Dominican University Hosts Vatican Astronomer Br. Guy Consolmagno

Br. Guy Consolmagno, SJ, PhD, an astronomer and curator of meteorites and at the Vatican Observatory, will lecture on the importance of water in the universe as well as the relationship between astronomy and faith for the Siena Center on Thursday, September 6, at 7 p.m., at the university’s Priory Campus, 7200 West Division Street, River Forest. Admission is free but limited to the first 225 guests.

Consolmagno is the author of The Heavens Proclaim: Astronomy and the Vatican, a book released in 2009 to commemorate the 400^th anniversary of Galileo’s first using the astronomical telescope and more than 100 years of study at the Vatican Observatory, as well as several other works on the intersection of astronomy and faith. The book tour for his latest release included several high-profile media appearances, including in the UK Guardian, several Catholic publications and Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report.

For the Albertus Magnus Society of the Siena Center, he will discuss the central role that water plays in astronomy. Formed from the two most abundant reactive elements in the universe, hydrogen and oxygen, it is one of the most common substances in space, but its chemical and physical nature is remarkably unusual, with profound effects on both astronomy and life. 

The topic has been in the news recently on the heels of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory mission rover to explore the planet for signs of the habitability of life, including the presence of water.

For more information or to RSVP, contact the Siena Center at siena@dom.edu or (708) 714-9105.

Dominican University established the St. Catherine of Siena Center to examine critical issues of church and society in the light of faith and scholarship. The center calls together members of the university community, professional ministers and the wider community of faith who are committed to deepening their insight into the role of the Christian in today's world.