Vatican Observatory

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 / 41.747222222222; 12.650555555556
Altitude	430 m (1,410 ft)
Established	1930
Website	www.vaticanobservatory.org/,%20https://www.vaticanobservatory.va/
Location of Vatican Observatory
Related media on Wikimedia Commons
[edit on Wikidata]

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.

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)
• 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)
• José Gabriel Funes, SJ (19 August 2006 – 18 September 2015)
• Guy Consolmagno, SJ (18 September 2015 –19 September 2025)
• Anthony D’Souza, SJ (19 September 2025 –present)

References