Br. Robert Macke SJ
@brbobmackesj.bsky.social
Planetary Scientist/Maker/Meteorite Curator at Vatican Observatory
DISCLAIMER: Opinions expressed here are my own and do not necessarily represent the Vatican Observatory, the Jesuits, the Vatican, or the Catholic Church.
DISCLAIMER: Opinions expressed here are my own and do not necessarily represent the Vatican Observatory, the Jesuits, the Vatican, or the Catholic Church.
I still think of him as Chekov. 😀(Babylon5 fans will catch the reference)
October 14, 2025 at 8:45 AM
I still think of him as Chekov. 😀(Babylon5 fans will catch the reference)
Temporal context can affect interpretation of literature. Take for example William Gibson’s Neuromancer (1984): “The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.”
October 3, 2025 at 7:45 AM
Temporal context can affect interpretation of literature. Take for example William Gibson’s Neuromancer (1984): “The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.”
In other interesting literary references, Jules Verne includes the works of Fr. Angelo Secchi SJ among the great scientists in the library of Captain Nemo aboard the Nautilus in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
September 21, 2025 at 8:47 AM
In other interesting literary references, Jules Verne includes the works of Fr. Angelo Secchi SJ among the great scientists in the library of Captain Nemo aboard the Nautilus in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
New toy (um, I mean valuable scientific instrument) in the lab.
September 13, 2025 at 1:22 PM
New toy (um, I mean valuable scientific instrument) in the lab.
Totally didn't expect to take this photo today.
September 6, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Totally didn't expect to take this photo today.
Another interesting find in the Specola guestbook.
July 26, 2025 at 7:07 AM
Another interesting find in the Specola guestbook.
View from my front door this morning
July 20, 2025 at 9:37 AM
View from my front door this morning
“Keyboard missing. Press any key to continue.”
I know I put the keyboard here somewhere…
I know I put the keyboard here somewhere…
July 16, 2025 at 9:30 AM
“Keyboard missing. Press any key to continue.”
I know I put the keyboard here somewhere…
I know I put the keyboard here somewhere…
VOSS visitors today included Sr. Raffaella Petrini FSE (President of the Vatican Governatorate), Fr. General Arturo Sosa SJ (General Superior of the Society of Jesus), Vatican Secretary General Giuseppe Pugliesi-Alibrandi, Fr. Delegate Johann Verschueren SJ* and Fr. Socius Gian-Giacomo Rotelli SJ*
June 25, 2025 at 1:57 PM
VOSS visitors today included Sr. Raffaella Petrini FSE (President of the Vatican Governatorate), Fr. General Arturo Sosa SJ (General Superior of the Society of Jesus), Vatican Secretary General Giuseppe Pugliesi-Alibrandi, Fr. Delegate Johann Verschueren SJ* and Fr. Socius Gian-Giacomo Rotelli SJ*
Summary of my encounter with Pope Leo XIV
June 24, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Summary of my encounter with Pope Leo XIV
I already got one (thanks to Larry Nittler)
June 17, 2025 at 5:06 PM
I already got one (thanks to Larry Nittler)
Thanks to a visit from @larrynittler.bsky.social, I am rich! Much coinage! And I didn't even have to lose a tooth. Oh, and the design is pretty cool too. One of the founding faculty of the very first Vatican Observatory Summer School (1986).
June 13, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Thanks to a visit from @larrynittler.bsky.social, I am rich! Much coinage! And I didn't even have to lose a tooth. Oh, and the design is pretty cool too. One of the founding faculty of the very first Vatican Observatory Summer School (1986).
Describe your favorite movie in the most misleading way possible.
After 15 years, man with no shirt still holds serious grudge against the man who left him.
After 15 years, man with no shirt still holds serious grudge against the man who left him.
June 11, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Describe your favorite movie in the most misleading way possible.
After 15 years, man with no shirt still holds serious grudge against the man who left him.
After 15 years, man with no shirt still holds serious grudge against the man who left him.
From this morning’s walk
May 10, 2025 at 6:50 AM
From this morning’s walk
From the Vatican Observatory's guestbook. Looks like Harlow Shapley had a sense of humo(u)r.
April 30, 2025 at 6:46 PM
From the Vatican Observatory's guestbook. Looks like Harlow Shapley had a sense of humo(u)r.
He will be missed.
April 24, 2025 at 5:07 PM
He will be missed.
He will be missed.
April 24, 2025 at 4:58 PM
He will be missed.
A stereogram suitable for the first day of April. Enjoy!
April 1, 2025 at 6:17 PM
A stereogram suitable for the first day of April. Enjoy!
Post a warning
March 25, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Post a warning
Post a ship that's not Star Wars or Star Trek.
(didn't say it had to be a spaceship)
(didn't say it had to be a spaceship)
March 24, 2025 at 9:24 AM
Post a ship that's not Star Wars or Star Trek.
(didn't say it had to be a spaceship)
(didn't say it had to be a spaceship)
Post a ship that's not Star Wars or Star Trek.
("But Admiral, it is the Enterprise!")
("But Admiral, it is the Enterprise!")
March 24, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Post a ship that's not Star Wars or Star Trek.
("But Admiral, it is the Enterprise!")
("But Admiral, it is the Enterprise!")
A while back I bragged about sharing coauthorship on a paper with Brian May, but not *that* Brian May. Now I can brag about sharing coauthorship with *that* Brian May.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
March 20, 2025 at 11:34 AM
A while back I bragged about sharing coauthorship on a paper with Brian May, but not *that* Brian May. Now I can brag about sharing coauthorship with *that* Brian May.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
As both a planetary scientist and a philosopher, and as a colleague of both a member of the IAU committee that redefined "planet" and one of its principal critics, I find this XKCD ( @xkcd.com ) fascinating.
xkcd.com/3063/
xkcd.com/3063/
March 19, 2025 at 2:44 PM
As both a planetary scientist and a philosopher, and as a colleague of both a member of the IAU committee that redefined "planet" and one of its principal critics, I find this XKCD ( @xkcd.com ) fascinating.
xkcd.com/3063/
xkcd.com/3063/
Was playing with a story in which somebody says <weird thing> and the interlocutor responds, "that's nothing. I once shared a flight with a werewolf during a full moon." Once the image popped into my head, I had to try illustrating it.
March 11, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Was playing with a story in which somebody says <weird thing> and the interlocutor responds, "that's nothing. I once shared a flight with a werewolf during a full moon." Once the image popped into my head, I had to try illustrating it.