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.
On Saturday, October 14, Texans experienced a rare and beautiful annular “ring of fire” solar eclipse. It swept into the state from the border of New Mexico and exited by way of the Coastal Bend. Midland-Odessa, San Antonio, and Corpus Christi were all witness to the annular eclipse. The whole state was able to see a partial eclipse.
McDonald Observatory is honored to receive a grant from Permian Basin Area Foundation in support of the Observatory’s ongoing efforts to renovate exhibits at its Frank N. Bash Visitors Center. The exhibits are a meaningful part of the visitor experience, providing an opportunity to learn about the fundamentals of astronomy and the questions it’s trying to answer.
AUSTIN, Texas - The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory and other Giant Magellan Telescope partners today shared in announcing the casting of the final primary mirror for the world’s largest telescope.
BY EMILY HOWARD
