The Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC), accredited by the Spanish Government as the Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence, is a Spanish public research body that manages two of the best international observatories in the world. Administratively, it is a Public Consortium, composed of the General Administration of the Spanish State, the Public Administration of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands, the University of La Laguna (ULL) and the Higher Council of Scientific Research (CSIC).
The Observatories of the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands—the Teide Observatory in Izaña (Tenerife) and the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory in Garafía (La Palma)—are located in two of the most privileged places for astronomical observations. The contemporary history of astronomy in the Canary Islands begins with the astronomical expeditions of the 19th century. A compilation of these campaigns has been collected by the prof. F. Sánchez in Vistas in Astronomy (1985).
