Posts by McDonald Observatory
January 5, 2015
Craig Nance is New Superintendent of McDonald Observatory
Craig Nance begins his tenure as Superintendent of McDonald Observatory today. The Superintendent is the on-site manager of the Observatory. “Craig brings strong management experience, extensive engineering background, love of astronomy, and excellent performance in a very similar position,” at […]
October 10, 2014
McDonald Observatory Astronomers Advise National Research Council
Astronomers from McDonald Observatory are providing input to the National Research Council (NRC) on a variety of topics in response to a community-wide request from the council in late August. The NRC has a committee on optical and infrared astronomy […]
September 3, 2014
Eminent Engineer and Physicist Appointed to Lead Giant Magellan Telescope Project
The Board of Directors of the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization is pleased to announce the appointment of Edward I. Moses, Ph.D., as President of their organization. Moses, former Principal Associate Director of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, will lead the […]
August 12, 2014
Giant 1930s Telescope Model on View at McDonald Observatory
For the past year, McDonald Observatory has celebrated its 75th anniversary via events around the state. Now that those events have concluded, the arrival of a piece of the observatory’s history puts a cap on the anniversary year. Prior to […]
July 24, 2014
São Paulo, Brazil to Join Giant Magellan Telescope Project
The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), Brazil, has taken a critical step towards joining the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) project. The GMT, an astronomical observatory of unprecedented scale, will allow astronomers to probe the formation of stars and galaxies shortly […]
July 3, 2014
Astronomers Disprove Claims that Two ‘Goldilocks Planets’ Might Support Life
Astronomers from The University of Texas at Austin and Penn State University have solved a mystery surrounding controversial signals coming from a dwarf star considered to be a prime target in the search for extraterrestrial life. The team has proven […]
June 24, 2014
Giant Magellan Telescope Organization and McDonald Observatory Partner to Inspire the Next Generation of Astronomers
The Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) Organization is partnering with The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory to present a new teacher workshop curriculum that will educate teachers about how the GMT, the world’s largest telescope, will dramatically advance the […]
May 9, 2014
Globular Clusters Rotate at Heart
Astronomers from The University of Texas at Austin and Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) recently found a surprise when studying some of the oldest star clusters in our galaxy. The stars at the centers of these clusters […]
April 28, 2014
Winners of McDonald Observatory’s 75th Anniversary Art Contest Announced
McDonald Observatory announced the winners of its art contest for school kids in Jeff Davis, Presidio, and Brewster counties at its Open House on April 26. The contest, part the observatory’s year-long celebration of its 75th anniversary, received 127 entries […]
April 7, 2014
Texas, California Astronomers Release New Game ‘Super Planet Crash’
Super Planet Crash is a pretty simple game: players build their own planetary system, putting planets into orbit around a star and racking up points until they add a planet that destabilizes the whole system. Beneath the surface, however, this […]
March 7, 2014
Texas Regents Authorize $50 Million for UT Austin Share in Giant Magellan Telescope
The University of Texas System Board of Regents Friday authorized UT Austin to spend $50 million to participate in building the Giant Magellan Telescope project, which will be the world’s largest telescope when it’s completed in 2020. The project will […]
February 19, 2014
Giant Magellan Telescope Poised to Enter Construction Phase
The upcoming world’s largest telescope has passed two critical milestones, according to founding partner The University of Texas at Austin. The Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) has passed major reviews on its design and cost estimates and is ready to proceed […]
January 14, 2014
Leading Astronomer Taft Armandroff Appointed New Director of McDonald Observatory
Astronomer Taft Armandroff has been appointed the new director of The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis, Texas. Armandroff, who is currently director of the W.M. Keck Observatory in Mauna Kea, Hawai’i, will join the university […]
December 4, 2013
Giant Magellan Telescope’s Third Mirror Unveiled
The Giant Magellan Telescope’s third primary mirror will be unveiled at the University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory Mirror Lab on December 6, 2013. The combined surface area of the three mirrors created to date surpasses that of any existing telescope […]