McDonald Observatory, a research unit of The University of Texas at Austin, is one of the world’s leading centers for astronomy research and public outreach. The Observatory is located atop Mount Locke and Mount Fowlkes in the Davis Mountains of West Texas, about 16 miles from the town of Fort Davis.
Press Resources
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- 512-475-6763
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Recent News Releases
October 7, 2026
McDonald Helps Lead NASA Mission to Study the Dust Between Stars
NASA is building a small space telescope specializing in detecting polarization in ultraviolet light from distant stars. From its vantage point in low-Earth orbit, the instrument – dubbed PUFFINS – will stare at a minimum of 70 stars to analyze […]
September 28, 2026
UT Astronomer Selected for Frontiers of Research Project
Caroline Morley, associate professor of astronomy in the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin, and her research team recently were among a dozen groups worldwide selected by the Simons Foundation, a philanthropic organization that supports […]
August 31, 2026
UT Austin Astronomers to Play Leading Role in NASA’s Newly Launched Roman Space Telescope
On August 30, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope lifted off from Kennedy Space Center. Named for NASA’s first chief astronomer, Roman carries a mirror the size of Hubble’s but captures a field of view about 100 times wider, letting […]