View source for Teide Observatory

{{Short description|Astronomical observatory in the Canary Islands, Spain}}
{{Infobox Observatory|locmapin= Spain Canary Islands}}
'''Teide Observatory''' ({{langx|es|'''Observatorio del Teide'''}}), IAU code [[IAU code#954|954]], is an [[astronomical observatory]] on [[Mount Teide]] at {{convert|2390|m|ft}}, located on [[Tenerife]], Spain. It has been operated by the [[Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias]] since its inauguration in 1964. It became one of the first major international observatories, attracting telescopes from different countries around the world because of the good [[astronomical seeing]] conditions. Later, the emphasis for optical telescopes shifted more towards [[Roque de los Muchachos Observatory]] on [[La Palma]].

== Telescopes ==

=== Solar telescopes ===
[[File:Telecope pour l'Etude du Magnetisme et des Instabilites Solaire.png|thumb|alt=The image shows a large tower housing a telescope dome on it's top floor. The dome has a small hole in it where the telescope looks out.|French/Italian Solar Telescope THEMIS.]]
[[File:Testing laser guide star systems on Tenerife.jpg|thumb|Testing laser systems on the [[ESO]] Wendelstein Laser Guide Star system.<ref>{{cite news|title=First Light for Laser Guide Star Technology Collaboration|url=http://www.eso.org/public/announcements/ann15010/|accessdate=16 February 2015|publisher=European Southern Observatory}}</ref>]]
*Solar [[Vacuum Tower Telescope]] (VTT): 70&nbsp;cm diameter. Operated by the [[Kiepenheuer Institute of Solar Physics]], [[Freiburg]] ([[Germany]]). Installed in 1989.
*Télescope Heliographique pour l'Etude du Magnétisme et des Instabilités Solaries (THEMIS) Solar Telescope: 90&nbsp;cm diameter, built 1996, operated by [[France]] and [[Italy]].<ref>[http://www.themis.iac.es/  THEMIS Website]</ref><ref> [https://doi.org/10.1016/0083-6656(85)90077-7 THEMIS Instrument Paper] </ref> <!-- Title: The Solar Telescope THEMIS
Authors: Arnaud, J., Mein, P., & Rayrole, J.
Journal: Crossroads for European Solar and Heliospheric Physics. Recent Achievements and Future Mission Possibilities, Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. March 23-27,1998. Organised by ESA Solar Physics Planning Group (SPPG) and Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC). European Space Agency, 1998., p.213 Bibliographic Code: 1998ESASP.417..213A-->
*[[GREGOR Solar Telescope]]: 1.5 m, operated by a [[Germany|German]] consortium. In operation since May 2012.<ref>[http://www.kis.uni-freiburg.de/index.php?id=163&L=1 GREGOR Website at KIS, Freiburg]</ref><!--Title: GREGOR: high resolution solar observations from 1 AU
Authors: von der Lühe, O., Schmidt, W., Soltau, D., Kneer, F., Staude, J., & Pailer, N., ,
Journal: In: Solar encounter. Proceedings of the First Solar Orbiter Workshop, 14 - 18 May 2001, Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, Spain. Eds.: B. Battrick & H. Sawaya-Lacoste, Scientific coordinators: E. Marsch, V. Marinez Pillet, B. Fleck & R. Marsden. ESA SP-493, Noordwijk: ESA Publications Division, ISBN 92-9092-803-4, 2001, p. 417 - 420
Bibliographic Code: 2001ESASP.493..417V                        10.1002/1521-3994(200112)322:5/6<353::AID-ASNA353>3.0.CO;2-Z-->
*A node of the [[Birmingham Solar Oscillations Network]] (BiSON), operated by the [[University of Birmingham]], [[UK]].<!--Title: BiSON Performance
Authors: Chaplin, W. J., Elsworth, Y., Howe, R., Isaak, G. R., McLeod, C. P., Miller, B. A., ,
Journal: Solar Physics, Volume 168, Issue 1, pp.1-18
Bibliographic Code: 1996SoPh..168....1C-->
*One of six sites of the [[Global Oscillations Network Group|GONG network]] operated by the [[NSO Integrated Synoptic Program (NISP)]], United States.

===Nocturnal telescopes===
* [[Telescopio Carlos Sánchez|Carlos Sánchez Infrared Telescope]] (TCS): 152&nbsp;cm diameter installed by the [[United Kingdom|UK]] in 1971
* Mons [[reflecting telescope]]: 50&nbsp;cm diameter, operated by the [[University of Mons]] ([[Belgium]]), built in 1972.<ref>{{cite journal |url= http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1993JBAA..103...11A |bibcode= 1993JBAA..103...11A |title= Construction of a small spectrograph for stellar spectroscopy and its use on some brighter stars |author= David Airey |journal= Journal of the British Astronomical Association |year= 1993 |volume= 103 |pages= 11–18}}</ref>
* [[IAC-80 Telescope]]: 80&nbsp;cm [[Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias|IAC]] telescope, installed in 1991.
* [[OGS Telescope]]: 1 m [[European Space Agency]] optical ground station for satellite communications, built in 1998.
* [[STARE Telescope]]: 10&nbsp;cm Stellar Astrophysics & Research on Exoplanets. Used by the [[Trans-Atlantic Exoplanet Survey]].
* [[Bradford Robotic Telescope]]: 35&nbsp;cm Telescope for educational use.
* [[STELLA Telescopes]] (STELLA I and STELLA II) [[robotic telescope]]s: 120&nbsp;cm STELLA is an abbreviation of STELLar Activity, operated by Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics (AIP) with the collaboration of the [[Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias|IAC]], put in operation 2006.
* SLOOH: US [[robotic telescopes]], built in 2004.
*[[SPECULOOS]] Northern Observatory (SNO): 1-meter telescopes, one telescope (Artemis) completed in June 2019
* PIRATE: (Physics Innovations Robotic Astronomical Telescope Explorer Mark IV): 61 cm robotic telescope operated remotely by the [[Open University]]
* COAST: (COmpletely Autonomous Survey Telescope) 43 cm robotic telescope operated remotely by the [[Open University]]
* '''Two-meter Twin Telescope (TTT)''': robotic telescopes of 80&nbsp;cm '''TTT1''' and '''TTT2''' and 2 meters '''TTT3''' and '''TTT4'''. TTT is a project of ''[[Light Bridges, SL|Light Bridges]]'' in collaboration with [[Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias|IAC]] ([[Spain]]). Built in 2022.

===Radio telescopes for cosmic microwave background astronomy===
* The 33&nbsp;GHz interferometer
* The [[COSMOSOMAS]] Experiment (10 and 15&nbsp;GHz)
* The [[Very Small Array]] (VSA: 14-element [[interferometer]] at 30&nbsp;GHz)
* [[QUIJOTE CMB Experiment]]
* [[GroundBIRD]]

==Other buildings on the site==
The observatory has a visitors' centre and a residencia (hostel) for astronomers. [[Brian May#Scientific career|Brian May]] helped construct a building there to study interplanetary dust.

== List of discovered minor planets ==

The [[Minor Planet Center]] credits the discovery of several minor planets directly to the observatory.<ref name="MPC-Discoverers" />

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 89%; float: left; width: 25em; margin-right: 1em; line-height: 1.65em !important;
|-
| {{mp|(79484) 1998 FH|3}} || 18 March 1998|| {{small|{{LoMP|79484|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(100747) 1998 EO|4}} || 3 March 1998|| {{small|{{LoMP|100747|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(175732) 1998 EW|8}} || 6 March 1998|| {{small|{{LoMP|175732|list}}}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 89%; float: left; width: 25em; margin-right: 1em; line-height: 1.65em !important;
|-
| {{mp|(219078) 1998 GX}} || 3 April 1998|| {{small|{{LoMP|219078|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(301883) 1998 EQ|9}} || 9 March 1998|| {{small|{{LoMP|301883|list}}}}
|-
| {{mp|(455329) 2002 PO|63}} || 12 August 2002|| {{small|{{LoMP|455329|list}}}}
|}
{{Clear}}

== Discovery of the first brown dwarf star==

In 1995, Rafael Rebolo López, María Rosa Zapatero-Osorio  and  Eduardo L. Martín published their discovery of [[Teide 1|Teide-1]], which they found through optical observations using the 0.8 meter telescope at Teide Observatory.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.iac.es/en/outreach/news/25th-anniversary-discovery-first-brown-dwarf | title=25th anniversary of the discovery of the first brown dwarf }}</ref>

==Climate==
The position where the observatory is situated has a [[mediterranean climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Csb''), with average temperature features reminiscent of southern [[England]]. This renders in warm summers that averages around {{convert|23|C|F}} with light frosts being possible and sometimes happening in winter. Extremes are moderated by its marine features, which combined with the altitude keeps temperatures below {{convert|30|C|F}} even during heat waves, and in spite of the altitude the marine features are strong enough to prevent severe frosts. Sunshine levels, as typical of the nearby lowland arid climates, are high throughout the year. Many alpine areas at further distance from the equator are above the tree line at this elevation, but Teide is far above even any subarctic temperatures due to its position on the [[28th parallel north]].

{{Weather box
|location = Izaña Observatory (1991–2020 normals)
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan high C = 8.0
|Feb high C = 8.0
|Mar high C = 10.1
|Apr high C = 12.3
|May high C = 15.0
|Jun high C = 19.0
|Jul high C = 23.0
|Aug high C = 22.6
|Sep high C = 18.7
|Oct high C = 14.6
|Nov high C = 10.9
|Dec high C = 9.2
|year high C = 14.3
|Jan mean C = 4.9
|Feb mean C = 4.8
|Mar mean C = 6.5
|Apr mean C = 8.2
|May mean C = 10.7
|Jun mean C = 14.4
|Jul mean C = 18.2
|Aug mean C = 18.0
|Sep mean C = 14.5
|Oct mean C = 10.9
|Nov mean C = 7.7
|Dec mean C = 6.1
|year mean C = 10.4
|Jan low C = 1.8
|Feb low C = 1.6
|Mar low C = 2.9
|Apr low C = 4.1
|May low C = 6.4
|Jun low C = 9.9
|Jul low C = 13.5
|Aug low C = 13.4
|Sep low C = 10.3
|Oct low C = 7.2
|Nov low C = 4.5
|Dec low C = 3.0
|year low C = 6.6
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 55.6
|Feb precipitation mm = 49.7
|Mar precipitation mm = 32.9
|Apr precipitation mm = 18.8
|May precipitation mm = 3.8
|Jun precipitation mm = 0.5
|Jul precipitation mm = 0.0
|Aug precipitation mm = 9.5
|Sep precipitation mm = 5.6
|Oct precipitation mm = 33.1
|Nov precipitation mm = 50.6
|Dec precipitation mm = 60.3
|year precipitation mm = 320.4
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 4.6
|Feb precipitation days = 3.8
|Mar precipitation days = 4.0
|Apr precipitation days = 2.4
|May precipitation days = 0.7
|Jun precipitation days = 0.1
|Jul precipitation days = 0.0
|Aug precipitation days = 0.8
|Sep precipitation days = 1.0
|Oct precipitation days = 3.5
|Nov precipitation days = 4.7
|Dec precipitation days = 5.1
|year precipitation days = 30.7
|Jan humidity = 45.9
|Feb humidity = 50.2
|Mar humidity = 45.8
|Apr humidity = 42.6
|May humidity = 35.2
|Jun humidity = 28.3
|Jul humidity = 22.0
|Aug humidity = 28.0
|Sep humidity = 40.5
|Oct humidity = 52.5
|Nov humidity = 52.7
|Dec humidity = 49.3
|year humidity = 41.1
|Jan sun = 246.5
|Feb sun = 247.5
|Mar sun = 300.5
|Apr sun = 323.3
|May sun = 379.8
|Jun sun = 398.9
|Jul sun = 402.4
|Aug sun = 371.8
|Sep sun = 319.8
|Oct sun = 277.1
|Nov sun = 236.6
|Dec sun = 233.1
|year sun = 3737.3
|source 1 = [[NOAA]]/[[NCEI]]<ref>{{cite web
|url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Spain/CSV/IZANA_60010.csv
|title = Izana Climate Normals 1991-2020
|publisher = [[NOAA]]
|language = en-us
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240322054033/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Spain/CSV/IZANA_60010.csv
|archive-date = 2024-03-22}}</ref>}}
{{Weather box
|location = Izaña Observatory <small>(altitude 2369m, 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1920–present)</small>
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan record high C = 18.3
|Feb record high C = 19.9
|Mar record high C = 22.0
|Apr record high C = 23.0
|May record high C = 26.0
|Jun record high C = 27.7
|Jul record high C = 30.4
|Aug record high C = 29.6
|Sep record high C = 27.2
|Oct record high C = 24.6
|Nov record high C = 20.8
|Dec record high C = 20.1
|year record high C = 30.4
|Jan high C = 7.5
|Feb high C = 8.0
|Mar high C = 10.2
|Apr high C = 11.8
|May high C = 14.5
|Jun high C = 18.9
|Jul high C = 23.0
|Aug high C = 22.6
|Sep high C = 18.6
|Oct high C = 14.3
|Nov high C = 11.1
|Dec high C = 8.8
|year high C = 
|Jan mean C = 4.3
|Feb mean C = 4.7
|Mar mean C = 6.4
|Apr mean C = 7.6
|May mean C = 10.1
|Jun mean C = 14.4
|Jul mean C = 18.5
|Aug mean C = 18.2
|Sep mean C = 14.5
|Oct mean C = 10.6
|Nov mean C = 7.8
|Dec mean C = 5.6
|year mean C = 
|Jan low C = 1.1
|Feb low C = 1.3
|Mar low C = 2.7
|Apr low C = 3.5
|May low C = 5.8
|Jun low C = 9.9
|Jul low C = 14.0
|Aug low C = 13.8
|Sep low C = 10.4
|Oct low C = 6.9
|Nov low C = 4.5
|Dec low C = 2.4
|year low C = 
|Jan record low C = -8.0
|Feb record low C = -9.8
|Mar record low C = -9.1
|Apr record low C = -8.2
|May record low C = -5.1
|Jun record low C = -1.4
|Jul record low C = -0.2
|Aug record low C = 1.2
|Sep record low C = 0.0
|Oct record low C = -1.9
|Nov record low C = -5.0
|Dec record low C = -6.8
|year record low C = -9.8
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 47
|Feb precipitation mm = 67
|Mar precipitation mm = 58
|Apr precipitation mm = 18
|May precipitation mm = 7
|Jun precipitation mm = 0
|Jul precipitation mm = 0
|Aug precipitation mm = 5
|Sep precipitation mm = 13
|Oct precipitation mm = 37
|Nov precipitation mm = 54
|Dec precipitation mm = 60
|year precipitation mm = 392
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 4.5
|Feb precipitation days = 4.0
|Mar precipitation days = 4.1
|Apr precipitation days = 2.7
|May precipitation days = 1.1
|Jun precipitation days = 0.2
|Jul precipitation days = 0.1
|Aug precipitation days = 0.5
|Sep precipitation days = 1.6
|Oct precipitation days = 3.7
|Nov precipitation days = 4.4
|Dec precipitation days = 5.6
|year precipitation days = 33.4

| Jan snow days  =2.4
| Feb snow days  =2.5
| Mar snow days  =2.1
| Apr snow days  =0.6
| May snow days  =0.2
| Jun snow days  =0
| Jul snow days  =0
| Aug snow days  =0
| Sep snow days  =0
| Oct snow days  =0.2
| Nov snow days  =0.6
| Dec snow days  =1.6
| year snow days =
|Jan humidity = 50
|Feb humidity = 54
|Mar humidity = 48
|Apr humidity = 45
|May humidity = 40
|Jun humidity = 32
|Jul humidity = 25
|Aug humidity = 30
|Sep humidity = 43
|Oct humidity = 55
|Nov humidity = 54
|Dec humidity = 52
|year humidity = 
|Jan sun = 226
|Feb sun = 223
|Mar sun = 260
|Apr sun = 294
|May sun = 356
|Jun sun = 382
|Jul sun = 382
|Aug sun = 358
|Sep sun = 295
|Oct sun = 259
|Nov sun = 220
|Dec sun = 218
|year sun = 
|source 1 = [[Agencia Estatal de Meteorología]]<ref>{{cite web
|url = https://www.aemet.es/es/serviciosclimaticos/datosclimatologicos/valoresclimatologicos?l=C430E&k=coo
|title = Valores climatológicos normales. Izaña
|publisher = [[Agencia Estatal de Meteorología]]
|language = es
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240404090912/https://www.aemet.es/es/serviciosclimaticos/datosclimatologicos/valoresclimatologicos?l=C430E&k=coo
|archive-date = 2024-04-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url = https://www.aemet.es/es/serviciosclimaticos/datosclimatologicos/efemerides_extremos?w=0&k=coo&datos=det&l=C430E
|title = Valores extremos. Izaña
|publisher = [[Agencia Estatal de Meteorología]]
|language = es
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240322053914/https://www.aemet.es/es/serviciosclimaticos/datosclimatologicos/efemerides_extremos?w=0&k=coo&datos=det&l=C430E
|archive-date = 2024-03-22}}</ref>}}

==Astroclimate and seeing==
The useful observing time is given as 78% and the median FWHM seeing from DIMM measurements is given as 0.76" and 0.70" at two sites near the Carlos Sánchez Telescope.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Vernin|first=J. |display-authors=etal |date=2002|title=Site-testing Results at the Teide Observatory|url=http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?2002ASPC..266..454V&defaultprint=YES&filetype=.pdf|journal=ASPC|volume=266|pages=454|bibcode=2002ASPC..266..454V }}</ref>

== See also ==
[[File:ESO and Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias sign agreement on adaptive optics collaboration.jpg|thumb|[[ESO]] and [[Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias]] sign agreement on [[adaptive optics]] collaboration.<ref>{{cite news |title=ESO and Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias Sign Agreement on Adaptive Optics Collaboration |url=http://www.eso.org/public/announcements/ann14034/ |accessdate=10 May 2014 |newspaper=ESO Announcement}}</ref>]]
{{Div col|colwidth=24em}}
* [[Astronomical seeing]]
* [[Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory]]
* [[European Extremely Large Telescope]]
* [[Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias]]
* [[La Silla Observatory]]
* [[Llano de Chajnantor Observatory]]
* {{Section link|List of minor planet discoverers|Discovering dedicated institutions}}
* [[Mount Teide]]
* [[Paranal Observatory]]
* [[Pico Viejo]]
* [[Roque de los Muchachos Observatory]]
* [[Teide National Park]]
* [[Very Large Telescope]]
* [[Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System]]
{{Div col end}}

== References ==
{{Reflist
|refs=

<ref name="MPC-Discoverers">{{cite web
  |title      = Minor Planet Discoverers (by number)
  |work       = Minor Planet Center
  |url        = http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/lists/MPDiscsNum.html
  |date       = 4 September 2016
  |accessdate = 27 November 2016}}</ref>

}} <!-- end of reflist -->

{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite journal | doi =10.1007/BFb0022394 | title = The European observatory at the Canary Islands | date =1985 | last1 =Rayrole | first1 =J. | volume =233 | pages =32–50|editor=Muller|editor-first=R.|journal=High Resolution in Solar Physics|series=Lecture Notes in Physics| bibcode = 1985LNP...233...32R | isbn = 3-540-15678-X }}

{{Refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commons|Observatorio del Teide}}
* [http://www.iac.es/eno.php?op1=3&lang=en Observatorio del Teide website]
* [http://wiki.worldflicks.org/teide_observatory.html Discover the Teide Observatory] at worldflicks.org

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[[Category:Astronomical observatories in the Canary Islands]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Tenerife]]
[[Category:Minor-planet discovering observatories]]