Five Years of Mini-EUSO Observations from the ISS: Summary of Key Results

Abdullahi M, Abrate M, Adams JH, Allard D, Alldredge P, Aloisio R, Ammendola R, Anastasio A, Anchordoqui L, Andreoli V, Anzalone A, Arnone E, Badoni D, von Ballmoos P, Baret B, Barghini D, Battisti M, Bellotti R, Belov AA, Bertaina M, Betts M, Biermann P, Bisconti F, Blin-Bondil S, Boezio M, Bowaire AN, Buckland I, Burmistrov L, Burton-Heibges J, Cafagna F, Campana D, Capel F, Caraca J, Caruso R, Casolino M, Cassardo C, Castellina A, Černý K, Conti L, Coretti AG, Cremonini R, Creusot A, Cummings A, Davarpanah S, De Santis C, de la Taille C, Di Giovanni A, Di Salvo A, Ebisuzaki T, Eser J, Fenu F, Ferrarese S, Filippatos G, Finch WW, Fornaro C, Fuglesang C, Galvez Molina P, Garbolino S, Garg D, Gardiol D, Garipov GK, Golzio A, Guépin C, Haungs A, Heibges T, Isgrò F, Iuppa R, Judd EG, Kajino F, Kupari L, Kim SW, Klimov PA, Kreykenbohm I, Krizmanic JF, Lesrel J, Liberatori F, Lima HP, M’sihid E, Mandát D, Manfrin M, Marcelli A, Marcelli L, Marszał W, Masciantonio G, Masone V, Matthews JN, Mayotte E, Meli A, Mese M, Meyer SS, Mignone M, Miller M, Miyamoto H, Montaruli T, Moses J, Munini R, Nathan C, Neronov A, Nicolaidis R, Nonaka T, Mongelli M, Novikov A, Nozzoli F, Ogawa T, Ogio S, Ohmori H, Olinto AV, Onel Y, Osteria G, Panico B, Parizot E, Passeggio G, Paul T, Pech M, Penalo Castillo K, Perfetto F, Perrone L, Petta C, Picozza P, Piotrowski LW, Plebaniak Z, Prévôt G, Przybylak M, Qureshi H, Reali E, Reno MH, Reynaud F, Ricci E, Ricci M, Rivetti A, Saccà G, Sagawa H, Saprykin O, Sarazin F, Saraev RE, Schovánek P, Scotti V, Sharakin SA, Scherini V, Schieler H, Shinozaki K, Schröder F, Sotgiu A, Sparvoli R, Stillwell B, Szabelski J, Takeda M, Takizawa Y, Thomas SB, Torres Saavedra RA, Triggiani R, Trimarelli C, Trofimov DA, Unger M, Venters TM, Venugopal M, Vigorito C, Vrabel M, Wada S, Washington D, Weindl A, Wiencke L, Wilms J, Wissel S, Yashin IV, Zotov MY, Zuccon P (2025)

Publication Type: Conference contribution

Publication year: 2025

Journal

Publisher: Sissa Medialab Srl

Book Volume: 501

Conference Proceedings Title: Proceedings of Science

Event location: Geneva

DOI: 10.22323/1.501.0183

Abstract

Mini-EUSO is the first space-borne detector of the JEM-EUSO (Joint Exploratory Missions for Extreme Universe Space Observatory) program, operating on the International Space Station (ISS) since October 2019. Designed to search for Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECRs) above 10²¹ eV and capable of placing a stringent upper limit on their flux at these extreme energies, paving the way to future space-based UHECR observatories, Mini-EUSO has completed more than 150 observation sessions over five years, accumulating approximately 750 hours of data. The mission has produced the first global UV emission maps of Earth and provided valuable insights into lightning phenomena and Transient Luminous Events (TLEs), such as elves, as well as artificial light sources and meteors. Notably, Mini-EUSO has conducted the first systematic space-based meteor survey, detecting over 22,000 meteors and identifying three interstellar candidates. Among the observed TLEs, the most interesting class of phenomena are elves, which appear as expanding ring-shaped structures occurring at ∼90 km altitude. Mini-EUSO has detected elves with varying structures and different numbers of concentric rings, from single-ring up to five rings. Thanks to its imaging capabilities, fast time resolution, and favorable observational geometry, Mini-EUSO is uniquely suited to studying this kind of lightning phenomena, providing unprecedented insight into their dynamics. Additionally, the instrument has demonstrated the capability of a space-based detector to identify short light transients resembling extensive air shower signals while distinguishing them from those produced by UHECRs. This contribution presents a comprehensive summary of the Mini-EUSO mission, its status, and main results.

Authors with CRIS profile

Involved external institutions

Università degli Studi di Catania Italy (IT) Lomonosov Moscow State University / Московский государственный университет имени М.В.Ломоносова Russian Federation (RU) National Institute for Nuclear Physics / Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) Italy (IT) National Centre for Nuclear Research (früher:Institute of Atomic Energy POLATOM & Andrzej Sołtan Institute for Nuclear Studies) / Narodowe Centrum Badań Jądrowych (NCBJ) Poland (PL) Università del Salento Italy (IT) Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) Germany (DE) Institute for Fundamental Physics of the Universe (IFPU) Italy (IT) University of Delaware (UDEL) United States (USA) (US) Riken Institute of Physical and Chemical Research / 理化学研究所 Japan (JP) Cardiovascular Research Foundation United States (USA) (US) University of Chicago United States (USA) (US) Stefan Batory Academy of Applied Sciences / Akademia Nauk Stosowanych Stefana Batorego Poland (PL) Gran Sasso Science Institute Italy (IT) University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) United States (USA) (US) Université Paris-Sud France (FR) National Institute for Astrophysics / Istituto Nazionale Astrofisica (INAF) Italy (IT) Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées France (FR) Colorado School of Mines United States (USA) (US) University of Iowa United States (USA) (US) Max-Planck-Institut für Physik (Werner-Heisenberg-Institut, MPP) / Max Planck Institute for Physics Germany (DE) Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) United States (USA) (US) University of Utah United States (USA) (US) Palacky University Olomouc / Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci Czech Republic (CZ) Università telematica internazionale Uninettuno Italy (IT) Italian Space Agency / Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI) Italy (IT) University of Tokyo Japan (JP) University of Geneva / Université de Genève (UNIGE) Switzerland (CH) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) United States (USA) (US) Royal Institute of Technology / Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan (KTH) Sweden (SE) École Polytechnique - Université Paris-Saclay France (FR) University of Montpellier / Université Montpellier France (FR) Università degli Studi di Trento Italy (IT) Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II Italy (IT) City University of New York (CUNY) United States (USA) (US) University of Warsaw / Uniwersytet Warszawski Poland (PL) Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (ASCR) / Akademie věd České republiky (AVČR) Czech Republic (CZ) University of Lodz / Uniwersytet Łódzki Poland (PL) University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) United States (USA) (US) Konan University / 甲南大学 Japan (JP) Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) Korea, Republic of (KR) Università degli Studi di Roma 'Tor Vergata' Italy (IT) North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University United States (USA) (US) Trento Institute for Fundamental Physics and Applications (TIFPA) Italy (IT) Space Regatta Consortium (SRC) / Консорциум "Космическая регата" Russian Federation (RU)

How to cite

APA:

Abdullahi, M., Abrate, M., Adams, J.H., Allard, D., Alldredge, P., Aloisio, R.,... Zuccon, P. (2025). Five Years of Mini-EUSO Observations from the ISS: Summary of Key Results. In Proceedings of Science. Geneva, CH: Sissa Medialab Srl.

MLA:

Abdullahi, M., et al. "Five Years of Mini-EUSO Observations from the ISS: Summary of Key Results." Proceedings of the 39th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2025, Geneva Sissa Medialab Srl, 2025.

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