NEWSLETTER Spring 2015 embracing, encouraging and promoting scientific study

OUR INCREDIBLE CHILE TOUR APRIL 2015

Founded in 1891, the Vatican Observatory demonstrates the Church’s desire to embrace, encourage and promote scientific study, on the basis of Father José Funes, S.J. Director, Vatican Observatory 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). Brother Guy Consolmagno, S.J. For more information, email ([email protected]) or call (+1 (520) 795-1694). President, Vatican Observatory Foundation VATICAN OBSERVATORY FOUNDATION

President’sby Br. Guy Consolmagno, S.J.Message

Photo Credit: ESA/Valentini

So many exciting things have been reflections of how the we do skills keep it running. happening this spring, as you can see reflects on our faith and our culture. I am humbled by the contributions just from paging through this newsletter. For example, just recently Dr. Brenda of ideas, prayers, and finances that has But I’d like to highlight two in particular: Frye explained the giant hydrogen halo made all of this possible. Thank you all. In January, we held our first Faith discovered around the Andromeda And I look forward to seeing what you and Astronomy Workshop, bringing Galaxy. Bill Higgins wrote about the first will come up with next! 25 educators from parishes across the “hard ” fiction novelist: none other country (including two from Mexico!) than Galileo’s contemporary, Johannes to spend a week in Tucson learning Kepler. Bob Trembley has been updating UPCOMING EVENTS about astronomy and discussing how us on the Dawn mission to Ceres. And SAVE THE DATE: we can share our joy of the stars. The Fr. Kurzynski recently reflected on how Annual Seminar – Awards Banquet enthusiasm generated by our week Confirmation preparation at his parish Phoenix, Arizona – January 23rd, 2016 together continues to pay dividends as could be tied to the sense of awe that each of the participants has spread the fuels our passion for astronomy. FAITH AND ASTRONOMY WORKSHOP II word back home. Science is a conversation, not a cold Tucson, Arizona – January 12th - 15th I am delighted to announce that book of facts. Both the Workshop and Apply in September at: our next workshop is scheduled for the the Blog give our Foundation supporters www.vofoundation.org Redemptorist Renewal Center in Tucson, – you – the chance to talk to us about MUSECON the week of January 11 - 15, 2016. If you, what you find fascinating about the Itasca, IL – August 7,8,9 or someone you know, is an educator, universe, and what you’d like to hear Brother Guy will be the Guest of Honor deacon, or priest with a passion for from us, as professional astronomers and astronomy and desire to share that people of faith. And more such programs SASQUAN 2015 WORLD SCIENCE passion, check out the details on our are in the works. Watch this space! FICTION CONVENTION Vatican Observatory Foundation web The other thing about these two Spokane, WA – August 19-23 page. Applications open September 1. programs is that they started with ideas Br. Guy will present the Sagan Award lecture The other project that has me from you, our supporters. Fr. James FOR UPCOMING EVENTS, excited is our “Sacred Space” blog, The Kurzynski first suggested the Workshop ASTRONOMICAL LECTURES AND MORE Catholic Astronomer. Check it out, in an email that came to us “out of the Check out the Catholic Astronomer at www.vofoundation.org/blog You’ll find a blue” about a year ago. Bob Trembley’s Blog Calendar Page at: new article every day on topics that range enthusiasm launched the Catholic www.vofoundation.org/blog/calendar from “what’s new in the solar system” to Astronomer website, and his technical Spring 2015 Page 3 Reaching for the Heavens Education and Public Outreach

Annual Seminar held at Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.

Presenters and Esteemed Guests: FR. JOSE GABRIEL FUNES, Director of The Vatican Observatory; To a standing room only crowd FR. PAUL GABOR ARCHBISHOP CARLO MARIA VIGANÓ, Apostolic Nuncio; BR. GUY CONSOLMAGNO; continued the tradition of Vatican Observatory staff PROFESSOR DUILIA DE MELLO, Institute for Astrophysics and Computational at CUA; and participation at the University Series lectures during Lent MONSIGNOR MARK MOROZOWICH, Acting Provost at CUA. in Ventura County, CA, presenting “Are We Alone in the Universe? A Vatican Observatory Update”

Photo Credit: Joaquin Loustau Photo Credit: Joaquin Loustau In January BR. GUY opened the 2015 University of BR. GUY was honored to present at the inaugural event of the Academy of Catholic Thought and Imagination at Loyola Arizona Lecture Series: “Life in the Universe” with his Marymount University in March. The theme “Science, , and the Art of Storytelling” presentation of “What Is Life?”

http://epgapi-tlh.gradimages.com/...864C42C525D0FDA1B9DA135AB626975C0743AA64EF2E3906B452C517FF2000E6A3E9FBBC02C5[2/13/2015 4:56:44 PM]

Photo Credit: Jude Harding Photo Credit: Bob Kelley Photo Credit: Bob Kelley

In San Antonio BR. GUY visited Central Catholic High School, the Oblates School of , and the Scobee Edu- In Charlotte, North Carolina, BR. GUY participated in cation Center Planetarium where he presented “The Adventures of a Vatican Astronomer”. The event at the the Temple Beth El 2015 Comparative Religion Series: planetarium was a special honor for Brother Guy due to the many years DR. JUNE SCOBEE RODGERS dedicated “Religion and Science: Can They Coexist?” to the VOF as a member of the Board of Directors. VATICAN OBSERVATORY FOUNDATION The Vatican Observatory Foundation visit to Chile, 2015 by Br. Guy Consolmagno, S.J. From the Catholic Astronomer Blog Posts

In mid April, a group sponsored by trips, Andrea Dudek and Mary Louise was chosen to be both clear and dark, the Vatican Observatory Foundation Jackowicz from Chicago. Also joining yet still conveniently accessible at that went to tour a number of the European us on the trip was former director of the time. Later telescopes were built in sites Southern Observatory (ESO) (and MMT (and former VOF board member) that are even darker and more remote, other) astronomical observatories in Faith Vilas, and for part of the trip, as accessibility developed over the past northern Chile. The whole trip was Dante Minniti and Joyce Pullen from 50 years. made possible thanks to the wonderful ESO. Even though some of them are nearly help of Dr. Fernando Comerón, the ESO There were three major observatory 50 years old, they’re still heavily used. representative in Chile who set up the stops along the way. The first was La The 3.6 meter telescope, for example, is whole tour and got us places to stay in Silla, which is located a few hours the home to the HARPS spectrometer the observatories themselves. outside of the Chilean city of La that is used full time to discover and Our guests included Ken and Karen Serena, which is also near the American characterize exoplanets – planets around Miller, longtime Sacred Space Giving observatory of Cerro Tololo. Both La other stars, a discovery that was far in participants from Los Angeles; Conrad Silla and Cerro Tololo were developed the future when that telescope was first Plimpton, a member of the U of Arizona in the 1960s, about the same time as Kitt built. Galileo Circle; Gary Gutt, who works at Peak, and they have a very familiar feel Here are some photos from our JPL and is a long-time VOF supporter; to them... the telescopes are also mostly group, to give you an idea of what those and two veterans from previous Rome from the 1960’s to the 1990s. The site wonderful telescopes look like.

In the cafeteria of the observatory dorm where we were staying at La Silla, I ran into my friend Colin from the UK, who was using this telescope to observe Kuiper Belt Objects that night. The next morning, en route from La Silla to Paranal we visited the Magellan Observatory at Las Campanas, which is visible from La Silla. This observatory is sponsored by a number of US institutions including the Carnegie Institute and Harvard, MIT, U of , and the U of Arizona. The two Magellan telescopes were built in 2000 and 2002, using 6.5 meter mirrors fabricated at CONRAD, KAREN, and KEN at the 2.2 meter telescope. the U of Arizona mirror lab (which our FAW group toured in January). Nearby is the mountaintop where the Giant Magellan Telescope will be built; it will have seven 8.4 meter mirrors in one structure! These mirrors are all made with the spin-cast technique of Roger Angel at the mirror lab. There was a third mirror of this size made at that time; it is now the mirror The telescope domes at La A view of the Magellan twin KAREN, KEN, and FERNANDO inspecting the dome of one in the MMT. Silla, as the sun sets domes, from the cafeteria of the Magellan telescopes where we had lunch Spring 2015 Page 5 Reaching for the Heavens A few days after we visited La Silla we went to the telescopes that defined astronomy in the 2000’s: the VLT (Very Large Telescope) at Paranal. These telescopes are a couple of hours from Antofagasta, a desolate plain utterly devoid of life. The dryness of the area makes Tucson look A panoramic view of our group at the Very Large Telescopes like an oasis by comparison. Thus the shock of the astronomer’s hotel... It is built into the side of the mountain; from the road, all you can see is a small dome. But once you go through the airlock double-doors, you find yourself in a moist rainforest environment! In fact, the setting is so dramatic, it was used in the To the right of this photo is a lush garden surrounding a swimming pool! James Bond movie “Quantum of Solace”... But the best part was being in the dome of one of the 8.2 meter telescopes as it was being prepared for observing that night. Our last stop on the Chile trip was San Pedro de Atacama, a hiker’s paradise that now serves The VLT telescopes are too big for mirror covers, so they are tilted to the side when the dome is opened. This panorama gives a sense of the scale as the headquarters for the APEX microwave telescope (a friend of mine was using it while feet in the dry desert of Chile. we were there) and the ALMA microwave radio But an equally possible theory is that the white telescope array, located at 16,400 feet (5,000 spots are salt deposits left behind after the water meters). It’s so high up that you have to be evaporated into space. And that’s where the examined by a doctor before they let you visit. “Valley of the Moon” comes in. Everyone in our group passed the test... except As you may have heard, this desert only gets me. (I was on antibiotics, fighting a sinus rain about once in a hundred years; but one of The people who made our ALMA trip possible: FERNANDO infection I’d picked up in Denver.) As a result, I those times was just this past spring. And the COMERÓN and PIERRE COX don’t have first-hand descriptions... but these are rocks here are full of salts like gypsum, or even some of the photos that Katie took and shared regular rock salt (NaCl as halite). They were the with us. site of salt mines as recently as the 1960s. And But along with the telescopes, we also got to with all that rain, a lot of salt got dissolved into visit a couple of the remarkable sites near San the water... and then left behind as the water Pedro... the El Tatio hot springs and geysers (best evaporated. So, for the moment, this valley has a seen at sunrise, which meant an early start for remarkable white patina. us) and the “Valley of the Moon”, a remarkable Maybe they should call it the Valley of Ceres? collection of mountains and valleys carved by The Alma telescopes. Yes, that’s snow. wind and water. All I could think of was Ceres. As you may recall the Dawn spacecraft is orbiting Ceres, getting closer and closer to the mysterious white spots seen on its surface. One theory has it that they are patches of ice left by geysers on the surface of Ceres. Well, here are some geysers at 14,000 The gang at ALMA… except for me! The Valley of the Moon, covered with salts from the recent floods. VATICAN OBSERVATORY FOUNDATION February: As Dawn closed in on Ceres, Friends Gathered to Celebrate among the Meteorites At the Michael J. Drake Building in Tucson

DR. MARK V. SYKES, CEO and Director of the Institute and Co-Investigator of the NASA Dawn mission, points out details on the first images of Ceres from the Dawn Spacecraft during his presentation at the Circles of Giving Awards Dinner.

behind bright residue including salts and half Jupiter’s distance from the Sun) and other minerals. Ceres does not have the Europa’s extreme Sykes spoke about the astrobiological radiation environment (a consequence of implications of such a water reservoir orbiting within Jupiter’s strong magnetic existing over the age of the solar system, fields). So, one could envision a relatively During Dr. Sykes presentation most suggesting extremophyle life might exist inexpensive mission, traveling to the prominent was a mysterious white spot without exposure to sunlight. This surface of Ceres, scooping up some of and small companion that stood out would be analogous to life in the deep the white material on its surface, looking against the dark surface of the dwarf oceans of the Earth near thermal vents. at the material under magnification and planet. Models of the interior of Ceres Such life might then be transported to asking the question: are there any dead indicated the possibility of an interior the surface, entrapped in the evaporites bugs? - resulting in the most important ocean. The white spot might indicate of something like the white spots. The discovery in human history. the existence of cryovolcanism that interior ocean of Jupiter’s moon Europa This is all speculation, but it is a brings heavily mineralized liquid water is another location that life might have question that will be on the minds of to the surface. Exposed to the vacuum developed, but Ceres has the advantage investigators as the Dawn spacecraft of space at Ceres’ distance from the Sun, of being much easier to get to than continues to spiral closer and closer to this water would rapidly sublime, leaving Jupiter (being only a little more than the surface of Ceres.

BR. GUY shows meteorites to DR. BRENDA FRYE and her FR. ARTURO SOSA, S.J., Delegate for the Interprovincial Je- ALYSE and CARL HERGENROTHER, FR. JEAN-BAPTISTE husband, before the dinner at the Michael J. Drake Building in suit Communities in Rome and ROSE CRACCHIOLO COLLINS, KIKWAYA, S.J., and FR. PATRICK M. CRINO enjoy the Tucson. Dr. Frye assists the VOF by posting a fascinating article Guardian of the Vatican Observatory, enjoy meeting for the evening. Carl and Fr. Kikwaya have been instrumental in every week on The Catholic Astronomer Blog. first time. bringing real-life astronomy to high school students.

SAVE THE DATE: 2016 Circle of Giving Awards Dinner and Annual Seminar will be in Phoenix on Saturday, January 23rd. Spring 2015 Page 7 Reaching for the Heavens Faith and Astronomy Workshop: Reflections on my week with the Vatican Observatory By Fr. James Kurzynski

that the lesson science teaches us is conferences on the subject of faith and that the world is rational and able to science for people who do not work be understood. This intelligibility of professionally in science. His polite the universe is an invitation from the response stated that the Observatory world’s Creator. This invitation shows did not have such a program, but that us that God wants us to understand Him I should check back in the future. Ten through studying creation. Therefore, Under clear skies just north of Tucson, we do not have a God of deception and amid temperatures that felt more like confusion, but rather a God of love who late spring than winter, I had the makes Himself accessible and known privilege of joining 24 priests and lay through His creation. This mediation people to participate in the first ever became the interpretive lens that helped Faith and Astronomy Workshop, hosted me unify the entire Workshop and by the Vatican Observatory Foundation. clearly understand the true relationship This brief, four day workshop was a mix between faith and science: Faith and years rolled by before I did check back. of lecture, discussion, hands-on science, science are complementary explorations This time around, I contacted Br. Guy. and field trips to help parish educators of truth and, presuming adherence to Again, I was informed that there wasn’t and pastors learn how to address the moral laws, cannot be in conflict with such a program, but Br. Guy wanted to relationship of faith and science with one another since truth cannot contract take the idea to the Director, Fr. Jose the people they serve. truth (CCC 159). Funes, S.J., for consideration. In short, The event was led by astronomer the idea was embraced and the first ever and President of the Vatican Observatory Faith and Astronomy Workshop (FAW) Foundation, Br. Guy Consolmango, S.J. began to take form. Joining Br. Guy were a number of local At the conclusion of the Workshop, scientists and friends of the Foundation it was decided that this event would who presented on subjects ranging happen again with the hope of it from the ancient understanding of the becoming an annual event for the universe to critiquing the “new atheists.” Vatican Observatory Foundation. The The breadth of subjects combined with next Workshop will be held January daily visits to active and future space On the final evening of the 11, 2016. For those who are unable to missions provided an eye-opening Workshop, Br. Guy asked me to preside apply for this conference, but would look at the current state of astronomy and preach the homily for the closing still like to explore the question of faith and the importance of the Vatican Mass under the night sky. The reason I and science, there is now a blog called Observatory’s presence in the scientific was approached was because of my role “The Catholic Astronomer” allowing community. in the development of the conference. you access to astronomers who desire One of the memorable themes of the Shortly after ordination, I e-mailed Fr. to reach out to the general public to workshop was given by Vatican scientist , Director of the Vatican explore Astronomy and its relationship Fr. Paul Gabor, S.J. during his homily Observatory at that time, asking if with the Catholic faith. (There is a at daily Mass. Fr. Gabor explained the Observatory offered retreats or (continued on page 8) Non Profit Org VATICAN OBSERVATORY NON PROFIT ORG F O U N D A T I O N U.S POSTAGE 2017 East Lee Street PAID TUCSON, AZ OR Tucson, Arizona 85719 PERMIT NO. 3341

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(continued from page 7) priesthood. It is consoling to see that, topics in the Church: the relationship monthly donation to have full access in light of the advances in science between faith and science. Please pray to this blog). I invite anyone interested that loom just around the corner, the for the ongoing work of the Vatican to check out this wonderful resource Vatican Observatory is developing new Observatory and may their work help at http://www.vofoundation.org/blog/. programs to make the work they do remind us that the Church supports true The Faith and Astronomy more accessible to the non-scientist. In science. Workshop was a memorable event the process, they are helping us to be that I will cherish for the rest of my more literate about one of the hottest

Looking for the Green Flash from Paranal, Chile.