Vatican Observatory
| Organization | Holy See |
|---|---|
| Observatory code | 036 |
| Location | Castel Gandolfo, Castel Gandolfo, Vatican City |
| Coordinates | 41°44′50″N 12°39′02″E / 41.747222222222°N 12.650555555556°E |
| Altitude | 430 m (1,410 ft) |
| Established | 1930 |
| Website | www |
Location of Vatican Observatory | |
| Related media on Wikimedia Commons | |
The Vatican Observatory (Italian: Specola Vaticana) is an astronomical research institution. Its chief, works for the papacy.
The research institution is subordinate to the papacy and recognized as one of the oldest astronomical observatories in the world.[1][2]
Overview
All its researchers are Jesuits who also have training, most of them doctorates, in astronomy. Its current director is the American, Guy Consolmagno. The observatory holds a summer school every two years in which astronomy students from all over the world spend a month in Castel Gandolfo studying a particular topic.
Currently, it has two operational headquarters: the main group of researchers makes up the Vatican Observatory Research Group, located at the facilities of the Steward Observatory of the University of Arizona in the United States, while the headquarters is located in the Palace of Castel Gandolfo, Italy. The latter shares a building with the papal residence in said town, providing a favorable environment for scientific research.
Leadership
- Francesco Denza, B (1891–1894)
- Giuseppe Lais, CO (1894–1898)
- Ángel Rodríguez de Prada, OSA (1898-1905)[3]
- Johann Georg Hagen, SJ (1906–1930)
- Johan Stein, SJ (1930–1951)
- Daniel Joseph Kelly O'Connell, SJ (1952–1971)
- Patrick Treanor, SJ (1971–1978)
- George Coyne, SJ (1978–2006)[4]
- José Gabriel Funes, SJ (19 August 2006[4] – 18 September 2015)[5]
- Guy Consolmagno, SJ (18 September 2015[5] –19 September 2025)
- Anthony D’Souza, SJ (19 September 2025 –present)
References
- ↑ Johnson, George (22 June 2009). "Vatican's Celestial Eye, Seeking Not Angels but Data". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 June 2009.
- ↑ History of the Vatican Observatory Archived 18 December 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Vatican Observatory Foundation. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
- ↑ "Real Academia de la Historia".
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Rinunce e Nomine, 19.08.2006" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 19 August 2006. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Rinunce e Nomine, 18.09.2015" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 18 September 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2020.