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UT Astronomer Appointed President of Organization Building World’s Most Powerful Telescope

GMTO Corporation — the international consortium building the world’s most powerful telescope, the Giant Magellan — today announced it has appointed The University of Texas at Austin’s Daniel T. Jaffe as president. He is one of two UT astronomers recently named to key leadership positions. Taft Armandroff, director of the McDonald Observatory, was elected in November to chair the GMTO board of director.

Feb 26 Live Deep Sky Tour: Gemini, Jupiter, and the Moon

oin the McDonald Observatory as we explore the constellation of Gemini, as well as Jupiter and the Moon! We will learn about Gemini's cultural significance in early astronomy, explore some targets located in the constellation, and with Jupiter and the Moon present in the constellation that night, learn a bit about these celestial objects and their orbits. If weather permits, we will show live views of these objects.

StarDate Magazine On Sale Now

Subscribe to StarDate magazine from Feb 13-20, and save $5-10 off each subscription! The magazine, produced by McDonald Observatory, delivers astronomy news straight to your mailbox. Enjoy in-depth feature articles, sky charts, and beautiful images every other month.

Help Renovate Our Visitors Center - Gifts Being Matched!

As our Frank N. Bash Visitors Center enters its third decade in service, we’ve started an extensive renovation of its public spaces. You are invited to be part of this transformative project by contributing to its funding. All gifts are currently being matched by sponsors!

Unique Shape of Star’s Explosion Revealed Just a Day After Detection

For the first time, astronomers unveiled the shape of a star's explosion at its earliest, fleeting stage. This brief initial phase wouldn’t have been observable a day later and helps address a whole set of questions about how massive stars go supernova. “This particular series of observations on 2024ggi is absolutely unprecedented,” said J. Craig Wheeler, an astronomer at The University of Texas at Austin.