It’s a small world after all, says Vatican Observatory

ROME, OCT. 4, 2007 (Zenit.org).- An international symposium on the formation and evolution of galaxies has led one expert to reflect on more effective use of Earth’s resources.

The meeting of 210 astronomers, organized by the Vatican Observatory in Rome, coincides with the 50th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik 1, the first satellite to be put into orbit around Earth. The conference ended Oct. 5.

Father José Funes, the director of the observatory, told Vatican Radio: “We know that this universe is made up of 100 billion galaxies; each one of these galaxies is made up of billions of stars and these stars most likely have planets like our solar system.

“This immense universe, so big, makes us aware of our fragility and how small our earth is.

“This should lead us to reflect on our little world, and to be, as Benedict XVI said recently, more responsible in our use of Earth’s natural resources, to not be selfish and to think about future generations.”

Father Funes also commented on the work of the Vatican Observatory, which he said includes research on three predominant themes: the formation of planets, the formation of stars and the formation of galaxies.

He explained that from the current symposium on the formation of galaxies, scientists hope to make headway into answering the question of “how galaxies grow, how these discs form, how they increase in diameter for example.”

The director of the observatory said it is important to discuss the observations being made through space telescopes like NASA’s Galaxy Evolution Explorer, which enable scientists to see ultraviolet light.

“Before we could only observe what is called ‘visible light,’” said Father Funes, “visible to the naked eye. With the radio telescopes we have a more complete image of the galaxies.”