Pope Leo Visits the Cupole of the Vatican Observatory at the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo
56 Years Ago - Gazing at the Moon in Remembrance of the First Moon Landing
Around the world millions of viewers were glued to their televisions to watch the live broadcast of the moon landing of the Eagle lunar module from the Apollo 11 mission. About six hours later, Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. He was the first man to do so. Buzz Aldrin followed him 19 minutes later. It was July 20, 1969—a date that marked a major milestone in the history of humanity.
Fifty-six years later, on Sunday, July 20, after the recitation of the Angelus, Pope Leo XIV wished to commemorate the event by observing the moon, precisely at the same location where the landing occurred: the Sea of Tranquility. He did so through the Visual Telescope of the Vatican Observatory, located in one of the domes on the fifth floor of the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo. The observation took place during the Pontiff’s visit to the telescopes and instruments housed in the domes, or commonly known as Le Cupole, of the Vatican Observatory. The news was shared by the Holy See Press Office via its Telegram channel.
Present during the Pope’s visit were, among others, Andrea Tamburelli, Director of the Pontifical Villas, and Rev. David Brown, S.J., of the Vatican Observatory, astronomer and Dean of the Summer School of Astrophysics, who explained how the telescopes function.
Telescopes were in fact the subject of this year's Vatican Observatory Summer School. The theme chosen was “Exploring the Universe with JWST [the James Webb Space Telescope]: The First Three Years,” a tribute to the significant discoveries made possible by this innovative telescope, which has been operational since 2022. Now in its 19th edition, the Summer School took place from June 1 to 27 and was attended by twenty-four young astronomers from twenty-two different countries. It is a biennial event of great prestige in the field of global astronomical education.
On the morning of Monday, June 16, Pope Leo XIV received the participants of the Summer School of Astrophysics in Audience in the Consistory Hall.
On that occasion, he recalled the words of Saint Augustine: “Do not hesitate to share the joy and amazement born of your contemplation of the ‘seeds’ that, in the words of Saint Augustine, God has sown in the harmony of the universe (cf. De Genesi ad Litteram, V, 23, 44–45).”
“The more joy you share, the more joy you create, and thus, through your pursuit of knowledge, each of you can contribute to the building of a more peaceful and just world.”
The Vatican Observatory is one of the oldest active observatories in the world, and the two domes of the Apostolic Palace, Le Cupole, house ancient instruments and historic telescopes that are still in perfect working condition.
In the historic rooms, there is a marble plaque bearing the inscription Deum Creatorem, venite adoremus (“Come, let us adore God the Creator!”). This is the invitation addressed to astronomers by Pope Pius XI when, on September 29, 1935, he inaugurated the new headquarters of the Vatican Observatory after its relocation to Castel Gandolfo. The move was necessary due to the increasing use of electric lights in the city, which made the sky over Rome too bright for observing the faintest stars.
