On Monday, April 8, parts of North America will experience a total solar eclipse. This happens when the Moon passes between the Earth and Sun, completely covering the Sun’s disk. The brief moment when the Sun is 100% covered is called “totality.” To see it, you must be within the “path of totality,” a narrow band about 100 miles wide.

The path of totality for April’s eclipse travels from Mazatlán, Mexico, to the island of Newfoundland, Canada. It will sweep into the Lone Star State at Eagle Pass and exit near Texarkana. 

National Science Foundation to deliver funding plan for the U.S. Extremely Large Telescope Program by May 2024.

The University of Texas at Austin joins the Giant Magellan Telescope today in welcoming Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA), a distinguished Taiwanese research institute, into the Giant Magellan Telescope’s international consortium.

Ever since the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) captured its first glimpse of the early Universe, astronomers have been taken aback by the presence of what appear to be more “ultra-massive” galaxies than expected. Based on the most widely accepted cosmological model, they shouldn’t have been able to evolve until much later in the history of the Universe, spurring claims that the model needs to be changed. 

This would upend decades of established science.

Through a series of workshops held January 28 and 29 by the LightSound Project and with the support of the UT Austin Department of Astronomy, the University community built 140 LightSound devices. By converting light into sound, these handheld devices make solar eclipses more accessible to the blind and low vision community.

Astronomy and physics students are invited to apply for the summer internship in education and outreach at the McDonald Observatory Visitors Center. This position is based at the Observatory site in the Davis Mountains, 450 miles west of Austin.

BY MARC AIRHART

AUSTIN, Texas — It first appeared as a glowing blob from ground-based telescopes and then vanished completely in images from the Hubble Space Telescope. Now, the ghostly object has reappeared as a faint, yet distinct galaxy in an image from the James Webb Space Telescope.

AUSTIN, TX – The discovery of a planet that is far too massive for its sun is calling into question what was previously understood about the formation of planets and their solar systems. 

This will be a great year to view the Geminid meteor shower. It is expected to peak the night of December 13/14. That is close to the new moon on December 12, meaning there will be little moonlight to interfere with the show. The full duration of the Geminids is November 19 to December 24.

The Geminids are usually the strongest meteor shower of the year, with up to 120 meteors an hour visible under optimal viewing conditions. Geminid meteors are slow-moving, bright, and abundant, making the shower a fan favorite.

For over 20 years, McDonald Observatory has offered a spectacular setting and enriching content for teacher professional development. In summer 2023, we hosted five onsite workshops, complete with telescope tours, discussions with resident researchers, and nighttime observations.

In total, 72 teachers joined us for these workshops. Most traveled from cities across Texas, but we also had participants from Oklahoma, New Mexico, California, Florida, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, DC, Maryland, and Kentucky.