Father Consolmagno, Director of the Vatican Observatory, told this news network that the four newly discovered objects are named after three Jesuits and a Pope.
(Vatican News Network)There are 12 scientists working at the Vatican Observatory in Castel Gandolfo. Their mission is to conduct astronomical research and publish the results of their work in order to promote people’s understanding of the science of the universe. Father Consolmaño, Director of the Vatican Observatory and a Jesuit, explained to Vatican News – Vatican Radio that “we often discover new objects and Give them a name”. The four new asteroids are named after Pope Gregory XIII – whose real name was Ugo Boncompagni – and three astronomers from the Vatican Observatory to identify the four celestial bodies: 560974 Ugoboncompagni, 562971 Johannhagen, 551878 Stoeger e 565184 Janusz.
One of the four asteroids is named after Pope Gregory XIII. He changed the calendar, and the Gregorian calendar got its name because of him. The other three are named after three Jesuits who contributed to science. They are: Father Johann Hagen, Director of the Vatican Observatory from 1906 to 1930; Father Bill Stoeger, cosmologist and theologian; and Robert Janusz, now a researcher at the Vatican Observatory priest.
As for proposing new names to the International Astronomical Union for the discovered asteroids in the future, Father Consolmaño said, “If four new asteroids are discovered in the future, my dream is to use the names of the four asteroids who worked at the observatory 100 years ago. It would be a wonderful thing for me to name it after a nun.”
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