Religion and science are topics central to Guy Consolmagno’s life as a planetary scientist and a Jesuit brother at the Vatican Observatory. In a talk Monday, Oct. 18, on UCF’s main campus, Consolmagno will explore the relationship between these topics, during a presentation entitled, “God, Astromony, and the Search for Elegance.” The event runs from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Pegasus Ballroom of the Student Union. It is free and open to the public.
Consolmagno will cover the Vatican’s role in astronomy, from the reform of the calendar in 1582 to the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope in Arizona.
Consolmagno is curator of the Vatican meteorite collection in Castel Gandolfo. His research focuses on the connections between meteorites, asteroids and the origin of small bodies in the solar system.
Previously, he has worked at Harvard and MIT and as a teacher in Kenya for the Peace Corps. He is the past chair of the American Astronomical Society’s Division for Planetary Sciences and past president of Division 16 (Moons and Planets) of the International Astronomical Union. He has coauthored five books on astronomy and has appeared on “The Colbert Report,” as well as a number of BBC radio programs.
Consolmagno’s talk is part of the College of Sciences’ Distinguished Speaker Series.