Scientists belonging to the Center for Astrobiology (CAB/CSIC-INTA) and to Calar Alto Observatory, have taken part in the finding of the smallest exoplanet known to date. The object, smaller tan Mercury, was detected with Kepler space telescope and Calar Alto contributed with crucial data to confirm the finding. The results from this research are published in the February 20^th 2013 issue of the international scientific journal Nature…

The CALIFA survey, devoted to the study of galaxies in the near universe, has deduced for the first time the complete history of stellar formation for each one of the different regions of a set of one hundred galaxies. The researchers of this project, whose observations are performed at Calar Alto, have found that massive galaxies grew faster than lighter ones and, also, their inner central regions developed much earlier…

An international scientific team has discovered an uncommon exoplanet that displays a too large radius in relation to its mass, what does not follow current theories on planet formation. This object, named WTS-1b, is considered a “hot Jupiter” due to its gaseous composition and its high temperature. Calar Alto has contributed to this finding…