Outreach Videos
Materia Oscura en Galaxias Enanas by Jorge Peñarrubia (IAC)
This episode focuses on dwarf galaxies as extreme laboratories for dark matter research, highlighting that these systems can contain up to a thousand times more dark matter than stars. Through an in-depth interview with an IAC researcher, the video explains how gravity provides the only observable tracer of dark matter in such environments and why dwarf galaxies are crucial for testing theoretical models. The microdocumentary addresses key questions, what dark matter is, why dwarf galaxies are central to understanding it, and how these studies may reshape modern cosmology, translating advanced scientific concepts into accessible language for a broad audience while reinforcing the IAC’s leadership in dark universe research.
Credits: Video production: Raquel Conde. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Neutron Stars by Nanda Rea (ICC-CSIC)
In this video, astrophysicist Nanda Rea, professor at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) at the Institute of Space Sciences in Barcelona, introduces us to the fascinating world of neutron stars. From their role as extremely precise galactic clocks to their potential use as navigation systems in deep space, neutron stars reveal unique properties: they are the densest and most magnetic objects in the universe, and remnants of supernova explosions. The video was recorded during a doctoral school organised by the European UNDARK project, led by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), at the Benasque Science Centre, a unique environment that fosters scientific exchange and collaborative learning between students and experts. This inspiring environment promises to contribute to solving the great mysteries of the cosmos in the coming decades.
Credits: Video production: Jonas Enander. Image and animation credits: NASA Goddard, Nidhi Yashwanth, ESO/L. Calçada, Luis Humanoide, Jacques Barrette, Tim Basy. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
UNDARK Benasque Workshop 2025
This video documents a scientific school in Benasque, Spain, organized under the UNDARK project, a European Union-funded initiative exploring the fundamental nature of dark matter. Through lectures, discussions, and collaborative work, participants examine theoretical models—ranging from particles to primordial black holes—and the latest experimental approaches to detecting dark matter. The program also emphasizes the role of science communication, using visual media and outreach initiatives to engage broader audiences, especially younger students. The video captures the unique, collaborative atmosphere that fosters both scientific progress and public understanding of one of physics’ greatest mysteries.
Credits: Video production: Jonas Enander. Image and animation credits: Daniel Dominguez/CERN, Maksym Vystoropskyi, JWST/NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI, Millenium/Springer et al., NASA Footage of Jorge Martin Camalich: IAC's Science Communication and Culture Unit (UC3). Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Exploring the Universe from La Palma
“Exploring the Universe from La Palma” is the first of a series of informative videos produced by UNDARK (Unravelling the Dark Universe from the Canary Islands Observatories) which aims to address one of the greatest enigmas of contemporary physics: the dark universe.
This project brings together leading international institutions in the fields of astrophysics, cosmology and particle physics. The IAC plays a central role in this international project, taking advantage of the various state-of-the-art infrastructures of its Observatories.
This first video shows what a night's work is like at the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT), located at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on La Palma. Cameron Lemon and Nikki Arendse, researchers at the Oskar Klein Center of Stockholm University, are trying to find one of the rarest astronomical objects in the universe, the so-called “gravitationally lensed quasars”.
Credits: Video production: Jonas Enander. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.