Vatican Observatory

4 asteroids just got named for Pope Leo XIII, Vatican astronomers

Gina Christian · April 30, 2026

The Vatican Observatory announced in an April 29 press release that an asteroid has been named in honour of Pope Leo XIII, who formally reestablished the observatory in 1891.

Faith and the final frontier: Jesuit astronomer releases guide to the cosmos

Carol Glatz · February 11, 2025

A nerdy love of science fiction, a yearning for adventure, a passion for science and a foundation of Jesuit education all helped in some way to lead a man from Detroit, Michigan, to become a master of meteorites and the head of the Vatican Observatory.

Looking beyond the stars

As both an astronomer and a Jesuit, Br. Guy Consolmagno recognizes the relationship between science and religion

Luke Mandato · April 10, 2024

Despite all his years of studying the heavens, both as a scientist and a Jesuit, Br. Guy Consolmagno has never lost his sense of awe about the universe, nor of the God who created it.