From the Vatican Observatory: Commentary on ‘Cosmos: Possible Worlds’
Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Cosmos: Possible Worlds is on TV this fall. I'm a big Cosmos fan. But of course, the show could always be better—maybe a lot better.
The Ideas Behind Black Holes
Things like black holes have the reputation of being something only wizards can understand. Yet the basic ideas behind black holes are straightforward.
New Video Campaign Explores the Impressive Level of Order in the Universe—and the Purpose That it Implies
The Magis Center’s new John Templeton funded campaign, The Purposeful Universe, looks at an evolutionary system guided by order in physics and chemistry.
St. Augustine: Patron Saint of Geeks?
As a science and math geek, I need a patron saint. I choose St. Augustine of Hippo, whose insights into science and math were centuries ahead of his time.
Perseverance, Ingenuity, and the Mission to Mars
Last month, NASA launched Perseverance, NASA’s newest addition to the robotic Mars Exploration program, with Ingenuity Mar’s Helicopter attached to it.
What is Time? Part IV: Relativity and Time
In this piece, I’ll explain why relativity changes our view of time from an absolute dimension to one that depends on how we’re moving and where we are.
Challenging Heliocentrism: The 'Great Debate' of 1920
At the turn of the last century, a little remembered but dramatic debate took place between prominent astronomers Harlow Shapely and Heber Curtis.
Saint Augustine of Hippo: A Theologian for Our Time
St. Augustine's wonderings about the nature of time fit with contemporary scientific theories—and are altogether in accord with our present-day confusion.
Astronomy, God, and the Search for Elegance
Do faith and science operate in separate realms? Guy Consolmagno SJ, explores the place that faith has in science—simply because scientists are people.
The End of Spitzer’s Mission (the telescope) and Other Space News
The last week of January was a historic week for space news, including the end of Spitzer’s Mission and an incredible picture of the sun.
David Levy: Amateur Comet Hunter Extraordinaire
David H. Levy’s bio on the Vatican Observatory website declares that he is “one of the most successful comet discoverers in history.”
Men on Mars? Updates from the Red Planet
Mars, visible just before sunrise from October to December, has been in the news regularly. In fact, there are 8 spacecrafts studying the red planet!