vatican observatory NEWSLETTER Fall 2011 embracing, encouraging and promoting scientific study A Heartfelt Goodbye to Fr. Coyne and a Warm Welcome to Fr. DiUlio On January 1, 2012 Father Albert J. DiUlio, S.J., will become the next President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation. Father George V. Coyne, S.J., will be leaving the Vatican Observatory after 45 years, including 25 as President of the Foundation. Hailing from the Wisconsin Province of Jesuits, the President-Elect comes with impressive creden- tials that will serve the foundation well! Fr. DiUlio entered the Society of Jesus in 1964 and was ordained in 1974. He holds a Masters in Finance and a Ph.D. in Education and Policy Analysis, both from Stanford University. He served as President of Marquette University in Milwaukee and Xavier University in Cincinnati. While serving on numerous boards and receiving many honors, Fr. DiUlio also led the development of the East African Catholic University of Ethiopia. His experi- ence includes these positions and others in the Midwest, several in California and most recently as the Secretary for Finance and Higher Education at the USA Jesuit Conference in Washington, D.C. Whether you call him “Father Coyne”, “George”, “Padre Giorgio” or “Capo”, for most of you reading this newsletter George Coyne, S.J., needs no introduc- tion, but he does deserve a few words. From Baltimore, Maryland he entered the Society of Jesus at the age of 18. He then obtained a bachelor's degree in mathematics and his licentiate in philosophy at Fordham University in 1958. He followed this by earning his licentiate in sacred theology at Woodstock College and doctorate in astronomy from Georgetown University. In 1965 he was ordained, and began what would become a long-lasting and important collaboration with the University of Arizona. Fr. Coyne joined the Vatican Observatory as an astronomer in 1969 and was appointed Director by Pope John Paul I in 1978. As Director he was a driving force in several new educational and research initiatives, including the Vatican Observatory Summer Schools and the Vatican Observatory Research Group in Tucson, Arizona. He retired as Director in August 2006 but remained President of the Foundation. Fr. Coyne has embodied the scientific and educational mission of the Vatican Observatory Foundation since its inception in 1986, working with colleagues and benefactors to build the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope and ensure the Church’s presence in scientific research of the universe. After almost five decades at “La Specola” in Castel Gandolfo and in Tucson, Padre Giorgio is moving to a much colder climate at LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York. Surely his work teaching astronomy and developing a lecture series regarding the science and religion dialogue will help keep him warm! Father Coyne, we wish you well. You will be missed. We also wish Father DiUlio a very warm welcome to Tucson (no pun intended) and a rewarding and enjoyable future with the Vatican Observatory Foundation! Should you wish to offer your own words of farewell to Fr. Coyne and welcome to Fr. DiUlio, please send an email or note to the attention of Katie Steinke, in preparation for the official transition at the Annual Meeting in February 2012. [email protected]; 2017 E. Lee Street, Tucson, AZ 85719 Founded in 1891, the Vatican Observatory demonstrates the Church’s desire to embrace, encourage and promote scientific study, Father José Funes, S.J. Director, Vatican Observatory on the basis of her conviction that ‘faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth’ (Fides et Ratio, Proemium). For more information, email ([email protected] or) or call (+1 (520) 795-1694). Father George Coyne, S.J. President, Vatican Observatory Foundation vatican observatory Benefactors Susan and Steve Reischl from California join guides (center) Fr. Paul Mueller, S.J., and Bro. Guy Consolmagno, S.J. VATICAN OBSERVATORY NEWS Order Your 2012 Calendar Today! Strikingly beautiful images permeate the 2012 edition of the Official Calendar of the Vatican Observatory! “Life of a Star” is this year’s theme, with calendar images captur ing stars in different stages. As Bro. Guy Consolmagno, - S.J. writes, “Clouds of gas and dust, like the Eagle Nebula, are where stars are formed. Clusters of young stars, like the Pleiades, are still draped with the last wisps of those clouds.” Calendars are $25 each and include an annual member ship in the Vatican Observatory Guild. For orders of four - or more, a discounted rate of $20 per calendar is available. Proceeds support the ongoing work of the Observatory. Purchase online at www.vofoundation.org or mail a check with your order today, payable to Vatican Observatory Foundation. Please indicate “calendar” in the memo line. OFFICIAL CALENDAR OF THE VOBSERVATORY Welcoming Visitors June: Anthony Ayiomamitis, ISS Transit of the Sun - Greece. May July 2 Here we see a transit of the International Space Station across the face of the Sun. SM TW T F S SM TW T F S 12345 1234567 678910 11 12 8910 11 12 13 14 0 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 1 27 28 29 30 31 29 30 31 Brother Guy Consolmagno, JUNE GIUGNO JUNIO JUIN JUNI 2 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 12 2012 S.J., and Fr. Paul Mueller, S.J. took time out of their 3 456789 Feast of St. Boniface, Patron of Germany. Fr. Francesco Denza, first Hale Observatory on Mt. Transit of Venus across director of the Vatican busy schedules to show vis Palomar, CA opens 1948. the Sun Observatory, born 1834 - 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 iting benefactors around the Valentina Tereshkova, first woman in space aboard Russia’s Vosok 6, 1962 Vatican Observatory head- 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Sally Ride, first American woman in space aboard Summer solstice Father’s Day Challenger, 1983 (23:09 UT) quarters in Castel Gandolfo 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Feast of St. John the Baptist, traditional start of Fr. Angelo Secchi SJ, the monsoons in Southern Father of Astrophysics, Largest recorded meteor outside Rome. Arizona born 1818 strikes Siberia, 1908 Fall 2011 2 vatican observatory VATICAN OBSERVATORYReaching NEWS for the Heavens California Province Installs 21st Leader On July 31, the Feast of St. Ignatius, Fr. Michael Weiler, S.J., began his tenure as Provincial of the California Province of the Society of Jesus. Jesuits, friends, and colleagues gathered on a beautiful Sunday morning for Mass and celebration in the courtyard of the Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos. The Jesuits of the Vatican Observatory come from many dif ferent provinces and, strictly speaking, belong to a community- of the Roman Inter-provincial Delegation. However, the house in Tucson falls within the confines of the California Province and welcomes interaction with the province whenever possible. Bro. Guy Consolmagno Publishes Updated "Turn Left at Orion" Book! "It’s funny how the people who think there’s a contradiction be Written for beginners, this superb book is a complete “This is quite possibly the most inviting guidebook Consolmagno and Davis guide to the night sky. Over 500 beautiful illustrations ever written to help people with binoculars and small - and friendly large-formatSpecial diagrams show objects telescopes find, view, understand, and, most of all, exactly as they appear in a telescope, allowing enjoy everything in the night sky from the Moon and TURN tween science and religion generally really don’t know what science stargazers of all ages and backgrounds to find a host planets to distant star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies. of celestial objects for themselves. And if you think it’s only for beginners, think again – every telescope owner should have a copy.” • Over 100 000 copies sold DENNIS DI CICCO, Senior Editor, Sky & Telescope is or they don’t know what religion is. Or both. Now within the • Now with double the number of night sky LEFT AT objects to observe “Turn Left at Orion is an essential guide for both • Designed for Dobsonian telescopes, as well beginners and more experienced amateur as for smaller reflectors and refractors astronomers who will find much inside to reinvigorate Thanks • Covers both Northern and SouthernWe hemispheres extendtheir passion ourfor the stars. Thegratitude diagrams are simple, TURN LEF universe there are laws; there are effects, energy and matter and • Spiral bound making it even easier to use outdoors clear and functional, and the text eloquently captures ORION • Includes an accompanying website with reverse the excitement of observing. Stargazing has never C M Y BLK telescope views, visual links to the book, and much been made so easy and if you buy just one book on HUNDREDS OF NIGHT SKY OBJECTS more (www.cambridge.org/turnleft) observational astronomy, make sure it’s this one.” to — T David A. Harvey A TO SEE IN A HOME TELESCOPE N CVR KEITH COOPER, Editor, Astronomy Now T ORI TIO – aND HOW TO FIND THEM we can study how energy and matter interact. But there are truths, EDI Guy Consolmagno is a Jesuit Brother at the Specola “Since it first appeared in 1989,Turn Left at Orion has ON TH Vaticana (Vatican Observatory) dividing his time been an indispensable guidebook for the amateur N 4 a professional photog- O between Tucson, Arizona and Castel Gandolfo, astronomer possessing nothing more than a small Fourth Edition ORI T Italy. He studies the origin and evolution of moons backyard telescope. In this Fourth Edition, Guy A T about life; about the universe that science will never approach: and asteroids in our solar system,rapher and uses a 3.5” basedConsolmagno and Danin Davis haveTucson, revised, updated, catadioptric and an 8” Dobsonian.