137
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
F. Sánchez, The Rise of Astrophysics in Modern Spain, Astronomers’ Universe,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66426-8_15
15
The IAC: A Dream Come True
(1971–Present)
So far, I have recounted a wide variety of things that happened in the sixties,
seventies, and eighties of the last century, and I think the moment has come
to hang the fruits harvested in these decades on the tree that supports everything: the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias. Bear in mind that those years
saw the successful and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy in
Spain, and it is no coincidence that our transition from classical astronomy to
modern astrophysics should have occurred over the same period. I also think
that the following chapters will make more sense if we dedicate this one to the
IAC itself in order to summarize the concepts, and the whys and wherefores
of this organization.
It began as a yearning, a dream. As soon as we began the site testing and
compared our data with those from the best sites where others were working,
we appreciated the undoubted excellence of the mountaintops of the Canaries
for modern astronomy, and my wife and I decided to stay here and dedicate
ourselves to ensuring that this ‘natural resource’ should be put to good use for
the benefit of science and our country.
But how to convert these germinal stirrings into a reality? Of course, to
attain our goal, to reach our destination, much needed to be done by people
with drive, vision, means, and an adequate organization.
What could be done from Izaña, perched on the top of Tenerife, so far from
Madrid and the rest of the world? I tried first of all to convince the Director
of Teide Observatory and enthuse him with our vision. I kept on at him
repeatedly, as my many letters and reports to him confirm (I still have these in
my possession). No luck there, so I rolled up my sleeves and set about the task
myself, with all the optimism of a young tyro and the passion of a believer.
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
F. Sánchez, The Rise of Astrophysics in Modern Spain, Astronomers’ Universe,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66426-8_15
15
The IAC: A Dream Come True
(1971–Present)
So far, I have recounted a wide variety of things that happened in the sixties,
seventies, and eighties of the last century, and I think the moment has come
to hang the fruits harvested in these decades on the tree that supports everything: the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias. Bear in mind that those years
saw the successful and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy in
Spain, and it is no coincidence that our transition from classical astronomy to
modern astrophysics should have occurred over the same period. I also think
that the following chapters will make more sense if we dedicate this one to the
IAC itself in order to summarize the concepts, and the whys and wherefores
of this organization.
It began as a yearning, a dream. As soon as we began the site testing and
compared our data with those from the best sites where others were working,
we appreciated the undoubted excellence of the mountaintops of the Canaries
for modern astronomy, and my wife and I decided to stay here and dedicate
ourselves to ensuring that this ‘natural resource’ should be put to good use for
the benefit of science and our country.
But how to convert these germinal stirrings into a reality? Of course, to
attain our goal, to reach our destination, much needed to be done by people
with drive, vision, means, and an adequate organization.
What could be done from Izaña, perched on the top of Tenerife, so far from
Madrid and the rest of the world? I tried first of all to convince the Director
of Teide Observatory and enthuse him with our vision. I kept on at him
repeatedly, as my many letters and reports to him confirm (I still have these in
my possession). No luck there, so I rolled up my sleeves and set about the task
myself, with all the optimism of a young tyro and the passion of a believer.