20 May 2020 Construction of the ASTRI Mini-Array at Teide

The INAF President Nichi D’Amico has communicated to the IAC Director Rafael Rebolo that the INAF Council has approved the Hosting Agreement for the ASTRI mini-array at the Teide site. After the formal “go-ahead” from the Spanish institution, this a crucial step towards the infrastructure construction at the Observatorio del Teide on the Spanish Island of Tenerife (Canary Island). “It is a pleasure to receive this communication” says ASTRI PI Giovanni Pareschi, from INAF Osservatorio Astronomico diB rera, Italy. “We look forward to beginning of the work. We know that, beside the agreement, we can count also on the support bycolleagues at the Fundacion Galileo Galilei / TNG and on all the members of the collaborationto rapidly advance towards the scientific operation of the array”.

With recall here a few milestones regarding the INAF activities in the ASTRI project

• GLI “ASTRI” DI HORN – 2018 – The astronomer who projected Future. The conference (2018/11/9), the dedication (2018/11/10) and the show (from 2018/11/9 to al 2018/12/15)

• In October 2016, the optical design was finally validated and in May 2017 the first Cherenkov light was also obtained.
• ASTRI saw the first optical light in May 2015.
• The ASTRI prototype telescope installed at the Serra La Nave astronomical site on the slopes of the Etna volcano was inaugurated on 24 September 2014.