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Fact Sheets
McDonald Laser Ranging Station
Otto Struve Telescope, Interior
Harlan J. Smith Telescope, Interior
Frank N. Bash Visitors Center, Aerial View
Hobby-Eberly Telescope, Primary Mirror
Hobby-Eberly Telescope, Interior
McDonald Observatory Domes
Otto Struve Telescope, Dome
Harlan J. Smith Telescope, Dome
Illustration of the Giant Magellan Telescope
Supernova 2006bp
ROTSE IIIb Telescope
Logo for Texas Supernova Search
Presentation of AEP Foundation Grant
McArthur, Barbara
Benedict, G. Fritz
'Kicked Out' Black Hole
Salcido, Jimmy
Spectrum of a Distant Quasar
Supernova 2005ap (with labels)
Supernova 2005ap (without labels)
Solar Twin HIP 56948
Gary Hill & Phillip MacQueen with the Mitchell Spectrograph
Jogee, Shardha
Evans, Neal
Sneden, Chris
Gebhardt, Karl
Kormendy, John
Barnes, Tom
Wheeler, J. Craig
Dome of the Harlan J. Smith Telescope
Harlan J. Smith Telescope dome with stars
The Astronomers Lodge
Light Deficit in Elliptical Galaxy Cores
Core of Galaxy NGC 4621
Elliptical Galaxy NGC 4621
Core of Galaxy NGC 4472
Elliptical Galaxy NGC 4472
Komatsu, Eiichiro
Fry, Edward S.
Suntzeff, Nicholas
Newton, H. Joseph
Mitchell, George P.
Bill Cochran
Silver and Gold HET
HET with Orange Sky
Texas Historical Marker
Sign with Domes
TxDoT Elevation Sign
Entry Sign
Aerial View of McDonald Observatory
Glowing HET
Lonestar Supercomputer
Birth of a primordial star
Time sequence of the disk evolution around the first star
Volker Bromm
Buckyballs Around a Hydrogen-Rich Star
Supernova 2008am
Wide Shot of Controlled Burns Near HET
HET and Controlled Burn on Guide Peak
Overview of Observatory with Controlled Burn on Guide Peak
Frank N. Bash Visitors Center with Controlled Burn
0.9-meter Telescope with Fire on Horizon
Smith Telescope with Fire on Horizon
HET with Controlled Burns on Surrounding Peaks
HBC 722
Binary White Dwarf
Kepler-18
Visitors Center at Dusk
Inside the Theater
Visitor Orientation Presentation
Exhibit Hall
Sodium in Extra-Solar Planet Atmosphere
HET Observations of an Extra-Solar Planet's Atmosphere
The 'Hot-Jupiter' Orbit of an Extrasolar Planet
Sundial Court
Astronomy Gift Shop
Information Desk
Information Desk and Astronomy Gift Shop
William J. McDonald photo
Hobby-Eberly Telescope, Aerial View
Struve Telescope Mirror, about 1935
Struve Telescope Dome with Workers, mid-1930s
Struve Telescope Construction, mid-1930s
Struve Telescope Tube, mid-1930s
Drawing of Struve Telescope
Construction of Smith Telescope, late 1960s
William J. McDonald painting
Otto Struve, first director of McDonald Observatory
Dedication of McDonald Observatory, 1939
Lagoon Nebula
Eagle Nebula
Trifid Nebula
Dumbbell Nebula
Horsehead Nebula
Bubble Nebula
Helix Nebula
Spiral Galaxy M33
Rebecca Gale Telescope Park
Frank N. Bash Visitors Center
GMT Model
SALT with Star Trails
Dr. Khotso Mokhele & Dr. Frank Bash
Smith Telescope with Nearly-full Moon
0.9-meter (36-inch) Telescope, Interior
0.9-meter (36-inch) Telescope, Dome
Edge-on Spiral Galaxy
MONET at Dusk
MONET Enclosure
MONET Team with Telescope
Harlan J. Smith, first UT director of McDonald Observatory
Gerard P. Kuiper, second director of McDonald Observatory
Test Site for CTI-II Telescope, Day
Test Site for CTI-II Telescope, Night
CTI-II Test Site with Researchers
Frank N. Bash Visitors Center sign
Star Party
Redfield, Seth
HET at Twilight
Interacting Galaxies from GEMS (1 of 4)
Interacting Galaxies from GEMS (2 of 4)
Interacting Galaxies from GEMS (3 of 4)
Interacting Galaxies from GEMS (4 of 4)
Mitchell Spectrograph
Gary Hill and the Mitchell Spectrograph
Phillip MacQueen and VIRUS
HETDEX Search Area
Upgraded Field of View
What is the Universe Made Of?
GMT Artist's Concept
HET in the morning
McDonald in the Morning
HET from Above
McDonald Telescopes
Pulsations of a Carbon White Dwarf (color)
Pulsations of a Carbon White Dwarf
First Pulsating Carbon White Dwarf
Scout Patch
Cochran, Anita
Hemenway, Mary Kay
HET at Dusk
HET in its Landscape
Gerard de Vaucouleurs
Winget, Don
Whirlpool Galaxy with the Mitchell Spectrograph
Star Formation in the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51)
Whirlpool Galaxy
AEP Texas Funds West Texas School Trips
WMAT with domes
WMAT diagram showing wheelchair access
Comet Hartley 2
Komatsu, Eiichiro
M87 Black Hole Artist's Concept
New $6 million Astronomy Science Center at McDonald Observatory To be Built for Texas, Nation
Signing of Southern African Large Telescope Agreement Marks Major Milestone
John Kormendy Fills First Vaughan Chair in Astronomy
Hobby-Eberly Telescope Enters Early Operation Phase
University of Texas-led Team Discovers Unusual Multi-Planet System with NASA's Kepler Spacecraft
Jets, Not Neutrinos, May Cause Supernova Explosions, Scientists Say
Astrophysical issues to be explored by researchers from Texas and Mexico during UT Austin conference
Telescopes, Terrain, and Technology Unite Twin Towns
Supermassive Black Holes Reveal New Clues to Galaxy Formation
Interstellar Clouds Yield Clues to the Origins of the Element Lithium
New Lighting Ordinance Promotes Darker Skies, Safer Streets
Get News Alerts
Search For Extrasolar Planets Hits Home
Long Foundations support Universo
Long Foundations provide support for Universo, Spanish-language sister program to StarDate radio broadcasts
Touching the Stars: UT Astronomer Honored for Inspiring Teachers, Students
World’s Top Observatories to Collaborate for Public Education
American Electric Power Sponsors StarDate, Bringing Astronomy Lore to Millions
SBC Foundation supports radio outreach for science education
Missing Molecule Holds Clues to Comet's Origin
UT Austin scientists find evidence that all radio-loud quasars may be blazars
Texas Teachers to Benefit from $35K Gift to McDonald Observatory
Meadows Foundation Grant to Benefit McDonald Observatory
Give the StarDate Sky Almanac this season and support science education in Texas!
Radioactive decay of elements gives age of stars, points to evolution of the Milky Way
Radiation zaps Mars and extrasolar planets, affects biological evolution
HET Goes “Back to Nature”
Bash to Step Down as McDonald Observatory Director
Media Representatives Invited to April 6 Preview of New McDonald Observatory Visitors Center
Texas Astronomer uses Hubble Space Telescope to Solve Mystery of Favorite Galaxy
Texas astronomer brings infrared space telescope team to UT-Austin
NEWS MEDIA AVISORY UT-Austin astronomer's black hole discoveries subject of NASA news conference
NEWS MEDIA AVISORY UT-Austin astronomer's black hole discoveries subject of NASA news conference
UT-Austin astronomer discovers massive black holes in two star clusters
McDonald Observatory Planet Search finds first planet orbiting close-in binary star
Texas astronomer watches as black hole eats a star
Texas astronomers make precise measure of extrasolar world’s true mass
Astronomer, Educator Hemenway Inducted into Texas Hall of Fame for Science, Mathematics, and Technology
StarDate Magazine Celebrates 30 Years
What are Astronomers Doing at McDonald Observatory?
Media Advisory: Westcave Preserve & McDonald Observatory Present Summer Solstice Events June 21
StarDate Radio Program Celebrates 25 Years
Summer Brings New Attractions to McDonald Observatory
Exploding Stars: Asymmetry with Cosmological Consequences
Lambert to Lead McDonald Observatory
McDonald Observatory & Partners Receive Federal Appropriation, Will Bring New Research Telescope to Texas
Einstein’s Biggest Blunder?
McDonald Observatory Receives Multi-Year Grant to Train Students
Scientists Develop Cheap Method for Solar System Hunt Using McDonald Observatory Telescope
Astronomers Re-measure the Universe with Hubble Space Telescope
Classroom Activities & Resources
Exploring Galaxies and the Cosmos
Other Ways to Give
Orion Circle
Duncan Shares Bruno Rossi Prize for Ultra-magnetic Stars
Giant Galaxy String Defies Model of How Universe Evolved
McDonald Observatory Hosts Special Events in Mid-March
Peeking at a Puzzling Supernova with Spectropolarimetry
Komatsu Receives Young Astronomer Award from Astronomical Society of Japan Today
Hobby-Eberly Telescope Witnesses Vaporizing of a Cometlike Body by a Very Young Hot Star
McDonald Observatory Co-Sponsors Lecture on ‘Scientific Development and the Democratic Process in South Africa’
McDonald Observatory Astronomer to Lead Study of 'Vision Mission' Space Observatory for NASA
Students Go Live Online with McDonald Observatory to Search for Planets
Astronomers Probe the Environment of Exploding Stars with HET, Computer Models
Stellar Symposium Honors David Lambert's Birthday
'Blazar' Illuminates Era When Stars & Galaxies Formed
Texas Astronomer Wins ASP's Muhlmann Award for Infrared Instruments
Texas Astronomers Find & Confirm Extrasolar Planet in Record Time with Hobby-Eberly Telescope
Mitchell Gift to Texas A&M, Support from The University of Texas at Austin Allow Flagship Universities to Join Telescope Consortium
McDonald Observatory Astronomers Discover Neptune-Sized Planet with Hobby-Eberly Telescope
StarDate Teams with Humanities Texas, Brings Native Skies to Nation's Airwaves
McDonald Observatory and Partners Receive Federal Appropriation, Move Forward Plans to Develop New Astronomy Facility
High School Students Spend Night In Computer Lab, Help McDonald Observatory Search For Planets
Texas Astronomers find Mystery Object in 'Starless Core' with Spitzer Space Telescope
New Site, HET Managers at McDonald Observatory
McDonald Observatory Plans Outdoor 'Parallax Park'
Magnetar flare blitzed Earth Dec. 27, could solve cosmic mysteries
Texas astronomer J. Craig Wheeler elected President of American Astronomical Society
Universo radio program celebrates 10 years, brings astronomy & skylore to Spanish-speaking audience
McDonald Observatory, Terlingua Preservation Foundation Unite to Preserve Dark West Texas Skies
McDonald Observatory explains 'space weather' to students live via statewide videoconference
Six College Students to Spend Summer at McDonald Observatory
McDonald Observatory receives $750,000 gift from Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation
Texas flagship universities celebrate milestone in Giant Magellan Telescope partnership
Joint project with Texas Forest Service makes McDonald Observatory safer, brings national recognition
Beautiful images from SALT mark 'first light' for Africa's giant eye
Texas astronomers, others find dead stars collecting dust
Astronomers find improved evidence for supermassive black hole in Andromeda galaxy, uncover new mystery
University of Texas at Austin helped build giant African telescope
Astronomers find most stable optical clock in the heavens
Astronomers Use Spitzer Space Telescope to Challenge Brown Dwarf Formation Models
Amateur astronomers make first sighting of '10th planet' through McDonald Observatory telescope
International team of astronomers discovers origins of 'extreme helium stars'
New 'MONET/North' telescope to be dedicated at McDonald Observatory tomorrow
McDonald Observatory introduces new Fire Marshal, more during 'Texas Wildfire Awareness Week'
McDonald Observatory introduces new Fire Marshal, more during 'Texas Wildfire Awareness Week'
Giant Magellan Telescope Group Gains Partner Down Under
McDonald Observatory receives $5 million challenge grant to study elusive dark energy
McDonald Observatory brings Astronomy Day to Texas kids, Internet audience on May 4
Astronomers use McDonald Observatory telescopes to confirm extrasolar planet
McDonald Observatory honors local volunteers tonight
Site testing under way at McDonald Observatory for federally funded telescope
McDonald Observatory Visitors Center Named for Former Director Dr. Frank N. Bash
'Science and the Sea' Radio Program Launches This Summer
First Science with SALT: Observations of an Eclipsing Polar Binary Star
StarDate Radio Celebrates 15 Years with Announcer Sandy Wood
University of Texas Astronomers Confirm Planets Form from Disks Around Stars
McDonald Observatory Thanks Congressman Henry Bonilla for Vital Funding of NESSI Project
McDonald Observatory, Department of Astronomy Complete $2 Million Director's Chair Endowment
New Findings Cast Doubt on Leading Theory of our Galaxy's Birth
University of Texas Astronomer Explores Planet Formation Around Our Galaxy's Smallest, Most Abundant Stars
University of Texas Astronomer's Studies of Galactic Bulges May Alter Leading Theory of Galaxy Evolution
Texas Supernova Search Finds Exploding Stars Fast, Follows Up Faster with Giant Telescope
American Astronomical Society Confers Highest Honor on McDonald Observatory Director David Lambert
AEP Foundation Grants $30K to McDonald Observatory
McDonald Observatory Makes Fun, Educational Spring Break Destination
Texas Astronomers Achieve Major Improvement in Cosmic Distance Scale with Hubble Telescope
McDonald Observatory Holds Open House May 12
Don Wallace is New Site Superintendent for McDonald Observatory
Free Fun for All at McDonald Observatory Open House This Saturday
Texas Astronomer Finds Six 'Cosmic Clocks' in Star Born Soon After Big Bang
Astronomers Discover Multi-Planet System; May Alter Theories of Planet Formation
Astronomers Search for Quasars with a 'Kick'
Hobby-Eberly Telescope Helps Astronomers Learn Secrets of One of Universe's Most Distant Objects
McDonald Observatory Thanks Employees for Dedicated Service
University of Texas at Austin Astronomer Shares $500,000 International Cosmology Prize
'Astronomy Day from McDonald Observatory' Will Reach Thousands of Texas Middle-School Students
Consortium Selects Site in Chile for Future Giant Magellan Telescope
Most Powerful Supernova Ever: Found with Mini, Monumental McDonald Observatory Telescopes
Astronomers Discover Sun's Twin at McDonald Observatory
University of Texas at Austin Astronomy Student Wins Rhodes Scholarship
Texas Astronomer Makes First Ground-Based Detection of Extra-Solar Planet Atmosphere with HET
Study of 'GEMS' from Hubble, Spitzer Space Telescopes Reveals Cosmic Fireworks Fizzled Out at Universe Reached Mid-Lif
New Instrument, Telescope Upgrades Enable Pioneering Dark Energy Experiment at McDonald Observatory
McDonald Observatory Receives $190,000 NASA Grant; Will Train Texas Elementary, Middle School Teachers in Science Education
WMAP Reveals Neutrinos, End of Dark Ages, First Second of Universe
Charged Coupled Devices
Prime Focus Corrector
Imaging Grism Instrument and Polarimeter (IGI, IGP)
UBVRI filters
Argos
Guiders
Sandiford Cassegrain Echelle Spectrometer
Cassegrain Spectrograph
Robert G. Tull Coudé Spectrograph
High Resolution Spectrograph
Eyepiece
Mitchell Spectrograph
Camera for Quasars in the Early Universe
Astronomers Find Suspected Medium-Sized Black Hole in Omega Centauri
Presidents of Texas' Two Flagship Universities Powell and Murano, Philanthropist Mitchell Encourage Texans to Support Telescope Project
Award-winning, Solar-powered House Built by University of Texas Students Comes to McDonald Observatory
McDonald Observatory Astronomers Discover New Type of Pulsating White Dwarf Star
Recent Texas PhD Awarded Prize for Outstanding Dissertation in Astronomy
Grant Funds Boy Scout Program, More, at McDonald Observatory
Advertising Students Practice Real-Word Campaigning; Compete to Aid UT Astronomy Program
Astronomers Discover Key Molecule for Life Floating in Space Between the Stars
Astronomers Quimby, Wheeler Win Hyer Award from American Physical Society's Texas Section
Galactic Luminaries to Converge on University of Texas Tuesday
Scientists Discover New Planet Orbiting Dangerously Close to Giant Star
Universo Radio Program Airs 5,000th Episode, Brings Astronomy & Skylore to Spanish-Speaking Audience
Astronomers Discover Links Between Supermassive Black Holes and Galaxy Formation
Texas Cosmology Center Established at The University of Texas at Austin
Media Advisory: Legislature's Joint Resolution to Recognize University of Texas at Austin, A&M Astronomy Work
Don Winget Delivers Talk on 'Scale and Contents of the Universe' in Laredo March 7
Texas Legislature Honors University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University for Joint Efforts in Astronomy
University of Texas at Austin Astronomer is Co-Investigator in Search for Earth-like Planets
McDonald Observatory Holds Open House April 4, Celebrates International Year of Astronomy
Texas-Sized Computer Finds Most Massive Black Hole in Galaxy M87
Neal Evans Delivers Talk on 'Time, Space, and Galileo' at San Antonio's Witte Museum June 21
StarDate Magazine Launches Media Service with Planetary Line-Up in Pre-Dawn Sky June 19-21
Tom Barnes Discusses McDonald Observatory History at Austin's Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum July 1
New McDonald Observatory Instrument Revolutionizes Galaxy Studies
David Lambert Delivers Talk ‘Dark Ages to Dark Energy' in Midland October 9
Boston University Astronomers Detect Sodium Gas Ejected by Lunar Impact
Mary Kay Hemenway Speaks on 'The Galileo Scandal' in El Paso October 23
Kepler Finds Earth-Size Planet Candidates in Habitable Zone, Six Planet System
AEP Texas Funds Scholarships for West Texas Schools to Bring K-12 Students to McDonald Observatory
Mary Kay Hemenway Awarded Education Prize by American Astronomical Society
Universo Radio Program Celebrates 15 Years
Media Advisory Texas Poet Laureate Reads at McDonald Observatory During National Poetry Month
Recent Texas PhD Receives Trumpler Award from Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Media Advisory Astronomers Discuss 'Hubble 3D,' Cosmic Research at Bob Bullock Museum
'Out of Whack' Planetary System Offers Clues to Disturbing Past
McDonald Astronomers Help Confirm CoRoT Satellite's New Crop of Extrasolar Planets
McDonald Observatory Launches Dark Skies Initiative with Video, Radio Programs
McDonald Observatory Dedicates Wheelchair-Accessible Telescope for Visitors
New Hubble Observations of Supernova 1987a Reveal Composition of 'Star Guts' Pouring Out
Tom Barnes Celebrates Six Months as Superintendent of McDonald Observatory
Multi-University Project to Study 'Dark Energy' Receives $8 Million from National Science Foundation
University of Texas Students, Telescopes Help Discover Planets Around Elderly Binary Star
Texas Astronomer Wins Japanese Physics Prize
Special Viewing Nights
Special Viewing Night on the 36" Telescope
Hobby-Eberly Telescope
Harlan J. Smith Telescope
Otto Struve Telescope
0.8-meter Telescope
0.9-meter Telescope
Astronomers 'Weigh' Heaviest Known Black Hole in our Cosmic Neighborhood
First Light for VIRUS-W Spectrograph
Kepler Finds Earth-Size Planet Candidates in Habitable Zone, Six Planet System
First Stars in the Universe Weren't Lonely
Students Link with McDonald Observatory at Blakemore Planetarium Feb. 24
Buckyballs, Largest Known Molecules, More Common in Space Than Thought
Visit McDonald Observatory's Open House Saturday, April 9
Texas Astronomers Find Super-luminous Supernova, Follow up with Fleet of Telescopes in Space, on Earth
AAS Division on Dynamical Astronomy Meets in Austin April 11-14
Cascading Material Pours Onto a Young Star
The New York Times Knowledge Network, Texas Education Agency, and McDonald Observatory Add Astronomy Content to Project Share Online Teachers Community
Universo Radio Program to Cease Regular Production
Astronomers Discover Stars Locked in Fatalistic Dance
University of Texas-led Team Discovers Unusual Multi-Planet System with NASA's Kepler Spacecraft
University of Texas at Austin Astronomer Sally Dodson-Robinson Receives Prestigious Career Grant from National Science Foundation
Teacher Workshops
Student Field Experience Reservation Request, Step 2
Lambert
Dinerstein
Kelton
Gyorgyey Ries
Endl
Hill
Gebhardt
Harvey
Benedict
Sneden
Robinson
Wheeler
Drory
Lacy
Cochran
Evans
Cochran
Kumar
Kormendy
Odewahn
Allende Prieto
Winget
Montgomery
Jogee
McArthur
Breger
Learning Opportunities
Rebecca Gale Telescope Park
Friends of McDonald
Gift Planning
Cosmic Explosion Explained Just in Time for Christmas; Texas-Korea Astronomical Partnership Contributes
Christmas Burst
Dodson-Robinson, Sally
NASA Mission, Texas Astronomers Collaborate to Find 'Goldilocks' Planet, Others
Pair of Black Holes 'Weigh In' at 10 Billion Suns; Most Massive Yet
Supermassive Black Hole
Karl Gebhardt
The Weather at the Observatory
News from the Observatory
Space Glow Kids T-shirt
West Texas Time Machine
Night Sky Dial
There's No Place Like Space! All About Our Solar System
Longhorn Stars Tee Shirt
Longhorn Stars Kids Tee Shirt
Inflatable Earth Ball
Subscribe to SkyTips
Frequently Asked Questions
Dark Skies Initiative
Employment Opportunities with McDonald Observatory
Dark Skies Video
Required Technology
Dramatic Transformation of Massive Galaxies over 10 Billion Years
Comparison of Massive Galaxies at Early Times vs. Today
Major Merger
Mirror Casting Event for the Giant Magellan Telescope on January 14
Hubble Study Challenges 'Cosmic Fireworks' as Largest Driver of Galaxy Evolution
McDonald Laser Ranging Station
Lunar Lunar Laser Ranging Station
Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET)
Aerial From Mt Locke
Lunar Laser on the Harlan J. Smith Telescope
Drs. Rankin & Lambert with GMT Model
McDonald Observatory Fire Truck
Steve Bramlett, Safety Officer & Fire Marshal
Volunteers Tour HET
Volunteers at 0.9-meter Telescope
Testing the Mitchell Spectrograph
HET in the Davis Mountains
de la Cruz, Teresa 'Fendi'
Marco Lara and Ignacio 'Nacho' Acosta
Moon, Venus, and Jupiter over UT Tower
Black hole diagram
Lambert, David L.
Hemenway Awarded AAS Education Prize
Paul and Ruthie Premack
WMAT with HET
Harold C. Simmons Dark Energy Optical System (mock-up)
Upgraded HET
NN Serpentis
Miller, Sarah
ROTSE IIIb enclosure
Bringing Students
Karl Gebhardt Honored by The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas
Annual Fund Payment
Support Science Education!
When to Visit
Where to Stay
The Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment
Seeing the Invisible: Dust in the Universe
Telescope Technology for Teachers
Telescope Technology for Teachers: Human HET - Science and Math TEKS
Telescope Technology for Teachers: Optic Fiber- Science and Math TEKS
Make your own galaxy
Journey Into Spectroscopy
Coma Cluster of Galaxies
Downloadable Descriptions
Distance Learning
K-12 Education Program Support
Mountaintop Blast for Giant Magellan Telescope; Video Available
GMT Site Blasting
LCOGT First-Light Team
LCO 1-meter Telescope
Las Cumbres Telescope Sees First Light at McDonald Observatory
LCOGT Dome with Mt. Locke Domes
Supporting Educational Opportunities for All
University of Texas at Austin names McDonald Observatory science instrument for philanthropists George and Cynthia Mitchell
Exploring Light: the Optics of Diffraction
Miller Wins $20K Grand Prize for Undergraduate Research from University Co-Op
New Instrument Peers Through the Heart of the Milky Way
Your Order is Complete
Astronomers Probe 'Evaporating' Planet Around Nearby Star with Hobby-Eberly Telescope
HET with Star Trails
Public Viewing at Painter Hall - 9 pm
Public Viewing at RLM Hall - 9 pm
Students at Hobby-Eberly Telescope
High School Students Explore Astronomical Research, Social Media at McDonald Observatory
Eiichiro Komatsu shares $500,000 Gruber Cosmology Prize with WMAP satellite team, for fundamental discoveries on the age, make-up, shape, and origin of the universe
Astronomers Test Einstein in a New Regime Using Pair of Burnt-Out Stars
Evidence for Gravitational Waves
NASA, Texas astronomers find first multi-planet system around a binary star
Astronomers measure largest-ever magnetic field around massive star, time its slow rotation as it drags around giant cloak of trapped particles
CANDELS galaxies
CANDELS galaxy colors
CANDELS team discovers dusty galaxies at ancient epoch with Hubble Space Telescope; tracks build-up of star- and planet-forming material
Orionid Meteor Shower to Peak Oct. 20-21
World's Most Advanced Mirror for Giant Telescope Completed
GMT Artist's Concept
The White Widow Model: A New Scenario for the Birth of Type Ia Supernovae
McDonald Observatory Logo T-Shirt
Galaxy NGC 1277
Environment of NGC 1277
Size of NGC 1277's Black Hole
Texas Astronomers Measure Most Massive, Most Unusual Black Hole Using Hobby-Eberly Telescope
Neal Evans Named Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
Exocomets May be as Common as Exoplanets
Sally Dodson-Robinson Wins Annie Jump Cannon Award
Cell Phone Coverage and WiFi
Texas House, Senate Honor McDonald Observatory for 75 Years of Excellence
Paul Shapiro Elected to Chair the American Physical Society Division of Astrophysics
Dr. Paul R. Shapiro
Annual Fund
Science and Music Under the Stars Saturday in Marfa
82-inch Special Viewing Night
Texas Astronomers Discover Pulsations in Crystalized, Dying Star
Mary Kay Hemenway Receives National Award for Outstanding Contributions to Public Understanding of Astronomy
75th Anniversary
Northrop Grumman to Sponsor StarDate
Chow Telescope with Milky Way
Alan Y. Chow
Chow Telescope
Alan Y. Chow Telescope Dedicated at McDonald Observatory's Frank N. Bash Visitors Center
Anne and Howard Adkins Re-Elected to McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors
Anne Adkins
Wayne Alexander
Barbara Alexander
Wayne and Barbara Alexander Re-Elected to McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors
John Gerling
Dr. John Anderson Gerling Re-Elected to McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors
Mike Gibson
Mr. and Mrs. Mike Gibson Re-Elected to McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors
Ted Gray
Mr. Ted Gray, Jr., Elected to McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors
John Heasley
Mr. John M. Heasley Re-Elected to McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors
David King
David R. King Re-Elected to McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors
Robert Neblett
Mr. Robert B. Neblett, III Re-Elected to McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors
David Rose
Mr. David Rose Elected to McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors
Eugene Sepulveda
Mr. Eugene Sepulveda Re-Elected to McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors
Klaus Weiswurm
Klaus and Charla Weiswurm Re-Elected to McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors
Dedication of McDonald Observatory
W.J. McDonald Bequest
Discovery of Titan's Atmosphere
Improving the View
Shape of the Milky Way
Dedication of the 107-inch Telescope
Coude Spectrograph
Bouncing a Laser Off the Moon
Invention of High Speed Photometry
Sizing Up the Stars
Helping with Hubble Space Telescope
Dedication of Hobby-Eberly Telescope
Most Powerful Supernova
Dark Energy Search
First Planet Orbiting a Close Binary Star
University of Texas Partners with University of Chicago
Donation of Mount Locke
Donation of Mount Fowlkes
Otto Struve Directorship
Gerard Kuiper Directorship
Bengt Strömgren Directorship
Second Kuiper Directorship
William W. Morgan Directorship
Harlan J. Smith Directorship
Frank N. Bash Directorship
Send a Suggestion for the Milestones Timeline
Don Winget Receives Regents' Outstanding Teaching Award
Introducing McDonald Observatory
McDonald Observatory: Yesterday and Today
The Otto Struve Telescope: Teaching an Old Telescope New Tricks
50th Anniversary Lecture: Founding & History of McDonald Observatory
By the Numbers: Audiences and Media
Open House
David Lambert Directorship
StarDate Radio Program Debuts
Texas Astronomers Unravel 20-Year Dark Matter Mystery with New Computer Models
Texas Astronomers Use ALMA to Reveal Luminous Starbirth in the Milky Way
50th Anniversary of McDonald
College Trip to McDonald
75th Anniversary Paint Job
Comet Hale-Bopp
When I first saw it.
Opening of the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center
Snowed In
Shoemaker-Levy 9 impacts from the 0.9-meter Telescope
My Growing Up Years at The McDonald Observatory
The Astronomy Department Airline: Nonstop Service Between Austin and Marfa
Betty Evans, Dr. David S. Evans
My Experiences at the HET
Expanding the Soul
Widening State Highway 118 - Explosively!
Nova computers
McDonald Observatory Celebrates 75 Years of Discovery
75th Anniversary logo
75th Anniversary poster art
Snowed in: November 1969
Sky Survey Captures Key Details of Cosmic Explosions
1970s Memories of McDonald
Texas Astronomer Discovers Most Distant Known Galaxy
CANDELS Image Highlighting Galaxy z8_GND_5296
Artist's Rendition of Galaxy z8_GND_5296
Special Viewing Night
75th Anniversary Lecture: The Frontier & McDonald Observatory
Frank N. Bash Visitors Center opens
W.L. Moody Visitors Information Center opened
Visit to McDonald Observatory
Map
Shetrone, Matthew
Giant Magellan Telescope’s Third Mirror Unveiled
Toddler to Technician
Leading Astronomer Taft Armandroff Appointed New Director of McDonald Observatory
Armandroff, Taft
Sneaking in
Giant Magellan Telescope Poised to Enter Construction Phase, Texas Astronomy Program Announces
Star Party Averages
Texas Regents Authorize $50 Million for UT Austin Share in Giant Magellan Telescope
Hauling the lens up the Mountain
Open House - All Day
John P. Dennis, III Elected to McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors
John P. Dennis, III
High School Junior
Texas, California Astronomers Release New Game 'Super Planet Crash'
Systemic Live
Super Planet Crash
From the Midwest to West Texas
Sidewalk Shadows
First and Best
Boot Camp!
Starry, Starry Night
Time Travels of the 82-inch Telescope Model
Ladybugs
The 1937 Trip to West Texas
Building the Road to the Observatory and Hauling the Tube and Mirror
Railroad Family Exploring
Big Telescope
Best of Show, Jr. High-High School Category
Best of Show, Elementary School Category
Winners of McDonald Observatory’s 75th Anniversary Art Contest Announced
1st visit 1955 at age 10
Vacation with children
Remembering William Johnson McDonald in Paris, Texas
Solar Sibling HD 162826
Astronomers Find Sun’s ‘Long-Lost Brother,’ Pave Way for Family Reunion
Globular Clusters Rotate at Heart
Observing with Dr. Harlan Smith
The Message of Starlight
Seed Funding for the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory
Dr. Frank N. Bash
The annual run
Giant Magellan Telescope Organization and McDonald Observatory Partner to Inspire the Next Generation of Astronomers
Astronomers Disprove Claims that Two 'Goldilocks Planets' Might Support Life
Supernova in M82
First Visit 1956
São Paulo, Brazil to Join Giant Magellan Telescope Project
StarDate 7/2008
Eminent Engineer and Physicist Appointed to Lead Giant Magellan Telescope Project
A scientist discloses the truth about Santa Claus
1930s Struve Telescope Model
Giant 1930s Telescope Model on View at McDonald Observatory
Present & Past
Visiting the Observatory with young children
Yerkes to McDonald . . .
Home Page
McDonald Observatory Astronomers Advise National Research Council
Star Party Tee Shirt
Logo Zip Hooded Sweatshirt
Craig Nance is New Superintendent of McDonald Observatory
Black Hole Chokes on a Swallowed Star
Astronomers Discover Ancient Solar System with Five Earth-sized Planets
Kepler-444
Mt. Locke Domes with Star Trails
HET Panorama
Struve Telescope with Open Dome
Smith Telescope Panorama
Looking into the Mt. Locke Domes
HET Mirror through Dome
Amphitheater with Milky Way (horizontal)
Smith Telescope with Sunrise
Struve Telescope Dome with Sunset
UT Seal, Observatory Nameplate
Overview of Mt. Fowlkes
Overview of Mt. Locke
HET with Mt. Locke Domes in Background
Overview of McDonald Observatory
Overview of Frank N. Bash Visitors Center
Amphitheater with Mt. Locke
McDonald Observatory and Surroundings
Astronomer's Lodge with Domes
Amphitheater and Public Telescope Park
HET Dome at Dusk
Amphitheater with Milky Way (vertical)
Frank N. Bash Visitors Center, Night
HET Panorama with Clouds
Smith Telescope with Open Dome
Smith Telescope with Colorful Clouds
Struve Telescope at Sunset
HET with Star Trails (vertical)
HET with Star Trails (horizontal)
Taft Armandroff with Struve Telescope Dome
Taft Armandroff with HET Mirror
Smith Telescope with Star Trails
HET VIRUS Structure
HET Mirror and Louvers
HET Mirror and VIRUS Structure (front view)
HET Mirror and VIRUS Structure (back view)
HET Control Room
IGRINS Instrument
Smith Telescope with IGRINS
Andrew Mann
McDonald Observatory’s Andrew Mann Wins Prestigious Hubble Fellowship
University of Texas at Austin, International Partners Approve Start of Construction for Giant Magellan Telescope
‘Crown Jewels’ Installed on Hobby-Eberly Telescope
Featured Image
Taft Armandroff Directorship
Construction Begins on Giant Magellan Telescope
SkyWord Sign-up
Texas Astronomers Help Find Earth’s Older, Bigger Cousin
Kepler-452b (Artist Concept)
Kepler-452b Compared with Earth
Kepler-452 system compared to our solar system
Advice from the Night Sky Mug
McDonald Observatory Comet T-shirt
McDonald Observatory See America T-shirt
McDonald Observatory Celestial Bandana
Dying Stars Suffer from 'Irregular Heartbeats'
Keaton Bell
White Dwarf Outburst
UT Austin Postdocs Serve Up Astronomy and a Pint
Texas Astronomers Help Find Earth’s Older, Bigger Cousin
Featured Image
McDonald Observatory Superintendent Returns to West Texas After Productive Hiatus
Giant Magellan Telescope Organization Breaks Ground in Chile
HET with George T. Abell Gallery
HET Back View
Harold C. Simmons Dark Energy Optical System Installed on HET
Harold C. Simmons Dark Energy Optical System
Working on the Harold C. Simmons Dark Energy Optical System
Upgraded Hobby-Eberly Telescope Sees First Light
Giant Magellan Telescope, World’s Largest, Breaks Ground in Chilean Desert
GMT at Las Campanas Observatory (Artist's Concept)
Galaxy Simulation (Animation Available)
Galaxies in HST's CANDELS GOODS-South Field
Early Galaxies More Efficient at Making Stars, Hubble Survey Reveals
Texas Astronomer Solves Mystery of 'Born Again' Stars with Hubble Space Telescope
Natalie Gosnell
Birth of a Blue Straggler
Open Star Cluster NGC 188
High School Student Helps Discover New Planet, Calculates Frequency of Jupiter-like Planets
Artist's Concept of HD 32963
Orbit of HD 32963 b
Dominick Rowan
HET with Pink Sunset
HET with pink sunset 2
Simmons Optical System
Working on HET
Working on HET 2
Working on HET 3
Cleaning HET's Mirrors
Sunrise view from McDonald Observatory
Sun Rising over the Davis Mountains
Working on HET 4
HET Mirror Seen from Above
Mirror Images?
Sunrise over McDonald Observatory
Telescope Dome with Yucca
Working on IGRINS
Sunrise with the Struve Telescope
Struve Telescope with Sunrise
Star Trails at HET
McDonald Shines on Solar Viewing Upgrades
Alexanders Ring the Rocks at GMT Groundbreaking
Bill Wren’s Passion Preserves the Night Sky
New vs. Old Solar Camera
SDO vs. McDonald Solar Camera
Three Generations of Solar Cameras
Sunspots, Flares, and Filaments
Solar Prominences
K2-25 in the Hyades Cluster (annotated)
Part of the Hyades Cluster (unannotated)
Newly Discovered Planet in the Hyades Cluster Could Shed Light on Planetary Evolution
CosmoQuest Partners, Including McDonald Observatory, Share $11.5 Million to Expand Astronomy Outreach Programs
Supernova 2012cg
First Discovery of a Binary Companion for a Type Ia Supernova
Brendan Bowler
Brendan Bowler Wins Hubble Fellowship
Close Encounters with Pluto through Alan Stern
Searching for Earth 2.0 at SXSW 2016
Director's Message
Galaxies Akira and Tetsuo
Supermassive Black Holes Cause Galactic Warming
McDonald Observatory Shooting Star Cap
McDonald Observatory Logo Cap
McDonald Observatory See America Mug
McDonald Observatory Comet Mug
Advice from the Night Sky T-shirt
Texas Astronomer Finds Young 'Super-Neptune,' New Planet Offers Clues to the Origin of Close-in Exoplanets
Exoplanet K2-33b Orbits Youthful Star
Comparing K2-33 to our Solar System
K2-33 in Upper Scorpius
Forming a Direct Collapse Black Hole
Aaron Smith
A New Kind of Black Hole, Once a Theory, Now Firmly within Observers’ Sight
Give a Gift Membership to the Friends of McDonald
Surface of Proxima b (Artist's Impression)
Proxima b orbiting Proxima Centauri (Artist's Impression)
Proxima b Infographic
Motions of Proxima Centauri due to Orbiting Planet
Astronomers Discover Rocky Planet Orbiting Nearest Star, Proxima Centauri
Walter E. Massey and Taft Armandroff Selected to Lead Giant Magellan Telescope Board of Directors
Walter E. Massey
Taft Armandroff
Betelgeuse in Infrared
Orion
Famous Red Star Betelgeuse is Spinning Faster than Expected; May Have Swallowed a Companion 100,000 Years Ago
Robert Shelton
Robert N. Shelton Selected as President of Giant Magellan Telescope Organization
Galaxy Cluster MACS 0416
Galaxy Cluster Abell 2744
Astronomers Find Faintest Early Galaxies Yet, Probe How the Early Universe Lit Up
HETDEX Infographic
Upgraded Hobby-Eberly Telescope dedicated April 9; Dark energy survey, other cutting-edge science on the way
Star Falling into a Supermassive Black Hole
Star Falling into a Supermassive Black Hole
Star Hits the Hard Surface of a Supermassive Sphere
Supermassive Sphere Brightens Post-Impact
Do Stars Fall Quietly into Black Holes, or Crash into Something Utterly Unknown?
Astronomers Prove What Separates True Stars from Wannabes
Binaries over Mauna Kea (still frame from animation)
Hubble Space Telescope Pushed Beyond Limits to Spot Clumps of New Stars in Distant Galaxy
Heart of an Exploded Star Observed in 3-D
Las Cumbres Observatory
New Telescope Coming Soon to McDonald Observatory
Forming a Massive Star
A Newborn Protostar
Evolution of a Protostar
Astronomers Solve Mystery of Formation of First Supermassive Black Holes
Astronomers Detect Comets Outside our Solar System
Artist's Concept of Exocomet System
UT Austin and Partners Cast Fifth Massive Mirror for Giant Magellan Telescope
Placing Glass for Casting GMT Mirror 5
GMT Mirror 5, Glass-Filled Furnace
GMT Mirror 5 Furnace
Hubble Spots Expanding Light Echo Around a Supernova
Next Generation Astronomical Survey to Map the Entire Sky
CEERS Field seen by HST
Texas Astronomers Will Lead Early Studies with $8 Billion James Webb Space Telescope
Arizona State University Joins the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization
A New Spin to Solving Mystery of Stellar Companions
Exoplanet VHS 1256-1257 b
Exoplanet GSC 6214-210 b
Exoplanet ROXs 42B b
Massive Primordial Galaxies Found Swimming in Vast Ocean of Dark Matter
GMT Mount
GMT Mount Stage 1 Contracts Awarded
Discovery of New Planet Reveals Distant Solar System to Rival Our Own
Andrew Vanderburg
Dark Energy T-Shirt
Casey, Caitlin
Texas’ Caitlin Casey Receives 2018 Pierce Prize from American Astronomical Society
Rizzuto, Aaron
Wu, Ya-Lin
Two Postdocs Receive Fellowships to Study Extrasolar Planets
McDonald Observatory to Train National Park Service in Skywatching Programs for Visitors
Creating Star Stuff on Earth is the Aim of New $7 Million Project
Neutron Stars Merge to Form Black Hole
Texas Researchers Announce Gravitational Wave Event Likely Signaled Creation of a Black Hole
McDonald Observatory, Oil and Gas Organizations Collaborate to Protect Night Skies
GMT Site Excavation
Excavation Begins on Giant Magellan Telescope Site in Chile
McDonald Geodetic Observatory Radio Dish Site
New Geodetic Observatory Coming to UT Austin’s McDonald Observatory
Construction on McDonald Geodetic Observatory
Galaxy Wind
Artist's Impression of Galaxy Wind
Galactic “Wind” Stifling Star Formation is Most Distant Yet Seen
Magnetic Waves Create Chaos in Star-Forming Clouds
Cloud Models
Magnetic Waves from a Young Star
StarDate Logo
StarDate Radio Program Celebrates 40 Years
Dusty Star-Forming Galaxy DSFG850.95
Texas Astronomers Find that Dark Matter Dominates Across Cosmic Time
J. Craig Wheeler Shares Chambliss Astronomical Writing Award
Crystalized White Dwarf
Thousands of Stars Observed Turning into Crystals for the First Time
Habitable Zone Planet Finder Enables Discovery of Planets Around Cool Stars with Hobby-Eberly Telescope
Habitable Zone Planet Finder
Two New Planets Discovered Using Artificial Intelligence
Mars and the Pleiades
Vela
Bright Stars
Crab Nebula
New Moon
Puppis
Zeta Puppis
Moon, Mars, Aldebaran
Arcturus Stream
Big Dipper
Cat’s Eye
First-Quarter Moon
Pyxis and Antlia
Moon and Regulus
Time Bombs
Coma Berenices
Coma Galaxy Cluster
Moon and Spica
Full Moon
Lyrid Meteors
Moon and Antares
Moon and Jupiter
Moon and Planets
Moon and Saturn
Hydra
Crow and Cup
Alphard
Hercules
Messier 3
Moon and Venus
Cepheus
Moon and Aldebaran
First-Quarter Moon
Green Flash
Little Bear
Spinning Stars
Spring Triangle
Moon and Regulus
Vernal Equinox
More Vernal Equinox
Moon and Spica
Pointing South
Martian Spring
Moon and Antares
Chara
Moon and Jupiter
Last-Quarter
Moon and Saturn
Young Star
Denebola
Moon and Venus
Anne Dattilo
NGC 4696
Leo
Northern Crown
Eta Aquarid Meteors
Curtains
Moon and Aldebaran
Moon and Companions
Hercules Clusters
Izar
Big But Obscure
Moon and Regulus
Kochab
Pollux
Castor
Moon and Spica
More Moon and Spica
Rastaban
Full Moon
Moon and Jupiter
Moon and Planets
Moon and Saturn
Ophiuchus
Changing the Guard
Omega Centauri
Last-Quarter Moon
Guitar Nebula
Ceres at Opposition
Beta Scorpii
Rising Swan
M101
Libra
Explore Our Solar System
McDonald Observatory’s 80th Anniversary Kicks Off at State Capitol
Donation to UT Will Expand View of the Universe
David Booth
GMT with Artificial Guide Stars
Draco
Head Cases
Moon and Regulus
Jupiter at Opposition
Mizar and Alcor
Jupiter at Opposition II
Moon and Spica
Summer Triangle
Vega
Moon and Company
Beautiful Pairings
Cygnus
Moon and Saturn
Messier 10
Summer Solstice
More Solstice
The Coathanger
Massive Milky Way
Last-Quarter Moon
Scutum
Doomed Giants
Alphecca
Pleiades Rising
Moon and Aldebaran
Rasalhague
Unlocking Clues to a Distant Planet’s History
Baade’s Window
Solar Eclipse
Far From the Sun
Vega
Ring Nebula
Corona Borealis
Saturn at Opposition
Megastars
Saturn II
Cygnus
Dumbbell Nebula
Moon and Companions
Moon and Jupiter
Delta Lyrae
Moon and Saturn
Lunar Eclipse
Sandy Wood
StarDate’s Sandy Wood to Retire
The Wolf
Summer Triangle
Zodiac
Touchdown!
Dog Days
Starry Sky
Outcast Stars
Last-Quarter Moon
Distant Planet
Moon and Aldebaran
The Dolphin’s Snout
Delta Scuti
Messier 11
Quiet Monster
New Moon
The New Voice of StarDate
Billy Henry
Hidden Galaxy
Bright Jupiter
Zodiacal Light
M51
Moon and Spica
Deneb
First-Quarter Moon
Morning Mercury
Moon and Jupiter
Perseid Meteors
Moon and Saturn
Twinkles
Venus on the Move
Full Moon
Sigma Scorpii
Starry Queen
Dog Days
Starburst
Great Square
Merging Galaxies
Vega
Aquila
Moon and Aldebaran
Scorpion and Archer
Neptune
Solar Twin
Moon in the Beehive
Big Dipper
Stellar Nurseries
Veil Nebula
First to Saturn
McDonald Observatory Will Promote Dark Skies Awareness with Gift from Apache Corporation
A Rare Look at a Rocky Exoplanet's Surface
Astronomy Field Trips FAQs
Moon and Spica
Disappearing Acts
Pegasus
Moon and Companions
Moon and Jupiter
Neptune at Opposition
Moon and Saturn
Moon and Saturn II
Schedar
Neptune Opposition II
M15
Messier 39
Harvest Moon
Sirius and Procyon
Lacerta
BL Lacertae
Cepheus
Big Bear
Moon and Aldebaran
Big Galaxy
Last-Quarter Moon
Autumnal Equinox
Celestial Sea
Vulpecula
Dumbbell Nebula
Milky Way, Dolphin
Winter Preview
Venus Returns
Moon and Venus
Dawn Hunter
Newly Discovered Giant Planet Slingshots Around its Star
Balanced Moon
Moon and Companions
Moon and Jupiter
Lyra
Moon and Saturn
Circumpolar Stars
Fomalhaut
Summer Solstice
Aquarius
Evening Stars
The Plow
Altair
Hunter’s Moon
Hamal
Sending a Message
Capella
Moon and Aldebaran
Deneb Algedi
Orionid Meteors
Lingering Summer
Last-Quarter Moon
Moon and Regulus
AU Microscopii
Georgian Stars
Moon and Mars
Time Travel
Galactic Twin
Uranus at Opposition
Moon and Venus
Moon and Jupiter
Halloween
Starry Arms
Falling Back
First-Quarter Moon
Pegasus
California Nebula
Pleiades Rising
Aquarius
Mercury Transit
Chi Cygni
Morning Treat
Transits
Gemini Twins
Moon and Aldebaran
Summer Reminder
Leonid Meteors
Triangulum
Triangulum Galaxy
Moon and Regulus
Last-Quarter Moon
Venus and Jupiter
The Whale’s Tail
Moon and Spica
Moon, Mars, Mercury
More Venus and Jupiter
Orion Rising
New Moon
Aurorae
Moon and Planets
Phoenix
Adopted Cluster
GMT Site Rendering
GMT Enclosure and Night Sky
Giant Magellan Telescope Signs Contract for Telescope Structure
GMT Structure and Primary Mirrors
Dome of 2nd LCO 1-meter Telescope
New Telescope Dedicated at McDonald Observatory
The Fox
Sun in Ophiuchus
Earliest Sunset
Pegasus
Betelgeuse
51 Pegasi
Pollux
Eridanus
Sun Moves
Moon and Aldebaran
Long-Night Moon
Venus and Saturn
Geminid Meteors
Sirius Rising
Capella
Moon and Regulus
Saturnalia
Delta Cephei
Moon and Spica
Winter Solstice
Moon and Mars
Hunter Arrives
Cursa
Orion Nebula
Annular Eclipse
Getting Bigger
On the Edge
Moon and Venus
El Nath
M34
New Year’s Eve
MAMBO-9 artist impression
ALMA image of MAMBO-9
UT Austin Astronomer Spies Most Distant Dusty Galaxy Hidden in Plain Sight
A New Year
First Quarter
Quadrantid Meteors
Land of the Supergiants
Close to the Sun
Milky Way
Moon and Aldebaran
Zeta Tauri
Mars and Antares
Penumbral Eclipse
Hyades
Moon and Regulus
Saturn Conjunction
Winter Summer Triangle
Epsilon Geminorum
Last-Quarter Moon
Moon and Spica
Dog Stars
Moon and Companions
Rigel
Moon and Jupiter
Sky Cats
Familiar Sights
Fornax
Monoceros
Unicorn Clouds
Moon and Venus
More Moon and Venus
Hydra
Horsehead
Adhara
Keith and Kevin Hawkins
Identical Twin Binary Stars
Twin Astronomer Probes ‘DNA’ of Twin Stars to Reveal Family History of the Milky Way
Texas Astronomer Helps NASA Planet Hunter Find its First Earth-Sized, Habitable-Zone World
Celebrating Spring
Dubhe
Moon and Aldebaran
Earth’s Shadow
Polaris
Double Cluster
Moon and Twins
Evening Mercury
Moon and Regulus
Cetus
Crab Pulsar
Moon and Spica
Colorful Giants
Crimson Star
Argo Navis
Rotten Egg Nebula
Moon and Mars
Moon and Jupiter
Moon and Saturn
Variable Stars
Navi
Faint Cats
The Snake’s Head
Eridanus
Rivals
NGC 246
Moon and Venus
Pleiades
Leap Day
Caroline Morley
Caroline Morley Receives Annie Jump Cannon Award
Brown Dwarf GJ 504 B
Possible Orbits for Giant Planets and Brown Dwarfs
Eccentricity Distribution
Distant Giant Planets Form Differently than ‘Failed Stars’
Moon and Aldebaran
First-Quarter Moon
Leo
Early Summer
Good Librations
Coma Cluster
Venus and Uranus
Seeing Stars
Bright Beacon
Orion’s Belt
Alnitak
Alnilam
Virgo
Moon and Antares
Jumpy Stars
Moon and Planets
More Moon and Planets
Pestilent Planets
Spring Equinox
Counting Candles
The Camel Leopard
Cor Caroli
Towering Venus
New Moon
Busy Galaxy
Busy Betelgeuse
Moon and Venus
Moon and Venus II
Arneb
Mars and Saturn
Hardy Planet
2025 Summer Teacher Workshop Fee Payment
Planet Finder Validates Its First Habitable-Zone Exoplanet, a Mini Neptune
McDonald Observatory Hires Teznie Pugh as New Superintendent
Teznie Pugh
McDonald Observatory to Close to Visitors
Volcanic Exomoon
Sundogs
Venus and the Pleiades
Moon and Regulus
Bright Galaxies
Venus and Aldebaran
Morning Planets
Stepping Stone
Auriga
Sparse Neighborhood
Vela Supernova
Galactic Fireworks
Virgo
Moon and Planets
Moon and Mars
Bear’s Lodge
Spring Stars
Centaurs
Meteors
Lyrid Meteors
Double Showers
New Moon
Balancing Star Pictures
Disappearing Hunter
Moon and Companions
Moon and Venus
Messier 53
Southern Pinwheel
Road to Arcturus
First-Quarter Moon
A Message from the Director
Continued Closure of McDonald Observatory
Texas-Led Team Finds Earth-Sized, Habitable Zone Planet Hidden in Early NASA Kepler Data
Artist's concept of Kepler-1649c
Artist's Concept of Kepler-1649c's Surface
Comparison of Earth & Kepler-1649c (labeled)
Comparison of Earth & Kepler-1649c (unlabeled)
Moon and Regulus
Venus and El Nath
Eta Aquarid Meteors
Disappearing Planet
Bright Lights
Full Moon
Vanishing Dog Star
Moon and Antares
North Pole
Moon and Planets
Moon and Jupiter
Moon and Saturn
Moon and Mars
More Moon and Mars
The Plow
Cassiopeia
The Keystone
Izar
‘Sailing’ Stars
Venus and Mercury
More Venus and Mercury
New Moon
Moon and Companions
Stellar Jewels
Quiet Neighbor
Moon and Gemini
Scorpius Rising
Moon and Regulus
First-Quarter Moon
Ophiuchus
Ophiuchan Clusters
McDonald Observatory Live Streaming Programs
McDonald Observatory Remains Closed to the Public
Galaxy Journal
Omega Centauri
Heavyweight Merger
Venus Disappears
Moon and Antares
Full Moon
Great Bear
Moon and Jupiter
Moon and Saturn
Vega
Ring Nebula
Moon and Mars
More Moon and Mars
Head Stars
Distant Moon
M81
Summer Triangle
Perseus Galaxy
Moon and Venus
Summer Solstice
Vulpecula
Centaurs
Delphinus
Moon and the Beehive
Moon and Regulus
The Stinger
Nesting Stars
Lupus
Moon and Spica
Close Moon
Eltanin
University Welcomes New Center for Planetary Systems Habitability
New Tricks from Old Data: Texas Astronomer Uses 25-year-old Hubble Data to Confirm Planet Proxima Centauri c
The Universe Puzzle
McDonald Observatory Pewter Ornament
McDonald Observatory Patch
McDonald Observatory Sticker Set
McDonald Observatory Koozie Set
Constellation Memory Game
Young Astronomer's Discovery Tour McDonald Observatory
Seventh Month
Moon and Antares
Faint Neighbors
Short-Night Moon
Moon and Planets
Serpens Nurseries
Summer Triangle
Delphinus
Venus and Aldebaran
Moon and Mars
Great Appearances
Jupiter at Opposition
Jupiter at Opposition II
Heading for Mars
Moon and Companions
Moon and Companions II
Milky Way
Future North Poles
Saturn at Opposition
New Moon
Saturn at Opposition II
Morning Mercury
Cygnus
Zubenelgenubi
Hercules Galaxies
Epsilon Lyrae
First Quarter Moon
Bright Vega
Moon and Antares
Crab Nebula
Big Dipper
Night Sky Playing Cards
Exoplanets
Dome Socks
Venus Plush
Mars Plush
Moon Plush
Neptune Plush
Pluto & Charon Plush
Relativity
The Nature of Space and Time
What Shape is Space?
McDonald Observatory Hiking Stick Medallion
McDonald Observatory Logo Pin
Mercury Plush
Jupiter Plush
Uranus Plush
Comet Plush
The Quest For Knowledge Puzzle
The Elegant Universe
Women in Science
What We See In The Stars
McDonald Observatory Knit Cap
Young Giant Planet Offers Clues to Formation of Exotic Worlds
Saturn Plush
McDonald Observatory Metro Mug
ABCs of Space
Astrophysics for babies
SOLAR TOUR - Streaming on YouTube - 11am
McDonald Observatory Fleece Blanket
Seventh Month
Moon and Antares
Faint Neighbors
Short-Night Moon
Moon and Planets
Serpens Nurseries
Summer Triangle
Delphinus
Venus and Aldebaran
Moon and Mars
Great Appearances
Jupiter at Opposition
Jupiter at Opposition II
Heading for Mars
Moon and Companions
Moon and Companions II
Milky Way
Future North Poles
Saturn at Opposition
New Moon
Saturn at Opposition II
Morning Mercury
Cygnus
Zubenelgenubi
Hercules Galaxies
Epsilon Lyrae
First Quarter Moon
Bright Vega
Moon and Antares
Crab Nebula
Big Dipper
Moon and Planets
Moon and Saturn
Mars at Perihelion
Scorpius
Blowing Off Steam
The Arteries
Milky Way
Moon and Mars
Perseid Meteors
Morning Venus
Last-Quarter Moon
Moon and Aldebaran
Sadr
Moon and Venus
Sagittarius
Sagittarius Nursery
Sagittarius Cluster
New Moon
M51
Impressive Clusters
Coat Hanger
Moon and Virgo
Little Pictures
Supergiants
Moon and Antares
Altair
Moon and Planets
Moon and Jupiter
Moon and Saturn
Cygnus
Ancient Pictures
Studying Radioactive Aluminum in Solar Systems Unlocks Formation Secrets
Mechanism to Create Aluminum-26
The Universe Doesn’t Stop for the Pandemic
A Young Sub-Neptune-sized Planet Sheds Light onto How Planets Form and Evolve
Location of K2-25b
Artist's Impression of K2-25b
McDonald Observatory Will Reopen to the Public Aug. 28
McDonald Observatory Community Partnership
Full Moon
Martian Winter
Tau Ceti
Moon and Mars
More Moon and Mars
Moon and Uranus
Galactic Ripples
Moon and Aldebaran
Caroline’s Rose
Neptune at Opposition
More Neptune at Opposition
Alpheratz
Moon and Venus
Trappist-1
Autumn Milky Way
New Moon
Perseus Rising
Zodiacal Light
Vulpecula
Dumbbell Nebula
Moon and Antares
Autumn
First-Quarter Moon
Moon and Planets
Moon and Saturn
Daytime Shower
Fading Symbol
Lacerta
Algol
The Coathanger
Planet Hugging a White Dwarf May Be a Survivor of Star's Death Throes
Major NSF Grant Accelerates Development for the Giant Magellan Telescope
Harvest Moon
Bright Pairings
VV Cephei
Draco
Close Mars
Moon and Aldebaran
Draconid Meteors
Brighter and Brightest
Monster Black Hole
Aquarius
Mars at Opposition
Moon and Companions
Mars at Opposition II
Morning Venus
M33
Mars at Opposition IV
Prominent Clusters
Light and Dark
Moon and Antares
Orionid Meteors
Going South
Moon and Planets
First-Quarter Moon
Hamal
Capella
Cassiopeia
Cassiopeia A
Moon and Mars
More Moon and Mars
Blue Hunter’s Moon
Uranus at Opposition
Uranus at Opposition II
Moon and Aldebaran
Triangulum
Andromeda
Andromeda II
Andromeda III
Procyon and Sirius
Moon and Regulus
Morning Mercury
Capella
Moon and Venus
Moon and Companions
November Milky Way
Mars Stands Still
‘Rattling’ Stars
Leonid Meteors
The Crane
Moon and Planets
More Moon and Planets
Disappearing Planet
Youngest Planet
Winter Wonders
Mira
Phoenix
Moon and Mars
Alpha Persei
Galaxy Pair
Moon Watching
Penumbral Eclipse
Venus in the Claws
HET map
Texas Astronomers Revive Idea for ‘Ultimately Large Telescope’ on the Moon
Ultimately Large Telescope
Anna Schauer
McDonald Observatory Visitors Center is temporarily closed, but our virtual programs continue!
Jupiter and Saturn
Disappearing Triangle
Earliest Sunset
Gemini Rising
Moon and Regulus
Sculptor
Sculptor Galaxies
Orion Nebula
Moon and Spica
Geminid Meteors
Moon and Venus
Cygnus X-1
Solar Eclipse
Betelgeuse
Venera 7
Moon and Planets
Saturnalia
Lyra
Rising Dipper
Jupiter and Saturn
Winter Solstice
Sky Steeds
Moon and Mars
Holiday Skies
Northern Cross
Stellar Companionship
Moon and Aldebaran
Winter Circle
Full Moon
Moon and Pollux
New Year’s Sky
VIRUS Focal Surface
Pinwheel Galaxy from VIRUS (with labels)
Pinwheel Galaxy from VIRUS (unlabeled)
HETDEX Project On Track to Probe Dark Energy
HET Mirror with VIRUS Saddlebags
Solar System Long Puzzle
300 pc Solar System Puzzle
Exploring the Solar System Puzzle
The Night Sky Stories of the Stars
Good Night Solar System
Good Night Galaxy
Pleiades Sweatshirt
McDonald Observatory Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Constellations Activity Book
Universe Astronomy Sign
The Grand Design
Night Sky A Field Guide To The Constellations
Close to the Sun
The First Shower
Orion’s Head
Bellatrix
Moon and Spica
Minimal Star
Unexpected Visitor
Messier 35
Seeing Orange
Moonshine
Top Dog
Second Dog
Third Dog
Moon and Planets
Mars and Uranus
Colorful Contrast
Procyon
Evening Mercury
Messier 3
Moon and Mars
More Moon and Mars
Beehive Cluster
Moon and Aldebaran
Butting Up Against the Moon
Great Square of Pegasus
Canopus
Moon and Gemini
Full Moon
Moon and Regulus
Moon and the Lion
Celestial Clock
DEEP SKY TOUR - Streaming on Youtube - 8pm
A Briefer History of Time
Marc Wetzel Retires as Observatory’s Senior Outreach Co-Ordinator for K-12 Programs
Moon and Spica
Groundhog Day
Orion Nebula
Last-Quarter Moon
Moon and Antares
Thuban
Changing Seasons
Mercury
Upsilon Andromedae
Monoceros
New Moon
Cursa
Cancer
Leo Minor
Crimson Star
Little Black Hole
Navi
Moon and Mars
Morning Planets
Moon and Aldebaran
Hunting the Dogs
Dippers
Moon and Gemini
Dipper Orphans
Moon and Regulus
Full Moon
Alphard
Mechanical Constellations
Anita Cochran Named Fellow of American Astronomical Society
Vesta
Mercury and Jupiter
The Whirlpool
More Mercury and Jupiter
Last-Quarter Moon
Mystery Explosion
Denebola
Moon and Saturn
Moon and Planets
Mars and Aldebaran
Boötes
Arcturus
M48
Serpens
Sixth Mirror Cast for Giant Magellan Telescope
Sixth Mirror Cast for Giant Magellan Telescope
Moon and Mars
Vernal Equinox
Equinox II
First-Quarter Moon
Royal Star
Crow and Cup
Coma
Moon and Regulus
Missing Venus
Seven Siblings
Moon and Spica
Vanished Constellations
Argo Navis
Puppis
HD 69830
Puppis Clusters
Moving South
Gamma Virginis
Moon and Saturn
Moon and Jupiter
Future Blasts
Little Dipper
Corvus
NGC 4361
Cat’s Eye
Spring Stars
Sirius
T Pyxidis
Moon and Aldebaran
Moon and Mars
More Moon and Mars
Hunting Dogs
Moon and Gemini
Lyrid Meteors
Moon and Regulus
More Moon and Regulus
Vanishing Orion
Morning Jupiter
Moon and Spica
Full Moon
IC 1101
Moon and Antares
Alphecca
Pipsqueak Galaxies
McDonald Observatory Honors Local Businesses, Organizations for Night Sky Friendly Lighting
Night Sky Friendly Lighting Business Recognition Poster
Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve
Recognition Program
Recognized Locations
McDonald Geodetic Observatory
Lighting Questions & Contact
Lighting Resources
Texas Astronomers Lead Major Projects in James Webb Space Telescope’s First Year
COSMOS-Webb and WDEEP
Finkelstein, Steven
Dark Sky Reserve
Support Dark Skies
Setting the Stage
Moon and Saturn
Moon and Planets
Morning Treat
Vanishing Orion
Lava Planet
Tattoine-Plus
M82
Evening Mercury
Meeting the Milky Way
New Moon
Moon and Venus
Moon and Mercury
Hercules
Farthest Stars
The Cat
Alkaid
Rasalhague
Moon and Regulus
The Hunting Dogs
Alphecca
Moon and Spica
Bubble Trouble
Mercury and Venus
Lunar Eclipse
Summer Rising
Scorpion
Mercury and Venus
Moon and Saturn
Moon and Planets
Moon and Jupiter
Visitors Center Closed - No Public Programs
Exoplanet is Gobbling Up Gas and Dust as it Continues to Build Mass
Yifan Zhou
You Can Help Decode the Universe!
Dark Energy Explorers on Zooniverse
Astronomers Disprove Planet Orbiting Nearby Barnard’s Star
Planet Orbiting Nearby Barnard's Star Disproved
Astronomy Field Trips
Dark Skies Festival
Dark Skies Resources
David Doss
David Doss to Retire from McDonald Observatory after 50 Years’ Service
Visitors Center - General Admission - 12-4:30pm
Stargazer Trailer in Terlingua
Oil & Gas Lighting
Industry Notices & Resources
PRIVATE EVENT - Visitors Center Closed - No Public Programs
Observatory Mourns Death of World-Renowned Physicist Steven Weinberg
McDonald Observatory Mourns Death of World-Renowned Physicist Steven Weinberg
Steven Weinberg
Visit McDonald Observatory
Buy Passes for Programs
Directions to the Visitors Center
Know Before You Go
Cancellation / Reschedule / Refund Policy
Special Considerations
West Texas Communities Protect Night Skies; McDonald Observatory Hosts Dark Skies Town Hall Aug. 12
Marfa Gardens' Night-Sky Friendly Lighting
Pet Policy
Reservation Confirmation Emails
Evening Programs
Frank Cianciolo
Frank Cianciolo Retires from McDonald Observatory
Daytime Programs
Guided Tour - 12:30pm
Group Reservations
Health & Safety
Galaxies Pump Out Contaminated Exhausts
McDonald Observatory, Partners Request Letters of Support for Dark Sky Reserve
Support the Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve
Uncovering the Mystery of Early Massive Galaxies Running on Empty
Supernova Reveals Secrets to Texas-led Team of Astronomers
All Recognized Locations
36" Special Viewing Night IMPORTANT NOTES
Weizmann Institute of Science Joins University of Texas at Austin, Partners in Giant Magellan Telescope Project
Weizmann Institute of Science Joins University of Texas at Austin, Partners in Giant Magellan Telescope Project
Weizmann Institute of Science Joins UT Austin in GMT Project
MEDIA ADVISORY: McDonald Observatory to Host Dark Skies Festival April 29-30, 2022
Special Viewing Night IMPORTANT NOTES
National Academy of Sciences Report Ranks US Extremely Large Telescope Program, Including the Giant Magellan Telescope, as Top Priority for US Astronomy in the 2020s
HETDEX News Releases
Texas Astronomers Discover Strangely Massive Black Hole in Milky Way Satellite Galaxy
Milky Way and Satellite Galaxy Leo I
Strangely Massive Black Hole Found in Satellite Galaxy
Probing the Secrets of Dead Stars and Planetary Remnants from McDonald Observatory
Probing the Secrets of Dead Stars and Planetary Remnants
Bill Wren
Bill Wren, Tireless Promoter of Dark Skies, Retires from McDonald Observatory
Bill Wren, Tireless Promoter of Dark Skies, Retires from McDonald Observatory
Dark Skies Festival Community Nights
Brendan Bowler Receives 2022 Sloan Research Fellowship
Brendan Bowler
April 8 Total Solar Eclipse
Mysteries of the Universe
Searching for ET: Planetary Habitability and Exoplanets
Galaxy Formation: The Faint Frontier
Giant Magellan Telescope Awards IDOM Final Design of its Telescope Enclosure
GMT Exterior with Lasers
GMT Enclosure Cross Section
GMT Awards Contract for Telescope Enclosure
Astronomer Stella Offner Receives Delta Young Astronomer Lectureship Award
Stella Offner Receives Delta Award
Stella Offner
2022 NASA Hubble Fellowship Program Awardees
Seiji Fujimoto
Arianna Long
Two NASA Post-Doctoral Fellows Coming to UT Austin
McDonald Observatory, Partners Create World’s Largest International Dark Sky Reserve
Milky Way Over Mt. Locke
Milky Way Over the Davis Mountains
McDonald creates world's largest International Dark Sky Reserve
Guided Tour - 2pm
Solar Viewing - 1pm
McDonald Observatory Holds Dark Skies Festival April 29-30
Observatory Holds Dark Skies Festival April 29-30
DEEP SKY TOUR - Streaming on Youtube - 9:15pm
Supernova Reveals Secrets to Texas-led Team of Astronomers
Schematic of Supernova 2014C
Historic telescope construction on track with help from UT astronomers
Full Moon - 10:08pm
Third Quarter Moon - 2:56am
New Moon - 4:16am
First Quarter Moon - 7:20pm
McDonald Observatory Works with Catalyst Midstream Partners to Protect Dark Skies
Catalyst Midstream Partners County Line Processing Plant
Investment from UT Austin, Other Partners Accelerates Construction of Giant Magellan Telescope
Investment from UT Austin, Other Partners Accelerates Construction of Giant Magellan Telescope
Wide View of Early Universe Hints at Galaxy Among the Earliest Ever Detected
Stars Shed Light on Why Stellar Populations Are So Similar in Milky Way
Stars Shed Light on Why Stellar Populations Are So Similar in Milky Way
Wide View of Early Universe Hints at Galaxy Among the Earliest Ever Detected
MILKY WAY TOUR - Streaming on Youtube - 9:30pm
Spring Break 2025
Hobby-Eberly Telescope reaches 25th anniversary milestone
Hobby-Eberly Telescope celebrates 25 years of science
Postdoctoral Fellow in UT Astronomy Receives Inaugural NAS Science Communication Award
McDonald Observatory featured on The Shape of Texas
Star Party - 7:30pm
Full Moon - 5:09pm
Third Quarter Moon - 8:13pm
New Moon - 2:55pm
First Quarter Moon - 9:20am
Full Moon - 12:30pm
Third Quarter Moon - 10:03am
New Moon - 1:09am
First Quarter Moon - 2:06am
Star Party - 8:45pm
SPRING BREAK - Star Party - 8:45pm
SPRING BREAK - Solar Viewings - Multiple Times
SPRING BREAK - Guided Tours - Multiple Times
Amateur Scientists Have Helped Astronomers Identify Nearly a Quarter-Million Galaxies
Amateur Scientists Have Helped Astronomers Identify Nearly a Quarter-Million Galaxies
Mars Opposition Livestream - Streaming on Youtube - 8pm
Full Moon - 6:42am
Third Quarter Moon - 9:10pm
New Moon - 12:26pm
First Quarter Moon - 9:33pm
Full Moon - 11:37pm
Third Quarter Moon - 4:12am
New Moon - 11:15pm
First Quarter Moon - 4:21pm
Full Moon - 12:36pm
Third Quarter Moon - 9:29am
New Moon - 10:55am
First Quarter Moon - 10:23am
JWST Reveals Milky Way-like Galaxies in Young Universe
Cosmic Dawn III Recreates the Early Universe Epoch of Reionization in Unprecedented Detail
Cosmic Dawn III Recreates the Early Universe Epoch of Reionization in Unprecedented Detail
FAMILY ASTRONOMY - Galaxies - Streaming on Youtube - 7:30pm
Eclipse News!
Texas Science Festival Will Inspire Texans Through Scientific Discovery
Texas Science Festival Will Inspire Texans Through Scientific Discovery
Hobby-Eberly Telescope Reveals Galaxy Gold Mine in First Large Survey
Hobby-Eberly Telescope Uncovers Galaxy Gold Mine in First Large Survey
DEEP SKY TOUR - Streaming on Youtube - 7:30pm
16-inch RC Telescope
Constellation Tour
Telescope Viewing at the Star Party
First Images from JWST’s Largest General Observer Program
First Images from JWST’s Largest General Observer Program
McDonald Observatory Celebrates One-Year Anniversary of Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve
City of Alpine Visitor Center - Night Sky Friendly Lighting
McDonald Observatory Celebrates One-Year Anniversary of Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve
DEEP SKY TOUR - Streaming on Youtube - 9:15pm
Eclipses and Planetary Systems
JWST First Stunning Image of Cassiopeia A, Fragments of a Hellish Explosion
Stunning Image of Cassiopeia A from JWST
James Webb Space Telescope Images Challenge Theories of How Universe Evolved
JWST Images Challenge Theories of How Universe Evolved
Two Eclipses Across Texas Bring Science Exploration to Our Backyard
Two Eclipses Across Texas
Visitors Center Closed - Daytime Only
2022 Outreach Impact Report
Searching for Supernovae in HETDEX Data
Searching for Supernovae in HETDEX Data
McDonald Observatory Dedicates David G. Booth Director’s House
Summer Star Parties at McDonald Observatory
Astronomers Observe Giant Tails of Helium Escaping Jupiter-Like Planet
Astronomers Observe Giant Tails of Helium Escaping Jupiter-Like Planet
Searching for an Atmosphere on the Rocky Exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 c
Searching for an Atmosphere on the Rocky Exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 c
New Era of Exoplanet Discovery Begins with Images of ‘Jupiter’s Younger Sibling’
New Era of Exoplanet Discovery Begins with Images of ‘Jupiter’s Younger Sibling’
Webb Telescope Detects Most Distant Active Supermassive Black Hole
Webb Telescope Detects Most Distant Active Supermassive Black Hole
JWST Awards 148 Hours Observing Time to University of Texas Astronomer
JWST Awards 148 Hours Observing Time to University of Texas Astronomer
Educator Nights
Chemical Cartography Reveals the Milky Way’s Spiral Arms
Chemical Cartography Reveals the Milky Way’s Spiral Arms
Mapping Everything Everywhere All At Once
Mapping Everything Everywhere All At Once
Digital Community Guidelines
Astronomers Confirm Maisie’s Galaxy is Among Earliest Ever Observed
Astronomers Confirm Maisie’s Galaxy is Among Earliest Ever Observed
West Texas Businesses Preserve Night Sky – One Light Bulb at a Time
West Texas Businesses Preserve Night Sky–One Light Bulb at a Time
McDonald Observatory Invites Ecological Research as a Texas Field Station
McDonald Observatory Invites Ecological Research as a Texas Field Station
Observatory Celebrates Board of Visitors at Summer Meeting
Volunteer
Department of Energy Awards Wootton Center Grant for Research and Education
Department of Energy Awards Wootton Center Grant for Research and Education
Visitors Center General Admission 10-4:30pm
Guided Tour - 1pm
Guided Tour - 3pm
The Giant Magellan Telescope’s Final Mirror Fabrication Begins
The Giant Magellan Telescope’s Final Mirror Fabrication Begins
Permian Basin Area Foundation Supports McDonald Observatory Exhibit Renovations
Permian Basin Area Foundation Supports McDonald Observatory Exhibit Renovations
McDonald Observatory Celebrates October Solar Eclipse
McDonald Observatory Celebrates October Solar Eclipse
DAYLIGHT SAVING - TIME BEGINS
Teacher Workshops at McDonald Observatory
Geminid Meteor Shower Peaks Night of December 13/14
Discovery of Planet Too Big for Its Sun Throws Off Models of Solar System Formation
Discovery of Planet Too Big for Its Sun Throws Off Models of Solar System Formation
Ghostlike Dusty Galaxy Reappears in James Webb Space Telescope Image
2024 Summer Internship Applications Due 2/15
Above & Below
Solar Cell
LightSound Workshops Make April’s Eclipse More Accessible to Visually Impaired
LightSound Workshops Make April’s Eclipse More Accessible to Visually Impaired
the Little Book of Exoplanets
Planetarium
Sparkle Scratch Art
Guided Tour - 12:30pm
Guided Tour - 1:30pm
Guided Tour - 2:30pm
Discovery of Unexpected Ultra-Massive Galaxies May Not Rewrite Cosmology, But Still Leaves Questions
Discovery of Unexpected Ultra-Massive Galaxies May Not Rewrite Cosmology, But Still Leaves Questions
April 8: Total Solar Eclipse to Cross Texas
82-inch telescope tours
Giant Magellan Telescope Expands Global Science Impact with Taiwanese Partner
Giant Magellan Telescope Expands Global Science Impact with Taiwanese Partner
March 7 Livestream: Decoding Starbirth with Artificial Intelligence
HET Tours
Beginning Astrophotography Workshop
Gift Shop (only) - Closed Today
National Science Board Announces Federal Investment Recommendation
National Science Board Announces Federal Investment Recommendation
Astrophotography Workshop
April 8 Partial Eclipse at McDonald Observatory
UT Researcher Leading Project for NASA New Space Telescope
UT Researcher Leading Project for NASA New Space Telescope
UT Astronomy Graduate Student Receives Fellowship to Study Exoplanets
UT Astronomers Use JWST to Probe an Extreme Starburst Galaxy
UT Astronomers Use JWST to Probe an Extreme Starburst Galaxy
NASA Awards Fellowships to Two UT Austin Postdocs
NASA Awards Fellowships to Two UT Austin Postdocs
Telescopes 101
Free Telescope Workshop May 15
Astronomers Uncover Methane Emission on a Cold Brown Dwarf
Astronomers Uncover Methane Emission on a Cold Brown Dwarf
Beginning Astrophotography Workshop - 2pm
Beginning Astrophotography Workshop - 2pm
Dark Skies Festival April 22-27
Astrophotography Workshop May 8-9
How We Celebrated the April Eclipse
How We Celebrated the April Eclipse
Winter Board of Visitors Meeting Explores Artificial Intelligence
Galaxies Actively Forming in Early Universe Caught Feeding on Cold Gas
Galaxies Actively Forming in Early Universe Caught Feeding on Cold Gas
Van ISD STEAM Bus - @ Observatory - 12p-5p
Giant Magellan Telescope Enclosure Ready for Construction
Giant Magellan Telescope Enclosure Ready for Construction
Bass Foundation Gift Strengthens Outreach at McDonald Observatory
Bass Foundation Gift Strengthens Outreach at McDonald Observatory
Star Party - 7:00pm
Thanksgiving Day - Observatory Closed
Christmas Holiday - Observatory Closed
New Years Holiday - Observatory Closed
Telescopes 101 - 8:00pm
Telescopes 101 - 6:00pm
Telescopes 101 - 6:00pm
Free Star Parties for Texas Educators in August
Distance to the Cygnus Loop Comes Into Clearer Focus
Astronomers Better Identify Distance to the Cygnus Loop
Meteor Showers
Astronomers Image Cold Exoplanet 12 Light-Years Away
Astronomers Image Cold Exoplanet 12 Light-Years Away
Astronomers Use AI to Find Elusive Stars 'Gobbling Up' Planets
Astronomers Use AI to Find Elusive Stars 'Gobbling Up' Planets
Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks in Mid-August
McDonald Observatory Welcomes New Assistant Director for Research Support
McDonald Observatory Welcomes New Assistant Director for Research Support
Observatory Remembers Harlan J. Smith on His 100th Birthday
Observatory Remembers Harlan J. Smith on His 100th Birthday
Board of Visitors 2025 Summer Meeting Takes Place July 26-27
Early Galaxies Weren't Too Big for Their Britches After All
Early Galaxies Weren't Too Big for Their Britches After All
September 12 Livestream: Our Moon
Early Dark Energy Could Resolve Cosmology’s Two Biggest Puzzles
Early Dark Energy Could Resolve Cosmology’s Two Biggest Puzzles
New AI Institute Led by UT Researchers Will Accelerate Cosmic Discovery
New AI Institute Led by UT Researchers Will Accelerate Cosmic Discovery
Livestream October 3: Binary Stellar Evolution and Novae
Giant Magellan Telescope Launches Program to Enhance Accessibility in Astronomy Education
Giant Magellan Telescope Launches Program to Enhance Accessibility in Astronomy Education
UT Astronomers Find JWST Data Conflicts with Reionization Models
UT Astronomers Race To Capture Image of Exoplanet Near Star
Giant Magellan Telescope Begins Primary Mirror Support System Testing
Frontier Fellows Tackle Humanity’s Biggest Question: Where Do We Come From?
Join or Renew - Individual Membership
Gift - Individual Membership
Join or Renew - Team Membership
Gift - Team Membership
Join or Renew - Family Membership
Gift - Family Membership
Join or Renew - Family Plus Membership
Gift - Family Plus Membership
Join or Renew - Orion Circle Membership
Gift - Orion Circle Membership
Join or Renew - Orion Circle Supernova Membership
Gift - Orion Circle Supernova Membership
36" Special Viewing Night - 6:45pm
36" Special Viewing Night - 7:30pm
36" Special Viewing Night - 7:35pm
82" Special Viewing Night - 6:45pm
82" Special Viewing Night - 7:30pm
Guided Tour - 12:30pm
Special Guided Tour - Otto Struve Telescope - 12:30pm
Pioneering Instrument Returns to McDonald Observatory
Astronomers Discover Youngest Transiting Planet Ever
Star Party - 7:30pm
Telescopes 101 - 6:30pm
Star Chart Youth Shirt
Logo Magnet
Northwestern University Joins Giant Magellan Telescope International Consortium
Earth at Perihelion
SPRING BREAK - Star Party - 8:45pm
New Energy Industry Guidelines Help Protect Night Sky
Star Party - 9:15pm
Telescopes 101 - 8:30pm
Newfound Galaxy Class May Indicate Early Black Hole Growth
Media Policies
Star Party - 9:30pm
Telescopes 101 - 8:30pm
Messier 3
Splintered Argo
Solar Eclipse
Denebola
Algenubi
Close Black Hole
UT Austin Astronomer Wins Scialog: Early Science with the LSST Award
Dark Skies Festival - Multiple Activities
UT Astronomer Finds Smallest Brown Dwarfs Yet
82" Special Viewing Night - 9:15pm
82" Special Viewing Night - 9:35pm
36" Special Viewing Night - 9:15pm
36" Special Viewing Night - 9:35pm
UT Astronomer Finds Smallest Brown Dwarfs Yet
Board of Visitors Winter Meeting Shares Astronomy Highlights
Moon in Taurus
Moon and Jupiter
Sirius
Moon and Gemini
Moon and Mars
Gienah
Moon and Regulus
More Moon and Regulus
Cat's Eye
North Galactic Pole
Alkes
Moon and Spica
Bellatrix
Lost Twin?
Moon and Antares
Sharing Stars
Red Nova
Vanishing Orion
Messier 3
Lyrid Meteors
Distant Light
Hercules
Moon and Venus
Moon and Companions
Beta Coma Berenices
Guardians of the Pole
New Moon
Cor Caroli
Moon and Jupiter
Hydra
Star Party - 9:45pm
Star Party - 9:45pm
Star Party - 9:45pm
Star Party - 9:45pm
36" Special Viewing Night - 9:45pm
36" Special Viewing Night - 9:45pm
Visitors Center - General Admission - 12-3pm ONLY - SUMMITS CLOSE @ 3p
AAS Names Steven Finkelstein as Fred Kavli Plenary Lecturer for 246th Meeting
JWST Awards UT Astronomers 10% of Its Coveted Observing Time
AAS Names Steven Finkelstein as Fred Kavli Plenary Lecturer for 246th Meeting
JWST Awards UT Astronomers 10% of Its Coveted Observing Time
John Good Recognized with UT Outstanding Staff Award
John Good Recognized with UT Outstanding Staff Award