Posts by McDonald Observatory
October 25, 2012
The White Widow Model: A New Scenario for the Birth of Type Ia Supernovae
J. Craig Wheeler has studied the exploding stars called supernovae for more than four decades. Now he has a new idea on the identity of the “parents” of one of the most important types of supernovae — the Type Ia, […]
October 23, 2012
World’s Most Advanced Mirror for Giant Telescope Completed
The first mirror for the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT), a major next-generation telescope in which The University of Texas at Austin is a founding partner, is now completed. Becoming operational in the next decade under dark southern-hemisphere skies, GMT will […]
October 9, 2012
CANDELS team discovers dusty galaxies at ancient epoch with Hubble Space Telescope; tracks build-up of star- and planet-forming material
Dust is an annoyance in everyday life, but an important building block of stars and planets. As such, astronomers need to understand how cosmic dust forms over time — it’s an integral step in figuring out the evolution of galaxies, […]
September 11, 2012
Astronomers measure largest-ever magnetic field around massive star
A group of astronomers led by Gregg Wade of the Royal Military College of Canada have used the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory and the Canada-France Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) on Hawaii’s Mauna Kea […]
August 29, 2012
NASA, Texas astronomers find first multi-planet system around a binary star
NASA’s Kepler mission has found the first multi-planet solar system orbiting a binary star, characterized in large part by University of Texas at Austin astronomers using two telescopes at the university’s McDonald Observatory in West Texas. The finding, which proves […]
August 28, 2012
Astronomers Test Einstein in a New Regime Using Pair of Burnt-Out Stars
A team of astronomers led by researchers from The University of Texas at Austin has confirmed the emission of gravitational waves from the second-strongest known source in our galaxy by studying the shrinking orbital period of a unique pair of […]
June 28, 2012
Eiichiro Komatsu shares $500,000 Gruber Cosmology Prize with WMAP satellite team, for fundamental discoveries on the age, make-up, shape, and origin of the universe
The Gruber Foundation and the International Astronomical Union recently announced that the members of the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) team, including University of Texas at Austin professor Eiichiro Komatsu, are the recipients of the 2012 Gruber Cosmology Prize. Komatsu […]
June 19, 2012
High School Students Explore Astronomical Research, Social Media at McDonald Observatory
Ten high school students are spending the week at McDonald Observatory learning to use telescopes to support a study of one of the biggest mysteries in science today: dark energy. They are also sharing their experiences using social media. University […]
May 31, 2012
Astronomers Probe ‘Evaporating’ Planet Around Nearby Star with Hobby-Eberly Telescope
Astronomers from The University of Texas at Austin and Wesleyan University have used the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at UT Austin’s McDonald Observatory to confirm that a Jupiter-size planet in a nearby solar system is dissolving, albeit excruciatingly slowly, because of interactions […]
May 3, 2012
Miller Wins $20K Grand Prize for Undergraduate Research from University Co-Op
The George H. Mitchell Awards for Academic Excellence are awarded each year to students who have made an uncommon contribution to their fields of study by way of research project, literary work, musical composition, humanitarian project or similar undertaking. Awards […]
April 23, 2012
University of Texas at Austin names McDonald Observatory science instrument for philanthropists George and Cynthia Mitchell
The University of Texas at Austin is naming an innovative astronomical instrument doing groundbreaking work at McDonald Observatory after pioneering energy producer, real estate developer, and philanthropist George P. Mitchell and his late wife Cynthia Mitchell. University representatives including McDonald […]
April 9, 2012
Las Cumbres Telescope Sees First Light at McDonald Observatory
The first of a planned suite of telescopes of the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope (LCOGT) Network achieved first light recently at The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory. “We’re thrilled,” said LCOGT Scientific Director Tim Brown, “to have […]
March 23, 2012
Mountaintop Blast for Giant Magellan Telescope; Video Available
The detonation of a mountain peak at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile today initiated site preparation for the construction of the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). The blasting will create a level foundation for the construction of the telescope. The event was streamed live […]
January 12, 2012
Karl Gebhardt Honored by The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas
In recognition of his discoveries regarding the formation of black holes and galaxies, astronomer Karl Gebhardt will receive the 2012 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Science from The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas (TAMEST). The O’Donnell Award […]
January 10, 2012
Hubble Study Challenges ‘Cosmic Fireworks’ as Largest Driver of Galaxy Evolution
A Hubble Space Telescope study of massive galaxies two to three billion years after the Big Bang has uncovered two remarkable results that challenge the common lore that major mergers play a dominant role in growing galaxies over a wide […]