English (UK)
This year’s edition of Calar Alto Academy represents the consolidation of this innovative effort to bring astronomy students to Calar Alto to perform practical observational work. The number of participants this year has been of 61, from a total of 6 Spanish universities. More universities and students may be added in future editions.
Calar Alto Academy was initiated in 2007 and 2008, to give astronomy university students the chance to perform professional observational work at a modern first-line observatory. After its 2009 edition, this effort can be considered fully established as an undergraduate and graduate school of observational astronomy. 
As in its previous edition, the Calar Alto Academy allows advanced under-graduates and graduate students to experience life and work at a modern astronomical
observatory. Guided by their professors and in close interaction with Calar Alto staff, students from six different universities have visited Calar Alto observatory from december 2008 to May 2009, and they have received hands-on experience in professional astronomy, including different observational and data handling techniques.
These have been the entities participating in 2009 edition of Calar Alto Academy: Universitat de València, Universidad de Murcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Universidad de Granada and the joint Master program from Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (POPIA). The 2.2 m telescope equipped with the instrument CAFOS was used in this edition.
Calar Alto is open to new contacts with other universities to widen the extent of this experience.
© Calar Alto Observatory, September 2009