 25 million euros per year. The TMT would be the world's most advanced ground-based telescope, ten times the size of the Hubble telescope.