Brother Guy Consolmagno, the director of the Vatican Observatory, will be delivering a speech at Kaikōura’s Mayfair Theatre on Thursday, August 7. Additionally, he will be hosted by the Canterbury Astronomical Society in Christchurch.
Lisa Bond, the chairperson of Kaikōura Dark Sky Trust, expressed her excitement at securing such a prominent scientist for an event.
‘‘We are thrilled to have Brother Guy visit Kaikōura,’’ Ms Bond stated. ‘‘His work beautifully connects the marvels of the universe with profound human understanding, and we are confident that his presence will inspire our community.
‘‘Hosting him at this time is particularly significant as we celebrate Kaikōura’s designation as an international dark sky sanctuary.’’
The Kaikōura district achieved international dark sky sanctuary status from Dark Sky International in September last year following the implementation of new lighting regulations by the Kaikōura District Council.
Brother Guy, a planetary scientist with qualifications from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and the University of Arizona, was appointed as the director of the Vatican Observatory by Pope Francis in 2015.
He is a renowned author and researcher, with popular books like Turn Left at Orion and Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial. His research area covers meteorites, asteroids, and the development of the solar system.
This will mark Brother Guy’s fourth visit to Aotearoa New Zealand, during which he will be delivering talks across the country from August 1 to 13.
In Christchurch, he is scheduled to speak at the University of Canterbury on Friday, August 8, and at Our Lady of Victories Church in Sockburn on Wednesday, August 13. Additionally, he will give a talk at Roncalli College in Timaru on Monday, August 11.
His presentation in Kaikōura is titled ‘‘When Science Goes Wrong: The Cult of Intelligence’’, where he will delve into the societal fixation on intelligence that can result in scientific and ethical misjudgments like eugenics.
The event at Mayfair Theatre, Kaikōura will commence at 6pm on August 7, with doors opening at 5.30pm. Although entry is free, a donation will be collected to support the Kaikōura Dark Sky Trust.
