TNG and the "Centro Galileo Galilei" (CGG), at La Palma, changed from the state of "project" still under development to a status of research facility now well defined and "stable", quite similar to 19 other observatories and institutions that currently form the network of research facilities of INAF. The only difference is the duration, that for TNG is fixed , while 19 other research facilities are formally defined without time limit. The Centro Galileo Galilei, including the TNG, was...

Starting from November 1st 2008, Dr. Emilio Molinari is the new director of the Fundación Galileo Galilei - INAF (FGG). He takes the responsibility of both the administrative direction of the FGG (formerly taken by Guido Ceppatelli) and of the scientific direction of the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (formerly under the responsibility of Ernesto Oliva). Emilio obtained his PhD degree in Milan with a dissertation entitled "The Evolution of Galaxies: Observing Distant Clusters". Starting from...

Spanish researchers have succeeded in identifying naphthalene, one of the most complex molecules yet discovered in the interstellar medium.The naphthalene was discovered in a star formation region in the constellation Perseus, in the direction of the star Cernis 52. The spectral bands found in this constellation coincide with laboratory measurements of the naphthalene cation. Optical spectra taken with SARG at TNG in November 2006 provided the first evidence of the presence of the...

(The text of this new is courtesy of Javier Mendez and Pedro Garcia Lario) The origin of the diffuse interstellar bands is a long-standing observational problem that now can see some light. A systematic survey of post-AGB stars, conducted by a team of Spanish and Dutch astronomers, has demonstrated for the first time that the carriers of the diffuse bands cannot be present in circumstellar envelopes. The result has been highlighted in Astronomy & Astrophysics journal (see below) and it...

In March 2007 Jupiter surprised the scientific community with a violent change in its atmosphere. A giant turbulence triggered two extended storms in the Northern hemisphere of the planet. The unusual phenomenon was studied by an international team of scientists, including astronomers of the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG). They suggest the internal energy of Jupiter is the main responsible for the formation of the storms.   In the issue of January 24th, Nature dedicates its cover to...