Four Italian nuns have been honored with asteroids named after them for their pioneering work in astronomy.
Sisters Emilia Ponzoni, Regina Colombo, Concetta Finardi and Luigia Panceri “mapped almost half a million stars between 1917 and 1921,” reported Katholisch and IFLScience.
Originally preparing for nursing, the nuns were recruited by Jesuit priest Fr. John Hagen in 1909 to assist with a star mapping project at the Vatican. He sought individuals with “normal eyesight, patience, and an aptitude for methodical and mechanical work.”
Their meticulous efforts documented the brightness and position of 481,215 stars. The asteroids are now officially named “(627981) Ponzoni,” “(634659) Colombo,” “(709193) Concettafinardi,” and “(714305) Panceri.” Asteroid “(611494) Gionti” was also named after Jesuit priest Fr. Gabriele Gionti, increasing the number of celestial bodies named after Jesuits to 41.
The asteroids were discovered at the Mount Graham Observatory, part of the Vatican Observatory.
Photo credit: On Being, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 via Flickr
