Sun, Moon, and Ascending

Sun, Moon, and Ascending: An Evening with a Vatican Astronomer

April 4, 2025 | 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

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Experience the Majesty of Creation with a Vatican Astronomer

Join us for an evening under the stars! Featuring Christopher M. Graney, a Vatican astronomer and historian of science with the Vatican Observatory. This event blends science, history, and faith, offering a perspective that celebrates the harmony between exploring the cosmos and encountering the Creator.

Event Highlights:

• 6PM- Dinner Provided: Enjoy a delicious meal to start the evening before diving into the wonders of the cosmos.
  
• 7PM- Engaging Presentation: Christopher Graney will share his insights on the moon, the history of astronomy, and the Church's role in the pursuit of scientific understanding. Discover how Catholic scholars have shaped the study of the heavens through the centuries.
• 8PM- Telescope Viewing: After the talk, take the opportunity to observe the moon’s breathtaking details through a telescope, marveling at the intricate beauty of God’s creation.

Details:

• Cost: $35/Adult, $20/Children
• Register Online or Call 812-923-8817
• All are welcome, although Kids aged 10+ are ideal for this event.

This evening reflects the Catholic tradition of celebrating the unity of faith and reason, inviting us to gaze upon the moon and the heavens as signs of God’s creative majesty.
Come be inspired by the wonders of the cosmos, guided by a Vatican astronomer’s unique perspective. We look forward to sharing this special evening with you!

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Meet Your Facilitator

Christopher M. Graney is an astronomer and historian of science with the Vatican Observatory (Rome) and Vatican Observatory Foundation (Arizona). He is retired from the University of Kentucky-Jefferson Community & Technical College in Louisville, Kentucky (USA), where for thirty years he taught students and established and operated the College’s public observatory. Student questions drove him toward study of the history of astronomy. For over fifteen years now his research focus has been the history of astronomy, especially the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. That research has resulted in two scholarly books: Setting Aside All Authority: Giovanni Battista Riccioli and the Science Against Copernicus in the Age of Galileo (2015), and Mathematical Disquisitions: The Booklet of Theses Immortalized by Galileo (2017), both published by the University of Notre Dame Press. Graney is more recently co-author with Vatican Observatory Director Br. Guy Consolmagno, S.J., of When Science Goes Wrong: The Desire and Search for Truth (2023), a (largely) history of science book for popular audiences, published by Paulist Press. Graney also has published both popular articles and scholarly papers in outlets such as Physics Today, Scientific American, Sky & Telescope, The International Journal of Astrobiology, Journal for the History of Astronomy, Annals of Science, The Catholic Historical Review, The Journal for Astronomical History and Heritage, and The Record of the Archdiocese of Louisville.