COELUM 282 — NOW AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH

EXPLORE THE UNIVERSE IN GREATER DEPTH

Coelum Astronomia enters its thirtieth year of publication with a new issue bringing together space exploration, astronomical research, astrophotography and the pleasure of discovering the night sky.

Issue 282 takes you from the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope to Chile’s great observatories, from the changing landscapes of Mars to the total solar eclipse of August 2026. Along the way, discover the people, instruments and ideas shaping our understanding of the Universe.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

THE NANCY GRACE ROMAN SPACE TELESCOPE

Luigi Bedin introduces the observatory poised to combine sharp images with an extraordinary panoramic view of the cosmos. Explore Roman’s instruments, its ambitious surveys and the Italian-led programme selected to investigate four of the Milky Way’s most important globular clusters.

THE GREAT OBSERVATORIES OF CHILE — PART THREE

Continue the journey with Aldo Zanetti through La Silla and Las Campanas, home to some of the instruments that have transformed modern astronomy. Discover the telescopes, meet the people behind the observations and experience these remarkable places through an astronomer’s eyes.

WELCOME BACK TO MARS!

Antonio Piras follows the latest discoveries from the Red Planet, including evidence of ancient water, intriguing organic compounds and the striking geological formations encountered by Curiosity.

BEYOND RED: MARS IN COLOUR — PART TWO

Silvia Bertoli, Giovanni Munaretto and Gabriele Cremonese reveal how images from the CaSSIS camera help scientists interpret Mars’s surface. From ancient ice deposits to dunes and unusual landforms, colour provides clues to the planet’s complex geological history.

HUBBLE’S VIEW OF A CHANGING UNIVERSE

Explore new views of Jupiter and Europa, a spiral galaxy revealing the life cycle of stars, and a dark tower of cosmic dust. Barbara Bubbi guides readers through images that reveal the physical processes behind the spectacle.

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR WHEN CHATTING WITH AN ALIEN

How much common ground could we find with an extraterrestrial civilisation? Stefano Marcellini explores the assumptions and scientific questions behind an apparently simple idea: communicating with an alien.

ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY AND OBSERVING

A NIGHT ON EDUARDO DE FILIPPO’S ISLAND

Join Simeone Pendolo on Isca Island, off the Sorrento Peninsula, for an astrophotographic adventure where the sea meets the Milky Way. An improvised expedition, challenging winds and a remarkable southern horizon make for a memorable night beneath the stars.

THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE OF 12 AUGUST 2026

Relive the eclipse through our PhotoCoelum special, featuring readers’ photographs and first-hand accounts. From travel adventures to the fleeting moments of totality, discover the experience behind the images.

AN EXOPLANET TRANSIT CAPTURES EARTH’S PULSE

Giovanni Calapai recounts an observing session in which the transit of a distant planet shares the stage with a signal from much closer to home. Follow the investigation through photometry, observing logs and the practical challenges of precision measurements.

MESSIER 30

Lara Fossi continues our journey through the Messier catalogue with M30, the globular cluster sometimes nicknamed the Jellyfish Cluster. Explore its history, ancient stellar population and compact core, with practical advice for finding and observing it.

COMETS, ASTEROIDS AND THE NIGHT SKY

Plan your observing sessions with:

• Claudio Pra’s guide to the faint comets visible in October and November, including 161P/Hartley–IRAS, C/2024 T5 ATLAS and 11P/Tempel–Swift–LINEAR.
• Marco Iozzi’s selection of asteroids and notable close approaches.
• Sky maps and a complete guide to the October and November 2026 skies.
• Lunar observing with Francesco Badalotti, alongside planetary visibility, conjunctions and other celestial events.

HISTORY, PEOPLE AND ASTRONOMICAL CULTURE

A WOMAN AMONG THE STARS

Frida Paolella meets Annamaria Nassisi for a wide-ranging interview about the space sector, the opportunities ahead and the role of women in shaping its future. The conversation also explores the Donne fra le Stelle festival and the importance of bringing space science into public life.

COA ’E SERRA: AN OBSERVATORY THOUSANDS OF YEARS OLD

Don Luca Peyron explores an ancient Sardinian site and its relationship with the sky, connecting astronomy, archaeology and the enduring human desire to understand celestial cycles.

SUNDIAL ATLAS

Fabio Savian presents the international project devoted to documenting sundials around the world. Discover how its maps, records and smartphone tools help preserve this heritage and make it accessible to researchers, enthusiasts and curious travellers.

THE STORY OF SN 2004dj

Fabio Briganti and Riccardo Mancini revisit SN 2004dj in NGC 2403, discovered by Japanese amateur astronomer Koichi Itagaki. Follow the observations that made this nearby supernova an important subject for both amateur and professional astronomers.

SURVIVORS OF LOST WORLDS

Flavio Castellani explores what rare meteorites reveal about their parent bodies. Angrites, aubrites and enstatite-rich meteorites offer clues to the formation and evolution of worlds whose fragments have reached Earth.

LAPLACE’S DEMON: SCIENCE AND ITS PARADOXES

Could perfect knowledge of the present allow us to predict the future? Antonino Del Popolo traces this question through determinism, chaos theory and quantum mechanics, exploring the limits of prediction.

CHIANTI TOPICS: PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES

Irene Parenti and Asia Liberti report from the ninth Chianti Topics international workshop. An interview with Marcel Snels explores laboratory experiments, remote sensing and the techniques helping researchers investigate atmospheres within and beyond our Solar System.

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No introduction could include every contribution featured in this issue. Our thanks go to all the authors and photographers whose expertise and enthusiasm have helped make COELUM 282 possible.

Cover image: NASA/John Kraus.