259
© 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_24
24
Astrophysics in Spain: The Wider Picture
(1974–Present)
One day somebody ought to write the complete history of the birth and
establishment of astrophysics in Spain, an event that occurred in the second
half of the last century. I do not have the energy to tackle the task myself. All
I have done is to mention facts here and there throughout this book, particularly in this chapter. I have tried to relate matters that, in my judgement, were
of importance in detonating the explosion of astrophysics in Spain. This burst
of activity was not merely a consequence of the arrival of telescopes at our
summits from overseas. Always behind such opportunities there have been
people, pitching in with their passion and intelligence, who knew, or sometimes did not know, how to make the best use of them.
What happened was extraordinary and the events overwhelming. In half a
century we have risen from practically nothing to joining the most scientifically advanced countries in the world. In the first chapter I explained how,
newly married, full of ignorance, but with great enthusiasm, I landed, without a parachute on the summits of the island of Tenerife. Astrophysics had not
yet arrived in Spain. But today’s panorama is very different. Spanish astrophysicists have risen in number from a mere handful to almost a thousand.
There has been an avalanche of new astrophysics researchers. The most complete and recent data are to be found in reports of the National Commission
of Astronomy (CNA) and the Spanish Astronomical Society (SEA). These
data tell us that Spain now occupies seventh place in the world with respect to
scientific production in sciences of the Universe (Scimago, 1996–2016). In
other words, we are therefore situated behind the United States, Germany, the
United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Russia, and we are ahead of countries
such as Japan, China, Australia, and Canada.
© 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_24
24
Astrophysics in Spain: The Wider Picture
(1974–Present)
One day somebody ought to write the complete history of the birth and
establishment of astrophysics in Spain, an event that occurred in the second
half of the last century. I do not have the energy to tackle the task myself. All
I have done is to mention facts here and there throughout this book, particularly in this chapter. I have tried to relate matters that, in my judgement, were
of importance in detonating the explosion of astrophysics in Spain. This burst
of activity was not merely a consequence of the arrival of telescopes at our
summits from overseas. Always behind such opportunities there have been
people, pitching in with their passion and intelligence, who knew, or sometimes did not know, how to make the best use of them.
What happened was extraordinary and the events overwhelming. In half a
century we have risen from practically nothing to joining the most scientifically advanced countries in the world. In the first chapter I explained how,
newly married, full of ignorance, but with great enthusiasm, I landed, without a parachute on the summits of the island of Tenerife. Astrophysics had not
yet arrived in Spain. But today’s panorama is very different. Spanish astrophysicists have risen in number from a mere handful to almost a thousand.
There has been an avalanche of new astrophysics researchers. The most complete and recent data are to be found in reports of the National Commission
of Astronomy (CNA) and the Spanish Astronomical Society (SEA). These
data tell us that Spain now occupies seventh place in the world with respect to
scientific production in sciences of the Universe (Scimago, 1996–2016). In
other words, we are therefore situated behind the United States, Germany, the
United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Russia, and we are ahead of countries
such as Japan, China, Australia, and Canada.