"Priest of the telescope", Guillermo Haro, honored in today's Doodle

"Where does the world end?"

asked a young Guillermo Haro to his mom in an attempt to satisfy his hunger for knowledge of the cosmos.

By becoming one of the youngest members of prestigious Colegio Nacional at the age of 40, Haro became and insatiable promoter of science and astronomy inside and outside of his country.

Hailed by Alfonso Reyes as "the priest of the telescope" , Haro discovered planetary nebulae and astronomical objects including the "Three Sisters" (Tres Marías) a part of the Orion's Belt constellation, as well as the Herbing-Haro objects.

Haro was the first Mexican elected to the Royal Astronomical Society , in 1959.

A child of the Mexican Revolution, Haro was born in Mexico City in 1913, where he developed an interest in philosophy and astronomy which landed him a job as an assistant at the National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics in Tonantzintla, Puebla before embarking to the Harvard College Observatory, U.S., from 1943 to 1944.

Haro was married to Mexican writer Elena Poniatowska from 1968-1981, who presented a book after him titled The Universe or Nothing in 2013.

"Priest of the telescope", Guillermo Haro, honored in today's Doodle

31 years ago, the Guillermo Haro Observatory was founded in his memory in Cananea, Sonora; this is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics (INAOE) located in the Mexican state of Puebla.

"Applying science and technology with a profound humanist spirit; to lead these efforts to well-being and peace is a paramount task of our time.", said Haro, who died in Mexico City in 1988 and whose remains are kept in Mexico City's Rotunda of Illustrious Men in the Dolores Pantheon , as well as at the National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics.

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