The Vatican Observatory Partners with Johns Hopkins University and the Space Telescope Science Institute on Its Inaugural Gallery Exhibition, WONDER BOUND.

The Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, announced today the appointment of Fr. Richard Anthony D'Souza, S.J., as the new Director of the Vatican Observatory. He succeeds Br. Guy Consolmagno, S.J, whose mandate of 10 years will expire on September 19, 2025. With this appointment, Pope Leo XIV has confirmed the succession process that had been underway before the death of Pope Francis.

The Vatican Observatory is pleased to report that four asteroids have been named for important figures in the history of the Observatory, including Pope Leo XIII, who re-founded the Observatory in 1891.

September 29, 2025, marks the 90th anniversary of the inauguration of the new headquarters of the Vatican Observatory at the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo. The Observatory is one of the oldest astronomical institutes in the world: its origins go back to the reform of the calendar from Julian to Gregorian in 1582. It was refounded in the Vatican by Pope Leo XIII in 1891 with the motu proprio Ut Mysticam.

At the service of faith and science

“Why do you stand looking at the sky?” (Acts 1:11). This was the theme of the conference held on Tuesday afternoon, 28 October, at the Embassy of Spain to the Holy See in Rome.

56 Years Ago - Gazing at the Moon in Remembrance of the First Moon Landing

Around the world millions of viewers were glued to their televisions to watch the live broadcast of the moon landing of the Eagle lunar module from the Apollo 11 mission. About six hours later, Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. He was the first man to do so. Buzz Aldrin followed him 19 minutes later. It was July 20, 1969—a date that marked a major milestone in the history of humanity.

For the Building of a More Peaceful and Just World

"The more joy you share, the more joy you create, and in this way, through your pursuit of knowledge, each of you can contribute to building a more peaceful and just world."

A Guide to the Stars

A Jesuit's Guide to the Stars - Exploring Wonder, Beauty, and Science, a new book by Jesuit Brother Guy Consolmagno, Director of the Vatican Observatory and of the Vatican Observatory Foundation, was presented on Monday evening, 3 February, in the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington D.C.

On Friday, October 31, as part of the Jubilee celebrations, the Vatican Observatory, in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University and the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), presented two special events dedicated to the beauty and mystery of the universe.

Two researchers from the Vatican Observatory ( www.vaticanobservatory.org - www.vaticanobservatory.va), Fr. Gabriele Gionti, S.J., and Fr. Matteo Galaverni, have uncovered a surprising result: there are two different mathematical frameworks - known as the Jordan frame and the Einstein frame - for describing gravity when a scalar field is involved.

The Vatican Observatory is making its main telescope available to students at Jesuit universities

Recently, the Observatory successfully completed the robotization and automation of its Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT), located on Mt. Graham in Arizona (USA). This was accomplished thanks to the generosity of the Thomas Lord Charitable Trust. It means, among other things, that astronomers can use the telescope remotely, without having to be up on the mountain. Vatican Observatory (VO) astronomers are now utilizing its exciting capabilities.

Relations between scientists and the Church have not always been easy. So much so that Galileo was condemned in 1633 for defending heliocentrism. It was not until 1992 and a speech by John Paul II that a famous error was officially recognized. Things have changed since then. In the 20th century, the Belgian canon Georges Lemaître developed his famous Big Bang theory. In 1930, the Vatican opened its observatory in Castel Gandolfo. Today, the Holy Father has become a privileged partner in astronomical research. Direction: the cosmos.