[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Section” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_image=”https:\/\/www.ieec.cat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/slider-comunicacio.jpg” max_height=”130px” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Section” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”24px||11px|||” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Unitats de recerca” module_class=”ieec-orgs” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _dynamic_attributes=”content” _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_font_size=”16px” header_font=”|700|||||||” custom_margin=”||10px||false|false” header_font_size_tablet=”28px” header_font_size_phone=”26px” header_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoiY3VzdG9tX21ldGFfb3JnYW5pemFjaW9uZXMiLCJzZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJiZWZvcmUiOiIiLCJhZnRlciI6IiIsImVuYWJsZV9odG1sIjoib2ZmIn19@[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_post_title author=”off” categories=”off” comments=”off” featured_image=”off” admin_label=”T\u00edtol i data” module_class=”ieec-title” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”Cairo|300|||||||” title_font_size=”40px” meta_font=”||on||||||” meta_font_size=”16px” title_font_size_tablet=”35px” title_font_size_phone=”30px” title_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_post_title][et_pb_text admin_label=”Subt\u00edtols” module_class=”ieec-summary” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Source Sans Pro||on||||||” text_font_size=”24px” text_line_height=”1.1em” hover_enabled=”0″ text_font_size_tablet=”22px” text_font_size_phone=”20px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_post_title title=”off” meta=”off” module_class=”ieec-img-container” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” border_width_top=”10px” border_color_top=”#406fda” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_post_title][et_pb_text module_class=”ieec-img-footer” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”||||||||” text_font_size=”15px” text_line_height=”1.1em” background_color=”rgba(64,111,218,0.15)” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”30px|20px|30px|20px|true|true” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
This image shows the hexagonal 4MOST field-of-view and the many objects (marked with different coloured dots for different types of objects) it analysed in its first observations. 4MOST collected a spectrum for each of these individual objects, allowing us to study their properties such as chemical composition or temperature.\u00a0AIP, Background: Harshwardhan Pathak\/Telescope Live<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” link_font=”|700|||on||||” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>The first light captured on 18 October by the 4-metre Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope (<\/span>4MOST<\/span><\/a>) marks the beginning of the scientific journey of this instrument, installed on the VISTA telescope (Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy) of the European Southern Observatory, located at Cerro Paranal, Chile.<\/span><\/p>\n A team from the <\/span>Universitat Polit\u00e8cnica de Catalunya – BarcelonaTech<\/span><\/a> (UPC), including members of the <\/span>Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia<\/span><\/a> (IEEC \u2014 Institut d\u2019Estudis Espacials de Catalunya), together with the <\/span>Universidad T\u00e9cnica Federico Santa Mar\u00eda<\/span><\/a> (USM) in Chile, will lead a research project to analyse the spectra of 77,000 binary stars.<\/span><\/p>\n A binary star is a system formed by two stars that are physically bound and orbit each other. <\/b>One type of binary system consists of a Sun-like star and a white dwarf\u2014the most common archetype of a stellar remnant, that is, what remains at the final stage of a star\u2019s life.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” link_font=”|700|||on||||” hover_enabled=”0″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n At present, however, only a few thousand spectra of such binary stars are available, despite their great scientific value. Studying these systems makes it possible to address key scientific questions, such as the relationship between age and metallicity in our galaxy<\/strong>\u2014essential for understanding how the Milky Way formed and how it has evolved chemically over time\u2014the evolution of compact binary stars, and the physical and magnetic properties of Sun-like stars.<\/span><\/p>\n This is the main objective of the research led by Alberto Rebassa, researcher of the <\/span>Astronomy and Astrophysics Group<\/span><\/a>, lecturer at the <\/span>Castelldefels School of Telecommunications and Aerospace Engineering<\/span><\/a> (EETAC) of the UPC and member of the IEEC, and Odette Toloza, researcher at USM in Chile.<\/span><\/p>\n The UPC team also includes researchers Santiago Torres (also from the IEEC), Roberto Raddi and Mar\u00eda Eugenia Camisassa, both Ram\u00f3n y Cajal fellows, as well as PhD students Enrique Miguel Garc\u00eda Zamora and Aina Ferrer i Burjachs. The full team is made up of around thirty researchers from 18 institutions and universities across the United Kingdom, Germany, Chile, China, Italy, and the United States.<\/span><\/p>\n According to Alberto Rebassa, \u201cIt\u2019s incredibly exciting to see 4MOST reach its first light. Many people have dedicated years of hard work to get us here, and it\u2019s deeply rewarding to see it all come together.\u201d He adds: \u201cThe scope of the science that 4MOST will enable is truly impressive, and I\u2019m confident that the data will drive a real revolution in astronomy. Personally, I can\u2019t wait to start collecting spectra from our target systems and to see what new discoveries await us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”section-title” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_2_font=”|700|||||||” header_2_font_size=”25px” header_2_font_size_tablet=”23px” header_2_font_size_phone=”23px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” link_font=”|700|||on||||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n In this first observation, the instrument analysed the light from a range of cosmic objects, with the Sculptor Galaxy and the globular cluster NGC288 among the most notable. For each observed object, 4MOST collected a spectrum, which will make it possible to study properties such as chemical composition and temperature.<\/span><\/p>\n The 4MOST telescope is the largest multi-object spectroscopic survey facility in the Southern Hemisphere<\/b>\u2014unique for its combination of a wide field of view, the number of objects observed simultaneously, and the range of spectral colours recorded at once. 4MOST can disentangle the light from 2,400 celestial objects simultaneously into 18,000 colour components, allowing for detailed studies of their composition and chemical properties.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” link_font=”|700|||on||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n To achieve this, 4MOST uses 2,438 optical fibres, each about the thickness of a human hair. The light collected by each fibre is transmitted to spectrographs, which split it into its different colours. Its large optical camera lens system, nearly one metre in diameter, provides a field of view on the sky of 2.5 degrees across\u2014five times the apparent diameter of the Moon and one of the largest in the world for a telescope of this kind.<\/span><\/p>\n The telescope\u2019s research areas include the<\/b> origin of chemical elements<\/b> and the formation of the first stars, the growth of the Milky Way<\/b> over cosmic time, the <\/span>formation and evolution of galaxies and black holes<\/b>, the <\/span>composition of the invisible dark matter<\/b> thought to make up most of the mass of galaxies, and the <\/span>nature of dark energy<\/b>, which drives the accelerated expansion of the Universe. By analysing the detailed colours of thousands of objects every 10\u201320 minutes, 4MOST will create a vast catalogue of temperatures, chemical compositions, velocities, and other physical parameters for tens of millions of objects across the southern sky.<\/span><\/p>\n The 4MOST facility has been designed, built, and will be scientifically operated by a consortium of 30 universities and research institutes in Europe and Australia, led by the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP). Development began in 2010, and the telescope is expected to operate for at least the next 15 years. In its first five years, 4MOST will carry out 25 international scientific programmes, including the project led by Professor Alberto Rebassa.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.ieec.cat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2-VISTA_mountain-top-5-4_r.jpg” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||2px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=”ieec-img-footer” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”||||||||” text_font_size=”15px” text_line_height=”1.1em” background_color=”rgba(64,111,218,0.15)” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”30px|20px|30px|20px|true|true” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The VISTA telescope, located at the Paranal Observatory, in the Atacama Desert, one of the best sites in the world for astronomy. ESO\/B. Tafreshi (twanight.org)<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_divider color=”#406fda” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||10px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=”Enlla\u00e7os” module_class=”ieec-sub-title” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Cairo|700|||||||” text_text_color=”#406fda” text_font_size=”20px” custom_margin=”||10px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Links<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”ieec-sub-text” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” text_line_height=”1.1em” link_font=”|700|||on|||#1a1140|” link_text_color=”#1a1140″ link_line_height=”1.4em” custom_margin=”20px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_divider color=”#406fda” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||10px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=”Contactes” module_class=”ieec-sub-title” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Cairo|700|||||||” text_text_color=”#406fda” text_font_size=”20px” custom_margin=”||10px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Contacts<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ admin_label=”Row” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”|||20px|false|false” border_width_left=”1px” border_color_left=”#406fda” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” text_line_height=”1.1em” link_font=”|700|||on|||#1a1140|” link_text_color=”#1a1140″ link_line_height=”1.4em” header_4_font=”|700|||||||” header_4_text_color=”#1a1140″ custom_margin=”||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\nFirst light of the 4MOST telescope<\/h2>\n
\n
IEEC Communication Office<\/h4>\n