FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA ADVISORY
Catholic PRWire

River Forest, IL (August 20, 2012) - Br. Guy Consolmagno, SJ, PhD, an astronomer and curator of meteorites and at the Vatican Observatory, will lecture on the importance of water in the universe as well as the relationship between astronomy and faith for the Siena Center on Thursday, September 6, at 7 p.m., at the university’s Priory Campus, 7200 West Division Street, River Forest. Admission is free but limited to the first 225 guests.

Consolmagno is the author of The Heavens Proclaim: Astronomy and the Vatican, a book released in 2009 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first using the astronomical telescope and more than 100 years of study at the Vatican Observatory, as well as several other works on the intersection of astronomy and faith. The book tour for his latest release included several high-profile media appearances, including in the UK Guardian, several Catholic publications and Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report.

For the Albertus Magnus Society of the Siena Center, he will discuss the central role that water plays in astronomy. Formed from the two most abundant reactive elements in the universe, hydrogen and oxygen, it is one of the most common substances in space, but its chemical and physical nature is remarkably unusual, with profound effects on both astronomy and life.

The topic has been in the news recently on the heels of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory mission rover to explore the planet for signs of the habitability of life, including the presence of water.

For more information or to RSVP, contact the Siena Center at siena@dom.edu or (708) 714-9105.

Dominican University established the St. Catherine of Siena Center to examine critical issues of church and society in the light of faith and scholarship. The center calls together members of the university community, professional ministers and the wider community of faith who are committed to deepening their insight into the role of the Christian in today's world.

Founded in 1901, Dominican University is a comprehensive, coeducational Catholic institution offering bachelor’s degrees through the Rosary College of Arts and Sciences and master’s degrees through the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, the Brennan School of Business, the School of Education, the Graduate School of Social Work and the School of Professional and Continuing Studies. The university also offers a doctoral degree in library and information science. In the 2012 issue of America’s Best Colleges, U.S. News & World Report ranked Dominican University in the top 20 of Midwest master’s level universities.

Contact

Dominican University
http://www.dom.edu/newsroom/press/2012/august/article_0002.html  IL, 60305 US
Dan Armstrong - Public Relations Manager,  708-524-6452

Keywords

guy consolmagno, vatican, observatory, science, faith, mars, rover

Category

The Vatican