Igor Coretti

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Igor Coretti is an astronomer and automation specialist at the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) – Astronomical Observatory of Trieste (OATs), where he has pioneered the complete robotic control of educational observatories. His primary research focus lies in developing advanced automation systems for astronomical instrumentation, particularly through the integration of Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) with professional-grade telescopes. Coretti’s major contribution is the successful implementation of a fully automated observatory centered around a Celestron C14 reflector telescope mounted on a robotic Paramount ME equatorial mount. His work, detailed in his most-cited papers from 2013 and 2018, describes the transformation of a manual educational facility into a remotely operable system using Beckhoff PLC technology. This achievement has significantly enhanced public outreach capabilities, allowing students and the public to conduct real-time astronomical observations without on-site technical support. While his citation counts (2 each) reflect the specialized, applied nature of his engineering-focused publications, his impact is measured in the thousands of students who have accessed the stars through his automated systems. Coretti’s work stands as a model for cost-effective, scalable observatory automation in educational settings.