THEMIS Solar Telescope
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The “Télescope Héliographique pour l’Étude du Magnétisme et des Instabilités Solaires” (THEMIS) of CNRS-INSU is a 1-meter-class optical solar telescope, primarily dedicated to studying solar magnetism and the dynamical processes within the Sun’s atmosphere (such as sunspots and solar flares). THEMIS can also perform observation of near-Sun objects such as Mercury and comets. THEMIS is located at the Teide Observatory of IAC, with a base office in La Laguna, in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
Click for information on: How to reach THEMIS locations ; How to contact the THEMIS team
2026 observing campaign schedule Recent news
September : Arrival of a new control-command engineer at THEMIS. |
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Overview of telescope status
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The THEMIS telescope and its science
Technical & scientific information about THEMIS Observing with THEMIS
Information for research scientists wishing to observe with THEMIS THEMIS Scientific research & results |
THEMIS image of the month
The identity of an astrophysical observational instrument is not only the size of its primary mirror but as well the instrumentation that it supports. A key signature of THEMIS is the presence of a polarisation analysis unit located at the first focus of the telescope. This polarisation units fixes the polarisation state of the light beam that will further travel inside the telescope. This makes THEMIS one of the uniquely polarisation-calibration free solar telescope in the world.
The study of polarisation is fundamental to measure magnetic fields in the solar atmosphere: magnetic fields polarise the light emission of magnetic-field-sensitive elements, such as iron, present in the solar atmospheric plasma. But not all THEMIS observations campaign requires polarisation, e.g. our Mercury studies. Hence THEMIS polarisation analysis unit has to moved in and out once a while.
In this picture of the month, one can see, Pr. B. Gelly, THEMIS director, connecting back the polarisation analysis unit (the metallic device under the cone shaped light deflector) upon its reinstallation. |
THEMIS telescope management
Internal pages for the THEMIS team (requires a webpage access login)
Previous THEMIS front page
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