Sheltered from the blazing summer sun, a group of scientists in the northern Italian city of Padua spent weeks finalising an instrument they say could transform the study of the solar corona.

As a total solar eclipse sweeps across Europe on August 12, the Circular Slit Spectrometer (CISS) will undergo a decisive test at Spain's Javalambre Astrophysical Observatory, where researchers hope to prove it can break down the Sun's light into its constituent wavelengths much faster than existing instruments.

Unlike conventional linear spectrometers, the new prototype "has a circular slit and can capture the spectrum of the entire corona at a certain distance from the centre of the Sun in a single photograph," said Principal Investigator Federico Landini of the Astrophysical Observatory of Turin.

The approach is designed to overcome a key limitation of earlier instruments, which could take hours to scan the corona line by line, while the region changes on timescales of minutes.

If researchers can demonstrate that the new optical principle works, the next step could be to apply it in a future space mission to observe the Sun's outer atmosphere.

First, however, they must arrive fully prepared for the brief window of totality, when the Moon blocks the bright solar disc, allowing scientists to observe the corona and test the results of two and a half years of work.

"There is neither space nor time for the unexpected," said Senior Researcher Paola Zuppella from the Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies of Padua, adding that team coordination is just as important as favourable weather conditions.

To reach Spain, the team decided to travel by road rather than by plane so they could transport the instrument without dismantling it and avoid potential disruptions to their journey.

"Given the situation with flights, which may well be cancelled at the last minute, it's best to make sure we actually get there," said Landini, who took the road alongside his colleagues on Friday (August 7).

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

1. RESEARCHERS WORKING ON NEW SPECTROMETER TO BE TESTED DURING SOLAR ECLIPSE

2. SENIOR RESEARCHER FROM CNR - INSTITUTE FOR PHOTONICS AND NANOTECHNOLOGIES OF PADUA, FABIO FRASSETTO, WORKING ON SPECTROMETER

3. DETAIL OF SPECTROMETER

4. VARIOUS OF PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR FROM INAF - ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY OF TURIN, FEDERICO LANDINI, WORKING ON SPECTROMETER

5. SPECTROMETER BEING TESTED

6. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR FROM INAF - ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY OF TURIN, FEDERICO LANDINI, SAYING:

"It is a spectrometer intended to measure the spectrum - that is, the breakdown of light into its colours and wavelengths - of the solar corona, which is that part of the Sun, the solar atmosphere, that can be observed during total eclipses, that is, when the photosphere - the visible solar disc - is obscured, or blocked, by the Moon."

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7. TIGHT SHOT OF SOLAR ECLIPSE

PADUA, ITALY (JUNE 17, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

8. DETAIL OF SPECTROMETER

9. VARIOUS OF SPECTROMETER BEING TESTED

10. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR FROM INAF - ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY OF TURIN, FEDERICO LANDINI, SAYING:

"This spectrometer is an innovative prototype featuring a completely new optical design, because - unlike conventional spectrometers, which use a linear slit and a linear grating - it has a circular slit and can capture the spectrum of the entire corona at a certain distance from the centre of the Sun in a single photograph."

11. RESEARCH FELLOW FROM INAF - ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY OF TURIN, CHIARA CASINI, PLACING COMPONENT

12. VARIOUS OF CASINI TESTING SPECTROMETER

13. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR FROM INAF - ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY OF TURIN, FEDERICO LANDINI, SAYING:

"So the aim is to test the system, to demonstrate that this new operating principle works. This must be done during the eclipse because, as I explained, otherwise we would not be able to see the corona, we would not be able to see the subject we are interested in observing. And at that point, once it has been demonstrated that it works, one can ask the scientific community for support for a proposal for a space mission to observe the corona from space."

14. RESEARCHERS WORKING ON SPECTROMETER

15. SENIOR RESEARCHER FROM CNR - INSTITUTE FOR PHOTONICS AND NANOTECHNOLOGIES OF PADUA, PAOLA ZUPPELLA, WORKING ON SPECTROMETER

16. DETAIL OF SPECTROMETER

17. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) SENIOR RESEARCHER FROM CNR - INSTITUTE FOR PHOTONICS AND NANOTECHNOLOGIES OF PADUA, PAOLA ZUPPELLA, SAYING:

"Let's say that the difficulty, as with all innovative instruments, lies in the transition from the idea - from what one might expect - to the final realisation of the pieces, and this also involves creating the components and parts to be assembled, which are innovative in terms of technology as well. So there is the process of putting into practice the realisation of the objects."

18. VARIOUS OF FRASSETTO WORKING ON SPECTROMETER

19. ZUPPELLA SPEAKING

20. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) SENIOR RESEARCHER FROM CNR - INSTITUTE FOR PHOTONICS AND NANOTECHNOLOGIES OF PADUA, PAOLA ZUPPELLA, SAYING:

"Certainly, a key factor in ensuring the success of the experiments - and this applies in general, not just to the CISS instrument and this validation - is good team spirit, but also effective coordination, which essentially stems from working together and the ability to divide tasks according to individual expertise, which is undoubtedly an important factor. There is an aspect of hardware preparation and hardware testing that must be guaranteed in all cases and must be carried out in advance, because, obviously, there is neither space nor time for the unexpected."

21. SPECTROMETER

22. VARIOUS OF DETAILS OF SPECTROMETER

23. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR FROM INAF - ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY OF TURIN, FEDERICO LANDINI, SAYING:

"Travelling to Spain (by road) - let's say from a practical point of view - is easier at the moment because we can travel in a van with the equipment already fitted and simply check that the alignment has been maintained, rather than having to start the process all over again. What's more, given the current situation with flights, which may well be cancelled at the last minute, it's best to make sure we actually get there."

24. VARIOUS OF DETAIL OF SPECTROMETER

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25. SLOW ZOOM OF SOLAR ECLIPSE

FLORENCE, ITALY (AUGUST 7, 2026) (FEDERICO LANDINI - Access all)

26. LANDINI AND FRASSETTO LOADING VAN

27. VAN LEAVING