Tag Archives: Vatican Observatory

Specola Guestbook | September 16, 1934: Pope Pius XI

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This entry is part 82 of 82 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 not technically from the guest book.  It is from a separate parchment reserved for Popes on their first official visit to the Specola. This tradition was begun when the Vatican Observatory was relocated from within Vatican City out to the Pontifical summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, about 25 km outside of Rome. On September 16, 1934, Pope Pius XI made a visit. Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (1857-1939) was elected Pope in 1922 and took the name Pius.  Prior to his elevation to the Papacy, he was the cardinal archbishop of Milan. In 1929, he and the Italian leader Benito Mussolini signed the Lateran Treaty, in which the nation of Italy formally recognized the Vatican as an independent sovereignty.  As part of this act, … Continue reading →

Specola Guestbook | January 15, 1925: Luigi Carnera

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This entry is part 81 of 82 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 January 15, 1925, when Luigi Carnera made a visit. Next to his name, Luigi Carnera (1875-1962) wrote, “Trieste – R. Osservatorio astronomico” He was accompanied on the visit by Vincenzo Cerulli, Azeglio Bemporad, and Emilio Bianchi, all of whom made at least one previous visit. [Note: Curiously, Bianchi was the first person to sign the book after a gap between 1915-1920. Here, he is the last person to sign the book before another mysterious gap between 1925 and 1934.] Carnera was the director of the Trieste Observatory from 1919 until 1932. He then was named director of the Capodimonte Observatory, a post he held until 1950. Much of Carnera’s astronomical involved the discovery of asteroids.  He discovered 16 of them. The asteroid … Continue reading →

Specola Guestbook | December 17, 1924: Elizabeth Wight

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This entry is part 80 of 82 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 17, 1924, when Elizabeth Wight made a visit. Next to her name, Elizabeth von Bescoten Wight (1894-1958) wrote, “Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.A. (Yerkes Observatory)” It is not clear what her connection to Yerkes Observatory might have been at the time of her visit in 1924. She was a law librarian in Milwaukee and avid amateur astronomer. She was a founding member of the Milwaukee Astronomical Society, and served as the first vice-president in 1932, and again ca. 1939-1941. She served as president of the Milwaukee Astronomical Society ca. 1941-1942. To date, she is the only woman to have held that position. She remained active in the organization until at least 1956. She also was editor of the journal Amateur Astronomy, published by … Continue reading →

Specola Guestbook | December 10, 1924: José Algué S.J.

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This entry is part 79 of 82 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 10, 1924, when José Algué made a visit. Next to his name, Fr. José Maria Algué S.J. (1856-1930) wrote, “Manila, Philippine Islands.” Algué was a meteorologist at the Observatory of Manila. He invented several instruments for the meteorological and seismographical observations. Most notable of these is a barocyclonometer, a type of fluidless barometer adapted for the prediction of storms.  He invented this instrument in 1897, and it was adopted by US Navy for use on its North Atlantic fleet in 1914. Algué also invented a nephoscope (for measuring movement and altitude of clouds) and a microseismograph.  

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Specola Guestbook | September 25, 1983: Leo O’Donovan SJ

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This entry is part 78 of 82 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. Once again, we break the chronological sequence to highlight a name relevant to events of this past week. On September 25, 1983 the Observatory was visited by Fr. Leo O’Donovan SJ.   Next to his name, Fr. Leo Jeremiah O’Donovan III SJ (b. 1934) wrote, “Weston School of Theology, Cambridge, MA” He was accompanied on the visit by Fr. Joseph Whelan SJ (1933-1994) and Fr. James A. Devereux SJ (1928-2011), both former Provincials of the Maryland Province of the Jesuits. O’Donovan received his Ph.D. in theology in 1971 at the University of Münster, studying under Karl Rahner SJ (who also made a visit in 1975).  He taught at Woodstock College from 1971-1974, and from 1974-1985 was professor of theology at the Weston School of Theology. O’Donovan was … Continue reading →

Specola Guestbook | June 16, 1924: Knut Lundmark and Sten Asklöf

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This entry is part 76 of 82 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 June 16, 1924, when Knut Lundmark and Sten Asklöf made a visit. Next to his name, Knut Emil Lundmark (1889-1958) wrote, “Ph.D., Upsala, Sweden.” He had completed his Ph.D. at Uppsala in 1920 and subsequently worked at the Lick and Mount Wilson observatoies. In 1929 he became director of the observatory at Lund University in Lund, Sweden. Lundmark’s scientific work was primarily concerned with galaxies.  He measured the distance to the Andromeda Galaxy in 1919 using  novae as standard candles. [Note: while certain types of supernovae function well as standard candles, novae in general vary in maximum brightness and do not serve the purpose well.] He measured a distance of about 650,000 ly (compared to the modern value of 2.5 million ly), which … Continue reading →

Specola Guestbook | October 17, 1923: Julien Péridier

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This entry is part 75 of 82 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 October 17, 1923, when Julien Péridier made a visit. Next to his name, Julien Péridier F.R.A.S. (1882-1967) wrote, “Ingénieur E.C.P. 16 Rue Cassette, Paris [apt] K.”  (E.C.P. is probably “École Centrale Paris,” where Péridier studied.) Péridier was an electrical engineer who worked primarily on public transportation systems in Paris. He was also an avid amateur astronomer. In 1933, he would found an observatory at Le Houga. After his death, he willed the instruments from the observatory and his library to the McDonald Observatory (University of Texas). In 1959 the Le Houga observatory was in a prime location to observe the occultation of the star Regulus by the planet Venus.  Using photoelectric photometry equipment, the team were able to produce a good light … Continue reading →

Specola Guestbook | April 18, 1923: T. E. Espin and William Milburn

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This entry is part 73 of 82 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 April 18, 1923, when Thomas Espin and William Milburn made a visit. Next to his name, Reverend Thomas Henry Espinell Compton Espin FRAS (1858-1934) wrote, “Wolsingham Observatory, Tow Law[,] Co. Durham England.” He was an Anglican minister and avid astronomer who established an observatory at Wolsingham in 1885. The observatory was transferred to Tow Law when he became curate there in 1888. His scientific work involved surveying the skies and cataloging variable and double stars.  He surveyed every star below 9th magnitude, which numbered more than 100,000. He discovered thousands of double stars. He was a member of the IAU commission on double stars. He invented several astronomical instruments, including a variable eyepiece and a method for making illuminated markings in the … Continue reading →

Specola Guestbook | April 12, 1923: Walter and Willoughby Cady

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This entry is part 72 of 82 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 April 12, 1923, when Walter Cady made a visit with his son Willoughby. Next to his name, Walter Guyton Cady (1874-1974) wrote, “Middletown, Conn, U.S.A.” He was an electrical engineer and physicist.  He was a professor oat Wesleyan University in Middletown CT. In 1921, he developed the first quartz crystal oscillator, a piezoelectric device that became the timekeeping basis for quartz clocks and watches. As part of his research, he worked to develop international frequency standards. What was he doing in Rome in 1923?  That year, he was comparing the frequency standards of various countries: England, France, Italy, and the USA.  This apparently involved travel to the respective countries. In 1932 he served as president of the Institute of Radio Engineers. He … Continue reading →

Specola Guestbook | March 27, 1923: Arthur Eddington

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This entry is part 71 of 82 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 March 27, 1922, when Sir Arthur Eddington made a visit. Next to his name, Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington OM FRS (1882-1944) wrote, “Observatory, Cambridge.” Eddington was chief assistant to the Astronomer Royal at the Royal Greenwich Observatory from 1906 until 1907, when he won the Smith Prize. He became director of the Cambridge Observatory in 1914. Eddington is perhaps one of the most notable astronomers of his age. In 1919, he and Edwin Cottingham led an expedition to the island of Principe to observe a solar eclipse. Their goal: to measure the apparent shift of the position of stars near the solar disk due to the bending of starlight predicted by Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity.  This experiment is considered one of … Continue reading →

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

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This entry is part 70 of 82 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 →

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

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This entry is part 69 of 82 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 →