Dr. Emanuel Carreira Vérez, S.J. joins the ever-growing list of Jesuits who have had asteroids named after them!
Asteroid Citation
(658642) Carreira = 2017 SK134
Discovery: 2017-09-29 / K. Černis, I. Eglitis * / Baldone / 069
Emanuel Carreira Vérez (1931–2020) was a Jesuit astrophysicist who collaborated with Clyde Cowan on cosmic rays. He taught at several universities in the US and Spain and was adjunct astronomer at the Vatican Observatory. Recognized for inventing astronomical instruments, he passionately advocated for the compatibility of science and faith.
Citation for asteroid (658642) Carreira appeared in the IAU WGSBN Bulletin V004_006, released 2024-04-29
Asteroid Orbit
The following image is a plot of the orbit of asteroid (658642) Carreira from JPL’s Small Body Database.
Biography
Dr. Emmanuel Carreira Vérez S.J. was a Spanish Jesuit and astronomer best known for his popular science and philosophy works, his professional contributions to astronomy being more unknown despite their high scientific level. His doctoral supervisor and collaborator was the famous Clyde Cowan, co-discoverer of the neutrino.
This paper is a compilation and analysis of his books and inventions in the scientific context of his time. His scientific output includes 5 refereed papers (including one in Nature), 15 books, and 2 inventions (one of them patented in the United States and Spain), besides contributions in other areas of knowledge. He was an excellent communicator, his life deserves to be documented as a part of the history of Jesuit astronomy. (From the Vatican Observatory Faith and Science Archive)
Everyone referred to him as “Manny;” in this photo from 1990, he is second from right, next to Bill Stoeger. Note a very young Chris Corbally behind him!
Manny was a wonderful photographer; Br. Guy was in the darkroom when Manny added the beam of light to this photo he took!
