Science bows to theology as the Pope dismantles the Vatican Observatory

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Science is to make way for diplomacy at the Pope's summer residence, with the dismantling of the astronomical observatory that has been part of Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome, for more than 75 years. The Pope needs more room to receive diplomats so the telescopes have to go.

The eviction of the astronomers and their instruments, reported by the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, and their removal to a disused convent a mile away, marks the end of a period of intimacy between popes and priest-astronomers that has lasted well over a century.

Largest Diamond in the Galaxy Discovered

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Astronomers have discovered the largest diamond in the galaxy located at a distance of 50 light years from earth in the Constellation Centaurus. The space diamond is virtually an enormous chunk of crystallized carbon, 4,000 kilometers in diameter which makes up ten billion trillion trillion carats or five million trillion trillion pounds comparatively the largest diamond found on earth weighs just 546 carats. Scientists believe that the diamond is the heart of an extinct star that used to shine like the Sun. Astronomers have already dubbed the space diamond as Lucy in a tribute to the Beatles song ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds.’ Lucy, also known as BPM 37093, is actually a crystallized white dwarf. A white dwarf is the hot core of a star, left over after the star uses up its nuclear fuel and dies. It is made mostly of carbon and is coated by a thin layer of hydrogen and helium gases.

Human Memories of the Doomsday Comet

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For several weeks in the fall of 2007, amateur astronomers and sky watchers around the world were entranced by the mysterious, energetic display of Comet Holmes 17P. The Internet still abounds with exotic theories about the comet's nature -- some have claimed it is the "Blue Kachina" foretold in Hopi Prophecy, others assert that the secret government shot it with a nuclear missile, and still others say its nucleus is acquiring mass and turning into a PLANET.

But according to the ancient record, comets have long aroused terror in human beings, and this fear has clearly persisted into modern times. Even the astronomical mainstream recognizes that comets have historically been viewed as portents of destruction. The NASA report "Comets in Ancient Cultures" observes: "Comets have inspired dread, fear, and awe in many different cultures and societies around the world and throughout time. They have been branded with such titles as 'the Harbinger of Doom' and 'the Menace of the Universe.'"

Let There Be Northern Lights

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The aurora borealis is one of nature's greatest spectacles, but there's never any guarantee of a sighting. Adrian Bridge heads north to try his luck.

When and where to catch the Northern Lights
Skyside seats to the greatest show on Earth
Video: Adrian Bridge's voyage to see the Northern Lights