The University of Texas at Austin has been chosen to lead a new institute that harnesses artificial intelligence to explore some of the leading mysteries of the universe, including dark matter and the fundamentals related to the search for life. Housed in UT’s Oden Institute for Computational Sciences and Engineering, the NSF-Simons AI Institute for Cosmic Origins will be funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Simons Foundation.

A new study by physicists at MIT and The University of Texas at Austin tackles two of the biggest puzzles in cosmology. They are the Hubble tension, which refers to a mismatch in measurements of how fast the universe is expanding; and observations of numerous early, bright galaxies at a time when the early universe should have been much less populated.

When astronomers got their first glimpses of galaxies in the early universe from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, they were expecting to find galactic pipsqueaks, but instead they found what appeared to be a bevy of Olympic bodybuilders. Some galaxies appeared to have grown so massive, so quickly, that simulations could not account for them.

On August 25, McDonald Observatory commemorates what would have been the 100th birthday of Harlan James Smith. He was the Observatory’s director from 1963 to 1989, a period of lasting impact on the site’s facilities, public outreach programs, and place within the greater astronomy community.

Our thanks for another wonderful Board of Visitors meeting! Over 207 members and guests joined us to experience VIP access to McDonald Observatory, learn about the cutting-edge science taking place there, and to connect with one another. Thanks to clear skies, evening programming - which included a Star Party and two nights of telescope viewings – offered a particularly inspiring exploration of the cosmos.

McDonald Observatory is pleased to announce the appointment of B-G Andersson as its new assistant director for research support. As a part of the Observatory’s management team, the assistant director oversees the allocation of observing time on the telescopes and supports the researchers and programs that qualify for it.

“We have conducted a competitive search for the right person,” said Taft Armandroff, director of McDonald Observatory. “B-G has very strong experience in observatory operations and management that has prepared him well. We are delighted to have him on our team.”

BY EMILY HOWARD

Astronomers have recently found hundreds of “polluted” white dwarf stars in our home galaxy, the Milky Way. These are white dwarfs caught actively consuming planets in their orbit. They are a valuable resource for studying the interiors of these distant, demolished planets. They are also difficult to find.

An international team of astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has directly imaged an exoplanet roughly 12 light-years from Earth. The planet, Epsilon Indi Ab, is one of the coldest exoplanets observed to date.

The Cygnus Loop is the ethereal wreckage of a supernova explosion that occurred some 17,000-25,000 years ago. It is a cloud of dust and gas, called a nebula, steadily expanding outward from the original blast site. Because it is relatively close to us – and beautiful! - it is a popular target for amateur astronomers exploring the cosmos through backyard telescopes. Its neighborly status also makes it a popular target for professional astronomers studying the aftereffects of supernovae.

McDonald Observatory is honored to announce a generous gift of $4 million from the Harry W. Bass Jr. Foundation. Funds will support updates to McDonald Observatory’s Frank N. Bash Visitors Center and improve and expand the Observatory’s visitor experience.