Born in Baltimore, Coyne entered the Society of Jesus at age 18. He obtained degrees in mathematics and philosophy from Fordham University, and a Ph.D. in astronomy from Georgetown University (1962). He has taught at the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory and served as director of the Vatican Observatory from 1978–2006. In 2010 he was awarded the American Astronomical Society's George Van Biesbroeck Prize.
Wikipedia * Vatican Observatory