Is it possible to research the cosmos from inside a mountain? The Canfranc Underground Laboratory is the only underground facility in Spain, and one of only a handful in the world, dedicated to astroparticle physics and research in underground physics. In terms of its size and characteristics, it is the second largest underground laboratory in Europe after the Gran Sasso laboratory in Italy.
The laboratory, located in the Canfranc railway tunnel in the Huesca Pyrenees, is managed by a consortium formed by the General State Administration, the Government of Aragon and the University of Zaragoza.
The 1250 m2 facility, 850 m below the Pyrenean summit of El Tobazo, is used to conduct experiments in search of dark matter and to study the nature and properties of neutrinos. At this depth, the rock of the mountain eliminates most of the cosmic radiation present on the Earth's surface, making it possible to carry out experiments of the highest sensitivity without disturbance.
