ASTRI takes part in two major international scientific conferences
In December 2025, the ASTRI project of INAF took part in two important scientific events, confirming its role on the international stage of technological and astrophysical research, from photon detection to emerging perspectives in quantum communications.
ASTRI at the international workshop on photon detectors PD2025
From 3 to 5 December 2025, the 7th International Workshop on New Photon-Detectors (PD2025) was held in Bologna, organised by the Bologna Division of the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN Bologna) and the Department of Physics and Astronomy of the University of Bologna (DIFA UniBo).
The workshop was dedicated to the most recent developments in photon-detector technologies and their applications in several scientific fields, including particle and astroparticle physics, astrophysics, and astronomy. The scientific programme included plenary sessions, oral contributions, and poster sessions, providing ample opportunities for discussion and exchange among researchers and early-career scientists.
During the workshop, Giuseppe Sottile (INAF – IASF Palermo) presented the contribution entitled “The focal plane cameras of the ASTRI Mini-Array air-Cherenkov telescopes for gamma-ray astronomy”. The talk illustrated particle and astroparticle detection techniques, the distinctive features of the ASTRI Mini-Array Cherenkov cameras—characterised by a wider field of view and a unique internal cooling system—and the first scientific results obtained with the ASTRI-1 and ASTRI-3 telescopes.
From quantum astronomy to quantum communications
On 9 and 10 December 2025, in Asiago, Giovanni Pareschi, Principal Investigator of the ASTRI project, took part in the second edition of the conference “From Quantum Astronomy to Quantum Communications”, organised by Quantum Telecommunications Italy and INAF.
The conference brought together representatives of the national and international scientific and technological communities to explore the dialogue between quantum astronomy and quantum communications, with particular attention to photon-based technologies, terrestrial and satellite quantum communication networks, and their possible applications.
In his presentation, Giovanni Pareschi discussed new perspectives for the use of Cherenkov telescopes beyond gamma-ray astronomy. In particular, the feasibility of using ASTRI telescopes as low-cost demonstrators for space communications in the visible and infrared bands is currently being evaluated. Thanks to their large collecting area and significantly lower construction costs compared to traditional optical telescopes, Cherenkov telescopes represent a strategic resource for the development of new optical communication approaches from space.
The medium-term goal is to initiate coordinated observational campaigns between the ASTRI telescopes and the Optical Ground Station of the European Space Agency (ESA), located at the Teide Observatory in Tenerife, at the same site as the ASTRI Mini-Array. These campaigns would allow testing laser-based data transfer between ground stations and geostationary satellites, paving the way for future applications in satellite and, in perspective, interplanetary communications.
This post is also available in: Italian
