The Aquinas Center of Theology has announced that Society of Jesus Brother Guy Consolmagno, an astronomer with the Vatican Observatory, will be speaking at Emory University on Feb. 15, at 7 p.m. and Agnes Scott College on Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m.

Brother Consolmagno, a world-class astronomer and physicist, received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. in planetary science from the University of Arizona. He did his post-doctorate work and taught at the Harvard College Observatory before joining the Peace Corps in 1983.  He entered the Society of Jesus in 1989.  After taking his final vows in 1991, he was assigned as one of the astronomers to the Vatican Observatory.  He currently focuses his research on connections between meteorites and asteroids along with the origin and evolution of small bodies in the solar system.  He is the curator of the Vatican’s meteorite collection. He lectures widely on the relationship of religion and science on topics like evolution and Galileo.

Brother Consolmagno is also the author of six books.  His book, “God’s Mechanics,” focuses on how people interested in science and technology think about religion. In promoting his latest book, “The Heavens Proclaim: Astronomy and the Vatican,” he recently appeared on “The Colbert Report,” on Comedy Central. When asked by host Stephen Colbert whether he believed in extraterrestrials, Brother Consolmagno indicated that there is no restriction on God’s creativity and noted that the Church had always believed in extraterrestrials: “angels.”

He will be speaking at the Candler School of Theology, room 252, on Emory’s campus, at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 15.  His talk is entitled, “Truth in Science, Galileo to Today: Reflections of a Vatican Astronomer.” This talk is being sponsored by the Aquinas Center, Emory Science and Society Program, the Emory Center for Ethics, and the Candler School of Theology.

Agnes Scott College will also be hosting Brother Consolmagno at Evans Hall on Tuesday, Feb. 16, at 7:30 p.m.  Here he will be speaking on a different topic: “The Ethics of Exploration: Planetary Astronomy.”