The Vatican Observatory Podcast

Jun 17 2024 24 ep. 32 mins 105

The Vatican Observatory Podcast artwork

The Vatican Observatory is one of the oldest and most accomplished observatories in the world… which surprises people who have limited understanding of Church and science. In this podcast, you’ll hear from Vatican astronomers and their accomplished special guests as they explore the wonder of God’s surprising universe.

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Steeped in Science

Jun 17 2024 47 mins

Br. Guy Consolmagno chats with Dr. Michelle Francl about her book Steeped: The Chemistry of Tea, which explores the chemistry behind different styles of tea. The book caused quite a stir with various international news agencies - and a virtual firestorm in Britain.Dr. Francl was also a guest for the Vatican Observatory podcast in Dec. of 2021 with an episode named: A Taste for Heav

Man on a Mission (or two)

Feb 09 2024 30 mins

Br. Guy Consolmagno chats with Br. Bob Macke about being a team member of two asteroid missions: the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission, and the Lucy mission to the Trojan asteroids. Hosts:Br. Guy Consolmagno SJ: Director of Vatican Observatory and President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation.Bob Trembley: Factotum for the Vatican Observatory Foundation.Guest:Br. Bob Mack

From Humble Beginnings

Oct 19 2023 39 mins

Br. Guy Consolmagno chats with Charles F. Bolden Jr. during the 30th anniversary celebration of 'first light' into the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope.Hosts:Br. Guy Consolmagno SJ: Director of Vatican Observatory and President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation.Bob Trembley: Factotum for the Vatican Observatory Foundation.Guest:Charles F. Bolden Jr.: Marine Corps Major Gen

My Time at the Vatican Observatory Summer School

Jul 10 2023 39 mins

Matthew Pinson SJ is a young Jesuit scientist from Australia. He was one of the students at the 2023 Vatican Observatory Summer School held in Rome during June. Hear what it was like to be a student at the school, and how Matthew’s journey took him from a farm in Australia to a doctorate at MIT, then the Jesuits, and finally to the Vatican!Hosts:Br. Guy Consolmagno SJ: Director o

Roundtable with Vatican Observatory Staff

May 19 2023 37 mins

This podcast was taken from the Full Moon Meetup on Friday, January 6, 2023. To begin the year, we had a roundtable discussion with several members of the Vatican Observatory staff. We covered everything from Befana, the Italian Epiphany witch, to the 30th anniversary of the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT), and the year ahead.Hosts:Br. Guy Consolmagno SJ: Director of V

Sketcher of the Skies

Jan 02 2023 40 mins

What spurs an artist to start sketching celestial objects as they look in her small telescope? What thrills her the most? Is it seeing the fine details of nebulae through large telescopes? Sketching the Moon's slowly changing terminator and Sun's prominences? Working with children - helping them understand the night sky, and awakening their curiosity in science? Deirdre Kelleghan i

From Voyager to Webb: Heidi Hammel and the Ice Giants

Oct 25 2022 47 mins

So, how many people do you know who have had a children’s book written about them? Dr. Heidi Hammel gained international fame in 1994 by leading the Hubble Space Telescope Team that imaged Jupiter during the impacts of Comet Shoemaker Levy 9, but in fact her main research has focused on the “ice giant” planets, Uranus and Neptune. Her ground-based telescope observations were

Deep Roots

Oct 05 2022 37 mins

Have you ever met one of those people who just seems to know everyone? Our guest, Katie Steinke is one of those people. Katie and her family have been involved with Specola astronomers for decades, and from those deep roots grew the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope. Hear Katie's story...Guests:Katie Steinke - former development director of the Vatican Observatory Foundation.Bo

From Sparkling Water to Dark Matter

Aug 24 2022 38 mins

The most famous product of San Pellegrino, Italy, is its sparkling water. But from this same village in the north of Italy has come a PhD scientist working on detecting the most elusive ingredients of the universe… and hoping for a chance to fly, herself, in space. Hear Dr. Maria Elena Monzani’s story...Guests: - Dr. Maria Elena Monzani, a Lead Scientist at the SLAC National Ac

The Stuff of Stars

Jul 01 2022 32 mins

Brother Bob Macke SJ is the curator of meteorites at the Vatican Observatory, and during his research measuring meteorite physical properties he has probably handled as many rocks from outer space as anyone alive today. Other astronomers may claim to study stars and planets, but mostly all they touch are photons; Bob has handled actual stuff from space, from stellar dust at Washing