Posts by McDonald Observatory
June 21, 2000
Interstellar Clouds Yield Clues to the Origins of the Element Lithium
AUSTIN, Texas: Scientists seeking to understand the origins of the chemical elements have found important new clues to the methods of production of the element lithium by observing gas clouds between the stars. The discoveries appear in the June 8 […]
June 5, 2000
Supermassive Black Holes Reveal New Clues to Galaxy Formation
AUSTIN, Texas: An international team of astronomers, including Dr. John Kormendy of the University of Texas at Austin, has discovered eight new supermassive black holes, revealing important new clues to the process of galaxy formation. The discoveries will bring the […]
March 31, 2000
Telescopes, Terrain, and Technology Unite Twin Towns
SUTHERLAND, SOUTH AFRICA/FORT DAVIS, Texas: The west Texas town of Fort Davis, in Jeff Davis County, and the rural South African town of Sutherland, announced this week that they intend to enter into a “twin town” agreement. As twin towns, […]
March 28, 2000
Astrophysical issues to be explored by researchers from Texas and Mexico during UT Austin conference
AUSTIN, Texas: The Department of Astronomy at the University of Texas at Austin will host the Seventh Texas–Mexico Conference on Astrophysics, April 6–8, 2000. The biennial meeting brings together professional astronomers and astrophysicists and graduate students from several institutions in […]
March 2, 2000
Hobby-Eberly Telescope Enters Early Operation Phase
Mount Fowlkes near Fort Davis, Texas: The Board of Directors of the William P. Hobby-Robert E. Eberly Telescope (HET) declared in October that the commissioning phase for the innovative telescope in West Texas had ended, and that the early operations […]
March 2, 2000
Jets, Not Neutrinos, May Cause Supernova Explosions, Scientists Say
Austin, Texas: Astrophysicists at the University of Texas at Austin and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington, D.C., have developed a new theory of how supernovae explode, based on observations made at the University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory. […]
February 4, 2000
John Kormendy Fills First Vaughan Chair in Astronomy
AUSTIN, Texas: John Kormendy has been selected to inaugurate the Curtis T. Vaughan, Jr. Centennial Chair in Astronomy at the University of Texas at Austin. Kormendy began his appointment in the spring 2000 semester and will teach and conduct research, […]
January 28, 2000
Signing of Southern African Large Telescope Agreement Marks Major Milestone
Dr. Robert Stobie, chairman of the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) Board, and Dr. Frank Bash, chairman of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) Board, signed an agreement January 26, 2000, formalizing the HET’s participation in the design and construction of the $16.5 million […]
January 28, 2000
Signing of Southern African Large Telescope Agreement Marks Major Milestone
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA/AUSTIN, TEXAS: Dr. Robert Stobie, chairman of the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) Board, and Dr. Frank Bash, chairman of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) Board, signed an agreement January 26, 2000, formalizing the HET’s participation in the design and […]