Area 5:

The Observatory Today

In 1985, light pollution in Italy led the Observatory to begin operations in the dark desert skied of Tucson, Arizona, while maintaining its headquarters in Castel Gandolfo. In 1993 the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope was inaugurated on Mt. Graham, west of Tucson, in collaboration with the Steward Observatory of the University of Arizona.

Along with advances in telescopes and instrumentation (especially the development of the electronic CCD camera as seen in the display case), the work of the Observatory has expanded, ranging from theoretical studies of cosmology and galaxy structure to the characterization of planets around other stars.

During this time, the Observatory also began its extensive program of bringing its work to students, scholars, and teachers from around the world. A biennial summer school attracts some of the best young astronomers in the world, many from developing nations. Workshops bring together astronomer, philosophers, and scientists to discuss at the highest level God’s Action in the Universe. Meanwhile, students and teachers get to know better how science and faith support each other in our work.