News

Old galaxies seen by the Hubble Space Telescope

24 October, 201729 January, 2021

Portuguese researchers in the front row to study the childhood of the Universe.

The Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço (IA) participates in the science and construction of the next-generation instrument for the forth-coming largest optical telescope in the world. Read more

19 September, 201729 January, 2021

New planet hunter to be installed in La Silla Observatory

The new instrument, called NIRPS, will be installed in ESO’s 3.6 meter telescope, and has the participation of Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço (IA). Read more

14 September, 201729 January, 2021

First detection of Titanium Oxide in the atmosphere of an exoplanet

This observation, published today in Nature, has the participation of an Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço (IA) collaborator. Read more

24 August, 201729 January, 2021

New worlds await ESPRESSO

The adventure is about to start for ESPRESSO, the future discoverer of new Earths, co-produced by Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço (IA). Read more

Artistic impression of a young star surrounded by a protoplanetary disc

5 July, 201729 January, 2021

Evidence discovered for two distinct giant planet populations

This result, discovered by researchers at the Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço (IA), hints at the existence of two separate formation mechanisms for giant exoplanets. Read more

Activities

Upcoming activities

We are planning new activities for you. Donʼt miss our regular programme subscribing to the monthly newsletter (in Portuguese).

Past activities

6 - 24 July, 2026 Online and in person

Online and in person

IA Summer Program 2026

How far do you dare to go? IA Summer Program is your gateway to Space. Targeted at university students. From July 6 to 24. Applications due by 12th of June.

Free entrance

11 February - 8 March, 2026

Imagem do dia das mulheres e raparigas na astronomia

International Day of Women and Girls in Astronomy 2026

The Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences (IA) and the Planetarium of Porto – Ciência Viva Science Centre (PP-CCV) join the celebrations of the International Day of Women and Girls in Astronomy with a series of videos featuring women researchers from different areas of Astrophysics, showcasing their work and the career options available in this scientific field.

Resources and Contents

O disco da Via Láctea fotografado no deserto do Atacama, no Chile

100 years ago, the Milky Way was displaced from the centre of the Universe

Precisely a century ago, the New York Times newspaper announced that the Andromeda nebula was after all another “island universe”, so big or even bigger than the Milky Way. The Universe had just increased tenfold. Read more

26 November, 202426 November, 2024

Representação artística do exoplaneta K2-18b, mais pequeno que Neptuno, um planeta recentemente observado pelo telescópio espacial James Webb

On breezes never before sailed

With more than five thousand planets already discovered in orbit of other stars, scientists are now launching a new era of surprising discoveries about the exotic atmospheres of these distant worlds. Article by Tomás Silva in National Geographic Portugal. Read more

14 November, 202426 November, 2024

Most detailed map of our galaxy in infrared

Thirteen years of observations led to the most detailed map of Milky Way. Nanda Kumar, an IA collaborator, talked to the podcast Palavra de Cientista about it. Read more

14 November, 2024

Conceção artística de um planeta nómada, ou errante, com a nebulosa NGC 1333 apresentada em fundo. Os planetas errantes, n

In search of the planets that are truly wanderers

They are worlds much like planets, but not towed to a star. Were they born in a cradle of stars, or are they planets thrown out from their orbits and left to their own fortune? Article by Koraljka Mužić in National Geographic Portugal. Read more

14 October, 202426 November, 2024

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