Gran Telescopio CANARIAS

Gran Telescopio Canarias (also known as GTC or GRANTECAN), is an ambitious Spanish project with the aim of constructing one of the largest and more advanced telescopes in the world. With the leadership of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), its First Light Official Ceremony was celebrated in the early morning from 13th to 14th July, 2007, and it is expected that their first scientific results would be produced in mid 2008. The onsite work began during 2000 at the Observatorio del Roque de Los Muchachos, La Palma. This site, together with the Observatorio del Teide in Tenerife, form the European Northern Observatory (ENO). This site provide optimal observing conditions due to the high quality of the nightly sky and the existence of a specific light pollution law that protects it.

In 1994, the public limited company GRANTECAN, S.A. was founded with the aim of develop this project and to construct the GTC telescope. This company was supported by both the Local Government from the Canary Islands and the Spanish Government. However, the GTC has an international recognition, due to the signed agreements with the Mexican Government to participate in the project through the Instituto de Astronomía de la Instituto de Astronomía de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México y del Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica de Puebla. As well as those institutions, there is participation in the project from the United States, through University of Florida.

The GTC will allow to study in depth the nature of Black Holes, as well as the more distant stars and galaxies in the Universe and the first conditions after the Big Bang. It is expected that the telescope would produce important advances in every field of Astrophysics.