Future astronomers will be formed in the summer school of the Vatican Observatory

The summer school of the Vatican Observatory, known as Spectulatehas already selected students for their next edition.

During the month of June, 120 selected from different countries of the world will have the opportunity to train in the heart of the scientific research of the Catholic Church, located in the Castel Gandolfo, on the outskirts of Rome.

The director of SpectulateJesuit Guy Consolmagno, explained to ACI Press that all students “are between 20 and 30 years old and plan to doctorate in astronomy or astrophysics,”

He also pointed out that “the only limit is that no more than two students from the same country are chosen.” This year’s lucky ones are 25 students from 21 countries: two from Africa, two from Asia, eleven of Europe and North America, eight from Latin America and two from Oceania.

Since 1986, the Vatican Observatory organizes this summer school in Castel Gandolfo every two years to offer young scientists around the world the opportunity to learn with the greatest world experts in astronomy.

Former students who have passed through this school today lead many fields of astronomical research. Among them are Fernando Eden, Deputy Director of Science of the European Observatory Austral or Heino Falcke, president of the Scientific Council of the Event Horizon Telescope, who achieved the first image of a black hole in 2001.

In addition, this year’s students will have the James Webb telescope, whose research and advances have revolutionized astronomy. The 2025 Summer School will offer a global vision of the main achievements of this telescope in its first three years of operation.

The school will feature professors such as Eiichi Egami, from the University of Arizona, USA; the director of the Observatory, Brother Guy Consolmagno; David Brown, SJ and Dean of the Vatican Observatory; Roberto Maiolino, from the University of Cambridge, the United Kingdom; the former student Almudena Alonso-Herrero, of the Astrobiology Center; or Thomas Greene, from NASA.

Consolmagno confirmed to ACI Press that “there is no religious requirement to participate in school.”

In addition, the selection does not take into account the economic conditions, since there is no registration and the benefactors provide additional financial aid for the trip and the accommodation through the foundation of the Vatican Observatory.

This is the nineteenth summer school of Vatican Specola. Since the first edition in 1986, more than 450 students have participated in these summer schools.