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Bass Foundation Gift Strengthens Outreach at McDonald Observatory

McDonald Observatory is honored to announce a generous gift of $4 million from the Harry W. Bass Jr. Foundation. Funds will support updates to McDonald Observatory’s Frank N. Bash Visitors Center and improve and expand the Observatory’s visitor experience.

Giant Magellan Telescope Enclosure Ready for Construction

The University of Texas at Austin joined Giant Magellan Telescope and IDOM today in announcing that the telescope’s enclosure, set to be one of the world’s largest astronomical facilities, passed its final design review and is now ready for construction in Chile.

Galaxies Actively Forming in Early Universe Caught Feeding on Cold Gas

A team of astronomers has found a trio of galaxies that are in the process of gathering gas when the universe was only a few hundred million years old. “It was unexpected to see evidence for such thick gas not inside, but outside of these galaxies,” said Steven Finkelstein, astronomy professor at UT Austin. “This happens in the nearby universe, but it is very rare. It is apparently more common at early times."

Astronomers Uncover Methane Emission on a Cold Brown Dwarf

Using new observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have discovered methane emission on a brown dwarf, an unexpected finding for such a cold and isolated world. Published today in the journal Nature, the findings suggest that this brown dwarf might generate aurorae similar to those seen on our own planet as well as on Jupiter and Saturn.

Work with the Stars! McDonald Observatory is hiring.

Work with McDonald Observatory

McDonald Observatory is currently hiring for positions located at the Observatory near beautiful Fort Davis, Texas. Join our team!