List of Jesuit scientists
Encyclopedia
Members of the Society of Jesus
have a historical and occasionally controversial role in the history of science. This is relational to the List of Christian thinkers in science, but different in that it is not required the person be of any significance in discussing the Relationship between religion and science
. Also this deals with fictional characters as well as historical people.
, here are some examples of that.
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
have a historical and occasionally controversial role in the history of science. This is relational to the List of Christian thinkers in science, but different in that it is not required the person be of any significance in discussing the Relationship between religion and science
Relationship between religion and science
The relationship between religion and science has been a focus of the demarcation problem. Somewhat related is the claim that science and religion may pursue knowledge using different methodologies. Whereas the scientific method basically relies on reason and empiricism, religion also seeks to...
. Also this deals with fictional characters as well as historical people.
Real Jesuits
- Bartolomeu de GusmãoBartolomeu de GusmãoBartolomeu Lourenço de Gusmão , was a priest and naturalist born in the then Portuguese colony of Brazil, noted for his early work on lighter-than-air airship design....
(1685-1724), naturalist noted for developing the first working aerostatAerostatAn aerostat is a craft that remains aloft primarily through the use of buoyant lighter than air gases, which impart lift to a vehicle with nearly the same overall density as air. Aerostats include free balloons, airships, and moored balloons...
s. - José de AcostaJosé de AcostaJosé de Acosta was a Spanish 16th-century Jesuit missionary and naturalist in Latin America.-Life:...
(1540–1600), one of the first naturalistsNatural historyNatural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
and anthropologistsAnthropologyAnthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
of the AmericasAmericasThe Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
. - François d'AguilonFrançois d'AguilonFrançois d'Aguilon , was a Belgian Jesuit mathematician, physicist and architect....
-Belgian mathematician and physicist who worked on optics. - Giuseppe AsclepiGiuseppe AsclepiGiuseppe Maria Asclepi was an Italian astronomer and physician. He was a Jesuit and director of the observatory at the Collegio Romano.His works include:...
-Italian astronomer. - Joseph BaymaJoseph BaymaJoseph Bayma was a mathematician, philosopher, and scientist. He is known for work relating to stereochemistry and mathematics....
-He did work relating to stereochemistryStereochemistryStereochemistry, a subdiscipline of chemistry, involves the study of the relative spatial arrangement of atoms within molecules. An important branch of stereochemistry is the study of chiral molecules....
. - Giuseppe BiancaniGiuseppe BiancaniGiuseppe Biancani was an Italian Jesuit astronomer, mathematician, and selenographer, after whom the crater Blancanus on the Moon is named...
-Astronomer and selenographer who wrote Sphaera mundi, seu cosmographia demonstrativa, ac facili methodo tradita - Michel BenoistMichel BenoistMichel Benoist October 23, 1774 in Beijing, China of a stroke) was a Jesuit scientist, who stood in the service of the ChineseQianlong Emperor for thirty years and is most noted for the waterworks he constructed for the emperor.-Education:...
-Missionary to China and scientist. - Mario BettinusMario BettinusMario Bettinus was an Italian Jesuit philosopher, mathematician and astronomer. The lunar crater Bettinus was named after him by Giovanni Riccioli in 1651. His Apiaria Universae Philosophiae Mathematicae is an encyclopedic collection of mathematical curiosities...
-Mathematician and astronomer. - Jacques de BillyJacques de BillyJacques de Billy was a French Jesuit mathematician. Born in Compiègne, he subsequently entered the Society of Jesus. From 1629 to 1630, Billy taught mathematics at the Jesuit College at Pontà Mousson. He was still studying theology at this time. From 1631 to 1633, Billy taught mathematics at...
-He wrote on number theoryNumber theoryNumber theory is a branch of pure mathematics devoted primarily to the study of the integers. Number theorists study prime numbers as well...
and astronomy. - Michał Boym-Missionary to China known for botanical and zoological works.
- Roger Joseph BoscovichRoger Joseph BoscovichRuđer Josip Bošković was a theologian, physicist, astronomer, mathematician, philosopher, diplomat, poet, Jesuit, and a polymath from the city of Dubrovnik in the Republic of Ragusa , who studied and lived in Italy and France where he also published many of his works.He is famous for...
-PolymathPolymathA polymath is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. In less formal terms, a polymath may simply be someone who is very knowledgeable...
(1711–1787) (17 famous for his atomic theoryAtomic theoryIn chemistry and physics, atomic theory is a theory of the nature of matter, which states that matter is composed of discrete units called atoms, as opposed to the obsolete notion that matter could be divided into any arbitrarily small quantity...
in part. Also for devising perhaps the first geometric procedure for determining the equator of a rotating planet from three observations of a surface feature and for computing the orbit of a planet from three observations of its position. - Paolo CasatiPaolo CasatiPaolo Casati was an Italian Jesuit mathematician. Born in Piacenza to a Milanese family, he joined the Jesuits in 1634. After completing his mathematical and theological studies, he moved to Rome, where he assumed the position of professor at the Collegio Romano...
-Meteorology and speculation on VacuumVacuumIn everyday usage, vacuum is a volume of space that is essentially empty of matter, such that its gaseous pressure is much less than atmospheric pressure. The word comes from the Latin term for "empty". A perfect vacuum would be one with no particles in it at all, which is impossible to achieve in...
s. - Tommaso CevaTommaso CevaTommaso Ceva was an Italian Jesuit mathematician from Milan. He was the brother of Giovanni Ceva....
-Mathematician and poet who wrote a work on geometry. - Pierre Teilhard de ChardinPierre Teilhard de ChardinPierre Teilhard de Chardin SJ was a French philosopher and Jesuit priest who trained as a paleontologist and geologist and took part in the discovery of both Piltdown Man and Peking Man. Teilhard conceived the idea of the Omega Point and developed Vladimir Vernadsky's concept of Noosphere...
(1881–1955), French Palaeontologist and philosopher involved in the discovery of the so-called Peking ManPeking ManPeking Man , Homo erectus pekinensis, is an example of Homo erectus. A group of fossil specimens was discovered in 1923-27 during excavations at Zhoukoudian near Beijing , China...
. - Christopher ClaviusChristopher ClaviusChristopher Clavius was a German Jesuit mathematician and astronomer who was the main architect of the modern Gregorian calendar...
(1538–1612), most noted in connection with the Gregorian calendarGregorian calendarThe Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
, but also his arithmetic books were used by many mathematicians including Leibniz and Descartes. - Guy ConsolmagnoGuy ConsolmagnoBrother Guy J. Consolmagno, SJ , is an American research astronomer and planetary scientist at the Vatican Observatory.-Life:...
(1952-), an astronomer at the Vatican ObservatoryVatican ObservatoryThe Vatican Observatory is an astronomical research and educational institution supported by the Holy See. Originally based in Rome, it now has headquarters and laboratory at the summer residence of the Pope in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, and an observatory at the Mount Graham International...
who has primarily devoted himself to planetary sciencePlanetary sciencePlanetary science is the scientific study of planets , moons, and planetary systems, in particular those of the Solar System and the processes that form them. It studies objects ranging in size from micrometeoroids to gas giants, aiming to determine their composition, dynamics, formation,...
. He received his B.A. (1974) and M.A. (1975) from M.I.T. and earned a Ph.D. (1978) from the University of Arizona. - George V. Coyne (1933-), astronomer whose research interests have been in polarimetric studies of various subjects including Seyfert galaxies.
- Albert CurtzAlbert CurtzAlbert Curtz , aka Curtius, was a German astronomer and member of the Society of Jesus. He expanded on the works of Tycho Brahe and used the pseudonym of Lucius Barrettus....
-German astronomer. - James Cullen (mathematician)James Cullen (mathematician)Father James Cullen, S.J. was born at Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland.He studied mathematics at the Trinity College, Dublin for a while, but eventually turned to theology and was ordained as a Jesuit on 1 July 1901....
-Known for the Cullen numberCullen numberIn mathematics, a Cullen number is a natural number of the form n · 2n + 1 . Cullen numbers were first studied by Fr. James Cullen in 1905...
s. - Johann Baptist CysatJohann Baptist CysatJohann Baptist Cysat was a Swiss Jesuit mathematician and astronomer, after whom the lunar crater Cysatus is named...
-He did important research on comets and the Orion nebulaOrion NebulaThe Orion Nebula is a diffuse nebula situated south of Orion's Belt. It is one of the brightest nebulae, and is visible to the naked eye in the night sky. M42 is located at a distance of and is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth. The M42 nebula is estimated to be 24 light...
. - Jean-Charles de la FailleJean-Charles de la FailleJean-Charles de la Faille or Jan-Karel della Faille was a Flemish Jesuit mathematician....
-Belgian mathematician. - Josef DobrovskýJosef DobrovskýJosef Dobrovský was a Bohemian philologist and historian, one of the most important figures of the Czech national revival.- Life & Work :...
-philologist, linguist, slavist and historianHistorianA historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
. One of most prominent persons in Czech national revivalCzech National RevivalCzech National Revival was a cultural movement, which took part in the Czech lands during the 18th and 19th century. The purpose of this movement was to revive Czech language, culture and national identity...
. - Gyula FényiGyula FényiFényi Gyula was a Hungarian Jesuit and astronomer. He is also known by the name P. Julius Fenyi SJ.-Life:He was born in Sopron, Hungary, the eleventh child of a merchant family...
-Hungarian astronomer noted for his observations of the Sun. - Kevin Fitzgerald (2011)- A Molecular Biologist with dual doctorates in Molecular Biology (Georgetown, 1996) and Bioethics (Georgetown, 1999). His recent research concentrations involve angiogenesis and abnormal gene regulation. He currently holds the Dr. David Lauler chair in Catholic Health Care Ethics at Georgetown University while simultaneously working as an associate research professor in the division of Biochemistry and Pharmacology within the department of Oncology at Georgetown University.
- José Gabriel FunesJosé Gabriel FunesFr. José Gabriel Funes, S.J. , an Argentine Jesuit priest and astronomer, is the current director of the Vatican Observatory.-Biography:...
-Argentine who currently heads the Vatican Observatory, succeeding George Coyne. - Christoph GrienbergerChristoph GrienbergerChristoph Grienberger was an Austrian Jesuit astronomer, after whom the crater Gruemberger on the Moon is named.-Biography:Born in Hall in Tirol, in 1580 Christoph...
-Astronomer and mathematician. - Francesco Maria GrimaldiFrancesco Maria GrimaldiFrancesco Maria Grimaldi was an Italian Jesuit priest, mathematician and physicist who taught at the Jesuit college in Bologna....
-He coined the word 'diffraction' and used instruments to measure geological features on the Moon. - Maximilian HellMaximilian HellMaximilian Hell, S.J. was a Hungarian astronomer and an ordained Jesuit priest from the Kingdom of Hungary.- Biography :...
-A director of the Vienna ObservatoryVienna ObservatoryUniversitäts-Sternwarte Wien is an astronomical observatory in Vienna, Austria. It is part of the University of Vienna. The first observatory was built in 1753–1754 on the roof of one of the university buildings....
who wrote astronomy tables and observed the Transit of VenusTransit of VenusA transit of Venus across the Sun takes place when the planet Venus passes directly between the Sun and Earth, becoming visible against the solar disk. During a transit, Venus can be seen from Earth as a small black disk moving across the face of the Sun...
. - Pierre Marie HeudePierre Marie HeudePierre Marie Heude was a French Jesuit missionary and zoologist.Born at Fougères in the Department of Ille-et-Vilaine, Heude became a Jesuit in 1856 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1867. He went to China in 1868...
-French missionary and zoologist. - Georg Joseph KamelGeorg Joseph KamelGeorg Joseph Kamel , also known as Camellus, was a Jesuit missionary and botanist to the Philippines. The genus Camellia was named in his honour by Carolus Linnaeus....
-Missionary and botanist, the genus CamelliaCamelliaCamellia, the camellias, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalaya east to Korea and Indonesia. There are 100–250 described species, with some controversy over the exact number...
is named for him. - Athanasius KircherAthanasius KircherAthanasius Kircher was a 17th century German Jesuit scholar who published around 40 works, most notably in the fields of oriental studies, geology, and medicine...
-In his Scrutinium Pestis of 1658 he noted the presence of "little worms" or "animalcules" in the blood, and concluded that the disease was caused by microorganisms. This is antecedent to germ theory. - Wenceslas Pantaleon KirwitzerWenceslas Pantaleon KirwitzerWenceslas Pantaleon Kirwitzer was an astronomer and a Jesuit missionary.- Life :Kirwitzer was born in Kadaň , Bohemia to a protestant family descended from the village of Krbice so his surname was derived from "Kürbitzer"...
-Astronomer and missionary to China. - Franz Xaver KuglerFranz Xaver KuglerFranz Xaver Kugler was a German chemist, mathematician, Assyriologist, and Jesuit priest.Kugler was born in Königsbach, Palatinate, then part of the Kingdom of Bavaria. He earned a Ph.D. in chemistry in 1885, and the following year he entered the Jesuits. By 1893 he had been ordained as a priest...
-Most known for his study of cuneiformCuneiformCuneiform can refer to:*Cuneiform script, an ancient writing system originating in Mesopotamia in the 4th millennium BC*Cuneiform , three bones in the human foot*Cuneiform Records, a music record label...
tablets he was also a chemist. - Antoine de LaloubèreAntoine de LaloubèreAntoine de Laloubère , a Jesuit, born in Languedoc, is chiefly known for an incorrect solution of Pascal's problems on the cycloid, which he gave in 1660, but he has a better claim to distinction in having been the first mathematician to study the properties of the helix.De Laloubère died at...
-Mathematician who studied the properties of the helixHelixA helix is a type of smooth space curve, i.e. a curve in three-dimensional space. It has the property that the tangent line at any point makes a constant angle with a fixed line called the axis. Examples of helixes are coil springs and the handrails of spiral staircases. A "filled-in" helix – for...
. - Eugene LafontEugene LafontEugene Lafont was a Belgian Jesuit, Missionary in Bengal, scientist and founder of the first Scientific Society in India.-Formation and early years:...
- Founder of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of ScienceIndian Association for the Cultivation of ScienceThe Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, established in July 1876 at 210 Bowbazar street, Calcutta, is a national institution for higher learning whose primary purpose is to foster high quality fundamental research in frontier disciplines of the basic sciences. Founded by Dr. Mahendra... - Manuel MagriManuel MagriFr Emmanuel Magri, S.J. was a Maltese ethnographer, archaeologist and writer....
(1851–1907) - Maltese folklorist and archaeologist. - Charles MalapertCharles MalapertCharles Malapert was a Belgian Jesuit writer, astronomer and proponent of Aristotelian cosmology. He was considered one of the intellectual champions of the Roman Catholic Church...
-Known for observing the stars of the southern sky and being against Copernicus. - Paul McNallyPaul McNallyPaul A. McNally was an American astronomer and a Jesuit priest.In 1928 he became the director of the Georgetown Observatory, and he led research that was focused on solar eclipses. He was a professor of astronomy at Georgetown University, and later became Vice President at the institution...
-American astronomer who was a director of the Georgetown ObservatoryGeorgetown University Astronomical ObservatoryThe Georgetown University Astronomical Observatory was founded in 1841 by Father James Curley of the Department of Physics at Georgetown College. Father Curley chose a site on the College grounds, planned the building and supervised its construction to its completion in 1844. Costs were initially...
. - Christian Mayer-Czech astronomer known for pioneering study of binary starBinary starA binary star is a star system consisting of two stars orbiting around their common center of mass. The brighter star is called the primary and the other is its companion star, comes, or secondary...
s. - Juan Ignacio MolinaJuan Ignacio MolinaFr. Juan Ignacio Molina was a Chilean Jesuit priest, naturalist, historian, botanist, ornithologist and geographer...
-Chilean ornithologist and a botanist with a Author citation (botany)Author citation (botany)In botanical nomenclature, author citation refers to citing the person who validly published a botanical name, i.e. who first published the name while fulfilling the formal requirements as specified by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature...
. - Alexius Sylvius PolonusAlexius Sylvius PolonusAlexius Sylvius Polonus was a Polish Jesuit astronomer and maker of astronomical instruments. He adopted the added name of Polonus, meaning "Pole" in Latin....
-Polish astronomer. - Franz ReinzerFranz ReinzerFranz Reinzer was an Austrian Jesuit professor of rhetoric, philosophy, and theology at Linz, Graz, Vienna, and Krems.His Meteorologia philosophico-politica, in duodecim differtationes per quaestiones meteorologicas & conclusiones politicas divisa, appositisque was first published in 1697...
-He wrote about comets, meteors, lightning, winds, fossils, metals, etc. - Vincenzo RiccatiVincenzo RiccatiVincenzo Riccati was an Italian mathematician and physicist. He was the brother of Giordano Riccati, and the second son of Jacopo Riccati....
-Jesuit mathematician and physicist. - Matteo RicciMatteo RicciMatteo Ricci, SJ was an Italian Jesuit priest, and one of the founding figures of the Jesuit China Mission, as it existed in the 17th-18th centuries. His current title is Servant of God....
(1552–1610), mathematician, math translator, and noted for importance to the Jesuit China missionsJesuit China missionsThe history of the missions of the Jesuits in China is part of the history of relations between China and the Western world. The missionary efforts and other work of the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits, between the 16th and 17th century played a significant role in continuing the transmission of...
. - Giovanni Battista RiccioliGiovanni Battista RiccioliGiovanni Battista Riccioli was an Italian astronomer and a Catholic priest in the Jesuit order...
-He wrote several works on astronomy and was the first to note that MizarMizar (star)The Mizar–Alcor stellar sextuple system consists of the quadruple system Mizar and the binary system Alcor.- Description :Mizar is a quadruple system of two binary stars in the constellation Ursa Major and is the second star from the end of the Big Dipper's handle. Its apparent magnitude is 2.23...
was a "double starDouble starIn observational astronomy, a double star is a pair of stars that appear close to each other in the sky as seen from Earth when viewed through an optical telescope. This can happen either because the pair forms a binary star, i.e...
." - Giovanni Girolamo SaccheriGiovanni Girolamo SaccheriGiovanni Girolamo Saccheri was an Italian Jesuit priest, scholastic philosopher, and mathematician....
-A mathematician who was perhaps the first European to write about Non-Euclidean geometryNon-Euclidean geometryNon-Euclidean geometry is the term used to refer to two specific geometries which are, loosely speaking, obtained by negating the Euclidean parallel postulate, namely hyperbolic and elliptic geometry. This is one term which, for historical reasons, has a meaning in mathematics which is much...
. - Christoph ScheinerChristoph ScheinerChristoph Scheiner SJ was a Jesuit priest, physicist and astronomer in Ingolstadt....
-Astronomer noted for a dispute with Galileo GalileiGalileo GalileiGalileo Galilei , was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution. His achievements include improvements to the telescope and consequent astronomical observations and support for Copernicanism...
over the discovery of SunspotSunspotSunspots are temporary phenomena on the photosphere of the Sun that appear visibly as dark spots compared to surrounding regions. They are caused by intense magnetic activity, which inhibits convection by an effect comparable to the eddy current brake, forming areas of reduced surface temperature....
s. - Gaspar SchottGaspar SchottGaspar Schott was a German Jesuit and scientist, specializing in the fields of physics, mathematics and natural philosophy, and known for his piety.-Biography:...
-He wrote on various mechanical and scientific topics, example gearGearA gear is a rotating machine part having cut teeth, or cogs, which mesh with another toothed part in order to transmit torque. Two or more gears working in tandem are called a transmission and can produce a mechanical advantage through a gear ratio and thus may be considered a simple machine....
, but little original research. - Angelo SecchiAngelo Secchi-External links:...
-He discovered the existence of solar spiculesSpicule (solar physics)In solar physics, a spicule is a dynamic jet of about 500 km diameter in the chromosphere of the Sun. It moves upwards at about 20 km/s from the photosphere...
and drew an early map of MarsMarsMars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance... - Gerolamo SersaleGerolamo SersaleGerolamo Sersale was an Italian Jesuit astronomer and selenographer. His surname is from a noble Neapolitan family that originated in Sorrento. The town Sersale, a commune in the southern Italian province of Catanzaro, was founded in 1620. A Jesuit priest, Sersale drew a fairly precise map of...
-SelenographerSelenographySelenography is the study of the surface and physical features of the Moon. Historically, the principal concern of selenographists was the mapping and naming of the lunar maria, craters, mountain ranges, and other various features...
, the crater Sirsalis (crater)Sirsalis (crater)Sirsalis is a relatively young lunar impact crater located near the western lunar limb, to the southwest of the Oceanus Procellarum. The crater lies across a ridge that runs in a north–south direction. It has a sharp edge and a low central peak...
is named for him. - Ignacije SzentmartonyIgnacije SzentmartonyIgnacije Szentmartony was a Croatian Jesuit priest who was known as a mathematician, astronomer and explorer.-Biography:Szentmartony was born in Kotoriba , to a Croat mother and a Hungarian father....
-"obtained the title of royal mathematician and astronomer" and used his astronomical knowledge in mapping parts of BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... - André TacquetAndré TacquetAndré Tacquet was a Flemish mathematician and Jesuit Priest. His work prepared ground for the eventual discovery of the calculus....
-His work prepared ground for the eventual discovery of calculusCalculusCalculus is a branch of mathematics focused on limits, functions, derivatives, integrals, and infinite series. This subject constitutes a major part of modern mathematics education. It has two major branches, differential calculus and integral calculus, which are related by the fundamental theorem...
. - Franz de Paula TriesneckerFranz de Paula TriesneckerFranz de Paula Triesnecker was an Austrian Jesuit astronomer.Triesnecker was born in Mallon, Kirchberg, Austria. When he was 16 he joined the Society of Jesus. He studied philosophy in Vienna and mathematics at Tyrnau, then became a teacher. Following the suppression of the Jesuits in 1773, he...
-Austrian astronomer. - Theodor WulfTheodor WulfTheodor Wulf was a German physicist and Jesuit priest who was one of the first experimenters to detect excess atmospheric radiation....
-Among the first experimenters to detect excess atmospheric radiation. - Niccolo ZucchiNiccolo ZucchiNiccolò Zucchi was an Italian Jesuit, astronomer, and physicist.As an astronomer he may have been the first to see the belts on the planet Jupiter , and reported spots on Mars in 1640....
-Italian astronomer known for his study of JupiterJupiterJupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
and work on telescopeTelescopeA telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
design. - Giovanni Battista ZupiGiovanni Battista ZupiGiovanni Battista Zupi or Zupus was an Italian astronomer, mathematician, and Jesuit priest.He was born in Catanzaro. In 1639, Giovanni was the first person to discover that the planet Mercury had orbital phases, just like the Moon and Venus. His observations demonstrated that the planet orbited...
-Italian astronomer who discovered that MercuryMercury (planet)Mercury is the innermost and smallest planet in the Solar System, orbiting the Sun once every 87.969 Earth days. The orbit of Mercury has the highest eccentricity of all the Solar System planets, and it has the smallest axial tilt. It completes three rotations about its axis for every two orbits...
had orbital phases. - Valentin StanselValentin StanselValentin Stansel was a Czech Jesuit astronomer who worked in Brazil.-Biography:Stansel was born in Olomouc, Moravia. He entered the Society of Jesus on 1 October 1637, and taught rhetoric and mathematics at University of Olomouc and in Prague...
(1621 – 1705)- Czech astronomer in Brazil, discovered a comet that after accurate positions were made via F. de Gottignies in Goa, became known as Estancel-Gottignies comet.
Fictional Jesuits
The Jesuit scientist has been used as a character of faith in several works of science fictionScience fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
, here are some examples of that.
- Father Ramon Ruiz-Sanchez - A character in James BlishJames BlishJames Benjamin Blish was an American author of fantasy and science fiction. Blish also wrote literary criticism of science fiction using the pen-name William Atheling, Jr.-Biography:...
's A Case of ConscienceA Case of ConscienceA Case of Conscience is a science fiction novel by James Blish, first published in 1958. It is the story of a Jesuit who investigates an alien race that has no religion; they are completely without any concept of God, an afterlife, or the idea of sin; and the species evolves through several forms...
. - The Sparrow by Mary Doria RussellMary Doria RussellMary Doria Russell is an American novelist. -Biography:Russell was born in the suburbs of Chicago. Her parents were both in the military: her father was a Marine Corps drill instructor, and her mother was a Navy nurse. She graduated from Glenbard East High School and later she earned a Ph.D in...
features several Jesuit scientists with the main one being the linguist Emilio Sandoz. - The StarThe Star (short story)"The Star" is a science fiction short story by English writer Arthur C. Clarke. It appeared in the science fiction magazine Infinity Science Fiction in 1955 and won the Hugo award in 1956. The story was also published as "Star of Bethlehem"...
by Arthur C. ClarkeArthur C. ClarkeSir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE, FRAS was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, famous for his short stories and novels, among them 2001: A Space Odyssey, and as a host and commentator in the British television series Mysterious World. For many years, Robert A. Heinlein,...
features a Jesuit scientist in a prominent role. - Father Paul Duré, a Jesuit theologian, archaeologist, ethnologist, and follower of Teilhard de Chardin - A character in Dan SimmonsDan SimmonsDan Simmons is an American author most widely known for his Hugo Award-winning science fiction series, known as the Hyperion Cantos, and for his Locus-winning Ilium/Olympos cycle....
's novel Hyperion