Gifts and Awards

Gifts and Awards

Gifts and Awards   Over the years, the Vatican Observatory has received many gifts and awards. Some of the more unusual ones are displayed here Most are self-explanatory, except for the various medals: Medal issued in honor of Cassini’s studies at the University...
Rosary

Rosary

Rosary   Teresa Nielsen HaydenRosary: “I believe in the God of the Burgess Shale” (2010) The Burgess Shale is a 500 million year old fossil-bearing deposit in the Canadian Rockies of British Columbia, Canada. It is one of the earliest fossil beds containing...
Historical Computers

Historical Computers

Historical Computers   In this location, the first computer at the Vatican, the IBM 1620, was inaugurated  by Pope Paul VI on 7 August, 1965 (image on wall).  The first calculating machine at the Specola was the “Millionaire” calculator, manufactured by Hans W....
Huygens Landing on Titan (2004) 

Huygens Landing on Titan (2004) 

Huygens Landing on Titan (2004)    Craig AtteberyHuygens Landing on Titan (2004)  Print. Gift of Craig Attebery to George Coyne.   From the NASA web site: This artist’s conception shows Titan’s surface with Saturn appearing dimly in the...
MAVEN over Mars (2017)

MAVEN over Mars (2017)

MAVEN over Mars (2017)    Dinah Jasensky MAVEN over Mars (2017) Print on metal. Gift of the artist. Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN Mission (MAVEN) was a space probe developed by NASA designed to study the Martian atmosphere. Mars crater based on HiRise...