杏MAP导航

FILE PHOTO: Spiral galaxy NGC 628, located 32 million light-years away from Earth, is seen in an image from the James Webb Space Telescope FILE PHOTO: Spiral galaxy NGC 628, located 32 million light-years away from Earth, is seen in an image from the James Webb Space Telescope  (Public)

Exploring the cosmos fills us with wonder, 杏MAP导航 tells scientists

杏MAP导航 Leo XIV receives participants in the Vatican Observatory鈥檚 Summer School program, inviting them to share the joy they experience in exploring the cosmos and to contribute to a more peaceful and just world through the pursuit of knowledge.

By Christopher Wells

Long after the human authors of Sacred Scripture pondered the moment of creation with 鈥渢heir poetic and religious imagination,鈥 杏MAP导航 Leo XIV said on Monday, modern scientists continue to explore the universe with new tools, including the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), whose images 鈥渇ill us with wonder, and indeed a mysterious joy,鈥 as we contemplate the 鈥渟ublime beauty鈥 of the stars.

The Holy Father addressed his remarks to participants in the , which this year is dedicated to the theme 鈥淓xploring the Universe with the James Webb Space Telescope.鈥

The astronomical observatory at Castel Gandolfo
The astronomical observatory at Castel Gandolfo

鈥楢n exciting time to be an astronomer鈥

鈥淪urely, this must be an exciting time to be an astronomer,鈥 the 杏MAP导航 said, noting that the 鈥渢ruly remarkable鈥 JWST allows us to investigate the atmosphere of exoplanets, the nebulae where planetary systems form, and even 鈥渢he ancient light of distant galaxies, which speaks of the very beginning of our universe.鈥

He expressed gratitude to the scientific team attached to the Space Telescope for making so many images available to the public, while highlighting the knowledge and training that participants in the Summer School will receive to help them make use 鈥渙f this amazing instrument.鈥

杏MAP导航 Leo XIV takes a group photo with Summer School participants
杏MAP导航 Leo XIV takes a group photo with Summer School participants   (@Vatican Media)

For the benefit of all

At the same time, 杏MAP导航 Leo emphasized that the students and scientists are part of a larger community, including other scientists, engineers, and mathematicians, supported by family and friends, that allows them to be a part of 鈥渢his wonderful enterprise.鈥

The 杏MAP导航 reminded them, too, that their work 鈥渋s meant to benefit us all,鈥 and invited them to 鈥渂e generous in sharing what you learn and what you experience.鈥

Images from the JWST
Images from the JWST

Contributing to a more peaceful and just world

鈥淒o not hesitate,鈥 he continued, 鈥渢o share the joy and the amazement born of your contemplation of the 鈥榮eeds鈥 that, in the words of Saint Augustine, God has sown in the harmony of the universe.鈥

鈥淒o not hesitate to share the joy and the amazement born of your contemplation of the 鈥榮eeds鈥 that, in the words of Saint Augustine, God has sown in the harmony of the universe.鈥

杏MAP导航 Leo XIV concluded, 鈥淭he more joy you share, the more joy you create, and in this way, through your pursuit of knowledge, each of you can contribute to building a more peaceful and just world.鈥

杏MAP导航 Leo shakes hands with Brother Guy Consolmagno, SJ, President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation
杏MAP导航 Leo shakes hands with Brother Guy Consolmagno, SJ, President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation   (@VATICAN MEDIA)

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16 June 2025, 12:16