Pope marks 56th anniversary of moon landing
After praying the Sunday Angelus at his summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo, Leo headed to the astronomical observatory located in the Pontifical Villas, where he took a close look at the telescopes that have supported celestial exploration from a faith-based perspective for decades.
The pontiff was accompanied by astronomers and students participating in the traditional summer school organized by the observatory.
This was Pope Leo's first visit to the observatory, founded in 1891 by Leo XIII. The first vision of it, however, can be traced back to the establishment by Pope Gregory XIII of a commission aimed at studying the scientific data and implications of the calendar reform that took place in 1582.
The Vatican Observatory has generated top-notch research from its scientist-clerics, drawing academics to its meteorite collection, which includes bits of Mars and is considered among the world's best.
Later Sunday, the pope called astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who shared with Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins the historic 1969 moonwalk.
"This evening, 56 years after the Apollo 11 moon landing, I spoke with the astronaut Buzz Aldrin," Pope Leo wrote on his X account. "Together we shared the memory of a historic feat, a testimony to human ingenuity, and we reflected on the mystery and greatness of Creation." Pope Leo then blessed the astronaut, his family and his collaborators.
There are few precedents of papal calls to "space."
In 2011, Pope Benedict XVI rang the space station and asked about the future of the planet and the environmental risks it faced.
Before Benedict, Pope Paul VI sent a radio message to astronauts Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins after their moonwalk, calling them "conquerors of the Moon."
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Korea Herald
7 days ago
- Korea Herald
Pope marks 56th anniversary of moon landing
ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV marked the 56th anniversary of man's arrival on the moon Sunday with a visit to the Vatican astronomical observatory in Castel Gandolfo and a call to astronaut Buzz Aldrin. After praying the Sunday Angelus at his summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo, Leo headed to the astronomical observatory located in the Pontifical Villas, where he took a close look at the telescopes that have supported celestial exploration from a faith-based perspective for decades. The pontiff was accompanied by astronomers and students participating in the traditional summer school organized by the observatory. This was Pope Leo's first visit to the observatory, founded in 1891 by Leo XIII. The first vision of it, however, can be traced back to the establishment by Pope Gregory XIII of a commission aimed at studying the scientific data and implications of the calendar reform that took place in 1582. The Vatican Observatory has generated top-notch research from its scientist-clerics, drawing academics to its meteorite collection, which includes bits of Mars and is considered among the world's best. Later Sunday, the pope called astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who shared with Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins the historic 1969 moonwalk. "This evening, 56 years after the Apollo 11 moon landing, I spoke with the astronaut Buzz Aldrin," Pope Leo wrote on his X account. "Together we shared the memory of a historic feat, a testimony to human ingenuity, and we reflected on the mystery and greatness of Creation." Pope Leo then blessed the astronaut, his family and his collaborators. There are few precedents of papal calls to "space." In 2011, Pope Benedict XVI rang the space station and asked about the future of the planet and the environmental risks it faced. Before Benedict, Pope Paul VI sent a radio message to astronauts Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins after their moonwalk, calling them "conquerors of the Moon."
Korea Herald
14-07-2025
- Korea Herald
The biggest piece of Mars on Earth is going up for auction in New York
NEW YORK (AP) — For sale: A 25-kilogram rock. Estimated auction price: $2 million-$4 million. Why so expensive? It's the largest piece of Mars ever found on Earth. Sotheby's in New York will be auctioning what's known as NWA 16788 on Wednesday as part of a natural history-themed sale that also includes a juvenile Ceratosaurus dinosaur skeleton that's more than 2 meters tall and nearly 3 meters long. According to the auction house, the meteorite is believed to have been blown off the surface of Mars by a massive asteroid strike before traveling 225 million kilometers to Earth, where it crashed into the Sahara. A meteorite hunter found it in Niger in November 2023, Sotheby's says. The red, brown and gray hunk is about 70 percent larger than the next largest piece of Mars found on Earth and represents nearly 7 percent of all the Martian material currently on this planet, Sotheby's says. It measures nearly 375 millimeters by 279 millimeters by 152 millimeters. "This Martian meteorite is the largest piece of Mars we have ever found by a long shot," Cassandra Hatton, vice chairman for science and natural history at Sotheby's, said in an interview. "So it's more than double the size of what we previously thought was the largest piece of Mars." It is also a rare find. There are only 400 Martian meteorites out of the more than 77,000 officially recognized meteorites found on Earth, Sotheby's says. Hatton said a small piece of the red planet remnant was removed and sent to a specialized lab that confirmed it is from Mars. It was compared with the distinct chemical composition of Martian meteorites discovered during the Viking space probe that landed on Mars in 1976, she said. The examination found that it is an "olivine-microgabbroic shergottite," a type of Martian rock formed from the slow cooling of Martian magma. It has a course-grained texture and contains the minerals pyroxene and olivine, Sotheby's says. It also has a glassy surface, likely due to the high heat that burned it when it fell through Earth's atmosphere, Hatton said. "So that was their first clue that this wasn't just some big rock on the ground," she said. The meteorite previously was on exhibit at the Italian Space Agency in Rome. Sotheby's did not disclose the owner. It's not clear exactly when the meteorite hit Earth, but testing shows it probably happened in recent years, Sotheby's said. The juvenile Ceratosaurus nasicornis skeleton was found in 1996 near Laramie, Wyoming, at Bone Cabin Quarry, a gold mine for dinosaur bones. Specialists assembled nearly 140 fossil bones with some sculpted materials to recreate the skeleton and mounted it so it's ready to exhibit, Sotheby's says. The skeleton is believed to be from the late Jurassic period, about 150 million years ago, Sotheby's says. It's auction estimate is $4 million to $6 million. Ceratosaurus dinosaurs were bipeds with short arms that appear similar to the Tyrannosaurus rex, but smaller. Ceratosaurus dinosaurs could grow up to 7.6 meters long, while the Tyrannosaurs rex could be 12 meters long. The skeleton was acquired last year by Fossilogic, a Utah-based fossil preparation and mounting company. Wednesday's auction is part of Sotheby's Geek Week 2025 and features 122 items, including other meteorites, fossils and gem-quality minerals.
Korea Herald
30-05-2025
- Korea Herald
S. Korea approves domestic operations of Starlink, OneWeb satellite internet services
South Korea has approved requests from US space firm SpaceX and Britain's OneWeb to launch their satellite internet services in the country, the science ministry said Friday. The government approved three separate cross-border supply agreements: one between SpaceX and Starlink Korea; a second between Hanwha Systems Co. and OneWeb; and a third between KT Sat and OneWeb, the Ministry of Science and ICT said in a press release. To advance its Starlink service, SpaceX has established a local subsidiary, Starlink Korea. "The approval comes after reviewing three key factors: the potential for stable service provision, the expected impact on the domestic telecommunications market and consumer protection," the ministry said. Local frequencies became available for Starlink and OneWeb following a recent revision to the Radio Waves Act. As for the launch timeline, the ministry said services could begin as early as June or later this year. Starlink offers high-speed, low-latency internet service worldwide via a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites. Under South Korean law, foreign companies must sign a supply agreement with a domestic telecommunications operator to offer communications network services in the country. Once implemented, LEO satellite communication services will enable high-speed internet access in areas with traditionally poor connectivity as well as on ships and aircraft, where only low-speed satellite connections are currently available, the ministry said. The maritime sector, in particular, is expected to benefit significantly. Crews on long-haul voyages will gain access to over-the-top media services and video calls, marking a major improvement in seafarers' welfare and communication options. To compete with early movers, South Korea announced plans last year to launch two domestically developed LEO satellites using sixth-generation communication technology by 2030. LEO satellites, orbiting between 300 and 1,500 kilometers above Earth, can provide high-speed, low-latency communication due to their proximity to the planet, compared with geostationary satellites. The government plans to invest a total of 320 billion won ($234 million) over six years through 2030 in the development project. It expects the global LEO satellite internet service market to grow to 740 trillion won by 2040. (Yonhap)
