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Specola Guestbook | May 10-13, 1922: IAU 1st General Assembly part 12

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This entry is part 70 of 70 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. For the past few weeks, we have been highlighting visitors who came on the occasion of the first General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union. We have finally reached the last installment related to this event. Today’s visitors came between May 10 and 13, 1922. They are: Sotero Prieto, Joseph Baldwin, Paul Stroobant, Albertus Nijland, Hendrik Jan Heuvelink, and Count de la Baume Pluvinel. That red line underneath de la Baume Pluvinel indicates the end of visits related to the IAU meeting. Sotero Prieto Next to his name, Sotero Prieto Rodriguez (1884-1935) wrote, “(Profesor de Matemáticas – Universidad de Mexico) Tacubaya, Mexique” (Professor of Mathematics, University of Mexico, Tacubaya Mexico) In 1912, as a professor in the National School of Higher Studies (later the National University of … Continue reading →

So… Who Is My Neighbor? A Pastor’s Take On Pope Francis’ New Encyclical (Final Reflection)

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Once again, my apologies for my absence. Any of you who have gone through a job addition know that one of the first challenges is establishing a new workflow. So, is my new workflow… flowing? Let’s just say we’re in the river and we found the current. Now we just need to figure out how to keep with the current! In some ways, I think it’s a Godsend my concluding reflection for Fratelli Tutti was delayed. The reason for this thought is that we are a week away from starting a new Church year. When we think of a new year, we often think of a change of heart, a new way of seeing the world, and finding hope to be better people. From this standpoint, can we see Fratelli Tutti as part of this time of new beginnings? Let’s find out! In Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis sets the parable of the Good Samaritan as the central Biblical image of … Continue reading →

Specola Guestbook | May 10, 1922: IAU 1st General Assembly part 11

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This entry is part 69 of 70 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. For the past few weeks, we have been highlighting visitors who came on the occasion of the first General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union.    Today’s visitors all came on May 10, 1922. They are George Dodwell, Jean Bosler, Jules Jaumotte, Henri Deslandres, and Joaquín Gallo. George F. Dodwell Next to his name, George Frederick Dodwell FRAS (1879-1963) wrote, “Adelaide S. Australia.” Dodwell, an Australian state astronomer from the Adelaide Astronomical Observatory, was accompanied by his wife, Annie Dodwell (also an astronomer), who also signed the guestbook. Dodwell is credited with using radio time signals to establish the 141st and 129th meridian lines that mark the borders between various states in Australia. He also photographed the 1922 eclipse that helped confirm Einstein’s general theory of relativity. … Continue reading →

Specola Guestbook | May 10, 1922: IAU 1st General Assembly part 10

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This entry is part 68 of 70 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. For the past few weeks, we have been highlighting visitors who came on the occasion of the first General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union.    Today’s visitors all came on May 10, 1922. They are Annie Dodwell, Frank Littell, Cesare Bardeloni, Armand Baar, and Gustave Ferrié. M. P. (or O.) Stroobant There is a “M.P. Stroobant” who signed, possibly the spouse or family member of Paul Stroobant who signed on the next page. I have not been able to find any references for this person. Annie Dodwell Next to her name, Annie Louisa Virginia Dodwell (1870-1924) wrote, “Adelaide, South Australia.” She was an Australian government astronomer and worked with her husband, George Dodwell, who was also a career government astronomer for Australia. Her husband (an IAU … Continue reading →

Specola Guestbook | May 10, 1922: IAU 1st General Assembly part 9

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This entry is part 67 of 70 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. For the past few weeks, we have been highlighting visitors who came on the occasion of the first General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union.    Today’s visitors all came on May 10, 1922. They are Jacques Liouville, Jules Baillaud, Oliver Justin-Lee, and Abbé Chauve-Bertrand. Jacques Liouville Next to his name, Dr. Jacques Liouville (1879-1960) wrote, “Directeur de’Institut Scientifique Chérifien (Maroc)” (“Director of the Chérifien Scientific Institute (Morocco)”). Dr. Liouville was the first director of the Chérifien Institute, which he directed from 1920 until 1937.  His areas of specialty were medicine and marine biology. He was also an explorer who participated in two antarctic expeditions in 1908 and 1910. These expeditions resulted in a study of Antarctic cetaceans. He was the son of the prominent French politician … Continue reading →

Politics, Economics, And The Dignity We Need: A Pastor’s Take On Pope Francis’ New Encyclical (Part Three)

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To begin, I apologize for not being with you last week to offer a reflection. I received a phone call from the Diocese of La Crosse a little over a week ago with the news I was being named a Dean (Vicar Forane). What does it me to be a Dean? Well, it really depends on what the Bishop needs us to do since each Diocese has different needs. My Bishop, Bishop Callahan, explained in his letter that he wants me to care for the well being of my brother priests in the area I live, field concerns from the people of God, oversee the Regis Catholic Schools system, and other tasks the Bishop may ask of me. In other words, to avoid the use of any snarky jokes, people both congratulated me and offered condolences upon news of my appointment! All kidding aside, it is an honor to be named a Dean. It’s one of those honors we privately … Continue reading →

Specola Guestbook | May 10, 1922: IAU 1st General Assembly part 8 – Delvosal, Armellini, Ferri, Roussilhe, and Krassowski

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This entry is part 66 of 70 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. For the past few weeks, we have been highlighting visitors who came on the occasion of the first General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union.    Today’s visitors all came on May 10, 1922. They are Jules Delvosal, Giuseppe Armellini, Francesco Ferri, Henri Roussilhe, and Jan Krassowski. J. Delvosal Next to his name, Jules Joseph Désiré Delvosal (1876-1960) wrote, “Uccle (Belgique).” This is a peculiar case where I have been unable to find any significant biographical information about the person, but his name appears in various publications, including the Transactions of the International Astronomical Union. He was an astronomer at Uccle, and professor at the Collège Notre Dame in Antwerp, and he directed Uccle’s involvement in the Carte du Ciel project. He was author of a 1905 … Continue reading →

Specola Guestbook | May 10, 1922: IAU 1st General Assembly part 7 – Somigliana, Volta, Vercelli, Bauer, Baillaud, and Perrier

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This entry is part 65 of 70 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. For the past few weeks, we have been highlighting visitors who came on the occasion of the first General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union.    Today’s visitors all came on May 10, 1922. May 10 was the day of a formal, organized visit to the Specola.  I believe it may also have been the day when Pope Pius XI graced the Observatory with his presence, as seen in a photo posted a few weeks ago.  In attendance were not only the astronomers of the IAU, but also their guests and spouses. Today, we will highlight just a few of the visitors on that day.  They are Carlo Somigliana, Luigi Volta, Francesco Vercelli, Alfred Lacroix, Louis Bauer, and Georges Perrier. Capt. L. Beneš [Note: For the attendees … Continue reading →

Astronomical Sketching – Education in Action

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Three early lunar sketches – Pencil on white 110 gsm Cartridge paper – Deirdre Kelleghan Ireland. “Nothing exists until or unless it is observed. An artist is making something exist by observing it. And his hope for other people is that they will also make it exist by observing it. I call it ‘creative observation.’ Creative viewing.”  – William S Burroughs Astronomical Sketching I like this quote from Burroughs, it is a fit in many ways for the not widely practised activity of astronomical sketching. Not that the objects concerned do not exist, but rather they are perhaps unknown to or go unnoticed by many people. Lots of people in the world go about their lives without noticing detail. Only by being still and observing do we gather appreciation for the planet that surrounds us and our place in the universe. Drawing something like the moon is a progressive journey of learning by observing and recording features as best one … Continue reading →

ⓜ The Worldcon of Planetary Sciences

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This entry is part 5 of 47 in the series And Then I Wrote

And then I wrote… as I mentioned last week, back in 2011 I had started to write a column for the Tor.com site but after a few weeks the press of other matters caused me to abandon the project. I said before that I had had three columns, but actually there were only two that were finished and published. A shame that I didn’t have time to do more, since it’s a great site and I was proud to be a part of it. It’s because this article was originally written for an audience of Science Fiction Fans that I used the comparison of our meeting with the annual world gathering of SF Fandom, the Worldcon. This week’s entry is particularly appropriate now, since as it happens the annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society’s Division for Planetary Sciences (or “The DPS” as we call it) starts – online, of course, this year – on Monday. The column that follows … Continue reading →

The Non-Populist Pope: A Pastor’s Take On Pope Francis’ New Encyclical (Part Two)

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Unlike last week, part of my reflection on Pope Francis’ latest encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, will invite a dialogue on faith and science! However, to set up that dialogue, we need to explore some foundational principles gleaned from the Pope’s writing. At the heart of Pope Francis’ new encyclical is a commentary that could be summarized as “towards a new politics.” One of the greatest obstacles identified by Pope Francis to this new vision of politics is the slippery term, “populist.” Therefore, we will explore what the Pope is addressing when he speaks of populism and then I will invite you to offer your response on this subject as it pertains to faith and science. The Non-Populist Pope What does it mean to be a “populist?” In my home county of the United States, I think the term “populist” is seen as a bit benign. For example, our culture has an entire genre of music called “Pop” that lives and dies … Continue reading →

Specola Guestbook | May 7-10, 1922: IAU 1st General Assembly part 6 – Bemporad, Viaro, Turner, Russell, Philippot, and Vanderlinden

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This entry is part 64 of 70 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. For the past few weeks, we have been highlighting visitors who came on the occasion of the first General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union.    Today’s visitors all came between May 7-10, 1922. They are Azeglio Bemporad, Bartolo Viaro, Herbert H. Turner, Henry Norris Russell, Hector Philippot, and Henri Vanderlinden. Azeglio Bemporad Azeglio Bemporad (1875-1945) visited on May 7. Next to his name, he wrote, “Napoli Dirett. Osservatorio Capodimonte” (Naples, Director of the Observatory of Capodimonte). (Bemporad had also visited the Vatican Observatory on March 21, 1908, when he worked at the observatory of Catania. Unfortunately, I failed to produce a “Specola Guestbook” column on the occasion of that visit.) He was director of the observatory at Capodimonte from 1912-1934, then became director of the observatory … Continue reading →