Vatican Observatory has asteroid named after Pope Leo XIII
The Vatican Observatory announced that four asteroids have been named after significant figures in its history, including Pope Leo XIII, who re-founded the observatory in 1891. The asteroids were discovered using the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope in Arizona by astronomers Kazimieras Černis and Father Richard P. Boyle. The naming honors key contributors to the Observatory’s mission of promoting science within the Church.
- ▪Pope Leo XIII re-established the Vatican Observatory in 1891 following the loss of papal territories.
- ▪The asteroids were discovered using the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope on Mount Graham in Arizona.
- ▪The names were officially published in the International Astronomical Union’s WGSBN Bulletin.
- ▪Pope Leo XIII emphasized in his 1891 Motu Proprio 'Ut Mysticam' that the Church supports true and solid science.
- ▪Other asteroids honor figures such as Father Giuseppe Lais and Cardinal Pietro Maffi, who contributed to the Observatory’s development.
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<img src="/content/dam/vaticannews/multimedia/2024/settembre/30/52.jpg/_jcr_content/renditions/cq5dam.thumbnail.cropped.750.422.jpeg" title="The Vatican Observatory" alt="The Vatican Observatory"> The Vatican Observatory Vatican Pope Leo XIII Pope Benedict XVI science and technology Vatican Vatican Observatory has asteroid named after Pope Leo XIII The Vatican Observatory announces that four asteroids have been named after important figures in its history, including Pope Leo XIII, who re-founded the institute in 1891 after the loss of the papal territories.
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