Observing projects scheduled at McDonald Observatory for the week of January 30:
Exploring Galactic Suburbs
Texas A&M astronomer Emily Freeland will be using the Harlan J. Smith Telescope to study interacting galaxies, to better understand how galaxies change over time. More»
Is Earth Unique?
Is Earth unique in the universe? No one knows for sure. One way to begin to find out is to look for planetary systems around other stars that are similar to our own solar system. More»
NASA Astronomer of the Week: Pawan Kumar
Theorist Pawan Kumar tries to understand gamma-ray bursts using data from satellites like SWIFT, Beppo SAX, and others. More»
Studying Ticking Stars
JJ Hermes, a graduate student at The University of Texas at Austin, will be observing white dwarf stars on the Otto Struve Telescope. His observations will help scientists model the pulsations of stars, discover planets orbiting them, and provide a glimpse of a rarely seen physical phenomena: gravity waves. More»
The Chemistry of Stars & Planets
The last 15 years has seen the planetary science field explode with new knowledge. Graduate student Erik Brugamyer says his current project is on the cutting edge of these exciting discoveries. Erik is studying how planets form using the largest telescope at McDonald Observatory. More»
Unpacking a Time Capsule
McDonald Observatory Assistant Director Anita Cochran will be observing Comet Garradd this week with the Harlan J. Smith Telescope. Her work may help uncover the reason behind this comet’s unusual behavior. More»
This program is supported by the National Science Foundation under grant AST 0227870. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Texas A&M astronomer Emily Freeland will be using the Harlan J. Smith Telescope to study interacting galaxies, to better understand how galaxies change over time. 
Is Earth unique in the universe? No one knows for sure. One way to begin to find out is to look for planetary systems around other stars that are similar to our own solar system. 
Theorist Pawan Kumar tries to understand gamma-ray bursts using data from satellites like SWIFT, Beppo SAX, and others. 
JJ Hermes, a graduate student at The University of Texas at Austin, will be observing white dwarf stars on the Otto Struve Telescope. His observations will help scientists model the pulsations of stars, discover planets orbiting them, and provide a glimpse of a rarely seen physical phenomena: gravity waves. 
The last 15 years has seen the planetary science field explode with new knowledge. Graduate student Erik Brugamyer says his current project is on the cutting edge of these exciting discoveries. Erik is studying how planets form using the largest telescope at McDonald Observatory. 
McDonald Observatory Assistant Director Anita Cochran will be observing Comet Garradd this week with the Harlan J. Smith Telescope. Her work may help uncover the reason behind this comet’s unusual behavior. 
This program is supported by the National Science Foundation under grant AST 0227870. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.