Skip to content
Vatican Observatory
  • About
    • Overview
    • Team
    • FAQ
  • Telescopes
    • Overview
    • Telescope Images
  • Latest
    • Overview
    • Resources
    • Press
    • Audio
    • Video
    • Research
    • Authors
      • FAQs
    • Newsletter
    • Tucson Meteor Cameras
  • Podcast
  • Education
    • Overview
    • Resource Center
    • Image Gallery
    • Summer School
    • Books
    • Software
    • Additional Resources
    • ACME
    • Ambassadors
  • Shop
  • Calendar
  • Support
    • Overview
    • Donate Now
    • Smart Ways to Give
    • Sacred Space Astronomy
      • View Content
    • Fr. Coyne Fundraiser
    • Bequests / Trusts
    • The Foundation
      • Newsletters
      • Annual Reports
  • Press
  • Specola Vaticana
  • Contact
    • Contact
  • About
    • Overview
    • Team
    • FAQ
  • Telescopes
    • Overview
    • Telescope Images
  • Latest
    • Overview
    • Resources
    • Press
    • Audio
    • Video
    • Research
    • Authors
      • FAQs
    • Newsletter
    • Tucson Meteor Cameras
  • Podcast
  • Education
    • Overview
    • Resource Center
    • Image Gallery
    • Summer School
    • Books
    • Software
    • Additional Resources
    • ACME
    • Ambassadors
  • Shop
  • Calendar
  • Support
    • Overview
    • Donate Now
    • Smart Ways to Give
    • Sacred Space Astronomy
      • View Content
    • Fr. Coyne Fundraiser
    • Bequests / Trusts
    • The Foundation
      • Newsletters
      • Annual Reports
  • Press
  • Specola Vaticana
  • Contact
    • Contact

Signs in the sky… Diary of 12 July, 2019

By Br. Guy Consolmagno  |  12 Jul 2019

Share:
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share via Email

This entry is part 58 of 98 in the series Diary

The photos below show three views taken over a period of seven minutes from the hermitage at the Desert House of Prayer north of Tucson where I did my annual eight day retreat the end of last month. Can you see what’s changing in the sky? I’ll explain it… but you’ll have to be a subscriber to find out what it’s all about!

Our stats: As of today, we have 138 paid subscribers (seven new subscribers since last month — thanks and welcome!) and 8776 people (seventy five new ones!) who get notified of new postings. We continue to grow, but not nearly fast enough to keep us in business. Please tell more people about our site; and if you can, please subscribe at a rate of $10 a month (that’s coming up on burger-and-fries money, and less fattening) or $100 per year. And tell your friends about the site; this month we added one new donor for each ten new readers! If we could double the size of the readership, would we double the number of supporters?

Now, about those photos… Most of our day to day life, we live in a flat world where we are at the center and the most important question is what’s for lunch. But both religion and astronomy are in the business of reminding us that we in fact live in a much more interesting universe. That’s why I am an astronomer, and also someone who takes time out to pray (as at retreat houses). In this case, the two were combined…

[In order to read the rest of this post, you have to be a paid-up member of Sacred Space, and logged in as such!]

The dark phenomenon you are seeing moving ever higher in the photos above is the motion of the Earth’s shadow… the pictures were taken looking eastward, while the sun was setting in the west. It takes still clear air and a good horizon, but that’s what I had all week as I spent my time in prayer (and sleep, which is a form of prayer!) at the beautiful remote site north of Tucson.

Notice just above that dark shade, the sky looks rather pink-colored. This is called the Belt of Venus.

According to this Wikipedia article the  Belt of Venus is called this “because when it is visible, Venus is typically seen in this region of the sky.” But of course, this is nonsense, as it is seen to the east while Venus when it is up is always seen to the west at sunset; given its orbit of the Sun inside Earth’s orbit, it is never more than 47 degrees away from the Sun. (It was not visible during my retreat.) Someone should fix Wikipedia! In fact, I haven’t a clue where that name came from.

The House of Prayer is close by the Redemptorist Renewal Center where we hold our biennial Faith and Astronomy Workshops, so many of our readers will know the area. But the House of Prayer, while also run by the Redemptorists, is a separate operation for silent retreats.

Share:
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share via Email

Sacred Space Astronomy

The Vatican Observatory’s official digital community and online magazine.

Become a Member

Recent Posts

Conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter – March 22

By Robert Trembley  |  20 Mar 2023  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

Bubbles on the Moon

19 Mar 2023  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

Active Volcanism on Venus

By Robert Trembley  |  19 Mar 2023  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

Blaise Pascal on Augustine, Aquinas, and the evidence of the Senses

By Faith and Science  |  19 Mar 2023  |  Resources

Archives

      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • August
      • June
      • March
      • January
      • November
      • October
      • December
      • November
      • April
      • May
      • January
      • December
      • September
      • May
      • March
      • December
      • November
      • February

More Posts in this Series:
"Diary"

78  |  What Do We Lose When We Sacrifice Science?

By Br. Guy Consolmagno  |  27 May 2021  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

69  |  To err is human… to admit it, is science

By Br. Guy Consolmagno  |  25 Mar 2021  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

57  |  Reflections on the passing of Fr. George Coyne

By Br. Guy Consolmagno  |  21 Feb 2020

59  |  Diary for February 25, 2019

By Br. Guy Consolmagno  |  25 Feb 2019

60  |  Diary of the Specola: Astronomy under lock-down

By Br. Guy Consolmagno  |  28 Mar 2020

Newsletter

Upcoming astronomical events, scientific breakthroughs, philosophical reflections… just a few reasons to subscribe to our newsletter!

Vatican Observatory
  • About
  • Telescopes
  • Latest
  • Podcast
  • Education
  • Shop
  • Calendar
  • Support
  • Press
  • Specola Vaticana
  • Contact
Privacy Policy  |   Cookie Policy  |   Disclosure Statement

Podcast:

  • Apple Podcasts Listen onApple Podcasts
  • Spotify Listen onSpotify
  • Google Podcasts Listen onGoogle Podcasts
  • Stitcher Listen onStitcher
  • Amazon Alexa Listen onAmazon Alexa
  • TuneIn Listen onTuneIn
Made by Longbeard