Galáctica, the centre for astronomy outreach and hands-on practice located in Arcos de las Salinas (Teruel, Spain), has been nominated for the European Museum of the Year Award 2026 (EMYA2026), presented by the European Museum Forum. Located in a village of around 100 residents, Galáctica shares this nomination with museums based in major European capitals such as Berlin, Lisbon, London, and Geneva. The award winners will be announced during the EMYA2026 Annual Conference, which will take place this year in Bilbao.

A group of students from the University of Hong Kong, the oldest university in Hong Kong, are currently completing part of their coursework at Galáctica. This is the third visit by Physics students and forms part of one of the elective courses in their degree programme. For two weeks, in Arcos de las Salinas, they are learning about the different stages and procedures that are essential to conducting research in the field of astronomy

The Director of the Centro de Estudios de Física del Cosmos de Aragón (CEFCA), Javier Cenarro, chaired the signing of the agreement between Caja Rural de Teruel and the Regional Minister for Employment, Science and Universities, Claudia Pérez Forniés, acting as representative of CEFCA. The agreement will provide up to €6,000 to subsidise ticket prices for visits to Galáctica. This discount will benefit students from educational centres in the province of Teruel that apply to take part in the programme. A reduction of €3 per ticket will be applied, and the offer will be valid throughout 2026.

The outreach center and the Javalambre Astrophysical Observatory (OAJ) were the second stop on the DarkSky Tour, a project that brings together various European regions including Slovenia, Croatia, Portugal, Montenegro, Italy, Greece, and Spain. Their representatives seek inspiration in experiences and models that combine the protection of dark skies with the promotion of astrotourism.

A collaboration between the two institutions will facilitate entry to schools in Teruel, which will enjoy a guided tour and a complementary workshop. Nine of the most important astrophysicists in history or a journey through the Solar System, star formation, galaxies and the Big Bang await them. Galactica, the first park in Europe to explain and observe the Cosmos, opens its doors to schools in the province of Teruel. A collaboration between the Centro de Estucios de Física del Cosmos de Aragón (CEFCA) and the Diputación de Teruel will allow 3,000 schoolchildren to visit Galáctica free of charge this academic year.

The OAJ and Galáctica have been two of the places chosen to tell the story of Aragonese culture and contributions to astronomy throughout history.

Representatives from universities in Italy, Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Algeria and Colombia visit Galactica and the Javalambre Astrophysical Observatory (OAJ) as part of a working day led by the University Polytechnic School of Teruel (EUPT).

The facilities have received almost twice as many visitors as initially planned for the first year of operation. A children's playground, a planetarium and an observation square for large groups will complement the infrastructure.

The agreement, which will last for one year and will benefit up to 2,000 students, seeks to facilitate students' access to the astronomical center.

The Government of Aragon will allocate €2.4 million from the 2022 Teruel Investment Fund (FITE) to further develop the strategic projects of Galáctica and the Javalambre Astrophysical Observatory. The Boletín Oficial de Aragón has just published the order governing the awarding of grants for this year, allocating this amount to the Foundation Center for the Study of the Physics of the Cosmos of Aragon. This fund is co-financed in equal parts by the central and regional administrations and will enable the launch of Galáctica, the center for knowledge and hands-on practice of astronomy built in Arcos de las Salinas.

The Minister of Science of the Government of Aragon and President of the Board of CEFCA, María Eugenia Díaz, has visited the OAJ facilities.

After the acceptance of the domes, CEFCA prepares for the installation of the telescopes.

The Minister of Science, University and Knowledge Society has visited the facilities

From 23 to 28 September, Galáctica gathers the celebration of a Starlight Monitor Course in which Starlight Monitors will be trained. The course enables to perform astro-touristic activities, following the criteria of Starlight.

From today until next Sunday, twenty people from different parts of Spain are going to learn to photograph the night thanks to the master classes of the photographer Antoni Cladera, responsible for PhotoPills

The center is going to offer two guided visits along the day to bring the sky to cycling enthusiasts who visit the area on August 28

Galactica is going to host next June 22 different activities to get closer to the beautiful meteors and their wakes in the night sky

Our natural satellite will be the protagonist of talks, theater, cinephórum and astronomical observations

Galáctica (Centro de Difusión y Práctica de la Astronomía) is going to host next June 22 the Solstice Festival and the International Day of the Sun with a cultural event

The objective of the first event that is going to be hosted at GALÁCTICA (Centro de Difusión y Práctica de la Astronomía) in 2019 is showing the value of a sky without light pollution for the present and for the future

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The 1st Star Party "Lunar Eclipse" will take place in Arcos de las Salinas (Teruel) in July 27th. The program is full of activities for all audiences.

The certification process of the "Territorio Gúdar Javalambre" as Starlight Destination and Reserve has just successfully finished.