Issued for the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Vatican Observatory in Castel Gandolfo. As "smoke and sky glow" encroached on Rome, Pope Pius XI, shown here, moved the observatory 25 miles southeast of the city.
for the letter V - Vatican City
I like the swirl in the background, I wonder if that is supposed to be the milky way or something else. The only clue the Vatican site gives is its the Schmidt telescope which looks as star clusters.
ReplyDeleteah, thanks for that info about the telescope.
DeleteThe swirls made me think of Van Gogh, and those (in Starry Night) may be of the Whirlpool Galaxy
We chose the same country today, fortunately with different stamps. Fascinating story about 'the suburbs of the Vatican' causing light and particle pollution. I wonder if any other observatories have had to relocate for the same reason?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't link the scientific observation with the Vatican, in the first place...
ReplyDeletethey have had an interest in astronomy since the 1500s (Pope Gregory and the Gregorian Calendar) and the observatory has been around since the late 1700s.
DeleteFor some reason or another comments I have left here and on Eva & Finn posts have not appeared. Is there a glitch somewhere.
ReplyDeleteSuccess this time from my PC other comments were from a macbk air.
ReplyDeleteI learnt more astronomy from this stamp and the comments already made - and I studied astronomy at university many years ago as a general subject.