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May 28: Livestream Tour of Spiral Galaxies

Join us for live views of several targets from the dark skies above McDonald Observatory! Your hosts will show you views from a camera attached to a research-grade 16-inch telescope at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center (weather permitting) as they explore an array of spiral galaxies!

UT’s Cosmic Frontier Center Welcomes New Class of Fellows

The Cosmic Frontier Center in The University of Texas at Austin’s Department of Astronomy is proud to announce its second class of postdoctoral fellows. The three Frontier Fellows were selected from a competitive pool of 73 applicants. Joining the center in the fall of 2025, their work will support its mission to uncover the origin of galaxies, black holes, and stars in the early universe.

Vast Molecular Cloud Discovered Near Solar System

An international team of scientists, including from McDonald Observatory at The University of Texas at Austin, has discovered a potentially star-forming cloud that is one of the largest single structures in the sky and among the closest to the Sun and Earth ever to be detected. Scientists estimate that it would look vast to stargazers on Earth - if it were visible - measuring about 40 moons across the sky.

John Good Recognized with UT Outstanding Staff Award

On April 15, The University of Texas at Austin announced its 2025 Outstanding Staff Awards. Thirty-one staff members were selected from a highly competitive pool of nominations. Among those to receive the honor is McDonald Observatory Engineering Scientist John Good.

JWST Awards UT Astronomers 10% of Its Coveted Observing Time

In March, the Space Telescope and Science Institute announced the selection of 274 programs for the fourth year of observations on its James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). This includes approximately 8,500 hours of observing time. Of that, a whopping 10 percent (over 800 hours) was awarded to programs led or co-led by astronomers at The University of Texas at Austin.