The Vatican Observatory Podcast

Latest Episodes:

On the Fly - How to drive a spacecraft Jul 05, 2021

Show notes

How does a spacecraft get designed and built? How do you maneuver a spacecraft to make sure it gets where it’s going? What’s it mean to work on “Mars time”? In this episode, Steve Collins, Senior Engineer at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), joins Bob Trembley and Br. Guy Consolmagno to answer these questions and more about what it takes to create a spacecraft that can go where humans can’t.

Guests:

Steve Collins, Senior Engineer, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Br. Guy Consolmagno, Director of Vatican Observatory

Galileo: The Real Story (Part 2) Jun 07, 2021

Show notes

Galileo was not only a great scientist, but a great philosopher of science. And yet, he was a man who sometimes contradicted his own philosophy. In this episode, Br. Guy and Chris Graney continue their discussion of the real story of Galileo and how science and history textbooks alike often get it wrong.

Guests:

Chris Graney, historian of 17th century science and Public Relations Officer of Vatican Observatory Foundation
Br. Guy Consolmagno, Director of Vatican Observatory

Galileo: The Real Story Jun 03, 2021

Show notes

Galileo's championing of Copernican heliocentrism led to two encounters with the Church: an informal meeting with Cardinal Bellarmine in 1616 and a formal trial in 1633. It’s a muddled piece of history which has caused many people to falsely stake the claim that the Church is an enemy of science. In this episode, Br. Guy and Chris Graney discuss the real story of Galileo’s relationship with the Church.

Guests:
- Chris Graney, historian of 17th century science and Public Relations Officer of Vatican Observatory Foundation
- Br. Guy Consolmagno, Director of Vatican Observatory

The Vatican’s Interest in Space Exploration? Feb 04, 2021

Show notes

Why is the Vatican interested in space and how is it actively contributing to space exploration? In this podcast, Br. Guy explains some of the biggest moments in the Observatory’s history in space and talks about the space missions where the VO is making a contribution. He is joined by Dr. Daniel Britt, the Pegasus Professor of Astronomy and Planetary Sciences at University of Central Florida, and Br. Bob Macke, curator of the Vatican Observatory’s meteorite collection.
Guests:
- Br. Guy Consolmagno - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Consolmagno
- Daniel Britt - https://sciences.ucf.edu/physics/person/daniel-britt/
- Br Bob Macke

Living on the Moon: Why and how? Jan 22, 2021

Show notes

U.S. astronaut Nicole Stott and her husband Christopher Stott of the International Institute of Space Commerce explore with Br. Guy what living on (or in) the Moon would look like. Where’s the best spot for a Moon base? And when we can expect Moon tourism to start?
Guests:
- Br. Guy Consolmagno - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Consolmagno
- Nicole Stott - https://www.npsdiscovery.com/
- Chris Stott - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Stott

Death by Meteorite: What are the chances? Dec 18, 2020

Show notes

In this inaugural episode, world-renowned Vatican astronomer Br. Guy Consalmagno, SJ sits down with Dr. Larry Lebofsky, a planetary astronomer specializing in small solar system bodies, to discuss the chances a meteorite will end life on Earth, how to stop it, and whether or not we’d be safer on Mars.
Guests:
- Br. Guy Consolmagno - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Consolmagno
- Dr. Larry Lebofsky - https://www.psi.edu/about/staffpage/lebofsky

Science Fiction: What it gets right and wrong Dec 17, 2020

Show notes

Where do you draw the line between space fact and space fiction? In this episode, Br. Guy and Dr. Larry Lebofsky of the Planetary Science Institute examine what the genre gets right and how science fiction has influenced real-life space programs.
Guests:
- Br. Guy Consolmagno - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Consolmagno
- Dr. Larry Lebofsky - https://www.psi.edu/about/staffpage/lebofsky

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

The Vatican Observatory Podcast

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected