Pope Benedict XVI visited the new home of the Vatican Observatory at the Pontifical Villas in Castelgandolfo near Rome.

In its historical roots and traditions the Vatican Observatory is one of the oldest astronomical institutes in the world.

For the first foreshadowing of the Observatory can be traced to the constitution by Pope Gregory XIII of a committee to study the scientific data and implications involved in the reform of the calendar which occurred in 1582. The Vatican Meteorite collection has grown from the initial donation of 1,000 samples given in 1905 to more than 1,200 pieces representing 484 different meteorite falls.

"This collection allows us to see deep into the mysteries of creation. Current research on these meteorites is centred on understanding their physical structure, including the nature and extent of the pore spaces, cracks and voids present in these rocks", according to the Vatican Observatory Research section.