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Sacred Space Astronomy
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Expired: ⓜ Full Moon-th Meetup: 1 October, 2020

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on September 24, 2020 by Br. Guy ConsolmagnoSeptember 23, 2020

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Posted in Fundraising, Outreach, VATT | Tagged Full Moon Zoom, VATT

ⓜ Logo madness: Diary of 19 September, 2020

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on September 19, 2020 by Br. Guy ConsolmagnoSeptember 23, 2020
This entry is part 60 of 64 in the series Diary

First a bit of the regular news…  [Calendars] Our  newsletter went out on the first of the month that has lots of news, in fact. [Calendars] The VATT is back in operation after the summer scheduled shut-down; a bunch of scientific papers have been accepted from our gang; and we’re planning on our Astronomy for Catholics in Ministry and Education Workshop (ACME… formerly known as FAW) to occur in January 2022, a year later than originally scheduled due to… you know the rest. [Oh, and did I mention, the Calendars are available?] We have also had a couple of new remembrances added to the Coyne Memorial. Go take a look! Our Moon-thly Meet Ups are not affected by any virus, thank heavens. These are where our Sacred Space subscribers can chat with Vatican astronomers. As you know, we hold them every Full Moon (as visible from Tucson). Our next will be Thursday, October 1, at 10am Tucson Time/1pm EDT. It’ll feature … Continue reading →

Posted in Diary, Fundraising | Tagged Logo

Fear, Isolation, and Calendars

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on September 10, 2020 by Br. Guy ConsolmagnoSeptember 3, 2020
This entry is part 15 of 61 in the series And Then I Wrote

And then I wrote… it’s September and so the 2021 Calendars are available! Here are two more reflections from calendars of years past… And since these are meant to support our Calendar guild (click here to get a calendar!) I am not putting them behind the usual firewall… 2021 Calendar The COVID-19 pandemic that hit the world in 2020 brought many changes to all of our lives, including the tragic deaths of people we knew and loved. Meanwhile, even for those of us who were not directly affected by the disease, the uncertainty that it brought to our lives was a constant worry. Fear arises from uncertainty.  Science tries to put constraints on that fear by at least letting us know what is likely, or not likely, to occur. This was the motivation behind the desire of every civilization to outline the shape of the coming year with calendars. Astronomy was developed and supported by our ancient cultures precisely to give us … Continue reading →

Posted in And Then I Wrote, Fundraising | Tagged Calendars, Fear, isolation

Calendars, coincidence, and play

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on September 3, 2020 by Br. Guy ConsolmagnoSeptember 3, 2020
This entry is part 16 of 61 in the series And Then I Wrote

And then I wrote… it’s September and so the 2021 Calendars are available! Here are two more reflections from calendars of years past… And since these are meant to support our Calendar guild (click here to get a calendar!) I am not putting them behind the usual firewall… 2019 Calendar There are many coincidences in astronomy. The Moon’s size and location allows it to exactly eclipse the disk of the Sun. The visual juxtaposition of the stars Alcor and Mizar in the Big Dipper’s handle drew the attention of early telescopes to discover that Mizar was actually a double star (whose separation is just right for those early telescopes). The shapes of nebulae remind us of horses’s heads or dumbbells. And of course it’s mere chance that the nebulae themselves happen to be not only scientifically interesting, but also remarkably beautiful.  There’s no cosmic significance to it, really. Just coincidence. And yet…  In December 1988 I spent a week at the Jesuit retreat … Continue reading →

Posted in And Then I Wrote, Fundraising | Tagged Calendar, coincidence, miracles, play

2021 Vatican Observatory Calendars

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on September 1, 2020 by Bob TrembleySeptember 1, 2020

The Vatican Observatory calendars have been a tradition since the year 2000! Each month, the calendar features a beautiful photograph of the heavens by some of the leading astrophotographers from around the world. The 2021 calendar features the works of: Mark Hanson, Stellar Winds Observatory, USA Damian Peach, UK Bernard Miller, USA R. Jay GaBany, USA Robert Gendler, USA Josef Pöpsel, Stefan Binnewies, Capella Observatory, Germany Johannes Schedler (chart32.de), Panther Observatory, Chile/Austria Bernhard Hubl, Austria Dario Giannobile, Italy Anthony Ayiomamitis, Greece J-P Metsavainio, Finland Tony Hallas, USA Adam Block, Steward Observatory – University of Arizona, USA   Here’s a taste of the beautiful images of the heavens in the Vatican Observatory 2021 calendar: For 21 years, the Vatican Observatory Guild has helped to support and promote our work through the distribution of the Official Calendar of the Vatican Observatory. Each contribution of $25 or more entitles a Guild Member to receive or give a copy of the 2021 Calendar.

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Posted in Announcement, Astronomy, Fundraising | Tagged Calendar, Vatican Observatory

Reflections on a calendar

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on August 27, 2020 by Br. Guy ConsolmagnoAugust 27, 2020
This entry is part 17 of 61 in the series And Then I Wrote

And then I wrote… in September our 2021 Calendars become available! What I suspect most people don’t notice is that on the back of every calendar is a little reflection that I write, based on a suggestion — often just a word — from Dr. Brendan Thomson, the volunteer who does all the legwork of putting these incredible calendars together. Over the next three weeks I though I would run the texts of these reflections from the calendars going back to 2016. If I can find earlier calendars I may add to this list! And since these are meant to encourage people to join our guild and get a calendar, I am not putting them behind the usual firewall… 2017 Calendar Why does the Vatican support an astronomical observatory? It’s a common question we get asked, and there are many simple answers.  The Observatory is a way of showing the Church’s support for science. It’s a way of demonstrating that, … Continue reading →

Posted in And Then I Wrote, Fundraising | Tagged Calendar, joy, Popular Astronomy

Expired: ⓜ Full Moon Meetup on September 1

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on August 25, 2020 by Br. Guy ConsolmagnoAugust 25, 2020

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Posted in Fundraising, Outreach | Tagged Full Moon, Rich Boyle, VATT

Expired: ⓜ The August Full Moon Meetup!

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on July 27, 2020 by Br. Guy ConsolmagnoJuly 27, 2020

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Posted in Fundraising, Meteorites | Tagged Meetup, Meteors, NEOs

ⓜ Every Full Moon… Diary of 10 June, 2020

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on June 10, 2020 by Br. Guy ConsolmagnoJune 10, 2020
This entry is part 55 of 64 in the series Diary

We had a wonderful turnout (around 30 people total) for our first ever Full Moon Meetup, open to our paid subscribers. We were joined by Fr. Paul Gabor, the vice-director for Tucson, who told us about the reopening of the VATT and the research going on there, including a lively discussion about exoplanets and Kuiper Belt Objects. We plan on holding these MoonUps every Full Moon (as seen from Tucson). This allows us to remember our calendar’s roots, where the “month” is just a shortened form of a “moon-th”, while also letting the day of the meetup circulate through the week. That means our next Meet Up will be on Saturday, July 4, 10am Tucson Time/1pm EDT. Tune in for fireworks! Meanwhile, our 2019 Annual Report is now in the mail. This publication is sent to all of our donors, describing what we were able to accomplish in 2019. Which, I confess, feels like about a decade ago. And it … Continue reading →

Posted in Fundraising, Outreach | Tagged Covid-19, Meetup, Racism

Fr. George Coyne “Virtual” Memorial

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on March 27, 2020 by Bob TrembleyMarch 26, 2020

We’ve already collected more than a dozen remembrances from people who knew and worked with Fr. Coyne on our Fr. Coyne memorial page. Many have mentioned what a wonderful person he was, how much they enjoyed working and talking with him. If you have memories of Fr. Coyne you’d like to share, please use this form. We’re about 20% of the way to our fundraising goal – thank you to everyone who has donated! Donations to the Fr. Coyne memorial fund are still being accepted, and will go towards the creation of a book with a selection of Fr. Coyne’s writings and the remembrances posted on our site. We were planning on having a memorial gathering for George at the University of Arizona back on St. Patrick’s day, but alas the coronavirus led to the shutdown of the University, so that event has been postponed at least until the fall. Meanwhile, however, Br. Guy has created a video to show at … Continue reading →

Posted in Announcement, Fundraising | Tagged Fr. George Coyne

A Memorial for George

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on March 11, 2020 by Br. Guy ConsolmagnoMarch 9, 2020

We have set up a memorial page for Fr. George Coyne: click here, or type in www.VOFoundation.org/fr-george-coyne/ We have three goals for this memorial page. First, we want to provide a place where people can post their memories of Fr. George. Second, we want to help organize a memorial book which would include a selection of his writings and the memories posted at that site. And third, we want to raise enough money to let us publish that book and continue the work that George so loved: the science of the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope the education of young astronomers, especially from the developing world the engagement with the public with our astronomy our vision of faith and science working together   Please take a look at that page, and contribute what you can, as you can. We’re hoping to raise a significant amount of money, and we already have one major gift to start things off, but we’ll also … Continue reading →

Posted in Fundraising | Tagged Coyne, Memorial

Stupid Astronomer Tricks #19: Wheel goes round

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on January 31, 2020 by Br. Guy ConsolmagnoJanuary 31, 2020

We’re running a membership drive this month – today is the last day – and as a part of it we’re including this blatant clickbait series… Besides, it’s a chance to tell some of the funny stories that come up during cloudy nights at the VATT! The old astronomer tells the tale… this story is all on me. It was nearly 50 years ago (January, 1973) and two friends of mine and I had arranged to do an undergraduate research project during MIT’s January intersession (IAP), five nights observing the Moon at the Wallace Observatory outside of Boston. There we had access to a 16 inch aperture telescope, and a filter wheel photometer. Think of the photometer as a one-pixel electronic camera: a phototube with a phosphor at one end to turn light into electrons, which would be slowly accelerated down the length of the tube until they had enough energy to register as an electric current. Before the light hit … Continue reading →

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Specola Guestbook | December 26, 1934: Giuseppe Bugatto

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on March 7, 2021 by Robert MackeFebruary 1, 2021
This entry is part 84 of 84 in the series Specola Guestbook

Since its founding in 1891, many people have passed through the doors of the Vatican Observatory.  A quick perusal of our guestbook reveals several Names, including Popes, Nobel laureates, astronauts, actors, and saints. Today’s guestbook entry is from December 26, 1934, when Giuseppe Bugatto made a visit. Next to his … Continue reading…

Posted in History | Tagged Bugatto, L'Osservatore Romano, Specola Guestbook, Vatican Observatory

Misinformative Books from Surprising Places

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on March 6, 2021 by Christopher M. GraneyFebruary 22, 2021

Misinformation.  It is a big topic these days, and a big problem.  And when the topic is astronomy and the Copernican Revolution, misinformation abounds, even in the relatively durable, more controlled medium of books.  “Caveat lector!” applies to this topic—“Let the reader beware!” Two recently-published books are especially disappointing in … Continue reading…

Posted in Astronomy, History

Solar Sketching in h-alpha – Prominences dancing on the limb

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on March 5, 2021 by Deirdre KelleghanMarch 5, 2021

                                Astronomical Sketching Astronomical sketching is not just about drawing pictures. It is about learning. This kind of sketching is about observing the subject very closely at the far end of your telescope. Sketching at … Continue reading…

Posted in Astronomy, Education | Tagged animation, Filaments, gifs, h-alpha, Movement, Proms, PST, Solar Sketching

Finding the Unexpected

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on March 4, 2021 by Br. Guy ConsolmagnoMarch 4, 2021
This entry is part 61 of 61 in the series And Then I Wrote

And then I wrote… in 2014, the magazine US Catholic solicited a couple of articles about science fiction from me. One of them ran in 2014 under the title “Get Lost In Space” and the other they included only on their web site. I reprint both of them here… along … Continue reading…

Posted in And Then I Wrote, Popular Culture | Tagged Science fiction

From the V.O. Faith and Science Pages: The Road of Science and the Ways to God

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on March 3, 2021 by Faith and ScienceJanuary 29, 2021

Today’s featured entry from the Vatican Observatory Faith and Science pages: “The Road of Science and the Ways to God” (click here for it) A book by Stanley L. Jaki: “Originally presented as the Gifford Lectures for 1975 and 1976 at the University of Edinburgh, this challenging work illuminates the … Continue reading…

Posted in From the V.O. Faith and Science Pages

In the Sky this Week – March 2, 2021

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on March 2, 2021 by Bob TrembleyMarch 2, 2021
This entry is part 185 of 185 in the series In the Sky This Week

This week, the Moon appears in the predawn sky, Mars is in a close conjunction with the Pleiades star cluster, and the planets Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn appear low above the horizon before dawn; Mercury and Jupiter appear in a very close conjunction – less than 1 degree apart, as they swap positions over the course of several days.

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Posted in Astronomy, Outreach | Tagged Conjunction, Eagle Nebula, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Moon, Pleiades, Saturn, Sun, The Pillars of Creation
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Recent Comments

  • Christopher M. Graney March 6, 2021 at 3:42 pm on Misinformative Books from Surprising PlacesThanks, Joel. And Ed, what is the source that said Galileo confirmed Copernicus? Can you give a link?
  • Joel Hopko March 6, 2021 at 11:54 am on Misinformative Books from Surprising PlacesProfessor Graney -- Ironic but perhaps understandable that the painstaking technical work of centuries should be reduced to a melodramatic contest of intrenched religious bigots bent on obscuring the truth versus "enlightened" clear seeing individuals heroically battling the establishment. After all, melodrama consistent outsells even the best technical literature. Still...
  • Ed Yepez March 6, 2021 at 7:45 am on Misinformative Books from Surprising PlacesA quick "google" come up with Galileo confirming Copernicus. If I understand correctly, they made observations that ageeed with heliocentrism, but "Confirmation" came later (Newton?)
  • Fr. James Kurzynski March 2, 2021 at 8:20 pm on Georges Lemaitre – Father of the “Big Bang”You're very welcome Fr. Madley! Thank you!
  • Fr. Jeffrey Madley March 2, 2021 at 11:57 am on Georges Lemaitre – Father of the “Big Bang”Excellent article about Msgr. Lemaitre, Fr. Jim. Nice to know people in the Church have contributed to science.
  • Fr. Bruce Wilkinson February 23, 2021 at 4:05 pm on In the Sky This Week – February 23, 2021I completely agree with you that putting cameras on EVERY space mission - without question and without fail. The ability to see the accomplishments of the various robotic missions have inspired future generations to want to become part of the space exploration crowd
  • Ed Yepez February 20, 2021 at 7:51 am on The Sun Rules!Excellent! Thank you very much for presenting this in such an understandable form. Also let me appreciate the math.(a lot of which I had forgotten) With Kepler, how you can make the correct observations, yet still come to an erroneous conclusion? But the observations remain correct, even useful for further...
  • Bob Trembley February 19, 2021 at 5:16 am on In the Sky This Week – February 16, 2021I joined a NASA Night Sky Network Zoom Watch Party - it was pretty cool! When I joined, an engineer was talking about his work on the helicopter - those wings are HUGE! I watched the the landing with my in-laws; it was cool to see the same image up...
  • Richard Hill February 19, 2021 at 12:54 am on Skyward by David Levy: February 2021Very nice meteor photo! Reminds me of one Geminid I saw as I was walking to night lunch on Kitt Peak. It passed right through Orion. Burned a memory in my brain.
  • Benjamin Goodison February 18, 2021 at 5:26 pm on In the Sky This Week – February 16, 2021... and three days later, Perseverance finally touched down successfully and is snapping its first images!I'm sure there were more than a few spontaneous prayers in the NASA control room in those last few minutes... there certainly were at my end :) Really looking forward to the wealth of new...
  • Bob Trembley February 16, 2021 at 8:31 am on In the Sky This Week – February 16, 2021Oh my goodness! Thank you SO MUCH for the kind replies!
  • Joseph O'Donnell February 16, 2021 at 8:00 am on In the Sky This Week – February 16, 2021Thank you for this. Always so helpful and enlightening.
  • Stan Sienkiewicz February 16, 2021 at 7:47 am on In the Sky This Week – February 16, 2021Bob, another great post. Wonderful way to start the day. Thanks for putting in the time to create these posts. Educational, beautiful, and awe inspiring. I really appreciate seeing these each week. Thank you, Stan
  • Fr. James Kurzynski February 12, 2021 at 10:40 pm on Space Exploration As An Act Of Interfaith Dialogue.Thanks Joel! I greatly appreciate your insight and encouragement!
  • Fr. James Kurzynski February 10, 2021 at 10:46 am on Polar Vortex, Snowy Owls, Puffins, and Answering the Question: Fr. James, If Global Warming Is Real, Why Am I So Cold?Thanks for you response! My apologies if it came across that Wisconsin was the southernmost Snowy Owls travel. That was not my intent. In my prep, I saw articles of sightings as south as Texas. The point being that some birds go south, others don't, and its a bit of...
  • Jim Cook February 10, 2021 at 8:05 am on Polar Vortex, Snowy Owls, Puffins, and Answering the Question: Fr. James, If Global Warming Is Real, Why Am I So Cold?Wisconsin is actually NOT very far south to find Snowy Owls in winter, as you can see from its eBird range map: https://ebird.org/science/status-and-trends/snoowl1/range-map I've subscribed to eBird's Snowy Owl reports list for almost 10 years now and while some years have seen more reports of sightings than others, they typically...
  • Fr. Timothy Sauppé February 8, 2021 at 8:38 am on A telescope made by an Angel…Br. Guy: This would make a great beginning to your opening address to the Solar Eclipse Retreat in 2024 for Bishops/Priests. I am going to save this. Fr. Timothy Sauppé
  • Richard Saam February 7, 2021 at 10:20 am on JWST update – Hexagons in SpaceI want to make an additional point on hexagons: In the realm of crystallography as described in solid state physics, there is an equivalence between real(energy) and reciprocal(momentum) hexagonal space. This was mathematically presented in Charles Kittel's (recently deceased) text "Introduction to Solid State Physics". And then something to ponder:...
  • Joel Hopko February 1, 2021 at 11:23 am on Space Exploration As An Act Of Interfaith Dialogue.Fr. Kurzynski -- I too was very moved by the Emirates and the other national efforts (Japanese, Indian etc.) Like you I found in them an expression of the human spirit and even the religious wellsprings that can inspire us toward a shared destiny beyond our fear and confusion. Thanks...
  • Richard Saam February 1, 2021 at 10:33 am on JWST update – Hexagons in SpaceAdding to Fernando's comments 'hexagons are pretty much everywhere in the universe': It can be argued that universal space time can be expressed as oscillating virtual hexagonal (~50 cm, ~8 hr) lattice units conforming to the conservation of energy and momentum and the universe vacuum energy density. There is some...

Top Posts

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    Misinformative Books from Surprising Places
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    Looking for Wormwood
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    Biblical Signs in the Sky? September 23, 2017
  • Specola Guestbook | December 26, 1934: Giuseppe Bugatto
    Specola Guestbook | December 26, 1934: Giuseppe Bugatto
  • Finding the Unexpected
    Finding the Unexpected
  • Solar Sketching in h-alpha - Prominences dancing on the limb
    Solar Sketching in h-alpha - Prominences dancing on the limb
  • Hunting for Saffordites East of Mt. Graham and the Vatican Telescope. pt. 2
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  • In the Sky This Week – February 16, 2021
    In the Sky This Week – February 16, 2021
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    A Serious Sirius Business
  • In the Sky This Week – September 22, 2020
    In the Sky This Week – September 22, 2020

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