What does the Vatican Astronomer do on a daily basis?

Awaits the arrival of new Pope hats from the mothership.

My first thought is sleep, astronomers work at night.

The Vatican searches for relationships between universal events and the world, to rule between things that are natural events and God’s influence.

I think Astrochuck has a pope-hat & a ring – he may know the answer.

Apparently, research.

When the guy goes on vacation, do they get coverage for him? Why? Does he have staff? What do they do?

NAMBLA sends a replacement, but that guy doesn’t get benefits.

@Mr_M: Think of him as just any other researcher. He is part of a team that operates the Vatican Observatory, which, if you look on their website is one of the oldest astronomical research institutes in the world. It says that is was initiated to help with the reformatting of the calendar in the 1500s. The Vatican just oversees it. So I’d imagine that when the people that work there want to go on vacation, it works just like any other research institute. They study astronomy.

Remember that many of the holidays recognized by the church follow lunar and celestial guidelines (like Easter). So it was important to have someone who could tell them when the first full moon of the third month occurred (or something like that).

But why should the Vatican maintain an Observatory? “Research” doesn’t really explain anything. It’s not pure research. There has to be a religion component or else they wouldn’t support it.

@mr_m: refresh the page. I edited my response. I think I answered that last part.

My guess is that they’re looking for the “signs from the heavens” in Revelation and/or Jesus to come flying in.

Those dates can be determined mathematically.

@Les, lunar and celestial guidelines? That makes sense.

@mr_m: Is that sarcasm? I can’t tell. SDNWOTI. From wikipedia: “After several centuries of disagreement, all churches accepted the computation of the Alexandrian Church (now the Coptic Church) that Easter is the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon, which is the first moon whose 14th day (the ecclesiastic “full moon”) is on or after March 21 (the ecclesiastic “vernal equinox”).” I bet that clears everything up. ;-) haha

@eponymous…: The dates could not be determined mathematically in the 16th century. It had to start somewhere.

@Les yeah, but not now. He’s redundant.

It is being maintained as an educational observatory. They’re not looking for Jesus in the sky. They’re doing research just like any other institution.

I went to a Catholic high school. It doesn’t mean all the answers were “Because God made it that way.” Religion and science can work together.

@Les, no, not at all. I think you nailed it! And I gave you lurve BEFORE you asked about sarcasm.

What is SDNWOTI?

@mr_m: Oh, OK. :-) I was just checking.. No hard feelings, thanks for the lurve. It really is a good question, I never thought about it until you asked.

SDNWOTI: Sarcasm does not work on the internet.