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90-429: Like related telescopes on Tenerife , it is a Cassegrain device with a thin primary mirror, around 2/3 thinner than in other contemporary devices and weighing only 6.5 tonnes. When trying to view distant objects in infra-red local sources of heat must be minimised, to this end a lighter mirror requires lower power motors and control systems creating less heat. The mirror is held in a massive steel 'cell' of 20 tonnes which

180-531: A "captainship" by the conquerors. Tinerfe "the Great" , son of the mencey Sunta, governed the island from Adeje in the south. However, upon his death, his nine children rebelled and argued bitterly about how to divide the island. Two independent achimenceyatos were created on the island, and the island was divided into nine menceyatos . The menceyes within them formed what would be similar to municipalities today. The menceyatos and their menceyes (ordered by

270-750: A century and a half of relative growth, based on the grape growing sector, numerous families emigrated, especially to Venezuela and Cuba . The Crown wanted to encourage population of underdeveloped zones in the Americas to pre-empt the occupation by foreign forces, as had happened with the English in Jamaica and the French in the Guianas and western Hispaniola (which the French renamed as Saint-Domingue). Canary Islanders, including many tinerfeños, left for

360-481: A consortium of Universities from the United Kingdom and Canada. The JCMT has two kinds of instruments : broadband continuum receivers and heterodyne detection spectral line receivers. Continuum emission is a tracer of star formation in other galaxies and gives astronomers clues to the presence, distance, and evolution history of galaxies other than our own. Within our own galaxy dust emission

450-655: A defense to repel the invaders. Whilst leading a landing party, Nelson was seriously wounded in his right arm by grapeshot or a musket ball, necessitating amputation of most of the arm. Legend tells that he was wounded by the Spanish cannon Tiger (Spanish: Tigre ) as he was trying to disembark on the Paso Alto coast. On 5 September 1797, the British attempted another attack in the Puerto Santiago region, which

540-401: A forest fire determined to be caused by arson necessitated the evacuation of 12,000 residents within a week. The main climates are the hot semi-arid/arid climate (Köppen: BSh and BWh ) and the subtropical Mediterranean Climate (Köppen: Csb and Csa ) inland or at higher altitudes. The low altitude/coastal areas of the island have average temperatures of 18–20 °C (64–68 °F) in

630-529: A phenomenon of cold drop characterized by the repeated fall of torrential rains accompanied by thunder and lightning, affecting the metropolitan area of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and extending in the NE direction towards the San Andrés area. The rains caused 8 dead, 12 missing and dozens of injured. In addition to the human losses, the flood caused considerable material damage, 70,000 people without light as well as

720-492: A shipment of explosives, then was delayed at the Panama Canal , allegedly because special clearance was needed to transport the explosives through the canal. The captain then delivered the explosives to Ecuador before finally reaching Hawaii. Waiting just outside of territorial waters, the captain demanded that the late delivery charges -- now almost equal to that of the shipping charges -- be waived, and threatened to throw

810-451: Is a submillimetre-wavelength radio telescope at Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii , US. The telescope is near the summit of Mauna Kea at 13,425 feet (4,092 m). Its primary mirror is 15 metres (16.4 yards) across: it is the largest single-dish telescope that operates in submillimetre wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum ( far-infrared to microwave ). Scientists use it to study

900-405: Is associated with stellar nurseries and planet forming star systems. Spectral-line observations can be used to identify particular molecules in molecular clouds , study their distribution and chemistry and determine gas velocity gradients across astronomical objects (because of the doppler effect ). The older continuum single pixel UKT14 bolometer receiver was replaced around 1995 by

990-451: Is generally the reason why the soil is able to maximise the absorption of water on an island of low rainfall, with condensation in forested areas and frost deposition on the summit of the island also contributory causes. Given the irregularity of precipitation and geological conditions on the island, dam construction has been avoided, so most of the water (90 percent) comes from wells and from water galleries (horizontal tunnels bored into

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1080-442: Is linked to the supports by Serrurier trusses . The mirror's accuracy despite its very low weight and thickness was partly achieved by sitting it on concentric circles of aluminum pistons/air cells, 80 in all. Computer control of these pneumatic pistons enabled stresses in the glass to be canceled out effectively modeling the behavior of a much thicker mirror. This novel technique resulted in optical performance considerably better than

1170-552: Is served by two airports; Tenerife North Airport and Tenerife South Airport . Teide National Park , located in the center of the island, is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site . It includes Mount Teide , which has the highest elevation in Spain, and the highest elevation among all the islands in the Atlantic Ocean. It is also the third-largest volcano in the world, when measured from its base. Another geographical feature of

1260-474: Is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands . It is home to 42.9% of the total population of the archipelago . With a land area of 2,034.38 square kilometres (785.48 sq mi) and a population of 948,815 inhabitants as of January 2023, it is also the most populous island of Spain and of Macaronesia . Approximately five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, making it

1350-850: The Adelantado ("military governor") de Lugo suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Guanches in the First Battle of Acentejo on 31 May 1494, but defeated them at the Second Battle of Acentejo on 25 December 1494. The Guanches were eventually overcome by superior technology and the arms of the invaders, and surrendered to the Crown of Castile in 1496. Many of the natives died from new infectious diseases, such as influenza and probably smallpox , to which they lacked resistance or acquired immunity . The new colonists intermarried with

1440-762: The East Asian Observatory . Funding is provided by the National Astronomical Observatory of China , National Astronomical Observatory of Japan , Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute , and the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics of Taiwan. The telescope was combined with the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory next to it to form the first submillimetre astronomical interferometer . This success

1530-469: The La Orotava mountain range. Although climatic differences in rainfall and sunshine on the island exist, overall annual precipitation is low and the summer months from May to September are normally completely dry. Rainfall, similar to that of Southern California , can also be extremely erratic from one year to another. The volcanic ground of Tenerife, which is of a porous and permeable character,

1620-719: The Solar System , interstellar dust and gas , and distant galaxies . The JCMT started operations in 1987, and was funded until February 2015 by a partnership between the United Kingdom and Canada , and the Netherlands . It was operated by the Joint Astronomy Centre and was named in honour of mathematical physicist James Clerk Maxwell . In March 2015 the operation of the JCMT was taken over by

1710-604: The Submillimetre Common-User Bolometer Array (SCUBA). This instrument operated simultaneously at wavelengths of 450 and 850 micron (with 91 and 37 pixels, respectively), and was sensitive to the thermal emission from interstellar dust . SCUBA was a ground-breaking instrument, among the most high-impact astronomy instruments from 1997-2003; it was retired from service in 2005, and is now in the National Museum of Scotland . SCUBA

1800-491: The autonomous community of the Canary Islands . The two cities are both home to governmental institutions, such as the offices of the presidency and the ministries. This has been the arrangement since 1927, when the Crown ordered it. (After the 1833 territorial division of Spain , until 1927, Santa Cruz de Tenerife was the sole capital of the Canary Islands). Santa Cruz contains the modern Auditorio de Tenerife ,

1890-459: The "return" of many descendants of some islanders who had departed five centuries before. The most notable conflict was the British invasion of Tenerife in 1797. On 25 July 1797, Admiral Horatio Nelson launched an attack at Santa Cruz de Tenerife, now the capital of the island. After a ferocious fight which resulted in many casualties, General Antonio Gutiérrez de Otero y Santayana organized

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1980-425: The "world's largest telescope optimised for submillimetre wavelengths". It was to be a parabolic 15-metre antenna composed of 276 individually adjustable panels with a surface accuracy of better than 50 μm. It would be an altitude-azimuth mounted Cassegrain telescope with a tertiary mirror to direct the incoming radiation onto a number of different receivers. The antenna and mountings were to be protected from

2070-487: The 1520s as a commodity crop on major plantations; it was a labor-intensive crop in all phases of cultivation and processing. In the following centuries, planters cultivated wine grapes, cochineal for making dyes, and plantains for use and export. In the commerce of the Canary Islands with the Americas of the 18th century, Tenerife was the hegemonic island, since it exceeded 50% of the number of ships and 60% of

2160-483: The 1950s, the misery of the post-war years caused thousands of the island's inhabitants to emigrate to Cuba and other parts of Latin America. Tenerife was the site of the deadliest accident ever in commercial aviation. The Tenerife airport disaster occurred on 27 March 1977 when two Boeing 747s , KLM Flight 4805 and Pan Am Flight 1736 collided on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport in heavy fog conditions, causing

2250-538: The 2013 was announced. The possibility of transfer was noted as a possibility. On October 30, 2014 the telescope ownership was transferred to the University of Hawaii. It is now operated under a Scientific Cooperation Agreement among the University of Arizona, the University of Hawaii and Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center (LM-ATC). Funding for operations is currently being provided by

2340-436: The Americas such as La Guaira , Havana , Campeche and Veracruz . Many sailors from Tenerife joined this transcontinental maritime trade, among which the corsair Amaro Rodríguez Felipe , more commonly known as Amaro Pargo , Juan Pedro Dujardín and Bernardo de Espinosa, both companions of Amaro Pargo, among others. Tenerife, like the other islands, has maintained a close relationship with Latin America, as both were part of

2430-685: The Arafo, Fasnia and Siete Fuentes volcanoes erupted simultaneously. Two years later, in 1706, the greatest eruption occurred at Trevejo. This volcano produced great quantities of lava which buried the city and port of Garachico . The last eruption of the 18th century happened in 1798 at Cañadas de Teide, in Chahorra . The most recent eruption-in 1909-formed the Chinyero cinder cone in the municipality of Santiago del Teide . James Clerk Maxwell Telescope The James Clerk Maxwell Telescope ( JCMT )

2520-535: The Canary Islands and the Macaronesia region. Tenerife is characterized by a generally dry, warm climate. The island has 2 main different climatic areas (as by Köppen climate classification ) yet it actually has 5 different climatic areas. Global climate change has had a major impact on the island, with diminishing rainfall and hot, dry winds affecting vegetation and contributing to an increasing propensity to being subject to forest fires. On August 15, 2023,

2610-524: The Canary Islands, with dates around the sixth century BCE. In terms of technology, the Guanches can be placed among the peoples of the Stone Age , although scholars often reject this classification because of its ambiguity. Guanche culture was more advanced culturally, possibly because of Berber cultural features imported from North Africa, but less technologically advanced due to the scarcity of raw materials, especially minerals that would have allowed for

2700-560: The Cassegrain instrumentation. In December 2008 it was announced that the telescope would be moving to wide-field mode full-time [1] . Since December 13, 2010 UKIRT has been operated remotely from Hilo in a minimalist operation mode with no observers present. Most of the time is used by the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey , but about 60 nights per year are used by Korean institutes. A UKIRT infrared survey

2790-513: The Guanches and the Spanish held periodic treaty talks until the Guanches demolished it around 1472. In 1492 the governor of Gran Canaria Francisco Maldonado organized a raid that ended in disaster for the Spaniards when they were defeated by Anaga's warriors. In December 1493, the Catholic monarchs, Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, granted Alonso Fernández de Lugo

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2880-539: The Guanches worshiped many gods and ancestral spirits, among the most important were Achamán (the god of the sky and supreme creator), Chaxiraxi (the mother goddess, identified later with the Virgin of Candelaria ), Magec (the god of the sun), and Guayota (the demon who is the main cause of evil). Especially significant was the cult of the dead, which practiced the mummification of corpses. In addition, small anthropomorphic and zoomorphic stone and clay figurines of

2970-477: The Health and Industry Ministry in Spain, Tenerife is one of the cleanest places in the country with an air pollution index below the national average. Despite this, there are still agents which affect pollution levels in the island, the main polluting agents being the refinery at Santa Cruz , the thermal power plants at Las Caletillas and Granadilla , and road traffic, increased by the high level of tourism in

3060-573: The NASA Orbital Debris Program Office. Steward Observatory at the University of Arizona is responsible for daily operations and scientific productivity. Technical support is provided by the East Asian Observatory , the successor organization operating the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope . In addition to NASA mission support, observing time is provided to astronomers and planetary scientists at

3150-882: The National New Technology Telescope (NNTT), was to be an 80/20 per cent collaboration with the Netherlands Organisation for the Advancement of Science. Site tests were made at Mauna Kea in Hawaii , the Pinaleno Mountains in Arizona , and a site in Chile ; and Mauna Kea was chosen. The NNTT was to be larger and with more instruments than competing telescopes such as the CSO and SMT . The final specifications called for

3240-582: The New World. The success in cultivation of new crops of the Americas, such as cocoa in Venezuela and tobacco in Cuba, contributed to the population exodus from towns such as Buenavista del Norte, Vilaflor, or El Sauzal in the late 17th century. The village of San Carlos de Tenerife was founded in 1684 by Canary Islanders on Santo Domingo . The people from Tenerife were recruited for settlement to build up

3330-503: The ORAC project providing a major upgrade to the user interface and automating telescope operations, and the OMP providing a comprehensive observation database and data feedback mechanisms. Since 2003, using these two software enhancements, UKIRT has carried out highly efficient flexible scheduling – tailoring observation execution to the prevailing weather conditions. Observations are selected from

3420-495: The Pico del Teide. Emigration to the Americas (mainly Cuba and Venezuela) continued during the 19th and early 20th century, due to the lack of economic opportunity and the relative isolation of the Canary Islands. Since the late 20th century, island protectionist economic laws and a strong development in the tourism industry have strengthened the economy and attracted new migrants. Tenerife has received numerous new residents, including

3510-551: The Spanish Empire. From the start of the colonization of the New World , many Spanish expeditions stopped at the island for supplies on their way to the Americas. They also recruited many tinerfeños for their crews, who formed an integral part of the conquest expeditions. Others joined ships in search of better prospects. It is also important to note the exchange in plant and animal species that made those voyages. After

3600-498: The United Kingdom, and northern Europe in large numbers in the 1890s. They especially were attracted to the destinations of the northern towns of Puerto de la Cruz and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Independent shipping business, such as the Yeoward Brothers Shipping Line, helped boost the tourist industry during this time, adding to ships that carried passengers. The naturalist Alexander von Humboldt ascended

3690-484: The University of Hawaii and University of Arizona and researchers at LM-ATC. The UK continues to provide support for data pipelines and archives for the Wide-Field Camera and receives a share of the time for survey projects of joint interest. Tenerife Tenerife ( / ˌ t ɛ n ə ˈ r iː f / TEN -ə- REEF ; Spanish: [teneˈɾife] ; formerly spelled Teneriffe )

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3780-624: The architectural symbol of the Canary Islands. The island is home to the University of La Laguna . Founded in 1792 in San Cristóbal de La Laguna , it is the oldest university in the Canaries. The city of La Laguna is a UNESCO World Heritage Site . It is the second most populous city on the island, and the third most populous in the archipelago. It was the capital of the Canary Islands before Santa Cruz replaced it in 1833. Tenerife

3870-440: The capital, Santa Cruz. The term chicharrero was once a derogatory term used by the people of La Laguna when it was the capital, to refer to the poorer inhabitants and fishermen of Santa Cruz. The fishermen typically caught mackerel and other residents ate potatoes , assumed to be of low quality by the elite of La Laguna. As Santa Cruz grew in commerce and status, it replaced La Laguna as capital of Tenerife in 1833 during

3960-417: The conquest. They divided into the side of peace (Spanish: bando de paz ) and the side of war (Spanish: bando de guerra ). The first included the menceyatos of Anaga, Güímar, Abona and Adeje. The second group consisted of the people of Tegueste, Tacoronte, Taoro, Icoden and Daute. Those opposed to the conquest fought the invaders tenaciously, resisting their rule for two years. Castillian forces under

4050-600: The database according to the current seeing, atmospheric water vapor, sky transparency, and a science priority allocated by the telescope time allocation panel. In July 2006, UKIRT released the DR1 data set for the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope Infrared Deep Sky Survey. It was announced on 16 December 2009 that the telescope was "subject to discussions leading to managed withdrawal". In 2012, its shutdown for end of

4140-401: The deaths of 583 passengers and crew. A few years later, Dan Air Flight 1008 crashed into a mountain while on approach to Tenerife North, killing 146 people. The plane was travelling too close to an Iberia Air turboprop plane and was asked to go into a holding pattern. At the beginning of the 21st century, the so-called Riada de Tenerife of 2002 took place on 31 March of that year. It was

4230-420: The elements by a co-rotating carousel with a transparent membrane stretched across the carousel aperture. Building work started in 1983 and went well. In 1984, the telescope was shipped from England to Hawaii. After the original shipper broke down at the last minute, the telescope was given to a commercial captain who was supposed to deliver it directly to Hawaii. Instead, the captain sailed to Holland to pick up

4320-411: The extraction and working of metals. The main activity was gathering food from nature; though fishing and shellfish collection were supplemented with some agricultural practices. As for religion and cosmology , the Guanches were polytheistic , with further widespread belief in an astral cult . They also had an animistic religiosity that sacralized certain places, mainly rocks and mountains. Although

4410-580: The fleet, Capt. Arthur Phillip and the chief officers were entertained by the local governor, while one convict tried unsuccessfully to escape. On 10 June they set sail to cross the Atlantic to Rio de Janeiro, taking advantage of favourable trade winds and ocean currents. In June 1799, the Prussian-born naturalist Alexander von Humboldt spent five full days on Tenerife on the first leg of his soon world-famous American journey (1799–1804) and climbed

4500-668: The following year in what became Texas . Between 1777 and 1783, more islanders emigrated from Santa Cruz de Tenerife to settle in what became St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana , during the period when Spain ruled this former French territory west of the Mississippi River. Some groups went to Western or Spanish Florida. Tenerife saw the arrival of the First Fleet to Botany Bay in June 1787, which consisted of 11 ships that departed from Portsmouth, England, on 13 May 1787 to found

4590-463: The greater maritime influence. At a higher elevation in San Cristóbal de La Laguna , the climate transitions to a Mediterranean climate with higher precipitation amounts and lower temperatures year round. The climate of Santa Cruz is very typical of the Canaries, albeit only slightly warmer than the climate of Las Palmas. Major climatic contrasts on the island are evident, especially during

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4680-411: The indigenous peoples might have named the island for the famous Guanche king, Tinerfe , nicknamed "the Great", who ruled Tenerife before the Canary Islands were conquered by Castile . The formal demonym used to refer to the people of Tenerife is Tinerfeño/a ; also used colloquially is the term chicharrero /a . In modern society, the latter term is generally applied only to inhabitants of

4770-412: The island around twelve million years ago. The island as it is today was formed three million years ago by the fusion of three islands made up of the mountain ranges of Anaga , Teno and Valle de San Lorenzo , due to volcanic activity from Teide . The volcano is visible from most parts of the island today, and the crater is 17 kilometres (11 miles) long at some points. Tenerife is the largest island of

4860-745: The island is characterized by forests because of the much higher precipitation, mostly Canary Island pine forests in the Teide National Park at altitudes from 1,300 to 2,100 metres (4,300 to 6,900 ft). Subtropical cloud forests characterised by laurisilva are commonly found in the Anaga National Park and Monte de Agua in the Teno Rural Park, with altitudes from 600 to 1,000 metres (2,000 to 3,300 ft) and annual averages from 15 to 19 °C (59 to 66 °F) and 600 to 1,200 metres (2,000 to 3,900 ft) in

4950-405: The island was colonized by the Spanish the name was modified by Spanish phonology: the letter "r" was added to link the two words, producing the single word Tenerife. However, throughout history, other explanations for the origin of island's name have been proposed. For example, the 17th-century historians Juan Núñez de la Peña and Tomás Arias Marín de Cubas , among others, suggested that

5040-631: The island), attempts to annex the island of Tenerife to the Crown of Castile date back at least to 1464. In 1464, Diego Garcia de Herrera , Lord of the Canary Islands, took symbolic possession of the island in the Barranco del Bufadero (Ravine of the Bufadero), signing a peace treaty with the Guanche chiefs ( menceyes ) which allowed the mencey Anaga to build a fortified tower on Guanche land, where

5130-627: The island, the Macizo de Anaga (massif), has been designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2015. Tenerife also has the largest number of endemic species in Europe. The name 'Tenerife' likely comes from Tamazight , but there is no consensus on its correct interpretation. The island's indigenous people , the Guanche Berbers , referred to the island as Achinet or Chenet in their language (variant spellings are found in

5220-648: The island. In addition on the island of Tenerife like on La Palma light pollution must be also controlled, to help the astrophysical observatories located in the island's summits. Water is generally of a very high quality, and all the beaches of the island of Tenerife have been catalogued by the Ministry of Health and Consumption as waters suitable for bathing. Tenerife is a rugged volcanic island, sculpted by successive eruptions throughout its history. There are four historically recorded volcanic eruptions, none of which has led to casualties. The first occurred in 1704, when

5310-403: The kind typically associated with rituals have been found on the island. Scholars believe they were used as idols, the most prominent of which is the so-called Idol of Guatimac , which is thought to represent a genius or protective spirit. The title of mencey was given to the monarch or king of the Guanches of Tenerife, who governed a menceyato or kingdom. This role was later referred to as

5400-698: The landscape plays a role in climatic differences on the island with its many valleys. The moderating effect of the marine air makes extreme heat a rare occurrence and frost an impossibility at sea level. The lowest recorded temperature in central Santa Cruz is 8.1 °C (46.6 °F), the coldest month on record still had a relatively mild average temperature of 15.8 °C (60.4 °F). Summer temperatures are highest in August, with an average high of 29 °C (84 °F) in Santa Cruz, similar to those of places as far north as Barcelona and Majorca , because of

5490-629: The late 1960s, the Astronomy Committee of the UK's Science Research Council (SRC, the forerunner of STFC ) considered the importance of astronomical observations at submillimetre and millimetre wavelengths. After a series of proposals and debates, in 1975, the SRC millimetre steering committee concluded that it would be possible to construct a 15-metre diameter telescope capable of observing at wavelengths down to 750–800 μm . The project, then called

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5580-478: The latter. The north and south of Tenerife similarly have different climatic characteristics because of the rain shadow effect. The windward northwestern side of the island receives 73 percent of all precipitation on the island, and the relative humidity of the air is superior and the insolation inferior. The pluviometric maximums are registered on the windward side at an average altitude of between 1,000 and 1,200 metres (3,300 and 3,900 feet), almost exclusively in

5670-510: The literature). According to Pliny the Younger , Berber king Juba II sent an expedition to the Canary Islands and Madeira ; he named the Canary Islands for the particularly ferocious dogs ( canaria ) on the island. Juba II and the ancient Romans called the island of Tenerife Nivaria , from the Latin word nix ( nsg. ; gsg. nivis , npl. nives ), meaning "snow", after

5760-416: The local native population. For a century after the conquest, many new colonists settled on the island, including immigrants from the diverse territories of the growing Spanish Empire , such as Flanders , Italy, and Germany. As the population grew, it cleared Tenerife's pine forests for fuel and to make fields for agriculture for crops both for local consumption and for export. Sugar cane was introduced in

5850-403: The most visited island in the archipelago. It is one of the most important tourist destinations in Spain and the world, hosting one of the world's largest carnivals , the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife . The capital of the island, Santa Cruz de Tenerife , is also the seat of the island council ( cabildo insular ). That city and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria are the co-capitals of

5940-506: The names of descendants of Tinerfe who ruled them) were the following: The achimenceyato of Punta del Hidalgo was governed by Aguahuco, a "poor noble" who was an illegitimate son of Tinerfe and Zebenzui. Tenerife was the last island of the Canaries to be conquered and the one that took the longest time to submit to the Castilian troops. Although the traditional dates of the conquest of Tenerife are established between 1494 (landing of Alonso Fernández de Lugo) and 1496 (the complete conquest of

6030-403: The optics by Grubb Parsons of Newcastle. Originally known as the Infrared Flux Collector, it began operation in October 1979. It was built at the same time as the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility ; John Jefferies of the Institute for Astronomy , which built the first telescope in the area, said "it has been sometimes a source of embarrassment ... that there are two of them at the same place at

6120-423: The peak of Mount Teide and remarked on the beauty of the island. Before his rise to power, Francisco Franco was posted to Tenerife in March 1936 by a Republican government wary of his influence and political leanings. However, Franco received information and in Gran Canaria agreed to collaborate in the military coup that would result in the Spanish Civil War ; the Canaries fell to the Nationalists in July 1936. In

6210-454: The penal colony that became the first European settlement in Australia. The Fleet consisted of two Royal Navy vessels, three store ships and six convict ships carrying between 1,000 and 1,500 convicts, marines, seamen, civil officers and free people (accounts differ on the numbers), and a vast quantity of stores. On 3 June 1787, the fleet anchored at Santa Cruz at Tenerife. Here, fresh water, vegetables and meat were brought on board. Commander of

6300-418: The procurement specification. The instrument was mounted on an 'English Equatorial mounting' or yoke which sits on ball-bearings on steel piers, swinging east–west and rotating around north–south. The geometry of the mount limits the telescopes access to objects between +60 and −40 degrees of declination but it is extremely sturdy and free from deformation and so allows very accurate pointing. The entire structure

6390-421: The reign of Fernando VII . Then the inhabitants of Santa Cruz used the former insult to identify as residents of the new capital, at La Laguna's expense. The earliest known human settlement in the islands, dating to around 200 BCE , was established by Berbers known as the Guanches . However, the Cave of the Guanches in the northern municipality of Icod de los Vinos has provided the oldest chronologies of

6480-528: The right to conquer Tenerife. Coming from Gran Canaria in April 1494, the conqueror landed on the coast of present-day Santa Cruz de Tenerife in May, and disembarked with about 2,000 men on foot and 200 on horseback. After taking the fort, the army prepared to move inland, later capturing the native kings of Tenerife and presenting them to Isabella and Ferdinand . The menceyes of Tenerife had differing responses to

6570-421: The same time. The natural question is asked, Why two? Why don't you build one and share it?". With the delivery of the wide-field imager WFCAM in 2004, UKIRT began a revolutionary large-scale sky survey (the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey , UKIDSS). This project takes some 80% of the available telescope time in wide-field mode. Wide-field takes some 60% of the telescope; the other 40% is devoted to operations with

6660-579: The snow-covered peak of the Mount Teide volcano. Later maps dating to the 14th and 15th century, drawn by mapmakers such as Bontier and Le Verrier, called the island Isla del Infierno , ("Hell Island"), due to Mount Teide's volcanic eruptions and other volcanic activity. Although the name given to the island by the Benahoaritas (the indigenous peoples of La Palma) was derived from the words teni ("mountain") and ife ("white"), after

6750-405: The summer. The moderate climate of Tenerife is controlled to a great extent by the trade winds , whose humidity is condensed principally over the north and northeast of the island, creating cloud banks that range between 600 and 1,800 metres (2,000 and 5,900 feet) in height. The cold sea currents of the Canary Islands also have a cooling effect on the coasts and its beaches, while the topography of

6840-460: The telescope at the same time and a wide-field imager placed forward of the Cassegrain focus. Though it was built inexpensively, UKIRT has been extensively upgraded. A program of improvements from 1990 to 1998 greatly improved the imaging performance, and in 2001 the telescope delivered median infrared seeing ranging from 0.8 arcseconds at dusk to 0.5 arcseconds in the early morning. Between 1998 and 2003, two major software projects were undertaken –

6930-608: The telescope overboard if his demand was not met. The telescope team was able to get a court order to give up the board, and the ship was subsequently boarded and the captain arrested at gunpoint by the Coast Guard . The telescope saw first light in 1987. The name for the final facility was changed to the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. The telescope itself was operated by the Joint Astronomy Centre (JAC), from Hilo , Hawaii. From 1987 until March 2013

7020-546: The telescope was funded by a partnership of the United Kingdom (55 per cent), Canada (25 per cent), and the Netherlands (20 per cent). In 2013 the Netherlands withdrew, and until 2015 the shares became UK 75 per cent, Canada 25 per cent. In March 2015, the UK and Canada handed over ownership of the JCMT to the East Asian Observatory, which is funded by Japan, China, Taiwan and South-Korea, together with

7110-510: The tonnage. In the islands of La Palma and Gran Canaria , the percentage was around 19% for the first and 7% for the second. The volume of traffic between the Indies and the Canary Islands was unknown, but was very important and concentrated almost exclusively in Tenerife. Among the products that are exported were cochineal , rum and sugar cane , which were landed mainly in the ports of

7200-536: The total or partial destruction of at least 400 homes. The losses were calculated at 90 million euros. In November 2005, Tenerife was the Canary Island most affected by Tropical Storm Delta . Winds of 140 km/h were recorded on the coast and almost 250 km/h on the Teide , Tenerife's summit. The oldest mountain ranges in Tenerife rose from the Atlantic Ocean by volcanic eruption which gave birth to

7290-455: The town from encroachment by French colonists established in the western side of Hispaniola. Between 1720 and 1730, the Crown moved 176 families, including many tinerfeños, to the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico . In 1726, about 25 island families migrated to the Americas to collaborate on the foundation of Montevideo . Four years later, in 1730, another group left that founded San Antonio

7380-449: The volcano) of which there are thousands on the island, important systems that serve to extract its hydrological resources. These tunnels are very hazardous, with pockets of volcanic gas or carbon dioxide , causing rapid death. The Canary Islands have low levels of air pollution thanks to the lack of factories and industry and the trade winds which naturally move away contaminated air from the islands. According to official data offered by

7470-439: The winter months and 24–26 °C (75–79 °F) in the summer months. There is a high annual total of days of sunshine and low precipitation in the coastal areas. The inland/high altitude areas, such as La Laguna , receive much more precipitation and are generally cloudier, as well as the temperatures have a considerable difference, with an average of 13–14 °C (55–57 °F) in the winter and 20–21 °C (68–70 °F) in

7560-518: The winter months when it is possible to enjoy the warm sunshine on the coast and experience snow within kilometres, 3,000 metres (10,000 feet) above sea level on El Teide . There are also major contrasts at low altitude, where the climate ranges from arid ( Köppen BWh ) on the southeastern side represented by Santa Cruz de Tenerife to Mediterranean ( Csa / Csb ) on the northwestern side in Buena Vista del Norte and La Orotava. The center of

7650-451: Was built on massive ball bearings held rigid by shear pins to afford earthquake protection. Pointing control of the axis was provided by pairs of printed circuit motors driven in opposition to cancel backlash controlled by a DEC PDP11/40 computer system.<The Life Story of an Infrared Telescope by John K. Davies> The telescope was built between 1975 and 1978; the mechanical systems were built by Dunford Hadfields Limited of Sheffield and

7740-561: Was important driving the construction of the later Submillimeter Array and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) interferometers. In recent years the JCMT has also taken part in Event Horizon Telescope observations, which produced the first direct image of a black hole . The JCMT was also involved in the discovery of phosphine, a potential biomarker, in the atmosphere of Venus. In

7830-484: Was made available for general astronomical observations in February, 2012. Two ancillary instruments, FTS-2 and POL-2, add spectroscopic and polarimetric capabilities to SCUBA-2. The JCMT is also equipped with two heterodyne receivers, which allow submillimetre spectral line observations to be made. The spectral-line mapping capabilities of the JCMT have been greatly enhanced by the commissioning in 2006 of HARP ,

7920-628: Was repelled by the inhabitants of Santiago del Teide . Some threw rocks at the British from the heights of the cliffs of Los Gigantes . The island was also attacked by British commanders Robert Blake , Walter Raleigh , John Hawkins and Woodes Rogers . From 1833 to 1927, Santa Cruz de Tenerife was the sole capital of the Canary Islands. In 1927, the government ordered that the capital be shared with Las Palmas , as it remains at present. This change in status has encouraged development in Las Palmas. Tourists began visiting Tenerife from Spain,

8010-488: Was succeeded by SCUBA-2, which was commissioned in 2011. This ground-breaking camera consists of large arrays of superconducting transition edge sensors with a mapping speed hundreds of times larger than SCUBA. It has 5120 array elements at both 450 and 850 micron wavelength (10,240 total pixels). It has been conducting the JCMT legacy surveys since November, 2011, including the SCUBA-2 All Sky Survey , and

8100-480: Was used to discover a redshift distance record breaking Quasar in 2011. The quasar could not be seen in visible light, but could in the longer wavelengths observed by UKIRT. The UKIDSS observations allowed astronomers to find the most distant quasar in 2011. It took five years to find this item but once found, other telescopes such as the VLT further analyzed it. UKIRT has four Cassegrain instruments of which 3 can be on

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