Home Page

New Energy Industry Guidelines Help Protect Night Sky

Protecting the night sky is a collaborative endeavor - one The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory has helped lead in West Texas since the launch of its Dark Skies Initiative in 2010. Now, oil and gas facilities in nearby New Mexico are joining the effort, with help from a new set of lighting guidelines tailored to their industry.

Newfound Galaxy Class May Indicate Early Black Hole Growth

In December 2022, the JWST revealed something never seen before: numerous red objects that appear small on the sky, which scientists soon called “little red dots” (LRDs). Though quite abundant, researchers are perplexed by their nature and what they convey about the early universe. A team of astronomers, including several from UT Austin, recently compiled one of the largest samples of LRDs to date and found that a large fraction showed signs of containing growing supermassive black holes. 

Northwestern University Joins Giant Magellan Telescope International Consortium

The University of Texas at Austin joined the Giant Magellan Telescope today in announcing that Northwestern University has joined its international consortium to construct the $2.54 billion observatory. 

Pioneering Instrument Returns to McDonald Observatory

After nearly a decade of globetrotting research, a powerful astronomical instrument has returned home to The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory. The Immersion Grating Infrared Spectrograph (IGRINS) was re-installed on the Observatory’s Harlan J. Smith Telescope on October 17 and expects to start scientific operations on December 10.

Apply by February 12 for Summer Teacher Workshops

Applications are open for McDonald Observatory teacher professional development workshops. K-12 teachers are invited to join us in summer 2025 for hands-on classroom activities, telescope tours, discussions with resident researchers, and nighttime observations. Check out our offerings and apply before February 12, 2025.