From Galileo to Galaxies: Astrophysics at the Vatican

IPAC Executive Director Tom Greene has wrapped up a two-week guest teaching stint at the Vatican Observatory Summer School (VOSS) in Italy, where 24 astronomy graduate students from 20 countries converged for an immersion in astrophysics fundamentals, observational techniques, and hands-on learning focusing on the James Webb Space Telescope.

Greene said the opportunity to teach an international crowd half a world away helped him realize IPAC's importance to the worldwide community of astronomers and their shared interest in advancing science.

"IPAC's value to the worldwide astronomical enterprise comes up every day. Results from NED, IRSA, the NASA Exoplanet Archive, and the missions we support come up frequently in the faculty lectures, and the students are using our tools in their university research and hands-on exercises here," said Greene. "IPAC staff also make individual lasting impacts; one of the students here was a SURF student a few years ago and couldn't say enough good things about the experience and her IPAC mentor."

During some of his lectures, Greene pointed out a framed poster of the Rho Ophiuchi star-forming region hanging in the classroom next to an image of Pope Francis. The poster, donated to VOSS by IPAC's previous Executive Director George Helou, consists of Rho Oph images taken by four infrared space telescopes, including NASA's retired Spitzer Space Telescope, which had its science center based at IPAC. The composite graphic was created for the 2009 International Year of Astronomy to celebrate what was then a quarter century of infrared astronomy.

VOSS participants were also treated to an in-person meet-and-greet with Pope Leo XIV that Greene described as a warm welcome, where the Pope espoused the virtues of learning and understanding the universe. During a one-to-one meeting, Greene said to the Pope: "Per ardua ad astra," which translates to "It's a tough road to get to the stars."