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Category Archives: Across the Universe

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Across the Universe: Stories of the Belt

The Catholic Astronomer avatarPosted on February 7, 2019 by Br. Guy ConsolmagnoFebruary 5, 2019
This entry is part of 176 in the series Across the Universe

This column first ran in The Tablet in February 2018 January 31 [2018] marked the sixtieth anniversary of the launch of Explorer 1, the first American spacecraft to orbit the Earth. I was five years old; it affected my dreams and aspirations, not to mention my education in science, over the next twenty years. As the story goes, the American rocket and satellite was thrown together in 90 days to answer the launch of Russia’s Sputnik satellite the previous October… and the disaster of our Vanguard rocket, which had blown up on the launch pad. It most notable achievement was the discovery of the Van Allen Belts. Twenty years later, Dr. James Van Allen spoke at my graduate class in space sciences. I recall him describing how he chose to put a Geiger counter into the Explorer satellite because it was cheap, off the shelf, and provided data that was easy to radio back to Earth. They hoped to detect ionized gas … Continue reading →

Posted in Across the Universe, History, Space Exploration | Tagged Lunar and Planetary Lab, stories, Van Allen Radiation Belts | 2 Replies

Across the Universe: Looking overhead

The Catholic Astronomer avatarPosted on January 6, 2019 by Br. Guy ConsolmagnoJanuary 6, 2019
This entry is part 181 of 176 in the series Across the Universe

This column first ran in The Tablet in January 2018 “What do you see when you look at the stars? Science, heaven, God?” the Italian Catholic newspaper Avvenire asked me in 2018. Does the sky look any different to a professional astronomer who is also a person of faith? The first thing I see when I look up at night is the beauty of the stars… just like anyone who can see the night sky.  But I do see more. My father, a US Army Air Corps navigator who once guided a wing of American bombers across the Atlantic to England in 1942, taught me the brighter navigation stars when I was a child. I’d also been given a wonderful book by the children’s writer H. A. Rey (better known for Curious George) that taught the constellations by turning the stars into connect-the-dot puzzles. Even today, whenever I see the stars I immediately start to identify old friends by name. … Continue reading →

Posted in Across the Universe, Diary, Light Pollution, Religion | Tagged light pollution, Magi | 2 Replies

Across the Universe: Kings and Toys

The Catholic Astronomer avatarPosted on December 13, 2018 by Br. Guy ConsolmagnoNovember 19, 2018
This entry is part 1 of 176 in the series Across the Universe

This column first ran in The Tablet in December 2016 The day after the feast of St. Nicholas, I arrived in the Netherlands for a series of faith and science talks. My hosts put me up in a marvelously trendy hotel, featuring an exercise machine and a bathtub in the bedroom (no artificial walls between bed and bath!); two televisions (one for the bed, one for the bath); and a coffee machine so complicated I had to look up the instructions on the internet. If only it had a drawer to store my clothes, or a rack for my wet towel. This proliferation of useless toys brought to mind [the 2016] Pontifical Academy of Sciences program on sustainability. For several days we heard from a series of Nobel laureates the latest word on rising carbon dioxide levels, and the need for immediate strong government action. The final day was centered on the hope that genetically modified foods might improve the … Continue reading →

Posted in Across the Universe, Commentary, Integral Ecology | Tagged Enviornment, Environmental Ethics, Laudato Si', Magi | Leave a reply

Across the Universe: Lights all askew in the heavens…

The Catholic Astronomer avatarPosted on December 6, 2018 by Br. Guy ConsolmagnoNovember 19, 2018
This entry is part 2 of 176 in the series Across the Universe

This column first ran in The Tablet in December 2015 One hundred years ago, Albert Einstein published his theory of General Relativity and changed the way we understand our universe. Newton had shown, 200 years earlier, that one could use mathematics (including his newly invented Calculus) to describe and even predict the way things in our physical universe move. But to do that, Newton had had to assume without definition the concepts of space, mass, and time. He had to assume that forces like gravity acted “at a distance”… Earth could pull on the Moon even if there’s nothing but this mystical “gravity” connecting them. Finally, he had to envision a playing field, the “inertial frame of reference”, where these forces could move those masses through space, over time. The whole genius of physics is to describe motion and change; but change, relative to what? Newton’s unmoving frame of reference was his answer. But was the Earth’s surface such a … Continue reading →

Posted in Across the Universe, History, Popular Culture | Tagged Albert Einstein, Christmas, Gravity, Relativity | Leave a reply

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Br. Guy Consolmagno
Posts by Br. Guy Consolmagno
  • Across the Universe: Europa
  • ⓜ Diary for February 11, 2019
  • Across the Universe: Stories of the Belt
  • ⓜ Last (two) weeks at the Specola: February 2, 2019
  • Across the Universe: The best way to travel
  • ⓜ This week at the Specola, 20 Jan 2019
  • Across the Universe: Stardust messages
  • Across the Universe: Desert or a dessert?
Brother Guy post archive and info.
Fr. James Kurzynski
Posts by Fr. James Kurzynski
  • Global Vs. Local Perspective. The Difficulties In Helping People Understand Climate Change.
  • Lost in Cyberspace! Or at Least on the Arizona 101 Loop.
  • It’s Ultimately About Relationship – A Brief Reflection On FAW2019
  • The Feast of Rabbit Holes: What is a star gazing priest to do with his Epiphany Homily?
  • When Night Turns To Day: Receiving The Gift Of Hope At Christmas!
  • The Conflicted Heart – Consume, Conserve, and Curate.
  • Small Choices With Big Implications.
  • The Contemplation of God through the Contemplation of God’s Creation.
Fr. James Kurzynski post archive and info.
Christopher M. Graney
Posts by Christopher M. Graney
  • Navigating the Fourth Day of Creation by means of Jupiter’s Moons
  • Capturing the Other Kind of Eclipse: A Photography Student puts his Skills to Work
  • Fond Memories of the Vatican Observatory
  • Jocelyn Bell Burnell – Faith and Science
  • Galileo’s Newly-Discovered Letter
  • Sew Then, Who does Science?
  • Epiphany – Starring Jupiter
  • The Visit of the Astro-Nerds (re-run)
Christopher M. Graney post archive and info.
Bob Gravitar Image
Posts by Bob Trembley
  • Opportunity Mars Rover Mission Ends
  • In the Sky This Week – February 12, 2019
  • In the Sky This Week – February 5, 2019
  • In the Sky This Week – January 29, 2019
  • In the Sky This Week – January 22, 2019
  • In the Sky This Week – January 15, 2019 – FAW Edition
  • In the Sky This Week – January 8, 2019
  • China Lands Probe on Moon’s Far Side
Bob Trembley post archive and info.
Deirdre Gravitar Image
Posts by Deirdre Kelleghan
  • Total Lunar Eclipse Tales
  • Crater Virus infects Science Week Drawings
  • Go Observe – 46P/ Wirtanen Good Luck
  • Ultima Thule – resistance is futile
  • Space Week – Apollo 11
  • Dark Sky Painting 3 Edu-painting
  • Dark Sky Painting 2 – We live in Space
  • Professor Jocylen Bell Brunell an inspiration
Deirdre Kelleghan post archive and info.
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Posts by Dr. Michelle Francl
  • Ghost of elements, spectres of the universe: Angelo Secchi SJ
  • Turned toward the vastness
  • A Note on the Explanation of the D-lines in the Spectrum of the Night Sky
  • O Nata Lux
  • On the immensity of space
  • Dusted by stars
  • Unexpected eclipses
Dr. Michelle Francl post archive and info.
Fr. Paul Gabor
Posts by Fr. Paul Gabor
  • Frye Fire: VATT Damage Assessment on June 27
  • VATT Smoked but not Cooked in Frye Fire
  • Learning Together at the Vatican Observatory
  • Javier Leach Albert, S.J. (1942-2016)
  • Heliocentrism Condemned: 400 Years Ago on May 26
  • Heliocentrism Condemned: 396 Years Ago on May 15
  • Heliocentrism Condemned: 400 Years Ago on May 7
  • 30 Years of Papal Blessing for VATT
Fr. Paul post archive and info.
Br. Bob Macke
Posts by Br. Bob Macke
  • In the Meteorite Laboratory: New 3d Printer
  • IAU Adds Lemaître’s Name to Hubble Law
  • Solar Prominences and a Prominent Jesuit Astronomer
  • A Saint, a Telescope, and a Man on the Moon
  • Vatican Observatory to Host First Ever Workshop on Meteorite Curation
  • Asteroids Named for Jesuits
Br. Bob Macke post archive and info.
Chris Olsen
Posts by Chris Olsen
  • The birth of Astrophotography
  • Photoheliograph part 4
  • The Photoheliograph: pt. 3
  • The Photoheliograph pt. 2
  • The Photoheliograph, pt. 1
Chris Olsen post archive and info.
David H. Levy
Posts by David H. Levy
  • Skyward: February 2019
  • Skyward: January 2019
  • December Skyward – “The Inner Light”
  • Skyward: November 2018
  • Skyward: October 2018
  • Skyward: September 2018
  • Skyward: August 2018
  • Skyward: July 2018
David Levy post archive and info.
Brenda Gravitar Image
Posts by Dr. Brenda Frye
  • No Wine Before Its Time
  • Counting Exercise
  • Black Hole Chomps Up Part of a Star?
  • The Perfect Storm
  • Our Interacting Neighbors
  • The Gluttonous Consumer
  • Hawking’s Last Article
  • Monsters in the Closet?
Dr. Brenda Frye post archive and info.
Bill Higgins
Posts by Bill Higgins
  • From the Cabinet of Physics: Reflection and Invisible Waves
  • From the Cabinet of Physics: Better and Better Spectra
  • From the Cabinet of Physics: Riding Along with Foucault’s Pendulum
  • From the Cabinet of Physics: Chladni Sees Sound with Sand
  • From the Cabinet of Physics: The Coherer Jumps to Attention
  • From the Cabinet of Physics: Dressed for the Electrostatic Dance
  • From the Cabinet of Physics: Yanking on the Hemispheres of Magdeburg
  • From the Cabinet of Physics: Conveying Heat across Space
Bill Higgins post archive and info.
Larry Lebofsky
Posts by Larry Lebofsky
  • Hunting for Saffordites East of Mt. Graham and the Vatican Telescope. pt. 2
  • Hunting for Saffordites East of Mt. Graham and the Vatican Telescope. pt. 1
Larry Lebofsky post archive and info.
Guest Star 1987A Image
Guest Posts
  • Reaching Out with Social Media
  • Guest posting: David Levy’s Skyward, December 2017
  • Musings From a 7th Grade Biology Class
Heidi B. Hammel
Posts by Heidi B. Hammel
    No posts found.
Heidi B. Hammel post archive and info.

Recent Posts

  • Navigating the Fourth Day of Creation by means of Jupiter’s Moons
  • Opportunity Mars Rover Mission Ends
  • Across the Universe: Europa
  • In the Sky This Week – February 12, 2019
  • Global Vs. Local Perspective. The Difficulties In Helping People Understand Climate Change.
  • ⓜ Diary for February 11, 2019
  • Capturing the Other Kind of Eclipse: A Photography Student puts his Skills to Work
  • Across the Universe: Stories of the Belt
  • Skyward: February 2019
  • In the Sky This Week – February 5, 2019
  • Lost in Cyberspace! Or at Least on the Arizona 101 Loop.
  • ⓜ Last (two) weeks at the Specola: February 2, 2019
  • Fond Memories of the Vatican Observatory
  • In the Sky This Week – January 29, 2019
  • It’s Ultimately About Relationship – A Brief Reflection On FAW2019

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Recent Comments

  • Christopher M. GraneyChristopher M. Graney February 18, 2019 at 8:20 am on Navigating the Fourth Day of Creation by means of Jupiter’s MoonsYes, minutes mattered. The effect of the speed of light was only a few minutes, but they noticed it.
  • Richard Saam February 17, 2019 at 3:38 pm on Navigating the Fourth Day of Creation by means of Jupiter’s MoonsChristopher, It is interesting to note the coordinate change between Tycho Brahe Observatory (Ven) 55.9082° N, 12.6956° E and Paris, France 48.8566° N, 2.3522° E Therefore the longitude change is 12.6956° - 2.3522° = 10.3434° Given that 15° (360°/24) of longitude is 1 hour then Tycho Brahe Observatory and Paris,...
  • Bill Mullin February 14, 2019 at 7:28 am on Fond Memories of the Vatican ObservatoryBeautiful tribute.
  • Jeff Renner February 13, 2019 at 10:58 pm on Global Vs. Local Perspective. The Difficulties In Helping People Understand Climate Change.The examples offered are very helpful. The power of story and metaphor also can be useful. Three I've used (as a meteorologist called to talk about climate change)...include 'hey, it's dark at night, how can I be sure the sun will return?'...or 'I still have checks in my checkbook, how...
  • Richard Saam February 12, 2019 at 11:47 am on ⓜ Diary for February 11, 2019Br Guy, Ultima Thule will surely be addressed 15-16 Feb. Alan Stern addresses the latest in arXiv:1901.02578 [pdf] astro-ph.EP Overview of initial results from the reconnaissance flyby of a Kuiper Belt planetesimal: 2014 MU69. The 15.9 hour rotation is most interesting having the characteristic of the quantum mechanical rigid rotor...
  • Fr. James KurzynskiFr. James Kurzynski February 12, 2019 at 3:30 am on Global Vs. Local Perspective. The Difficulties In Helping People Understand Climate Change.That is a brilliant insight! And in language that can resonate with many I know in Wisconsin! I'll have to put this into a future presentation. Thank you!
  • Richard Saam February 11, 2019 at 7:54 pm on Global Vs. Local Perspective. The Difficulties In Helping People Understand Climate Change.The Wisconsin extreme colds do not negate climate change. Think of our atmosphere as a heat engine analogous to a car engine. The difference between a hot(say burning gasoline) and cold(the radiator cooler) drive a car. The greater the hot-cold difference, the more available energy to do work(go 100 mph...
  • Fr. James KurzynskiFr. James Kurzynski February 11, 2019 at 4:23 pm on Global Vs. Local Perspective. The Difficulties In Helping People Understand Climate Change.Steve. I love your example! I'll have to see if I can incorporate this into a presentation sometime in the future! Keep the ideas coming!
  • Steven Lanoux February 11, 2019 at 3:17 pm on Global Vs. Local Perspective. The Difficulties In Helping People Understand Climate Change.Father, the same thing happens to us in the Rio Grande Valley, so don't disparage your folks in Wisconsin. The data does not lie; people do (aka, "The Administration"). Deniers cannot change the facts. Species of animals and plants that were only rarely seen north of Central Mexico are now...
  • Br. Guy ConsolmagnoBr. Guy Consolmagno February 11, 2019 at 10:14 am on Across the Universe: Stories of the BeltI know I was taken out to see Sputnik but to be honest the first satellite I actually remember was Echo I, in 1960, which was much brighter! (For those of you too young to remember... Echo was a giant inflated ball of aluminum foil that was designed to passively...
  • Bob ProkopBob Prokop February 7, 2019 at 9:43 am on Across the Universe: Stories of the BeltHah! It seems that you and I are almost the same age. I was also just 5 years old when Explorer 1 went into orbit. In fact, it is the very first "news" memory I have. (I have no memory of Sputnik 1.) I can still recall the headline and...
  • Fr. James KurzynskiFr. James Kurzynski February 5, 2019 at 11:56 am on Lost in Cyberspace! Or at Least on the Arizona 101 Loop.Thanks Jeff! It was a joy to get to know all of you. I LOVE the quote, "People will not conserve what they do not love..." I'll need to steal that for a future post!
  • Jeff Renner February 5, 2019 at 11:07 am on Lost in Cyberspace! Or at Least on the Arizona 101 Loop.Father James; My thanks for all you did to make FAW 2019 so memorable; certainly the very special Mass you celebrated under the night sky in the Arizona desert, but also the gentle and insightful perspectives you provided. A question-if my memory serves me correct, you had mentioned something about...
  • Fr. James KurzynskiFr. James Kurzynski February 4, 2019 at 1:59 pm on It’s Ultimately About Relationship – A Brief Reflection On FAW2019Thanks Chris! And thank you for a wonderful presentations at FAW2019! From my ministerial work, what I hear in your students is what I call the "myth of certitude." The student who is trying to affirm God doesn't exist is trying to find the skeleton key they presume science possesses...
  • Fernando Comeron February 2, 2019 at 4:57 am on Fond Memories of the Vatican ObservatoryChris, another nice article of yours. To reinforce your impression in its last sentence, I remember a conversation at VOSS'90 with Bob Garrison (1936-2017) in which he also talked about himself as a quaker. You can read more about Bob, his passion for his work and his outstanding personality at...
  • Christopher M. GraneyChristopher M. Graney January 30, 2019 at 1:30 pm on It’s Ultimately About Relationship – A Brief Reflection On FAW2019>We discussed how the strongest bridge between faith and science >is not a series of apologetic arguments, but people who are >searching for truth and meaning. In that exploration, we can >either strive for a relationship of honesty, transparency, and >charity or continue the unfortunate culture of distrust that has...
  • Bob TrembleyBob Trembley January 21, 2019 at 4:59 am on ⓜ This week at the Specola, 20 Jan 2019Awwww, Br. Guy! People were asking... a lot... where you found me? =Gulp!= I suppose it depends on the inflection of the asker: "Where did you find HIM?" -vs- "Where did you FIND him?" I got SO many nice comments from attendees of the FAW, it's seriously going to give...
  • Jim Cook January 12, 2019 at 8:32 pm on ⓜ This week at the Specola (ⓜ = members only!)" Over the next couple of months we'll try out various kinds of content, to see which ones are most popular with our members." I have an idea -- let alumni of the Faith and Astronomy Workshops submit posts. Obviously, there would have to be some guidelines, but it would...
  • Bob TrembleyBob Trembley January 11, 2019 at 2:13 am on China Lands Probe on Moon’s Far SideThanks! :)
  • Br. Guy ConsolmagnoBr. Guy Consolmagno January 8, 2019 at 2:08 am on Across the Universe: Looking overheadClaudio Costa replied to one of your updates: From Claudio Costa: "Hi Guy, thanks for putting my picture of Orion and the Pleiades above the Schmidt dome into your last post on The Catholic Astronomer. It would have been worth to mention, in my opinion, that the picture was taken...

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