I keep an eye out for any mention of “Vatican Observatory” on the web. In late April I saw something pop up in “YouTube Shorts” from “Real Stories Unheard” that I thought would amuse readers of Sacred Space Astronomy: “The Vatican’s Secret Astronomical Legacy Revealed“. It was obviously a product of a lot of AI, showing pictures that were supposed to be of the VO but were not. And let me tell you, what pictures they were!
Here is the text that went with the pictures:
Did you know the Vatican is home to one of the world’s oldest astronomical observatories, a remarkable institution bridging faith and science, hidden beyond its famous chapels? The Vatican’s observatory began its journey in the late 16th century when the Popes sought to reform the calendar and better understand the heavens. While the Vatican is renowned for spiritual leadership, it has also been a steadfast champion of scientific discovery. The observatory’s roots trace back to papal astronomers who centuries ago studied the stars directly from the Vatican itself. By the 1890s increasing light pollution from Rome forced the observatory to relocate to Castel Gandolfo, a papal summer residence where state-of-the-art telescopes were installed. In the 1980s the Vatican Observatory expanded further by establishing a modern research center in Arizona, USA. Here Jesuit scientists continue to explore galaxies, black holes, and the origins of the universe. The Vatican Observatory stands as a powerful testament to the unity of faith and reason, where priests and scientists collaborate, demonstrating that curiosity about the cosmos is both timeless and universal.
That short history of the VO certainly could be worse. The 1890s date is wrong (the move to Castel Gandolfo was in the 1930s); other things are not perfect; but overall, I am not complaining.
Now for the pictures that go with that text!
The two images below are apparently supposed to be pictures of the observatory at Castel Gandolfo. However, they look like something built by the Elves in the “Lord of the Rings” movies. The thing in the left-hand image is obviously supposed to be a telescope, although its mounting leaves much to be desired. It is, if anything, an altitude-azimuth mount, but while I can see how the telescope could move in azimuth (horizontally) it is not clear that the scope has much travel in altitude.
But what is atop the dome in the right-hand image? To a resident of Kentucky such as myself, one thing comes to mind: tornado siren.
Then we have supposed images of the observatory in Arizona, which apparently has at least two domes. Note that the domes both have some sort of glass panel in their slits. The pane dividers would be a problem! Note also that, while AI provided these Arizona domes with some nice architectural details, it apparently ran out of AI money for a walkway to get to them. I bet all that sand tracked into the buildings is murder on the instruments!
But the best of all is… the Jesuits! Check out these guys:
(You know, I don’t think that telescope on the left can move in azimuth, either. AI seems to have trouble with azimuth on a telescope.) I like the subtle detail in the second picture — the arches in the background; that gives you a hint that the guy is a Church guy! By contrast, the guy at the right could be any dude in a lab coat looking at a computer. Well, most dudes in lab coats and computers don’t have his hairline, square jaw, and cheekbones. In fact, all four of these AI-generated Vatican scientists are rather more “Hollywood” than the real VO people. If our folks want to measure up, they are going to have to start working out and watching what they eat!
So AI is making the VO look good! Check out the video for yourself.
And one last thing. The video was posted on April 27, 2025. I came across it on April 29. At that point it had garnered 603 views. That is nothing huge, but then again, most of the videos on the VO’s channel don’t have 600+ views. Maybe we need to start making some AI-generated Shorts!
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