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Giant Magellan Telescope Advances to National Science Foundation Final Design Phase

The Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) has received official approval from the National Science Foundation (NSF) confirming that the observatory will advance into its Major Facilities Final Design Phase, one of the final steps before becoming eligible for federal construction funding.

UT’s Cosmic Frontier Center Welcomes New Class of Fellows

The Cosmic Frontier Center in The University of Texas at Austin’s Department of Astronomy is proud to announce its second class of postdoctoral fellows. The three Frontier Fellows were selected from a competitive pool of 73 applicants. Joining the center in the fall of 2025, their work will support its mission to uncover the origin of galaxies, black holes, and stars in the early universe.

COSMOS-Web Releases Deepest Yet View Into the Universe

COSMOS-Web provides the most expansive and deepest observations of the universe to date. Now, the team behind this work - which includes several members from The University of Texas at Austin - has released the data and images associated with its full survey, all processed and ready for analysis. Astronomers and members of the public are invited to make full use of the resource, which represents over 250 hours of observations on the world’s most powerful telescope: the James Webb Space Telescope.

Vast Molecular Cloud Discovered Near Solar System

An international team of scientists, including from McDonald Observatory at The University of Texas at Austin, has discovered a potentially star-forming cloud that is one of the largest single structures in the sky and among the closest to the Sun and Earth ever to be detected. Scientists estimate that it would look vast to stargazers on Earth - if it were visible - measuring about 40 moons across the sky.

JWST Awards UT Astronomers 10% of Its Coveted Observing Time

In March, the Space Telescope and Science Institute announced the selection of 274 programs for the fourth year of observations on its James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). This includes approximately 8,500 hours of observing time. Of that, a whopping 10 percent (over 800 hours) was awarded to programs led or co-led by astronomers at The University of Texas at Austin.