Specola Vaticana in Rome

The Astronomical Observatory, or the Vatican Observatory, is a scientific research institute directly dependent on the Holy See, attached to the Governorate of Vatican City. The Vatican Observatory may be considered one of the oldest astronomical observatories in the world. Its origin dates back to the fact the second half of the sixteenth century, when Pope Gregory XIII in the Vatican in 1578 he built the Tower of the Winds, and we invited the Jesuit astronomers and mathematicians of the Collegio Romano in preparing the reform of the calendar then promulgated in 1582. Since then, substantial continuity with the Holy See has not ceased to express interest and to give its support for astronomical research. This tradition reached its zenith in the twentieth century with the research carried out at the Roman College by the famous Jesuit astronomer Father Angelo Secchi, who first classified the stars by their spectra.

It was upon this long and rich tradition that Pope Leo XIII, to counter persistent allegations made against the Church being opposed to scientific progress, with the motu proprio Ut mysticam of March 14, 1891 established the observatory on the Vatican hill, behind the Basilica of St. Peter's. With the director and staff from various religious orders as Barnabites, Oratorians, Augustinians, Jesuits, the Vatican Observatory he worked on for a little over 40 years, dealing mainly with the implementation, along with other observers, the largest international program of the Charter of Heaven Photo . In 1910, St. Pius X gave the Observatory wider spaces, assigning to the cottage that Leo XIII had built in the Vatican gardens, and appointing the director Father G. Hagen, SJ. But in the early thirties, the increase of electric lights that accompanied the urban growth of the Eternal City of Rome had made the sky so bright as to make it impossible for astronomers to study the fainter stars. Pius XI ordered so that the Observatory's move in his summer residence at Castel Gandolfo, on the Alban Hills about 35 km south of Rome. In this environment so rich in history, was re-founded around 1935 and entrusted to the Jesuits a modern observatory with three telescopes and a new laboratory for analysis spectrochemical astrophysicist. Among the various programs of study to which said beginning the new body should be remembered especially important research on variable stars.

Then in 1957, with the installation of a wide-field telescope Schmidt type and the addition of a modern computer center, you could extend the search to new areas such as developing new techniques for the classification of stars based on their spectra: still going to research this Observatory. Due to the continuous dilation of the city of Rome and its surroundings, the sky became so bright Castelgandolfo once again, forcing astronomers to go elsewhere for their comments. So in 1981, for the first time in its history, the observatory he founded a second research center, "the Vatican Observatory Research Group" (VORG), Tucson, Arizona. Vatican astronomers have their offices at the University of Arizona Steward Observatory and, on the basis of absolute equality of consideration of their proposals for observation, have access to all modern telescopes located in the area. In 1993, the Observatory, in collaboration with Steward Observatory, completed the construction of the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT), placing it on Mount Graham (Arizona), the best astronomical site in the North American continent.

The VATT is the first telescope optical-infrared part of the Mount Graham International Observatory, a project which will be completed in the coming years with the construction of telescopes including the largest and most sophisticated in the world. VATT's primary mirror diameter of about 2 meters, is the first to be built with the new technique of rotary kiln. With the availability of its own telescope, astronomers can now build the Observatory in Tucson, as they have done in past years at Castel Gandolfo, research programs continue in the long run. So his two centers, Castel Gandolfo and Tucson, the Vatican Observatory will continue his studies which include among other cosmological models, spectral classification of peculiar stars, stars distribution of rich and poor in metals, binary stars with exchange of matter, material present in dark clouds where new stars are forming, dust surrounding young stars, history of science. The Observatory carries out these programs in collaboration with many astronomical institutes of other countries, like Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Finland, Italy, Lithuania, South Africa and the United States and is a member of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and the International Center for Relativistic Astrophysics (ICRA). In 1987 the Vatican Observatory, in collaboration with the Center for Theology and Natural Sciences, based in Berkeley, Calif., has started a series of seminars in the interdisciplinary field involving science, philosophy and theology on the subject of the action divine scientific perspective. 

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About the Author

Daniele Davide, manager of Tredy Sas.

When You book an apartment in Rome Apartment in Rome , with us You'll realize how beautiful and magic this city is. Book Rome apartments , and You'll enjoy the unique atmosphere of this beautiful city