Posts by McDonald Observatory
October 21, 2009
Mary Kay Hemenway Speaks on ‘The Galileo Scandal’ in El Paso October 23
In celebration of 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy, The University of Texas at El Paso presents “The Galileo Scandal,” a talk by astronomer Mary Kay Hemenway, a recognized Galileo scholar from The University of Texas at Austin. The […]
October 9, 2009
Boston University Astronomers Detect Sodium Gas Ejected by Lunar Impact
Boston University astronomers announced today observations of a cloud of sodium gas ejected from the Moon’s surface as a result of the NASA impact experiment that was part of its Lunar CRater Observation Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission. Jeffrey Baumgardner and […]
October 5, 2009
David Lambert Delivers Talk ‘Dark Ages to Dark Energy’ in Midland October 9
To celebrate its grand re-opening after renovations, the Marian Blakemore Planetarium at Midland’s Museum of the Southwest will host a series of events on Friday, October 9, featuring McDonald Observatory Director Dr. David L. Lambert. The events are free and […]
July 9, 2009
New McDonald Observatory Instrument Revolutionizes Galaxy Studies
University of Texas at Austin graduate student Guillermo A. Blanc is talking dissection. But he’s not a biologist — he’s an astronomer. Blanc is using a new instrument at the university’s McDonald Observatory to dissect nearby galaxies to learn how […]
June 26, 2009
Tom Barnes Discusses McDonald Observatory History at Austin’s Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum July 1
In celebration of the International Year of Astronomy, the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin will host a speaker event on Wednesday July 1, from 12:00-1:00 p.m. featuring McDonald Observatory astronomer Tom Barnes. The event is free and […]
June 16, 2009
StarDate Magazine Launches Media Service with Planetary Line-Up in Pre-Dawn Sky June 19-21
StarDate magazine, published by The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory, is introducing a new service called “StarDate Media” to help print, Web and broadcast media bring the excitement of skywatching events to their readers and viewers. It’s starting […]
June 10, 2009
Neal Evans Delivers Talk on ‘Time, Space, and Galileo’ at San Antonio’s Witte Museum June 21
In celebration of the International Year of Astronomy (IYA), the Witte Museum in San Antonio will host a speaker event at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 21 featuring University of Texas at Austin astronomer Neal Evans. Evans’ talk, titled “Time, Space, & […]
June 8, 2009
Texas-Sized Computer Finds Most Massive Black Hole in Galaxy M87
Astronomers Karl Gebhardt (The University of Texas at Austin) and Jens Thomas (Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics) have used new computer modeling techniques to discover that the black hole at the heart of M87, one the largest nearby giant galaxies, is […]
May 23, 2009
McDonald Observatory Holds Open House April 4, Celebrates International Year of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory welcomes everyone to enjoy an Open House on Saturday, April 4, from 2 p.m. until 11 p.m. at its West Texas campus near Fort Davis. Admission is free. The event is part […]
May 5, 2009
University of Texas at Austin Astronomer is Co-Investigator in Search for Earth-like Planets
University of Texas at Austin astronomer Bill Cochran is one of the leading scientists involved in searching 100,000 nearby stars in our Milky Way galaxy for planets like Earth as part of NASA’s Kepler mission launching tomorrow (March 6). The […]
March 16, 2009
Texas Cosmology Center Established at The University of Texas at Austin
A new interdisciplinary center for the study of the frontiers of the universe, from the tiniest subatomic particle to largest chain of galaxies, has been formed at The University of Texas at Austin. The Texas Cosmology Center will be a way for […]
March 8, 2009
WMAP Reveals Neutrinos, End of Dark Ages, First Second of Universe
NASA released this week five years of data collected by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) team, including University of Texas at Austin astronomer Eiichiro Komatsu, that refines our understanding of the universe and its development. It is a treasure […]
February 24, 2009
Texas Legislature Honors University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University for Joint Efforts in Astronomy
The 81st Legislature of the State of Texas today (Feb. 24) will honor the state’s two flagship universities with a joint resolution, recognizing their cutting-edge research and outreach efforts in astronomy in celebration of 2009 as the official International Year […]
February 24, 2009
Don Winget Delivers Talk on ‘Scale and Contents of the Universe’ in Laredo March 7
In celebration of the International Year of Astronomy, the Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium at Texas A&M International University in Laredo will host a speaker event at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 7, featuring McDonald Observatory astronomer Don Winget. A free star party […]
February 17, 2009
AEP Texas Funds Scholarships for West Texas Schools to Bring K-12 Students to McDonald Observatory
AEP Texas has provided $3,000 to fund scholarships to McDonald Observatory by West Texas elementary and secondary schools this school year. The funds will benefit students from the Fort Davis, Alpine, Marfa, Valentine, and Presidio areas. “We’re grateful to AEP […]
February 2, 2009
Astronomers Discover Links Between Supermassive Black Holes and Galaxy Formation
A pair of astronomers from Texas and Germany have used a telescope at The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory together with Hubble Space Telescope and many other telescopes around the world to uncover new evidence that the largest, […]