A Jesuit brother has received the Carl Sagan Medal for his communication of astronomy and planetary science.
Br Guy Consolmagno was given the award by The American Astronomical Society’s (AAS) Division for Planetary Sciences.
The AAS praised Br Consolmagno for becoming “the voice of the juxtaposition of planetary science and astronomy with Christian belief”.
It also praised him as a “rational spokesperson who can convey exceptionally well how religion and science can co-exist for believers”.
Br Consolmagno is known for his media work, including his BBC radio show “A Brief History of the End of Everything”.
He believes that Catholic scientists should not hesitate to share their love of science with their communities.
“Show them that our religion does not tell us what ‘facts’ we can believe, but rather our religion gives us the reason why we go looking to try to understand those facts,” he said.