This Week's Observing Projects
Earth

Is Earth Unique?

Is Earth unique in the universe? No one, not even astronomers, 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.
The 2.1-meter (82-inch) Otto Struve Telescope at the University of Texas McDonal

Clean Mirrors for the Struve Telescope

Have you ever cleaned the spots of toothpaste from your bathroom mirror? Maybe every two weeks you bring out your Windex and paper towel to clean it so you can see your smiling face again. Well, telescope mirrors also need cleaning -- but not with Windex and paper towels.
The primary mirror of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at McDonald Observatory.

Catching Supernovae on the Fly

Sometimes events happen in the night sky that astronomers can't predict. Phenomena like supernova explosions or gamma-ray bursts occur in random parts of the sky at irregular times, making them very difficult to observe. But it can be done!
The 2.7-meter (107-inch) Harlan J. Smith Telescope at the University of Texas Mc

Moving Groups in the Milky Way

This week, David Lambert will use the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope to study the chemical make-up of dozens of stars that make up "moving groups" inside the halo of our Milky Way galaxy, trying to decipher their origins.