Jesuit Brother gains prestigious award for astronomy

A Jesuit brother has been awarded the Carl Sagan Medal for 2014 for his radio shows and public lectures on astronomy which helped generate interest in scientific inquiry among the general public.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The American Astronomical Society's (AAS) Division for Planetary Sciences chose Brother Guy Consolmagno for "outstanding communication by an active planetary scientists."

Consolmagno was honored because he "occupies a unique position within our profession as a credible spokesperson for scientific honesty within the context of religious belief," the Society of Jesus' website posted.

"As a Jesuit Brother, Guy has become the voice of the juxtaposition of planetary science and astronomy with Christian belief, a rational spokesperson who can convey exceptionally well how religion and science can co-exist for believers," said an AAS release.

Consolmagno is renown for his "Turn Left At Orion," and his BBC radio show "A Brief History of the End of Everything," as well as numerous public lectures which help convey the excitement of scientific inquiry to the general public. In 2014, he was chosen to deliver the commencement address at Georgetown University.

He believes that Catholic scientists should not hesitate to share their love of science with their communities. "Show them that our religion does not tell us what 'facts' we can believe, but rather our religion gives us the reason why we go looking to try to understand those facts," he said.

Consolmagno believes most of the credit for his success lies with his Jesuit background "I can concentrate on communicating my passion for my science and let my collar do the rest of the talking for me. It has been one of the greatest blessings of my vocation," he was quoted by the Catholic Sun as saying.

The Carl Sagan Medal award was established in 1998 to honor outstanding communication by an active planetary scientist to the general public. Living scientists of any nationality and age whose efforts have significantly contributed to a public understanding of, and enthusiasm for, planetary science, are eligible for the award.

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