Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes

The Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes (ING) operates three optical telescopes at Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on La Palma in Spain's Canary Islands, one of the world's premier sites for astronomy.

About Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes

ING consists of the William Herschel Telescope, the Isaac Newton Telescope, and the Jacobus Kapteyn Telescope, run through a tripartite collaboration between the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council, the Dutch NWO, and the Spanish Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias.

History

The Isaac Newton Telescope began scheduled operations in May 1984, followed by the flagship William Herschel Telescope in August 1987. Together they have built decades of observational heritage on La Palma's mountain-top site.

Telescopes & research

The William Herschel Telescope, at 4.2 metres, is the largest of the three; the Isaac Newton Telescope measures 2.5 metres, and the Jacobus Kapteyn Telescope rounds out the group. Between them, the telescopes have contributed to research on quasars, supernovae, galaxies, the Milky Way, planetary nebulae, and stellar evolution, and the Isaac Newton Telescope provided the first observational evidence of a black hole in our own Galaxy.

Location & getting there

The telescopes sit at Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on La Palma, in Spain's Canary Islands, a mountain-top site chosen for its exceptionally clear, dark, and stable skies.

Visiting Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes

The observatory site hosts organised tours and visitor programmes at times; check the official ING website before travelling to confirm current opening arrangements and tour availability.

See your named star from here

Instruments capable of studying distant quasars and galaxies can also be aimed at the far simpler task of finding the coordinates of your named star. Look up your star's exact position in the catalogue.