What is astronomy? I’ve been playing with this question as I prayerfully prepare for FAW2019. (Reminder, if you want to attend this year’s Faith and Astronomy Workshop, click here or on the advertisement to register!) The professional astronomers who write for The Catholic Astronomer could provide you with a much better definition of astronomy than I. If I asked one of my non-scientist parishioners to answer this question, the response would probably begin with, “Astrology is the… (fill in blank).” After a frustrating moment of clarifying that my love of astronomy is understanding things like why stars explode and has nothing to do with reading palms, the follow-up answer would be some variation of, “Astronomy is that thing you do when you take your telescope outside and look ‘up there’ from ‘down here.'” At one level, this definition is well and good for the non-scientist, but my pursuit of astronomy has taught me that this definition contains a geocentric bias. If … Continue reading →

Over the past three weeks, I have been invited to speak at two separate science fiction conventions. As I take these requests to prayer, I have been mulling over potential topics. Now, to be clear, I am not someone whose major passion is science fiction. I like science fiction movies, I’ve read a few books, but I am by no means an expert on the genre. Let’s just say, I know what I like and I know what I don’t like. Of the movies that I have seen, I find an interesting and troubling theme that emerges on the future ahead: Dark, mechanical, animalistic, nihilistic, and godless. Dare I say, some of the motion picture “think tanks” that have reflected on our future have tended toward a de-evolution of the human condition versus an evolution into something far more meaningful and beautiful. Case in point, I was trying to find a good, objective list of the best science fiction movies … Continue reading →

This past weekend, I had the privilege of presenting at the Northwoods Starfest. Starfest is an annual gathering of astronomy enthusiasts at Hobbs Observatory, located just outside of the town of Fall Creek, Wisconsin. The participants pitch tents for the weekend, bring their telescopes, and enjoy time together sharing their love of astronomy. I was invited by Mike Brown, an active member of the Chippewa Valley Astronomical Society (CVAS) and friend, to speak on the subject of the Vatican Observatory. Specifically, Mike wanted me discuss the history of the Observatory and the science that is done at the observatory. Since I am not a Vatican scientist, I utilized many of the wonderful resources that are found on the Vatican Observatory Foundation’s YouTube page and the Vatican Observatory’s Annual Reports. The end result was a broad overview of how the observatory came into existence and how the research priorities are based upon the personal expertise of the scientists recruited by the Jesuits. … Continue reading →

A while back, I shared with you my hope of going to see the launch of the Parker Solar Probe as part of my vacation time. Well, a new assignment later and that goal needed to be put aside. Nothing kills vacation plans like packing up your life and then unpacking it again in the space of a month. Still, I am greatly looking forward to following the Parker Solar Probe as it makes its journey to our star! When digging around on the NASA webpage created for this mission, the technology put into this probe is mind boggling. The most basic achievement (hopefully) is the development of a probe that can survive the intense heat and radiation of the sun. Presuming this technology holds, this probe will give us information about our star that might unlock some of the great, unknown mysteries of the Sun and most likely open up new questions for exploration. In short, the Parker Solar … Continue reading →

As is often the case with good vacations, I’ve been trying to find creative ways to hold onto the joy and peace I found while exploring Portland, Oregon and the area around the city. Since I am a bit of a shutter bug, much of my holding on has been through pictures. As I have shared my pictures on social media, some of my friends have commented that forests I visited look like something out of a fantasy novel. When gazing at towering redwoods, mystic waterfalls, and inviting trails, fantasy and reality easily blend as Washington Park meets Lord of the Rings. This commingling of fantasy and reality also sparked my creative side. I have long desired to write a book on the Catholic perspective on care for creation. Of the many thought experiments I’ve played with, one of them has been to write some type of fantasy story that would include a sacramental view of creation. For fun, I … Continue reading →

This past week, I have been blessed with the first of two weeks of vacation. Next week, I will explain why I am in Portland, Oregon and the connection I found between Pope Francis’ Encyclical Laudato Si’ and my vacation. For this week, I want to share a simple reflection based on the readings from this past Sunday’s Mass and my visit to the Hoyt Arboretum at Washington Park. For starters, let’s get last Sunday’s first reading back in our heads and hearts. Thus says the Lord GOD: I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar, from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot, and plant it on a high and lofty mountain; on the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it. It shall put forth branches and bear fruit, and become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it,, every winged thing in the shade of its boughs. And all the trees … Continue reading →