Skyword: August 2015

August 2015

Lambert

David grew up in Kent, England, just south of London. He attended an all-boys grammar school (i.e., high school). As a junior there, he won a competition for which the prize was thirty shillings toward the purchase of a book from a local shop. David went to this bookstore and, from its shelves, he pulled Frontiers of Astronomy by Fred Hoyle, a book about general astronomy. "I don't know why I chose this book; I may have just rummaged around and found it," he says. Regardless, he became enamored of the study of astronomy and, specifically, the build up of atomic elements in stars, called "nucleosynthesis."

"Not quite a proper scientist."

Upon graduating from grammar school, David enrolled in Oxford University where he completed both his undergraduate and graduate studies. While at Oxford, he was advised by a "very kind lady on the faculty" that Fred Hoyle was "not quite a proper scientist" because of his sometimes controversial ideas about astronomy. For David, however, this remark immediately drew him to Hoyle as a role model.

"I ignored that advice as I often did."

Upon graduation in 1967, David left England for America where he worked for two years at the California Institute of Technology. While he did some stellar spectroscopy at Caltech's Mt. Wilson Observatory, David's sights were set on the University of Texas where the Harlan J. Smith 2.7-meter Telescope was just being completed. "I was advised by numerous people to not come to Texas, but I ignored that advice as I often did." In 1969, David came to the University of Texas, and, except for semesters abroad in India and other nations, he has resided here since.

"Whatever takes your fancy."

David has spent many years learning the details of using the telescopes at McDonald and how to apply spectroscopy to understand the physical processes governing nucleosynthesis in stars. "Once you understand spectroscopy," he says, "you have a tool to apply to whatever takes your fancy." David has applied this tool in many realms. He has tested theories of cosmology, observed the gas between the stars, and has investigated ideas of star formation.

"A potassium atom absorbs this light and then squirts it out in some random direction"

One exciting moment in his career involved the discovery of a shell of gas and dust around the star Betelgeuse. Light from the star "goes out into the shell, a potassium atom absorbs this light and then squirts it out in some random direction. That random direction is sometimes headed towards McDonald Observatory." By pointing the telescope slightly away from the star, one can measure the amount of light from the potassium gives off, and determine the amount and nature of material in the shell of gas and dust surrounding the star.

"He looks like a Walt Disney dog."

David became the Director of McDonald Observatory on October 1, 2003. He has also played a direct role in teaching the students of UT about astronomy as a professor and former Chairperson of the Department of Astronomy. However, he still maintains time for a good game of squash. Since his youth, David has also had a passion for reading. As a teenager, he scoured the public library for books on astronomy. Today, he enjoys reading biographies and poetry. His favorite poets include some contemporary writers but also more traditional ones such as John Donne, a 17th century Anglican priest and poet. Together with his wife, Melody, David enjoys walking his dog, Fergas, who came from the animal shelter and "looks like a Walt Disney dog."

David Lambert
Isabel McCutcheon Harte Centennial Chair, Astronomy
Professor at The University of Texas at Austin
Director, McDonald Observatory
Isabel McCutcheon Harte Centennial Chair, University of Texas at Austin
D. Phil., Astrophysics, Balliol College, Oxford
B.A., Physics, University College, Oxford

Dinerstein

UT astronomer and professor Harriet Dinerstein grew up in the middle of New York City. The light pollution of this vast city made it impossible to see the stars at night. However, Harriet was inspired by her visits to the world-renowned Hayden Planetarium, now replaced by the Rose Center for Earth and Space Science.

While in high school, she participated in a National Science Foundation-sponsored program at the Hayden Planetarium. This program introduced Harriet to astronomy as a science, enabled her to meet real live astronomers, and cemented her love of the subject. It was 1969, the summer of the first moonwalk.

Continuing with her astronomical interests, she received her undergraduate degree from Yale University, and then attended graduate school at the University of California at Santa Cruz, the home of Lick Observatory. Her dissertation work involved combining observations from two different spectral regimes, infrared and optical; today, this kind of "multi-wavelength" astronomy is widely used to study all kinds of astronomical objects and problems.

Harriet's first postdoctoral position was as a National Research Council fellow at the NASA Ames Research Center in California, which at that time was home base for the Kuiper Airborne Observatory, a flying telescope that was the forerunner of SOFIA , the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy that is currently being built.

Harriet Dinerstein first came to the University of Texas in 1982 as a Robert A. Welch Foundation postdoctoral fellow, and joined the University's faculty in 1985. Since then, she has done research on star formation, extragalactic ionized nebulae, classical novae, supernova remnants, and most of all, planetary nebulae.

Harriet has been awarded two of the major research prizes of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) the Annie Jump Cannon Award in 1984 (awarded jointly by the AAS and the American Association of University Women, AAUW) and the Newton Lacy Pierce Prize in 1989. She has also taught a dozen different courses at UT and won two Teaching Excellence awards.

Her husband, Dan Lester, is a Research Scientist working for McDonald Observatory, with an office right down the hall from hers. They have two daughters, Amanda and Jenna, who are both fanatical soccer players.

In her free time, Harriet relaxes with the Austin Balkan Singers, a group of women that perform folk music from such places as Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Croatia.

Harriet Dinerstein
Professor of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin
Ph.D., Astronomy, University of California at Santa Cruz
B.S., Astronomy and Physics, Yale University

Kelton

While most people tend to see astronomy as a romantic and intellectual endeavor, Phil Kelton, Acting Superintendent of McDonald Observatory, is very aware of the nitty gritty parts of running an observatory. In fact, that's the main part of his job. An observatory, like any other organization or business, has to be financially functional and efficient in operation. Unlike other astronomers, who receive time on the telescopes to study the skies, Phil receives time to help maintain and upgrade the equipment. "Day to day, there is a routine aspect to running an observatory," he reflects, "and the end result is to produce telescopes and instruments that are effective at doing research."

"I do a little of everything."

Phil is a man of many interests. He enjoys sports (especially basketball) hiking, amateur astronomy, chess, computer science, wine tasting, duplicate bridge, traveling, and all kinds of music. "I do a little of everything," he says. Many of these hobbies stemmed from interests that developed during his childhood in Texas and Nebraska. He started stargazing when he was 14 years old and had a few small telescopes. He also enjoyed playing chess in his sixth grade class. "We got time out from class to sit and play chess," he remembers, "and we used to do chess tournaments every week."

"A cat called Cat."

When he's not working at the office or at the Observatory, Phil likes to spend time at home with his wife, who teaches French at The University of Texas. Also in the household is a cat, called Cat, that was a childhood pet for his three grown children - Erica, Kevin, and Christina.

"Astronomy is fun!"

Phil came to astronomy in a very roundabout way. He started out studying physics at the University of Nebraska and received a bachelor's degree in the subject. He then got a master's degree in computer science. Finally, he came to The University of Texas to work toward a doctorate. Rather than focus solely on computers, though, he decided to put his knowledge to use in astronomy. "I just sort of shifted into astronomy and started working for McDonald Observatory," he says. He worked on real-time computing and instrumentation for astronomy for his Ph.D. "Astronomy is just fun!" he says. "I like telescopes and the sky and everything about astronomy."

Phil Kelton
Acting Superintendent of McDonald Observatory
Ph.D., Interdisciplinary Studies; University of Texas
M.S., Computer Science; University of Nebraska
B.S., Physics; University of Nebraska

Gyorgyey Ries

When Judit Gyorgyey Ries was in the 6th grade in Hungary, she read a book about astronomy whose title is roughly translated as Tales of the Moon. It was this book that made her "totally fall in love with astronomy." Once she was hooked, she charted a course for her future that allowed her to study her new favorite subject.

She received her Masters degree in Physics Education and Astronomy from Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest. When she was 25 years old, she came to the University of Texas where she earned a Masters degree in aerospace engineering, and later a Ph.D. in astronomy. She is currently a Research Engineer/Science Associate in the astronomy department at the University of Texas.

"The word ‘deductable'"
Judit came to Texas from Hungary, where she grew up. While she did speak English when she arrived here, there were still many new words and cultural nuances that she had to get used to. "Funny things like the word ‘deductable' didn't mean anything to me," she says, "because it was a totally different system." She adjusted quickly, however, and later married an American and settled in Austin. Her husband is an aerospace engineer at UT.

"When you turn, those skirts fly!"
Upon arriving in the United States, Judit found out about a Hungarian dance group that needed a translator for the non-English speaking instructor. She volunteered to help, and has been involved with Hungarian folk dancing ever since. The group Judit performs with, which includes people of Hungarian, Japanese, Taiwanese, American, and Belgian descent, has been invited to dance at international dance festivals in the United States and in Hungary. The dancers' costumes are all specially made. The dresses that Judit and the other women get to wear have very full skirts and petticoats so that "when you turn, those skirts fly!" It's an aerobic activity that's very enjoyable for all involved, she says.

"You need to catch it again."
In her astronomical work, Judit studies Near Earth Asteroids. She spends her time at the telescope looking for new asteroids and following up on new observations from other observatories. If a new object is found, it is very important to observe it again soon. "You need to catch it again close to the discovery," she says, so that astronomers can calculate its precise orbit. Staying up late at the telescope has never been a problem for Judit, who is a self-described night-owl. She loves to stargaze at McDonald Observatory, and she has even seen the Aurora Borealis from there. (It is unusual to see these so-called "Northern Lights" from such a far southern location.) An added bonus to Judit's work is that she's helping to keep the Earth safe from asteroid impacts. Whether she is watching the skies with a telescope or with her eyes, it is clear that Judit's passion for astronomy has provided her with a lifelong career that's perfect for her.

Judit Gyorgyey Ries
Research Engineer/Science Associate, University of Texas
Ph.D., Astronomy; University of Texas
M.E., Aerospace Engineering; University of Texas
M.S., Astronomy, Physics Education; Eotvos Lorand University,
Budapest, Hungary

Endl

The best part of astronomy for Research Scientist Michael Endl is the "excitement of discovery," he says. Mike uses his time at McDonald Observatory to search for extrasolar planets, that is, planets around other stars. He says that nothing he has seen recently can compare to the moment in his student days when he discovered his first extrasolar planet. While working with another student at an observatory in South America, Mike says they looked on a computer screen at the signal from a star, and their jaws dropped. "We actually found a planet!" he recalls. And for a short time, they reveled in the knowledge that they were "the only guys on Earth who knew that there is a giant planet orbiting that star!" This, Michael says, is the greatest reward of doing astronomy. "It's the incredible feeling," he insists, "to have found something totally and completely new."

"I was an avid amateur astronomer."
Michael has always been a loyal astronomy enthusiast, even as a child in Vienna, Austria. At age 10, he built his own refracting telescope. However, it was not always obvious that he was destined to become a professional astronomer, especially towards the end of his high school career. "I became a computer nerd," he laughs, "but I really didn't like it." So much so, in fact, that after starting out with a job working on computers, he decided to attend the University of Vienna to study physics and astronomy. Later, he was able to spend two years studying in Chile before finally receiving his Ph.D. He came to the University of Texas as a post-doctoral fellow to look for extrasolar planets after finishing his degree in Vienna.

"It might have been ugly if I had really fallen in."
As a native Austrian, Mike is very familiar with big mountains. "I love mountain climbing," he says, "especially in the Himalayas and the Andes." The highest mountain Mike has ever climbed is called Aconcagua in the Andes. The peak rises almost 7000 meters (23,000 feet) into the air, and while there is an easy path to the summit, Michael and his partner chose to scale a more difficult ice route instead. "Up near the summit, I broke into a crevasse," he recalls. "It was funny because I saw it, but it was bigger than I thought." Michael pulled himself out on the other side and warned his partner about it. Because of the very thin air at that altitude, even jumping over the small gap was a true feat. "We had to laugh," he says, recalling the several minutes they had to spend panting and recovering from this mini-adventure. "But it might have been ugly if I had really fallen in."

"I think it's too early to tell."
Like his ability to work on different continents and climb in varied environments, Mike's opinions about life elsewhere in the universe are quite flexible. He certainly thinks that such life exists, but whether it is simply single-celled bacteria or beings that are intelligent remains to be seen. "I think it's too early to tell," he says, adding that new technology might shed more light on the subject. Better telescopes that will become available to astronomers within the next 20 years should allow them to find Earth-sized planets, and possibly even signs of primitive life. Michael, however, asserts that he "has an open mind." He is ready for anything.

Michael Endl
Research Scientist, University of Texas
Ph.D., Astronomy; University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Hill

Ever think about who is your model astronomer? How about a person who likes music, is in awe of old cathedrals, and first became interested in astronomy while having his appendix removed? Well, Gary Hill, a senior research scientist and Chief Astronomer for McDonald Observatory, is all of these things and more.

"Don't do biology."

Gary was born in Leeds, in northern England, the son to an architect and dress designer. As a child, his interests included model airplanes, marine biology, and ornithology, the study of birds. He attended a large new Comprehensive School, where, as Gary says, he "benefitted from many very eager teachers before they got beaten down by the system."

On a field trip to Oxford University, young Gary spoke with a marine biologist there about his interests in her area of study. However, she quickly warned Gary, "Don't do biology." She advised Gary that the study of physics and mathematics would prepare him for work in other areas, even marine biology. As he took physics classes the next year, Gary found that he had quite a knack for solving the problems put forth in physics. In fact, he found that these problems were even fun to solve.

While having his appendix removed.

As a young teenager, Gary had his appendix removed, and, while in the hospital, he began reading a book on astronomy by Isaac Asimov. Gary learned that his skills in physics could be applied to learn more about phenomena in astronomy. Especially, he was interested in the properties of neutron stars. This newly found fascination solidified Gary's plans to study physics as an undergraduate student.

A young but courageous student.

As a student in his second year at Oxford University, Gary sent letters to observatories around the world, requesting summer positions. After receiving offers from observatories in Green Bank, West Virginia, and New Zealand, Gary decided to go to Steward Observatory in Arizona. While at Steward, Gary discovered that he enjoyed working with astronomical instruments and decided that he needed to attend graduate school in the United States to pursue this interest. He graduated from Oxford in 1983 and left for The University of Hawaii.

"Through our mutual interest in music."

As a graduate student, Gary was disappointed because there were no opportunities to work on astronomical instrumentation. However, he did gain valuable experience in cosmology, the study of the properties and evolution of the universe as a whole. Also, while at The University of Hawaii, he met his wife, Yoshie Hasumi, through their mutual interest in music. After graduating in 1988, Gary and Yoshie moved to Austin, Texas.

"Do what you can with it."

Gary came to The University of Texas as The McDonald Postdoctoral Fellow, a prestigious research position, but, says Gary, "The instrumentation was too inefficient to do any of the projects I wanted to do." This prompted Gary to build his first instrument, the Imaging Grism Instrument (IGI).

At the time, IGI was supposed to be a short-term instrument. Basically, Gary says, he was told, "Here's 5,000 bucks. Do what you can with it." However, IGI is now one of the more heavily used instruments at McDonald even though it is more than a decade old. Subsequently, Gary led the team which built an instrument for The Hobby-Eberly Telescope -- the Low Resolution Spectrograph.

Music, architecture, and travel.

In his spare time, Gary enjoys the diverse live music scene in Austin. Gary also enjoys traveling around Europe and Japan. In particular, he has an appreciation for the cathedrals, temples, and mosques constructed many centuries ago. "The ability of people to build these enormous structures without any formal training in engineering is amazing," he says. When he's not building instruments, studying cosmology, catching a band, or traveling around the world, Gary finds that working on his house in Austin is "a full-time job."

Gary Hill
Senior Research Scientist, Chief Astronomer, McDonald Observatory
Ph.D, University of Hawaii
M.S., Oxford University
B.A., Oxford University

Gebhardt

If faculty member Karl Gebhardt wasn't an astronomer at the University of Texas, he would want to be a construction worker. In fact, he worked in construction while he was in graduate school, landscaping and building houses. What's the appeal? "You get to drive really big trucks!" he grins. Currently, this Associate Professor of Astronomy still likes to spend his free time working on his house and gardening. "We grow a lot of flowers and vegetables," he says. "Texas is a good place for that."

"Tossing a lot of good books at me" Karl grew up in Rochester, New York, where his mother worked as a hospital administrator. During his grade school years, his favorite teacher was Mrs. Tomoanovich who taught 11th grade English. "I appreciated her," he remembers, "for tossing a lot of good books at me." Among other works, the class read books by Herman Hess and Absalom, Absalom! and As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner. "She had a good style of teaching, and the books had a big impact," he says.

"One person can make an difference." Although he started out studying physics in graduate school, Karl was drawn to astronomy in part because of its personal nature. While research in physics often involves hundreds of scientists working together on the same project, Karl saw astronomy "as a way where one person can make an difference." What's more, compared to the many people who work in physics, the astronomy community is rather small. As Karl says, "It's a small enough group in astronomy that you tend to know most of the people, and they're spread throughout the world. So pretty much anywhere you go in the world, there's someone you know and have interacted with. Astronomers tend to be pretty nice people so that works out quite well."

"A common misconception" Like a growing number of professional astronomers, Karl rarely sees a telescope anymore. Most of the telescopes he uses, such as the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory and the Hubble Space Telescope, are queue scheduled. Instead of having to be present at the telescope to make his observations, Karl simply waits for the telescope staff to make the observations for him. Data collected on his behalf are usually transmitted to him electronically, so he never even has to leave his office. The idea that he's spending nights in a telescope dome is, as he says, a "common misconception." "People think it's weird," he says, "but it's pretty typical."

Karl Gebhardt, Herman and Joan Suit Professor in Astronomy, University of Texas at Austin

Ph.D., Physics and Astronomy; Rutgers University

M.S., Physics and Astronomy; Michigan State University

B.S., Physics and Astronomy; University of Rochester

Harvey

Paul Harvey grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with two younger brothers. His dad was a mechanical engineer, and his mom was a draftswoman. From a young age, he was interested in science. "Been in physics and astronomy since elementary school," says Paul, who, in junior high, built his own telescope. Today, he continues to build instruments for telescopes both on the ground and in the air. In particular, he has constructed spectrographs for use at McDonald Observatory and at observatories on Hawaii's Mauna Kea.

Connecticut, California, Arizona, and Texas.

Paul attended Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, for his undergraduate degree in physics. From Connecticut to California, Paul traveled to continue his studies in physics at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. He earned his Ph.D. from Caltech in physics, but his dissertation focused on astronomical observing and instrumentation. Paul then worked at the University of Arizona for seven years as a postdoctoral fellow and then as a research scientist. After his work in Tucson, Paul came to Austin, Texas, where he was a professor of astronomy before switching to a full time research career.

Interests in astronomy.

Paul's interests in astronomy center around instruments that work in the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Some of these are part of space missions, such as Spitzer Space Telescope and Hershchel. For the Spitzer, Paul was a leading co-investigator in a major project to observe star-forming regions. He is a scientific advisor or mission scientist for the Herschel Observatory. In the past, Paul has worked with the Kuiper Airborne Observatory, an airplane that was equipped with an infrared telescope.

"Our climbing party became a rescue party."

Paul enjoys rock climbing and downhill skiing. In a trip to Mount Rainier, an active, snow-encased volcano in Washington, Paul and some friends were climbing the 4,000 meter peak when two of their group fell into a crevasse and the "climbing party became a rescue party." Certainly, Paul's dedication and endurance as an athlete render him more capable in astronomy, allowing him to be more patient in building intricate instruments and productive during long nights at observing at McDonald Observatory.

Paul Harvey
Senior Research Fellow, University of Texas at Austin
Senior Research Scientist, University of Texas at Austin
Ph.D. Physics, California Institute of Technology
B. S. Physics, Wesleyan University

Benedict

Fritz Benedict, Senior Research Scientist at the University of Texas, loves to sail. "I've got a Catalina 22 on Lake Travis," he says, "and I get to go too darn few times." When he's not sailing, he likes to spend time with his wife Ann and their dog Darcy. "Darcy is a cross between a Dalmatian and a Basset Hound," he says, "and there's been much discussion about how that could possibly occur."

"I was lucky." While Fritz claims that he is "still in the process of growing up," his childhood years were spent in a variety of places. He was born in Northern California, and shortly thereafter his family moved to Saudi Arabia. For high school, he attended an American school in Beirut, Lebanon. "I was lucky," he remembers, referring to the fact that he could attend high school relatively close to his family's home in Saudi Arabia. "Lebanon was still a civilized place when I was in high school."

"Something snapped in my brain." Even as a child, Fritz knew where his future career lay. As he says, "When I was eight, something snapped in my brain and I decided I wanted to be an astronomer." In fact, that conviction is what got him through college. "College was a whole lot of fun," he remembers. "In my junior year, I had to decide whether I was going to continue to have a whole lot of fun or do some work and get a degree. But there was that promise I made myself, so I chose the astronomy."

"Kids playing in the sandbox" True to his personality, Fritz views the field of astronomy with good natured enthusiasm. He enjoys the process of astronomy – everything from observing at the telescope to getting an answer to a scientific question. And when it comes to collaborations with other scientists, Fritz has a mental picture in mind. "I equate doing astronomy to kids playing in the sandbox. You have certain kids that you like to play with and other kids that you don't. If you can find the kids you like to play with in the sandbox, it's golden. There's nothing you can't do."

Fritz Benedict, Senior Research Scientist, University of Texas at Austin

Ph.D., Astronomy, Northwestern University

M.S., Astronomy, Northwestern University

B.S., Physics and Astronomy, University of Michigan

 

Sneden

"I can remember the exact moment when I became interested in astronomy," says astronomer Chris Sneden, professor at The University of Texas. He was at his home in Pennsylvania, listening to a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game on the radio. During the commercial break, he heard an advertisement for Saturday morning astronomy classes at the Pittsburgh planetarium. Since then, he says he "never, ever wanted to do a single thing other than astronomy. There was never a Plan B."

"They gave me much encouragement."

Chris attributes much of his success to his parents, Harold and Alice Sneden, who encouraged him to pursue his interest in astronomy. "They knew I was so pigheaded that I wasn't going to be stopped anyway," says Chris. "They gave me much encouragement."

"The very next college on the list was Haverford."

As graduation from his small, mill-town high school loomed, Chris visited his career counselor and inquired about studying astronomy in college. "I don't know anything about that," his counselor said, and gave Chris a book with colleges sorted by academic major. Chris quickly turned to the astronomy section and scanned down the list. "I got to Harvard and said, 'Ahh, I can't get into Harvard.' The very next college on the list was Haverford."

"This decision turned out to be a very good one."

Haverford College is a small Quaker college in Pennsylvania, the oldest institution of higher learning in North America. Today, it's a leading liberal arts college. "This decision turned out to be a very good one," Chris says. While there, he studied astronomy and received his Bachelor's degree in 1969.

Deep in the heart of Texas.

Chris then traveled south to Texas where he worked as a graduate student for astronomer David Lambert who was, then, a fresh new faculty member at The University of Texas. Chris was David's first graduate student and he says that "two or three people after me said that they paid for my sins. He made them work a lot harder." However, Chris obviously worked hard because he left Texas for a string of prestigious positions.

Indiana, California, Wyoming, and Washington

He went to Indiana as a postdoctoral researcher for a year and, then, to Santa Cruz, California as a research astronomer and lecturer. For three years, he worked at the University of Wyoming's infrared observatory where he was an assistant professor. Finally, he worked as an assistant professor at The University of Washington before returning to The University of Texas.

The Town Crier

Chris now holds the Rex G. Baker, Jr. Centennial Research Professorship in Astronomy and, recently, led this astronomy department as its chairman. (The current chairman is his former advisor, David Lambert.) Chris is also the editor of the Astrophysical Journal Letters, a special publication of the Astrophysical Journal that features new and exciting discoveries. Effectively, he is a "town crier" for the astronomical community, making important announcements to eager astronomers.

Encouraging his children.

Chris has been married over 20 years to Gail Sneden and has four children: Alan, Lisa, Brett, and Jeff. Alan is a medical doctor. Lisa holds a Ph.D. in criminal psychology, and Brett is preparing to be a pilot. Finally, Jeff, the youngest, recently graduated from The University of Texas with a degree in computer science.

"Anything with a ball and racquet."

In his free time, Chris enjoys playing tennis with his wife and friends. He also plays squash and racquetball -- "basically anything with a ball and racquet, anything to fool myself into thinking that I'm not exercising," he says.

Chris Sneden Rex G. Baker, Jr. Centennial Research Professor, University of Texas Ph.D., Astronomy, University of Texas B.A., Astronomy, Haverford College

Robinson

Rob studied astronomy as an undergraduate at The University of Arizona. However, he had "more physics credits than any physics major that graduated that year. It wasn't astronomy instead of physics, it was astronomy in addition to physics," he says and stresses the importance of understanding the laws that govern our world.

Upon graduation, Rob came to The University of Texas at Austin where he received his Ph.D. in 1973 under the tutelage of Brian Warner, Ed Nather, and Paul vanden Bout. Afterwards, Rob was the Miller Postdoctoral Fellow at The University of California at Santa Cruz for a year. He then returned to Texas as an assistant professor where he has since become the William B. Blakemore II Regents Professor in Astronomy.

Rob's research interests have been varied throughout his career. He has studied pulsating white dwarf stars, cataclysmic variable stars, and neutron stars. Currently, he is most interested in studying black holes in binary star systems. He says that studying these binary systems is the best method current to determine one of the fundamental attributes of a black hole -- its mass.

Edward L. Robinson
William B. Blakemore II Regents Professor of Astronomy, University of Texas at Austin
Ph.D., Astronomy, University of Texas at Austin
B.A., Astronomy, University of Arizona

Wheeler

Astronomy professor J. Craig Wheeler has never been a stranger to science. Even before he began to study astronomy, he was certainly influenced by his father's physics-related career. "My father followed various defense industry jobs," he says. "We lived in Boulder, Colorado when he was working on the first thermonuclear bomb."

Later, his family moved to Idaho to be close to a nuclear reactor testing station. "Idaho was an interesting environment," he says. "Very rural in some sense, but very scientific in another. It was a real cross cultural sort of thing, with potatoes and a nuclear reactor."

"I've just been immensely lucky."

Craig decided to study astronomy at just the right moment in time. Funding for science was at an all time high after World War II and the launch of Sputnik, and looking back, Craig realizes that he was, as he says, "riding that post-war wave." After receiving his doctorate at The University of Colorado, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the California Institute of Technology, and later was an assistant professor at Harvard University. "I can look back now and see that in many ways I was very, very fortunate," he says. "Caltech was a great place to be a postdoc. There were all sorts of science going on, and there was just this intellectual ferment in the air. I've just been immensely lucky. It was really a great boost to my career."

"One mind-bending idea after another."

One of the greatest perks to being an astronomer, according to Craig, is "getting to write ‘Astrophysicist' on my IRS tax return. ‘I am an astrophysicist.' That just gets me every time!" Craig also likes being an astronomer because he enjoys finding out about new ideas in the field. "I'm a new idea junkie," he says. "I feed on new ideas. Lots of fields have new ideas, but astronomy is just one mind-bending idea after another!"

"I'm just not an observer."

Unlike most astronomers, Craig is never at the telescope. "I only observed with a telescope one time," he remembers. "It was cloudy for three days. And that was the end of that. I'm just not an observer." Instead, Craig is a theorist, meaning that while he plans and uses telescope observations, he does not depend on them for his work. It is also helpful that he studies supernovae, which are very unpredictable. Because astronomers never know when one may happen, supernova observations are usually made by whichever astronomer happens to be at the telescope at the time.

The Krone Experiment

When he's not doing astronomy, Craig is probably writing about it! He has written a popular book: Cosmic Catastrophes: Supernovae, Gamma-Ray Bursts, and Adventures in Hyperspace; as well as a science fiction novel, The Krone Experiment. As luck would have it, Craig's son Rob is in the process of turning The Krone Experiment into a movie. And currently, Craig is in the process of writing a sequel called Krone Ascending. "If I weren't an astronomer, I'd probably be a writer of some kind," he says. "It's something I discovered too late to make it into a career, but I do enjoy writing."

Craig is a member of The University of Texas Academy of Distinguished Teachers. He lives in Austin with his wife of 36 years. Their older son, Diek, is a neurobiologist at The University of Pittsburgh, and their younger son, Rob, is a filmmaker in Austin.

J. Craig Wheeler Samuel T. and Fern Yanagisawa Regents Professor of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin President, American Astronomical Society (2006-2008) Ph.D., Physics, The University of Colorado B.S., Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Drory

"I got interested in astronomy during my studies of physics," Niv Drory says. "I had a strong interest for astronomy as a teenager, but when I started studying physics, I wasn't actually sure I would end up as a researcher in astronomy. I just happened to end up in astronomy."

"An international and interesting environment."

Now that he is a professional astronomer, it's not only a fascination with the subject matter that keeps Niv interested. "The most reward I get out of astronomy is being able to work in a very international and interesting environment," he says. "It's actually more of a reason for me than the science itself, because there are interesting jobs all over the place. It's the people."

"I have always loved music."

When he's not spending time at work in front of his office computer, Niv likes to play "all kinds of sports," he says. These include running, basketball, and volleyball, among others. He also likes to cook Mediterranean and Asian food, and he enjoys music. "I have always loved music," he says, "both listening to and playing music." He plays classical and rock guitar, and he usually listens to both classical and pop when he's out at McDonald Observatory. Niv also likes movies, "literature in general," and biology, which he says he finds fascinating.

An international background

Niv was born in Haifa, Israel, and he and his parents moved between Germany and Israel several times when he was younger. They finally settled in Münich, where Niv attended high school and later college and graduate school. After finishing his Ph.D., Niv came to Texas as a postdoctoral researcher with The University of Texas at Austin. Following that, Niv returned to Germany and is now with the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Garching, near Munich.

Niv Drory
Astronomer, Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (Garching, Germany)
Ph.D., Astronomy, University of Münich
M.S., Physics, University of Münich

Lacy

John Lacy did not consider himself an amateur astronomer. He's always liked looking at the stars, and his father pointed out constellations to him when he was a boy, but it wasn't until a friend in high school convinced him to join the astronomy club that he became more interested in astronomy. That friend is now a professor of music composition.

When John teaches undergraduate courses, he occasionally runs into students with mental blocks about science. They claim they can't understand astronomy because they are not science majors. John uses his friend the music professor as an example to show those students that they can understand science.

"A matchmaker for zoo animals."

John was born in Gary, Indiana, but moved to Connecticut when he was in the ninth grade. He has two brothers and two sisters. One brother, Bob, is a biologist who works at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, Illinois. John describes his brother's work as, "a matchmaker for zoo animals." Bob studies the problems of breeding animals while in captivity, and often consults with biologists at other zoos.

"Ms. Kitty is still likely to toss her cookies."

Felines reign supreme in the Lacy household. John has three cats named Ms. Kitty, Tyler, and Eppie. Tyler was a stray that he found near Tyler, Texas. That location was the inspiration for the cat's name. Eppie is a recent newcomer, and the other cats are still adjusting. Tyler stays outside a lot, and according to John, "Ms. Kitty is still likely to toss her cookies when she sees her." Hopefully peace and harmony will soon prevail.

"It nearly knocked me over!"

John's favorite teacher was his tenth grade chemistry teacher, even though he can't remember the teacher's name. John has some very vivid memories of that class. During one laboratory experiment, he had to smell the contents of a test tube. Instead of gently wafting the odors to his nose, he inhaled the odor directly and, "it nearly knocked me over!" As in other high school chemistry classes, accidents were bound to happen. John recounts the time he accidentally dropped a still glowing match into a wastebasket and, "nearly burned down the school." The teacher didn't get too upset though, which is why John liked him!

"I'm pretty incoherent when I'm on that mountain."

As a graduate student, to complete the research needed for his dissertation, he built an instrument and used it to discover a black hole in the center of our galaxy. That success has led to a career designing, building, and using other instruments, including TEXES, the Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrometer.

Many people may not realize how much engineering plays a role in astronomy. After all, someone has to design and build the instruments and telescopes that astronomers use. John and his team have used TEXES at McDonald Observatory and the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on Mauna Kea in Hawaii at 14,000 feet above sea level. It often takes John a couple of days to adjust to that higher altitude. In fact, John says that, "I'm pretty incoherent when I'm on that mountain."

John is an avid bicycler and has ridden a 75-mile loop in the Davis Mountains near McDonald Observatory. Someday he would like to bring his bike along and ride it from sea level to the summit of Mauna Kea. It is only a 40 mile ride, but it is all uphill!

John Lacy
Professor of Astronomy, University of Texas at Austin
Ph.D.; Physics; University of California-Berkeley
S.B.; Physics; Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cochran

Twelve-year old Anita Cochran visited Brookhaven National Laboratory near her hometown of New York City. Although she had been encouraged to explore science by her father and several teachers, Anita remembers this visit as a pivotal point in her aspiration to be a scientist. She had become fascinated and enamored by the simple fact that people can look at the world and deduce some order. In contrast, she recalls her older brother's response to the same trip, "Oh, I remember that trip. It was the most boring thing ever." Anita sheepishly grins---"He's not a scientist."

"I was hooked."

Anita attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where she satiated her desire to study the physical sciences. As an undergraduate student there, she focused on physics, but, fortunately, her advisor required that she take classes outside of the strict study of physics. "I didn't have any intention of going into astronomy," says Anita, but, after enrolling in an astronomy class, "I was hooked." Indeed, she would then move on to the land of "Hook em Horns," the University of Texas at Austin, which came in high regard with her Cornell mentor,Joe Veverka, because of the research environment and "lots of good biergartens."

"We went there bunches of times."

As a young graduate student, Anita was to begin under the advisement of Larry Trafton. Eager to work, Anita knocked on Larry's door in prospect of a project. He sent his new student to his postdoctoral researcher, Bill Cochran. Two weeks later, these two astronomers went together on a date. Where do astronomers go on their first date? Well, Bill and Anita enjoyed going to the Armadillo World Headquarters, a music hall in South Austin. In fact, "We went there bunches of times." Two years later, Bill and Anita were married and have recently celebrated their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.

Astronomer and Woman

As a graduate student during the 1970's, Anita found herself to be one of few women in the department. "Certain people were inhospitable at the time," remembers Anita, but the department, in general, has become more open to women. "In those days, it was a major event to get a new woman in the department, but, today, there are many more women in the program." Today, Anita says of the situation for women in astronomy, "It is really different."

"It was a very bad day."

During her tenure her as a researcher, Anita has spent many years studying bodies in our solar system. Mostly, she enjoys exploring comets, balls of ice and dust that orbit our Sun, but, occasionally, she likes to observe asteroids from the telescopes at McDonald and elsewhere. Anita has also been part of the CONTOUR mission (Comet Nucleus Tour) a space project that was intended to visit Comet 2P/Encke and study its makeup. Unfortunately, this space observatory was lost just one month after launch. "It was a very bad day," sighs Anita as she remembers hearing of the explosion.

"Chewy"

In their spare time, Anita and Bill enjoy many things together. The two are avid bicyclists and find a week incomplete without at least a few hours out on the road together. They often sponsor departmental participation in the many charitable rides and have even formed an impromptu team, Team Astro, whose motto reads, "Nuclear Powered, Stellar Performers." This couple also enjoy square dancing every Tuesday night with their fellow square dancers. Both have pursued this interest since 1984 and are considered advanced in their skill of this art. Further, the name of Anita's computer, Barolo (a region in Italy known for its wine) reflects her fancy for good wines. "Barolos tend to be really big, massive wines---chewy," says Anita. Finally, although she doesn't own a dog, Anita is a godmother to many of her friends' pets. She speaks fondly of Skye, a white Aussie; Sox, a friendly beagle; Honey Girl, a sweet terrier-like dog; and Sarah, a dog, dear to Anita, who just recently passed away.

Anita Cochran Research Scientist, Assistant Director, McDonald Observatory Ph.D., Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin B.A., Physics, Cornell University

 

Evans

In the search for the origins of stars and planets, there are few who can match the invested time, interest, and enthusiasm of astronomer Neal Evans.

His newest project will provide insight into the formation of low-mass stars and their accompanying planets, using data from NASA's newest Earth-orbiting observatory, the Spitzer Space Telescope. The Spitzer is sensitive to infrared light, and will be used to gather information on regions opaque to visible light. Neal works with a team of 50 scientists from around the globe on this project.

Life, Intelligence, and Technical Civilizations

Neal's interests, however, are not solely in stars and planets. He has long been intrigued by how life, intelligence, and even technical civilizations have come to be. Neal's interest in these subjects is in understanding how they became what they are today, whether that process might occur elsewhere, and how the outcome might differ. He frequently teaches a seminar that compares ideas about origins drawn from philosophy, religion, history, and science, exploring the different perspectives that each field of inquiry contributes.

Neal is particularly well suited for this seminar, which falls into an honors Liberal Arts degree program at The University of Texas, due to a long-standing interest he has in the study of English. This interest dates back to his years as an undergraduate at Berkeley. Before settling into physics, Neal considered pursuing a career in English, and has maintained a close affinity for the subject.

After graduating with a bachelor's degree in physics, Neal went on to receive his Ph.D. in 1973, and did a year and a half of post-doctoral work at Caltech. Although initially interested in high-energy and particle physics, he was dissuaded from entering these fields by the large groups of collaborators, often hundreds of researchers, that had begun to dominate many aspects of research in those fields. He became interested in astrophysics and worked with a research group started at Berkeley by Nobel laureate Charles Townes.

The journey outweighs the destination

Neal joined The University of Texas faculty in 1975, and has worked here since. In addition to his research and coordinating work for the Spitzer project, Neal teaches several astronomy courses at the University, including a class about the search for extraterrestrial life. As with his honors Liberal Arts seminar, one of his overarching goals in teaching these classes is to share his interest in how things have come to be – an interest that takes precedence over the facts of how things are. For Neal, and his students, the journey is more important than the destination.

Neal's personal life is as varied as his professional. He's an avid reader of both fiction and nonfiction, and has a particular interest in novels. He and his wife Leslie enjoy backpacking and hiking in the Sierras and Cascades of the west coast and in the Rocky Mountains. They hope to visit the Appalachian Trail some time in the near future.

Neal Evans

Edward Randall, Jr., M.D. Centennial Professor in Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin Astronomy

Ph.D., Physics, University of California, Berkeley

B.A., Physics, University of California, Berkeley

Cochran

The explorers of old forged into new lands and uncharted territories, pursuing conquests for their queens and kings and forming a legacy of adventure to follow them for centuries to come. Over the next few hundred years, the feats of these explorers will slowly be forgotten and replaced with those of the likes of Bill Cochran, an astronomer at The University of Texas.

Like his counterparts during the age of discovery, Bill also charts unknown territories. Unlike them, he does this from the confines of a telescope control room, searching for planets around stars other than the Sun. "You can discover new worlds," says Bill, "very strange and interesting worlds."

"I had no interest in astronomy as a kid."

Bill was born and raised in Schenectady, New York. He says he enjoyed camping and hiking and, in high school, wrestling on the varsity team. His colleagues often were amateur astronomers as children, but, Bill says, "I was the opposite. I had no interest in astronomy as a kid."

As a student at Duke University, Bill first tried his hand at engineering but quickly found, "No, that's not it." He liked physics, but Bill wanted to pursue some particular application of the physical sciences. He first tried biophysics because "it was an up and coming field," but a single biology course swayed him from this path. "Astrophysics sounded good," but Duke didn't offer any astronomy courses. During one summer at home, Bill enrolled in an astronomy course at the local university and, right away, was hooked. He then decided to study astronomy in graduate school and went to Princeton where he would finish his Ph.D. in four years.

"They haven't thrown me out."

After graduation, Bill came to Texas to work as a postdoctoral researcher with Larry Trafton. Since coming here, "they haven't thrown me out," says Bill who is now a Senior Research Scientist who often uses McDonald Observatory telescopes for his research.

Also, during his time as a post-doctoral researcher, Bill worked with a young woman, Anita. Soon thereafter she become his companion and wife. Together, they enjoy square dancing, cycling (about 30 miles per week) and oenology, the art and science of wine tasting. Bill and Anita have been married more than twenty-five years.

These days, Bill is forging ahead with his program of exploration and employing the help of others. Current and former graduate students have devoted many hours of work under his tutelage and guidance. With their work, we look forward to learning of their "new and interesting worlds."

William C. Cochran
Senior Research Scientist, McDonald Observatory
Ph.D., Astronomy, Princeton University
B.S., Physics, Duke University

Kumar

Pawan Kumar perhaps does not fit the popular conception of an astronomer -- he is rarely to be found burning the midnight oil in an observatory. Rather, you'd more likely find him working at the desk in his pleasant 17th floor office. Pawan does not observe astronomical objects with telescopes; his forte is the theoretical side of astronomical phenomena. Using data gathered by other astronomers, he strives to understand and solve some of the big questions of modern astronomy. Currently, his attention is fixed on gamma-ray bursts -- extremely concentrated, intense, and short lived emissions of gamma rays.

From India to Austin via CalTech, MIT, & Princeton

Born in north-central India, Pawan spent his early academic career at the Indian Institute of Technology, earning degrees in computer science and physics. Though he did not end up in the software industry, the physics degree provided a platform for his jump into astronomy. After working for a year he went back to school, eventually receiving a PhD in astrophysics from the California Institute of Technology. He subsequently worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, and now does research at The University of Texas at Austin.

Training Science Teachers

Pawan also participates in the UTeach program, which trains future elementary and secondary-school science and math teachers. In particular, he teaches these future science educators how to think critically, how to read scientific literature, and how to carry out independent research.

Over the course of his career, Pawan has entertained interest in several astronomical subjects, including helioseismology (the study of the Sun's interior) and gamma-ray bursts, but he is more broadly interested in figuring things out. That is to say that the most exciting part of his job is discovering the solution to a puzzle, and being the first to do so. Referring to his work, Pawan remarks, "The most enjoyable part is to understand something that nobody knew before or that you had no idea was going on."

A Passion for Reading

Pawan says he also has a passion for reading, with a particular fondness for current affairs and literature. Eighteenth and nineteenth century classics are his favorites.

Pawan Kumar Professor, Department of Astronomy, University of Texas at Austin Ph.D. Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology M. Tech, Computer Science, Indian Institute of Technology

Kormendy

Well known for his work on supermassive black holes in galactic nuclei, John Kormendy has done substantial work in other areas as well, notably the study of galactic bulges, the evolution of elliptical galaxies, and dark matter halos of galaxies.

Born in Austria, John has long been interested in the sciences. As a teenager growing up in eastern Canada, he performed chemistry experiments in his basement, trying -- for example -- to make nitroglycerine. His efforts were only partly successful, because he had no centrifuge to purify the reaction products. "I had to spin a test tube around my head on a string. So I never succeeded in making pure nitroglycerine; I could never get it to explode, the most it would do is ‘whoosh' like a blowtorch. Maybe this wasn't entirely a bad thing."

Although interested in chemistry, biology, astronomy, and other natural sciences, John gradually focused more and more on astronomy. While in high school, he had an observatory with a roll-off roof and an eight-inch telescope that he assembled out of prefabricated parts. By the time he enrolled at the University of Toronto's Honors Math, Physics and Chemistry program, he was clearly headed for a career in astronomy.

From Plates to Pixels

John's career has bridged a number of transitions in the field of astronomy. None has been as important, he says, as the change from photographic plates to electronic light detectors. He was one of the last generation of students to carry out his doctoral thesis using photographic plates. Most of these observations were made on the Mt. Wilson 100-inch Hooker Telescope. Soon thereafter, he was introduced to electronic detectors during a postdoctoral fellowship at Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson. These provided much more sensitive and reliable measurements than did photographic plates.

John's career has also encompassed a wide range of extragalactic research areas. While continuing to work on black holes and dark matter halos, in recent years he has ramped up another long-term interest, namely the gradual evolution of disk galaxies as they are rearranged by the gravitational effects of bars. He has just completed a major review article on this subject for the Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics. He also continues a long-term program to study the formation and evolution of elliptical galaxies. Recently, research scientist Mark Cornell and proto-graduate student David Fisher have joined both of these projects.

Bird Photography, and Opera, Too

Outside of his astronomical research, John's interests range from travel and photography to scuba diving and bird watching. Birding, in particular, has become a major passion. John and his wife Mary have now birded widely in the USA, including Hawaii, as well as Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, Brazil, Ecuador, Australia, and Europe. Another long-term passion is opera; his personal favorite is a March 1983 production by the New York Metropolitan Opera of Don Carlo by Giuseppe Verdi.

John Kormendy Professor at The University of Texas at Austin Curtis T. Vaughan, Jr. Centennial Chair In Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin Ph.D., Astronomy, California Institute of Technology B.S. Honors Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry (Astronomy Division) University of Toronto

 

Odewahn

Whenever Steve Odewahn needs to relieve a little stress, he heads for the woodpile and the power tools. His furniture building hobby began while he was doing post doctoral work at Caltech. Wanting a Mexican tiled-top table, but not wanting to pay a steep price for it, he decided to make his own. That project led to more and more, landing him in a cabinet making class while at Arizona State University. Steve also took up weightlifting extensively as a graduate student to work off tension.

Ducks and Cats

One Easter afternoon, Steve saw a duckling crossing the street all by itself. He scooped it up and took it home, even though it was too young to survive without its mother. The duck didn't last long, but Steve ended up visiting a woman who worked in duck rescue and ended up with two new ducks of his own, now named Diego and Frida. Steve also has two cats, Bob and Kitty, but they keep their distance from the birds. When the ducks were little, the cats might have bothered them, but now "the ducks are pretty tough."

Early astronomy work

Steve has been interested in astronomy since childhood. As a teenager, he began to be an amateur astronomer by grinding and polishing two of his own telescope mirrors. This inquisitive nature and interest in astronomy motivated him all the way from childhood experiments to obtaining a PhD under the direction of Gerard de Vaucouleurs at the University of Texas in the 1980s.

Stephen C Odewahn
Resident Astronomer, McDonald Observatory
Research Associate, McDonald Observatory
Ph.D., Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin
M.A., Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin
B.S., Physics, The University of Alabama

Allende Prieto

Growing up in Northern Spain, Carlos Allende Prieto went to many schools there including the Universities of Oviedo, Santander, and La Laguna. His wife Elena is also from Spain.

When it was finally time to pick a discipline of further study, Carlos says he was drawn to astronomy. He had always enjoyed physics and says he thought that astronomy was "exotic and weird." He said to himself, "This could be exciting!" and now each day at work he finds that intuition to be true.

He moved to Austin to the University of Texas as a W.J. McDonald Postdoctoral Fellow. His research interests include spectral line formation and model atmospheres and the structure and evolution of the Milky Way.

Carlos Allende Prieto Instituto de Astrofısica de Canarias, Tenerife, Spain Ph.D., Physics, University of La Laguna, Spain

Winget

"I can't remember a time when I wasn't interested in astronomy and horses," says Don Winget. Don is a professor of astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin.

"One of my most vivid early memories was watching a parade, after dark in Champagne, Illinois, where I grew up," he says. " I forgot all about the parade and lay on my back on the curb, wondering about those points of light on the sky."

Don says in his later school years, he and a friend went to monthly Open House nights at the University of Illinois. There, professor Stan Wyatt gave public lectures and also talked to Don about a career in astronomy. Dr. Wyatt advised Don to study physics in college, and that is what Don did.

Don received a bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Illinois. He went on to receive a master's degree in physics from the University of Rochester, and a PhD in physics and astronomy from Rochester, as well.

Today, Don studies white dwarf stars, using them to study all different kinds of things. These include the physics of matter at high temperatures and densities, as well as the structure of galaxies, and the evolution of star populations in galaxies. He even looks for planets orbiting white dwarf stars, which would be the remnants of solar systems like our own, after its Sun had died.

Don has won many awards for his teaching at Texas, as well as several prizes for his scientific work, and he says McDonald Observatory is his "favorite spot on this Earth." He is a member of the University of Texas Academy of Distinguished Teachers.

Don Winget
Harlan J. Smith Centennial Professor in Astronomy,
University of Texas at Austin
Ph.D., Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester
M.A., Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester
B.S., Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaig

Montgomery

If he weren't an astronomer, Mike Montgomery says he would have become a professional musician. Mike plays violin, and enjoys playing what he calls "root-based music. Old-time music, bluegrass, blues, and jazz."

Mike was born in Tennessee, and grew up in Oklahoma and Texas. He attended high school in Victoria, Texas. It was during high school that he attended a summer workshop at Ball State University. "They said 'If you want to be an astronomer, major in physics'," Mike recalls.

Mike attended The University of Texas at Austin, where he indeed majored in physics. He went on to obtain a master's degree in physics from Princeton University. Finally, he returned to UT-Austin where he received a PhD in astronomy in 1998.

Since then, Mike has worked as an astronomical researcher at The University of Vienna, in Austria, and also at Cambridge University in the U.K. He returned to The University of Texas in 2004.

His favorite hobbies include playing music, tennis, foosball (sometimes called "table soccer") pinball, and bowling.

Mike Montgomery
Research Scientist, McDonald Observatory
PhD, Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin
M.S., Physics, Princeton University
B.S., Physics, The University of Texas at Austin

Jogee

Just east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean lies the tiny island republic of Mauritius, birthplace of University of Texas astronomer Shardha Jogee. With a blossoming career that just doesn't seem to know any bounds, Shardha has followed an exciting path since completing her high school education. She was a Physics scholar and fellow at the University of Cambridge in England, a graduate scholar in astronomy at Yale University, and received numerous awards including an Amelia Earhart Fellowship and a prestigious long-term space astrophysics (LTSA) grant from NASA. She is generally considered one of the foremost experts in the evolution and structure of disk galaxies, and her research is frequently covered by the popular press, including ABC, MSNBC, Sky & Telescope magazine, Science magazine, and Reuters.

Mauritius to England to the U.S.

Mauritius has a unique history. It was discovered by the Portuguese, named by the Dutch settlers after the Prince Maurice of Nassau, colonized by the French and British, and finally gained its independence in 1968! Its local population derives primarily from immigrants who came from Europe, India, China, and Africa in the late 1700s. Shardha's own ancestors are believed to have come from India, perhaps 150 years ago. Today, Mauritius is an elite tourist destination for Europe: the entire island is basked in a cerulean blue ocean, embraced by coral reefs, wonderful landscapes, chic hotels, cosmopolitan hosts, and sophisticated cuisine. No wonder Mark Twain (1863-1910) said "You gather the idea that Mauritius was made first and then heaven, and that heaven was copied after Mauritius"!

While Shardha's native spoken language is French, she also speaks three others, including English. Once Shardha finished primary schooling in Mauritius, she left in 1989 for Cambridge University, England, where she was an undergraduate scholar and Fellow in Physics. She earned bachelor's and master's degrees in physics by 1992 from Cambridge. Thereafter, she arrived in America to pursue graduate school at Yale University. There, she earned her M. Phil.(1994) M. S. (1994) and Ph.D (1999) and received the Yale University J. F. Enders Research Grant and Fellowships, a Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research, and the Amelia Earhart Fellowship.

CalTech, Space Telescope and UT-Austin

After Yale, Shardha took up a position as a postdoctoral research fellow at Caltech from 1999 to 2002. During that time, she expanded her research activities to address observational and theoretical aspects of the evolution, structure, and activities of disk galaxies over a wide range of cosmic lookback times. Following a national competitive process, NASA awarded her in 2003 a long-term space astrophysics (LTSA) grant of $558,000 in order to support her research.

In 2002, she was offered a tenure-track astronomer position at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, the institute directing the scientific mission of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. At STScI, she gained recognition as an expert on disk galaxies and bars, and soon joined the international GEMS, GOODS, and HUDF teams to conduct some of the most powerful galaxy surveys to date.

Shardha stayed at STScI until 2004, when she obtained a professorship at The University of Texas at Austin. Today, she leads an active research group there consisting of five undergraduate and graduate students and two postdoctoral fellows. She is also currently the Department of Astronomy's undergraduate advisor and is working with science educators with the goal of attracting excellent college-bound students into the sciences at UT-Austin, and in particular, into astronomy.

In her free time, Shardha enjoys dance, theater, music, yoga, and travel. She has indulged in rock, jazz ballet, swing, and now wishes to master the Latin flavors. She attends several astronomy conferences each year, giving her opportunities to travel all around the world.

Shardha Jogee Associate Professor, The University of Texas at Austin PhD, astronomy, Yale University M Phil, astronomy, Yale University MS, astronomy, Yale University MA, physics, Cambridge University (England) BS, physics, Cambridge University (England)

McArthur

Barbara McArthur is a Research Scientist at McDonald Observatory.

Breger

Once a mathematics major, Michel Breger was instantly won over by astronomy. "I was a math tutor and one of my students was an astronomy major. I think he taught me more about astronomy than I taught him about math," Michel says. "I became an astronomer within minutes."

Michel says his favorite thing about astronomy is that you can do real research early on. "When I first became an astronomy major, I started doing research within six weeks. It was real, hands-on research." Now, as a professor who takes on new students, he encourages his students to learn by doing and allows them to start research projects immediately.

In his free time, Michel is an international dance teacher. He says he loves Austin for its music and dance. He is married to a professional musician.

Michel Breger
Adjunct Professor, University of Texas at Austin
Ph.D., Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley
B.S., Astronomy, University of Capetown

Required Technology

Participation in our videoconferencing programs requires either a hardware/codec system (Polycom, Cisco/Tandberg, LifeSize, etc.) or a device with an eyeball camera and compatible software (Zoom, ClearSea, Jabber, RealPresence, Vidyo, BlueJeans, Acano, etc.). We cannot connect via Skype or Google Hangouts. If you're uncertain whether you possess the required technology, please contact your campus/district IT personnel.  Schools located in Texas can contact their local Education Service Center for assistance or anyone can contact Lori Hamm-Neckar at (817)740-7516 or lhamm@esc11.net with connectivity questions. If you are registered for a McDonald Observatory videoconference through www.Connect2Texas.net, then Connect2Texas will act as a central hub (bridge) for your connection to McDonald Observatory.

Bringing Students

 

Please register for your Astronomy Field Trip six weeks prior to your visit and plan other details ahead of time. Cell coverage is spotty in our region.

Astronomy Field Trip FAQs

Support Science Education!

Join or Renew Give a Gift

McDonald Observatory K12 education programs are made possible thanks to support from the National Science Foundation, Education & Outreach Endowments, the Abell-Hanger Foundation, Harry W. Bass Jr. Foundation, Fash Foundation, Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation, the Semmes Foundation, the Stillwater Foundation, and Friends of the McDonald Observatory & Orion Circle.


Email friends@mcdonaldobservatory.org.


Questions about Student Programs?

Contact the McDonald Observatory Education Team

Downloadable Descriptions

Student Sheet

Student sheets are designed for your students to fill in during the videoconference. 

Required Activity Materials Ready In Your Classroom

A list of materials to have on-hand for students engagement during the program. 

Teacher Guide for Videoconference Content

Includes potential student answers, descriptions of content found in student sheets, and links that support group learning.

Pre-Conference Assessment

Actvities to help you gauge student understanding before the program.

Pre-Conference Activity

An optional activity that encourages students to discuss and organize the questions they might ask during the conference.

Post-Conference Activity

An optional activity to help students transfer their McDonald Observatory experience back to their science curriculum. 

Related TEKS, NSES

This is a document that lists related Texas and National Science Standards for each videoconference.

Videoconference Evaluation Form

We ask that you complete this evaluation form following the videoconference.

K-12 Education Program Support

 
We are grateful to the following organizations for their support of 2024 K-12 Education programs
  • The Fash Foundation
  • The Alfred S. Gage Foundation
  • The George and Cynthia Mitchell Foundation
  • The Meyer Levy Charitable Foundation
  • The National Science Foundation
  • Dr. Mary Kay Hemenway McDonald Observatory Outreach and Education Excellence Fund
  • Mary Ann Rankin Endowment for McDonald Observatory for UTeach Workshops
  • Friends of McDonald Observatory 
You can help support our programs through a contribution to our Annual Fund, a Friends Membership, or planned gift.

By the Numbers: Audiences and Media

2.1 MILLION daily radio listeners in more than 300 markets nation-wide

250 Board of Visitor members and 1,000+ Friends of McDonald Observatory

60,000–80,000 visitors a year at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center

10,000+ K-12 students and their teachers reached onsite and via videoconference

MILLIONS via international, national, state, and local media awareness

 

Present & Past

Directory
Want to find an astronomer, staffer, or student at the Observatory or in the UT Austin Astronomy Program? Check the Astronomy Program Directory.

Timeline
Learn more about the history of the Observatory through our interactive timeline, and suggest milestones to add to it.

Memories Blog
Have a favorite memory of McDonald Observatory? Share your stories and photos of the Observatory on our interactive blog, and read others' stories from the 1930s right up until today.

Explore Our Solar System

HET map

Recognized Locations

See the full list of locations

 


Jeff Davis County Courthouse, Fort Davis, TX
Justen Pautzke / McDonald Observatory



Catalyst Midstream Partners County Line
Processing Plant, Orla, TX
Stephen Hummel / McDonald Observatory



Altus Midstream Diamond Cryogenic Complex
Reeves County, Texas
Bill Wren / McDonald Observatory


The Perch, Terlingua, Texas
Spencer Millsap


Big Bend Stargazer, Terlingua, Texas
Stephen Hummel / McDonald Observatory


Frama & Tumbleweed Laundry, Marfa, Texas
Stephen Hummel / McDonald Observatory


 

 

Lighting Resources



 

Support Dark Skies

The Dark Skies Initiative helps to fund education efforts and replacements of lights in our community to keep the skies above West Texas full of stars for all to enjoy. 

Support dark skies


McDonald Observatory thanks the Apache Corporation and Big Bend Coffee Roasters for their support of the Dark Skies Initiative. 

Industry Notices & Resources

 

Reeves County Outdoor Lighting Ordinance (2021). Updated language on shielding, color temperature, intensity, and timing. Floodlights should be aimed downward. 

 

In West Texas, astronomers worry about growing oilfield light pollution (2021). Travis Bubenik for Marketplace. 

 

Railroad Commission of Texas Reminds Operators to Reduce Light Near McDonald Observatory. Notice to Operators, Railroad Commission of Texas (February 2016, 2019, & 2021).

 

Texas General Land Office requires its oil and gas lessees to follow the recommended lighting practices to protect our environment from light pollution. The Texas General Land Office (2019). 

 

Recommended Lighting Practices for Oil and Gas Operators. McDonald Observatory (2018). 

 

Upgraded Rig Lighting Improves Night Time Visibility While Reducing Threat to the Dark Skies in West Texas. Bill Wren and Stacey Locke (2015). 

 

 

All Recognized Locations

Back to Recognition Page

Click the image to see it in full resolution.

 

Jeff Davis County Courthouse, Fort Davis, TX
Justen Pautzke/ McDonald Observatory


South Brewster County Emergency Response Center
Stephen Hummel / McDonald Observatory


Jeff Davis County Courthouse Annex, Fort Davis, TX
Stephen Hummel / McDonald Observatory



Marfa Gardens, Marfa, TX
Stephen Hummel / McDonald Observatory



Altus Midstream Diamond Cryogenic Complex
Reeves County, Texas
Bill Wren / McDonald Observatory


 

Fossil Knob Ridge, Terlingua, Texas
Spencer Millsap


Javelina Hideout, Terlingua, Texas
Stephen Hummel / McDonald Observatory


Big Bend Stargazer, Terlingua, Texas
Stephen Hummel / McDonald Observatory


Frama & Tumbleweed Laundry, Marfa, Texas
Stephen Hummel / McDonald Observatory


JoMommas RV Park, Terlingua, Texas
Stephen Hummel / McDonald Observatory


Apache / Altus Midstream Tank Battery
Reeves County, Texas
Bill Wren / McDonald Observatory


The Perch, Terlingua, Texas
Spencer Millsap


Catalyst Midstream Partners County Line
Processing Plant, Orla, TX
Stephen Hummel / McDonald Observatory


Forever West Texas
Keller Williams Realty, Alpine, TX
Stephen Hummel / McDonald Observatory


Alpine Visitors Center
Alpine, TX
Stephen Hummel / McDonald Observatory


City of Marfa Visitor Center, USO Building
Marfa, TX
Stephen Hummel / McDonald Observatory


Alpine Public Library
Alpine, TX
Stephen Hummel / McDonald Observatory


RoadRunner Travelers RV Park
Terlingua, TX
Stephen Hummel / McDonald Observatory


Ghost Town Casitas
Terlingua, TX
JD Swiger


Starstruck Observatory
Terlingua, TX
Linda Avitt

36" Special Viewing Night IMPORTANT NOTES

  • Please note that the 36-inch dome is NOT wheelchair accessible. This program involves the use of a step ladder and takes place in a space with low levels of illumination.
  • It is NOT possible to participate in both a Star Party and a Special Viewing Night program on the same night. 
  • In order to ensure the safety of our visitors and staff, guests under the age of 8 are not permitted to attend this program. Families with children under 8 are encouraged to attend our Star Party program.

Cell Phone Coverage and WiFi
Directions
Frequently Asked Questions
Health & Safety
Pet Policy
Weather

Special Viewing Night IMPORTANT NOTES

  • Please note that the 36-inch and 82-inch domes are NOT wheelchair accessible. This program involves the use of a step ladder and takes place in a space with low levels of illumination.
  • It is NOT possible to participate in both a Star Party and a Special Viewing Night program on the same night. 
  • In order to ensure the safety of our visitors and staff, guests under the age of 8 are not permitted to attend this program. Families with children under 8 are encouraged to attend our Star Party program.

Cell Phone Coverage and WiFi
Directions
Frequently Asked Questions
Health & Safety
Pet Policy
Weather

 

Mysteries of the Universe

Searching for ET: Planetary Habitability and Exoplanets

Galaxy Formation: The Faint Frontier

Eclipse News!

Eclipses and Planetary Systems

Annual Fund

Gifts made to the Visitors Center Annual Fund ensure McDonald Observatory’s work in science education and public outreach continues and reaches as many people as possible. Hands-on STEM experiences for students, teacher professional development workshops, Visitors Center star parties, and our flagship StarDate Radio program, which reaches listeners on over 300 stations a day, are a few of the education and outreach initiatives that the Annual Fund gifts support.

To give a 100% tax-deductible gift to the Visitors Center Annual Fund, donate online or mail a check to the address below. Please note that McDonald Observatory is a research unit of the College of Natural Sciences at UT Austin. Thank you for partnering with us in this important work.

Checks should be made out to “The University of Texas at Austin,” and please include a memo or note that says “McDonald Observatory, VC Annual Fund”.

Mail
The McDonald Observatory Annual Fund
2515 Speedway C1402
Austin, TX 78712

Call: 512-471-3303
Email: friends@mcdonaldobservatory.org

Public Viewing at Painter Hall - 9 pm

Public Viewing at RLM Hall - 9 pm

Open House

In this aerial view, the two large domes in the foreground are the 2.1-meter Str

Come celebrate our 75th anniversary with us at a free Open House!

Please note that due to capacity and safety regulations, some events, though free of charge, will require reservations. They are noted below. For reservations and other information, go to our Open House reservations page.

Daytime Events:

Safe viewing of the Sun (weather permitting)

Balloons and face painting

Exhibit of 75th anniversary-themed art from local area school children

Fire Truck display

Award-winning 75th Anniversary float display

Historical display in the Visitors Center

Talks, inside the Visitors Center theater (reservations required):

  • The W. J. McDonald Observatory: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, by McDonald Director Dr. David L. Lambert
  • Hunting for Alien Worlds, by Dr. Fritz Benedict
  • Dark Energy and the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX), by Dr. Niv Drory

Tours:

  • Late afternoon guided tour of 82-inch Otto Struve Telescope, including telescope views of Jupiter (weather permitting). Reservations required. (Program will require climbing two flights of steps at ~ 6800 feet elevation.)
  • 107-inch Harlan J. Smith Telescope: Gallery open for self-guided tours. (Viewing gallery access will require climbing four flights of steps at ~ 6800 feel elevation.)
  • Hobby-Eberly Telescope: Open for self-guided tours.

Nighttime Events (weather permitting):

Views of Jupiter beginning at ~ 8:00 p.m. (Visitors Center Telescope Park) continuing through end of Open House.

Views of Mars beginning at ~ 8:30 p.m. (Visitors Center Telescope Park) continuing through end of Open House.

Constellation Tours (unaided-eye tours of the night sky) at 9:30 & 10:30 p.m. (Visitors Center Amphitheater).

Views of the Red Planet, Mars, on the 82-inch Otto Struve Telescope at 9:15 p.m. Reservations required. (Program will require climbing two flights of steps at ~ 6800 feet elevation at night.)

For reservations and other information, go to our Open House reservations page.

Open House - All Day

SOLAR TOUR - Streaming on YouTube - 11am

DEEP SKY TOUR - Streaming on Youtube - 8pm

Visitors Center Closed - No Public Programs

Visitors Center - General Admission - 12-4:30pm

PRIVATE EVENT - Visitors Center Closed - No Public Programs

Guided Tour - 12:30pm

Guided Tour - 2pm

Solar Viewing - 1pm

DEEP SKY TOUR - Streaming on Youtube - 9:15pm

Full Moon - 10:08pm

Third Quarter Moon - 2:56am

New Moon - 4:16am

First Quarter Moon - 7:20pm

PRIVATE EVENT - No Star Party

Star Party - 7:00pm

MILKY WAY TOUR - Streaming on Youtube - 9:30pm

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

36" Special Viewing Night - 6:40pm

36" Special Viewing Night - 6:50pm

36" Special Viewing Night - 6:50pm

36" Special Viewing Night - 7:05pm

36" Special Viewing Night - 8:40pm

82" Special Viewing Night - 6:30pm

82" Special Viewing Night - 7:05pm

Mars Opposition Livestream - Streaming on Youtube - 8pm

Star Party - 9:15pm

Dark Skies - Community Night - Star Party - 9:15pm

Star Party - 9:30pm

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

FAMILY ASTRONOMY - Galaxies - Streaming on Youtube - 7:30pm

Star Party - 9:45pm

DEEP SKY TOUR - Streaming on Youtube - 7:30pm

SOLAR TOUR - Streaming on YouTube - 2pm

36" Special Viewing Night - 9:00pm

36" Special Viewing Night - 9:05pm

36" Special Viewing Night - 9:25pm

36" Special Viewing Night - 9:30pm

36" Special Viewing Night - 9:35pm

36" Special Viewing Night - 9:45pm

36" Special Viewing Night - 9:45pm

82" Special Viewing Night - 9:35pm

Star Party - 9:30pm

DEEP SKY TOUR - Streaming on Youtube - 9:15pm

Visitors Center Closed - Daytime Only

Star Party - 8:45pm

Live Solar Tour - Streaming on YouTube - 2:30pm

Star Party - 8:15pm

Star Party - 7:00pm

36" Special Viewing Night - 9:30pm

36" Special Viewing Night - 8:45pm

36" Special Viewing Night - 7:00pm

82" Special Viewing Night - 9:30pm

82" Special Viewing Night - 8:45pm

82" Special Viewing Night - 8:15pm

82" Special Viewing Night - 8:15pm

82" Special Viewing Night - 7:00pm

Star Party - 7:30pm

Annular Solar Eclipse - 10:18am-1:20pm

Visitors Center General Admission 10-4:30pm

Guided Tour - 1pm

Guided Tour - 3pm

DAYLIGHT SAVING - TIME BEGINS

36" Special Viewing Night - 6:40pm

82" Special Viewing Night - 6:40pm

Star Party - 9:15pm

36" Special Viewing Night - 6:55pm

36" Special Viewing Night - 7:30pm

36" Special Viewing Night - 7:30pm

82" Special Viewing Night - 6:55pm

82" Special Viewing Night - 6:55pm

82" Special Viewing Night - 7:30pm

82" Special Viewing Night - 7:30pm

Solar Eclipse - Visitors Center Open - 11:30a to 3:00p

Star Party - 9:30pm

Guided Tour - 12:30pm

Guided Tour - 1:30pm

Guided Tour - 2:30pm

Solar Viewing - 3pm

Star Party - 9:45pm

Star Party - 9:30pm

Gift Shop (only) - Closed Today

36" Special Viewing Night - 9:25pm

36" Special Viewing Night - 9:45pm

36" Special Viewing Night - 9:45pm

36" Special Viewing Night - 9:45pm

82" Special Viewing Night - 9:25pm

Exploring Galaxies and the Cosmos

Galaxy Classification Activity

Click here to link to the activity online

(It's recommended to review the online activity before downloading the following PDF files)

Student Worksheet
Student Image Sheet
Hubble Classification Sheet

Multi-wavelength Astronomy Activity

An activity about gathering and interpreting astronomical data in many wavelengths

Multi-wavelength Astronomy - The Teacher's Guide (PDF)
Standards and suggestions for implementation, and general instructions and answers to questions in Student Guide.

Student Guide and Worksheet
The main activity sheet - also contains information on the telescopes used to gather images on the galaxy cards.

False Coloring
Student exercise on resolution and false colors

Accompanying PowerPoint
Many color images of galaxies, as well as an evaluation exercise, are included in the PowerPoint presentation.

Galaxy Cards

Cards with galaxy images, used in the student worksheet

  • Black images on a white background (that is, negatives) are provided in this PDF document (Recommended, saves toner and paper), OR
  • White images on a black background are provided in this PDF document
  • An extended set for evaluation are provided in this PDF document (optional)

Optional Materials

Telescopes used to obtain the images are provided in this PDF document

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills
TEKS related to the activity

Lives of Stars Activity

A "dramatic" look at Stellar Evolution

Stellar Evolution - The Teacher's Guide
Standards and suggestions for implementation, and general instructions and answers to questions in Student Guide

Student Guide and Worksheet
The "drama" for students plus worksheets

The Galaxies and Cosmos Exporer Tool
An online tool to investigate galaxies

Support from NASA grants NAG5-13063 and NASA NNG 06GB99G, NSF grant AST-0607748 to Principle Investigator Dr. Shardha Jogee and a Faculty And Student Teams for Technology (FAST Tex) award from the University of Texas Division of Instructional Innovation and Assessment (DIIA) is gratefully acknowledged.

Subscribe to SkyTips

SkyTips is a monthly email newsletter for visitors to McDonald Observatory and StarDate Online. Each issue features stargazing highlights, upcoming StarDate radio program descriptions, and other news.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Planning your trip:

About our programs:

Answers to the FAQs

Are Star Parties canceled on cloudy or rainy nights?

Generally, no.  For our Star Party program, we will assess the weather throughout the day and, to the best of our ability, make a judgement call on the likely weather that evening.  If inclement weather (clouds, precipitation, wind, cold temperatures) is expected during the program, we will attempt to contact you (text message, email) no less than two hours before program start time to let you know that we may offer alternative programming in lieu of live views of astronomical objects.  In this case, you will be given the chance to cancel your Star Party reservation preemptively and would receive a refund (less $3 admin fee) for your program.

Is the Observatory wheelchair accessible?

All spaces at the Visitors Center are ADA accessible.

Will the Observatory/Visitors Center be open on (holidays, special dates, etc.)?

The Visitors Center is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Day, and New Years' Eve and Day. 

When is the best time to visit the Observatory?

Typically Autumn brings us our most consistently clear skies. July, August, and early September tend to be the rainy season, although generally the rain occurs in the afternoon. If you plan on attending a Star Party, consider the phase of the Moon. With the Moon at any phase between several days before First Quarter and 3 or 4 days past Full, bright moonlight limits our ability to observe faint objects but, of course, gives us great views of the Moon itself. You can see a calendar of Moon phases at StarDate Online to help you make your plans. Over the next few years, Summer/Fall will be the best time for seeing Saturn and Jupiter. 

Why do the Star Parties start so late in the Summer?

During the Summer months, it is not dark enough to start a Star Party until nearly 10:00 P.M. The Observatory is located very far west in the Central Time zone, so while we are in the same time zone as Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin, the times of sunrise and sunset are very different. In fact, the Sun sets at the Observatory almost an hour later than it does in Houston.  Daylight Saving Time makes this situation worse.

I don't have a telescope, can I still join a Star Party?

Having a telescope is not necessary ... we've got quite a few. Come on up and join us for a tour of the night sky. All you really need is a desire to learn about the night sky. Binoculars can help as well (but, once again, they aren't necessary.)

 What is your policy on pets at your programs?

As much as most of us would love to welcome our four-legged furry friends, UT policy, in accordance with the State Attorney's General Office, does not allow pets (including emotional, comfort, etc., therapy/support animals) in Observatory buildings or in indoor/at outdoor public program venues. In accordance with federal regulations, trained service animals accompanying their handlers/owners are welcome.

 Are there places to eat at the Observatory?

There is no public food service at the Observatory. Fort Davis offers restaurants with a variety of food. There are several roadside picnic areas nearby on Hwy 118 (two towards Fort Davis, about 1/2 mile and 2 miles, and another about 1/2 mile towards Kent.) A very nice picnic area, called the Lawrence E. Wood Roadside Rest Area, is about 8 miles northwest of McDonald towards Kent along Hwy 118.

Are there RV hook-ups and/or camping facilities at the Observatory?

The Observatory is a University of Texas research facility and is not associated with the State/National Park systems. Overnight camping/RVing on Observatory grounds is NOT permitted. Please check the official Fort Davis website for a list of area accommodations.

Can large groups join the regular public programs?

Groups are more than welcome to join us for any of our programs. Making online reservations is the best way to ensure your group's participation. Please note that our most popular programs sell out quickly, so groups will want to make reservations as early as possible.

I'm interested is seeing the Aurora Borealis, when can I come to the Observatory to see them?

The Aurora Borealis is only rarely seen at latitudes below 35 degrees. The Observatory is at 30 degrees north, so seeing the aurorae here is quite rare, happening perhaps only once or twice every solar cycle (approx. 11 years.) Typically, solar and geomagnetic activity must be at an extreme maximum for us to see any activity at all and is difficult, at best, to predict. An excellent resource for learning more about such activity is the NASA supported site SpaceWeather.com.

Do you offer a discount for students/faculty/staff of the University of Texas?

The Visitors Center offers a discount to current UT students, staff, and faculty with a current valid UT ID. To receive this discount, request passes for CURRENT UT students, staff, or faculty under the "Military/Senior(65+)" category in the reservations section of your program of interest.

Will we see live views from the research telescopes?

No. Astronomers at McDonald use scientific instrumentation for their reserach, which output large data sets (streams of numbers). While these data are beautiful to the scientists, they're pretty boring for the layman.  The telescopes we use for our Star Parties are optimized for visual use (looking through), and we're confident that you will be amazed at the images they produce.

Can I refuel my vehicle (gas/diesel/electricity) at the Observatory?

There are no fuels (gasoline/diesel) available at the Observatory.  The nearest standard fueling stations are in Fort Davis, 15 miles away.  There are no electric vehicle chargers at the Observatory, however there are some in the Fort Davis-Alpine-Marfa area.  Consult a service such as PlugShare, and please check with the listed providers before making your trip.

Seeing the Invisible: Dust in the Universe

Dust is all around us: at home, on Earth, and in space. Explore the properties of dust and the astronomical research of dust in space with these three inquiry based activities from McDonald Observatory.

Resources
About the Spitzer Space Telescope
Dust in your Home and Dust in Space
Resources
Resources and activities for grades K-8 in Spanish
StarDate and Universo radio shows

Activities for grades K - 8
K-2 Dust Hunt
An extension to Dust Hunt is a story sequence activity called Dusty and Ashley's Big Adventure
For this activity, you will also need a picture page.
3-5 How is the Mystery Substance Like Interstellar Dust?
6-8 Properties of Dust

Activity for grades 9-12
"From Molecular Cores to Stars" student guide and teacher guide.

In addition to the PDF files (linked above), you must also download a PowerPoint presentation (Windows or Mac), and two movies: 1994-24-a-low_mpeg.mpg and 2001-13-b-low_mpeg.mpg. The PowerPoint file and both movies must be saved in the same folder on your PC's hard drive. If you do not have Microsoft PowerPoint installed on your computer, please download the presentation in PDF format here.

Telescope Technology for Teachers

GTAG

These activities explore the technology behind the Hobby-Eberly Telescope.

Human HET
TEKS alignments

Challenge 1: Segmented Mirrors (PDF)
The goal of Challenge 1 is to determine a cost-effictive configuration for a primary mirror. Participants experiment with several mirror arrangements to manximize the reflective surface area and minimize the total cost.

Mirror models
Mirror cost chart

Challenge 2: Mirror Array (PDF)
The goal of Challenge 2 is to determine the arrangement of the mirror segments. Some teachers direct the formation of an arc while one stands at the center of curvature. They use a string as the arc radius in order to determine the distance to each mirror segment. Other teachers stand along the arc line holding small flat mirrors.

Challenge 3: Mirror Alignment (PDF)
The goal of Challenge 3 is to align the mirror segments so that they work together as a single large mirror. Each mirror on the HET can move in three ways: tip, tilt, and piston. Members of the mirror arc must move their mirrors into alignment, then hold the mirrors steady.

Challenge 4: Stay Focused (PDF)
The goal of Challenge 4 is to discover why a tracker is needed to follow a star across the sky as Earth rotates beneath the telescope.

Optic Fiber (PDF)
TEKS alignments

Students explore total internal reflection using water, dairy creamer, and a small laser.

For further information, contact Mary Kay Hemenway.

Telescope Technology for Teachers: Human HET - Science and Math TEKS

Challenge 1: Segmented Mirror

Students discover through problem-based learning the cost-effective nature of HET’s mirror array. By solving problems, the students exercise science process skills, apply mathematical knowledge, and test solutions. They discover that instead of a single large mirror, many smaller mirrors acting as one is far less expensive.

Science TEKS: Challenge 1

6.2 7.2 8.2 IPC Physics Astronomy - Scientific processes. The student use scientific methods during field and laboratory investigations.

(A) plan and implement investigative procedures including asking questions, formulating testable hypotheses, and selecting and using equipment and technology;

• Given the problem and some information, students must invent their own problem solving proceedure, then formulate and test their hypothesis.

(C) Analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence.

• Students create a model array of mirrors out of paper cut outs to help them visualize a solution, and consult a chart of mirror cost vs. diameter

(D) Communicate valid conclusions.

• Present their model and cost estimate to the class.
• The class and presentor ask and answer questions regarding the model.

8.5 - Science concepts.The student knows that relationships exist between science and technology.

(A) identify a design problem and propose a solution;

(B) design and test a model to solve the problem;

(C) evaluate the model and make recommendations for improving the model.

6.5 - Scientific concepts. The student knows that systems may combine with other systems to form a larger system.

(A) Identify and describe a system that results from the combination of two or more systems such as in the solar system.


Math TEKS: Challenge 1
6.6, 6.7, 7.8 Geometry and Spatial Reasoning
6.8, 7.9, 8.8, 8.10 Measurement
6.11, 7.13 Underlying processes and mathematical tools
7.5, 7.5, 8.5, 8.7 Patterns, relationships, and algebraic thinking

Challenge 2: Mirror Array

Given string, meter sticks, mirror segments, students form a model of HET’s mirror array.

Science TEKS: Challenge 2

6.2 7.2 8.2 IPC Physics Astronomy - Scientific processes. The student use scientific methods during field and laboratory investigations.

(A) plan and implement investigative procedures including asking questions, formulating testable hypotheses, and selecting and using equipment and technology;

(B) Analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence.

(C) Communicate valid conclusions.

8.5 - Science concepts. The student knows that relationships exist between science and technology.

(A) identify a design problem and propose a solution;

(B) design and test a model to solve the problem;

(C) evaluate the model and make recommendations for improving the model.

6.5 - Scientific concepts. The student knows that systems may combine with other systems to form a larger system.

(A) Identify and describe a system that results from the combination of two or more systems such as in the solar system.

Math TEKS: Challenge 2
6.6, 6.7, 7.8, 8.7 Geometry and Spatial Reasoning
6.8, 7.9, 8.8, 8.9 Measurement
6.11, 7.13, 8.14 Underlying processes and mathematical tools
6.5, 7.4 Patterns, relationships, and algebraic thinking

Challenge 3: Mirror Alignment

Devise a method to align the mirrors of the model HET mirror array to the center of curvature.

Science TEKS: Challenge 3

6.2 7.2 8.2 IPC Physics Astronomy - Scientific processes. The student use scientific methods during field and laboratory investigations.

(A) plan and implement investigative procedures including asking questions, formulating testable hypotheses, and selecting and using equipment and technology;

(B) Analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence.

(C) Communicate valid conclusions.

8.5 - Science concepts.The student knows that relationships exist between science and technology.

(A) identify a design problem and propose a solution;

(B) design and test a model to solve the problem;

(C) evaluate the model and make recommendations for improving the model.

6.5 - Scientific concepts. The student knows that systems may combine with other systems to form a larger system.

(A) Identify and describe a system that results from the combination of two or more systems such as in the solar system.

Math TEKS: Challenge 3
6.6, 6.7, 7.8 Geometry and Spatial Reasoning
6.11, 7.13, 8.14 Underlying processes and mathematical tools

Activity 4: Stay Focused

Discover that the focal region of the telescope moves as a star transits HET’s field of view.

Science TEKS: Challenge 4

6.2 7.2 8.2 IPC Physics Astronomy - Scientific processes. The student use scientific methods during field and laboratory investigations.

(A) plan and implement investigative procedures including asking questions, formulating testable hypotheses, and selecting and using equipment and technology;

(B) Analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence.

(D) Communicate valid conclusions.

8.5 - Science concepts.The student knows that relationships exist between science and technology.

(A) identify a design problem and propose a solution;

(B) design and test a model to solve the problem;

(C) evaluate the model and make recommendations for improving the model.

6.5 - Scientific concepts. The student knows that systems may combine with other systems to form a larger system.

(A) Identify and describe a system that results from the combination of two or more systems such as in the solar system.

Math TEKS: Challenge 4
6.7, 7.8 Geometry and Spatial Reasoning
6.8 Measurement
6.11, 6.13, 7.13, 7.15, 8.14 Underlying processes and mathematical tools

Telescope Technology for Teachers: Optic Fiber- Science and Math TEKS

Challenge 1: Students devise a way to direct a light beam around an opaque obsticle.

Challenge 2: Students compare thier mirror based solution to a optic fiber based solution.

Challenge 3: Students experiment with a model of an optic fiber and determine the critical angle

Science TEKS Process Skills

6.2 7.2 8.2 IPC Physics Astronomy - The student use scientific methods during field and laboratory investigations.

(A) plan and implement investigative procedures including asking questions, formulating testable hypotheses, and selecting and using equipment and technology;

• Challenge 1: Students plan a mirror arrangement that will direct the beam around the obsticle and test their arrangement. They are also challenged to minimze the number of mirrors needed to direct the light from beginning to end.

8.5 - The student knows that relationships exist between science and technology.

(A) identify a design problem and propose a solution;

•Challenge 1: Although the mirror arrangement directs light to a target, the beam suffers degredation and some light scatters out of the beam. Students grapple with possible solutions to these problems:

• reduce the number of reflecting elements?
• clean the glass?
• smoother surfaces to reduce scatter?

(B) design and test a model to solve the problem;

• Challenge 1 and 2: Students may test several alternative mirror arrangements in order to minimize the number of mirror elements and reduce scattering and beam degredation. They also compare their mirror based solution with an optic fiber based solution.

(C) evaluate the model and make recommendations for improving the model.

• Challenge 1 and 2: Through testing, students evaluate their mirror arrangements and try new arrangements.

Science TEKS Concepts

6.5 Systems may combine with other systems to form a larger system.

(B) describe how the properties of a system are different from the properties of its parts.

• Challenge 3: An optic fiber is a system of parts: core, cladding, jacket, plastic, etc. Each piece has different light transmission and refractive properties. Together, and arranged in the correct way they make a flexible fiber that efficiently guides light.

Physics

(8) Characteristics and behavior of waves
(A) examine and describe a variety of waves propagated in various types of media and describe wave characteristics such as velocity, frequency, amplitude, and behaviors such as reflection, refraction, and interference;

• Challenge 3: Students experiment with an optic fiber model to discover characteristics of the fiber, like the index of refraction of the cladding and core, and the central role of refraction in relationship to the critical angle of the fiber.

(C) interpret the role of wave characteristics and behaviors found in medicinal and industrial applications.

• Challenge 2: Students investigate an optic fiber and its role in the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. They compare and evaluate their mirror based and optic fiber based solutions for guiding light from one place to another.
• Challenge 3: Students experiment with an optic fiber model to discover characteristics of the fiber, like the index of refraction of the cladding and core, and the central role of refraction in relationship to the critical angle of the fiber.

IPC

(5) Effects of waves on everyday life

(B) demonstrate wave interactions including interference, polarization, reflection, refraction, and resonance within various materials

• Challenge 2: Students investigate an optic fiber and its role in the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. They compare and evaluate their mirror based and optic fiber based solutions for guiding light from one place to another. In the mirror based solution, students reflect a laser beam among mirrors to direct the beam around a barrier to a target. For the optic fiber solution, students direct the light into the fiber, which guides the light to the target.
• Challenge 3: Students experiment with an optic fiber model to discover characteristics of the fiber, like the index of refraction of the cladding and core, and the central role of refraction in relationship to the critical angle of the fiber. The model is a plastic jar half full of water. At the water surface (air-water boundary) the laser beam is refrated if it meets the boundary at an angle less than the critical angle. The materials in the fiber and the model determine the critical angle.

Math TEKS

6.8 Measurement: The student solves application problems involving estimation and measurement of length, area, time, temperature, capacity, weight, and angles.

• Challenge 1 and 2: Students measure mirror angles and the distance between mirrors in order to draw a diagram of their mirror based solution. Students measure the size of the beam on the target.
• Challenge 3: Students measure the angle of the laser beam inside the model optic fiber in order to determine the critical angle.

6.11, 7.13, 8.14 Underlying processes and mathematical tools: The student applies Grade 6, 7, or 8 mathematics to solve problems connected to everyday experiences, investigations in other disciplines, and activities in and outside of school.

(A) identify and apply mathematics to everyday experiences, to activities in and outside of school, with other disciplines, and with other mathematical topics;
(B) use a problem-solving model that incorporates understanding the problem, making a plan, carrying out the plan, and evaluating the solution for reasonableness;

• In each challenge, students solve problems whose solutions involve the application of mathamatics.

• Challenge 1 and 2: Students measure angles and distances of mirrors, and measure the size of the beam on the target.
• Challenge 3: Students experimentally determine the critical angle and measure it.

Make your own galaxy

What is a spiral galaxy? How are its components arranged? Do stars collide? Do galaxies collide? Help your students explore these concepts with this hands-on galaxy activity.

Grade level: Grade 8-12

National Science Education Standards
Grades 9-12 Earth and Space Science: Origin and evolution of the Universe

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills: Science Grade 8
8.13 The student knows characteristics of the universe.
(A)  describe characteristics of the universe such as stars and galaxies;
(B)  explain the use of light years to describe distances in the universe;

Astronomy
Ast 4 The student knows scientific information about the universe.
(B) describe characteristics of galaxies.

Construction activity (1.8MB PDF)
Background reading
Student answer sheet
Teacher lesson and answer key
SEDS Galaxies Information

 

Journey Into Spectroscopy

Spectrum

Spectroscope

 

Figure 1

image or PDF

 

Figure 2

image or PDF

 

Figure 3

image or PDF

 

Figure 4

image or PDF

 

 

Decoding Starlight

 

Objective Prism image of Hyades

image or PDF

 

Spectrum sheet 1

image or PDF

Spectrum sheet 2

image or PDF

Spectrum sheet 3

image or PDF

Spectrum sheet 4

image or PDF

 

H-R Diagram

 

Blank plots for student plotting
Plot A Plot B Plot C
image image image
PDF PDF PDF
Teacher keys
Plot A Plot B Plot C
image image image
PDF PDF PDF

 

Coma Cluster of Galaxies

Coma ClusterComa Cluster of Galaxies In 2006, the Hubble Space Telescope pointed its piercing gaze at a nearby collection of galaxies called the Coma Cluster. Using the unprecedented images that the HST provided, astronomers gained fascinating insights into the evolution of galaxies in dense galactic neighborhoods. In this activity, students will first learn the basics of galaxy classification and grouping, then they get to use some actual HST images to discover the 'morphology-density effect' and make hypotheses about its causes.

*Note: The images in the activity are very large and use a lot of toner when printing. This first version contains "negatives" of the original space images, Printing this version saves toner and provides better image detail for the students. If you are printing several copies for your students, please use this version:

Student Guide (with negatives of images)

Teacher Guide (with negatives of images)

This is the original version of the activity that is found in the StarDate Teacher Guide:

Student Guide (with positives)

Teacher Guide (with positives)

StarDate radio programs

May 5, 2008 - Coma Cluster

May 6, 2008 - Invisible Cluster

May 7, 2008 - Hostile Environment

May 8, 2008 - Nature vs. Nurture

May 9, 2008 - Galactic Giants

Supporting Educational Opportunities for All

YarCom® Inc. and the Lott family are dedicated to improving Science-Technology-Engineering-Math (STEM) educational opportunities for our youth, especially all daughters of Texas. They support StarDate and McDonald Observatory’s educational outreach as superb examples of successful STEM programs.

Exploring Light: the Optics of Diffraction

Diffraction - The Teacher's Guide | 3.2MB PDF
Standards, suggestions for implementation, and suggested applets to illustrate difficult points

Diffraction - Student Guide and Worksheets | 2.3MB PDF
The student guide and worksheets were written by Lyn Del Monte Onato, a teacher at Hidalgo High School in Hidalgo, Texas.

Supplemental materials
1.) Materials List | 48kB PDF
2.) Scans of the diffraction cards used in the activity | 10.7MB PDF

Accompanying PowerPoint
Several optical effects related to the activity are available in this accompanying PowerPoint presentation | 9.9MB PDF . If you do not have Microsoft PowerPoint installed on your computer, please download the presentation in PDF format here.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration provided support for the development of this activity under an Education and Public Outreach supplement to Grant/Contract/Agreement NNG06GC45G issued through the Office of Space Science to Dr. Daniel Jaffe.

Your Order is Complete

Your order is complete! You will receive a confirmation of your order by email shortly.

Thank you for shopping at the McDonald Observatory Astronomy Gift Shop. We hope you enjoy these products with the knowledge that proceeds help educate, inform, and inspire millions and support teaching in the science and hobby of astronomy.

If you have questions about your order, please call the gift shop at 432-426-3645 and we will be happy to assist you.

 

 

 

McDonald Observatory Live Streaming Programs

Visit the Observatory from the comfort of your living room! Join us live or watch a previous program on our Youtube channel.  Also check us out on Facebook for additional program announcements.  Upcoming programs will be announced here and on social media before the program occurs.  Thanks for tuning in!

Join us for the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse!

Monday, April 8, 12-2 p.m. CT

 

Join us as we talk about eclipses, what causes them, how to safely view them and watch the peak of the eclipse from three locations in Texas: McDonald Observatory, Lake Buchanan, and Irving. We will also be showing live views from telescopes and on site cameras (weather permitting).

 

Moon Tours

Hosts:
Kevin Mace
Judy Meyer
Saul Rivera
 

Join us for a tour of and discussion about Earth's companion, the Moon.  During the tour, your host will show both low and high power live views of the Moon and its many features visible through our 16" and 3" telescopes at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center located at McDonald Observatory.

Deep Sky Tours

Hosts:
Stephen Hummel
Kevin Mace
Saul Rivera

 
Our Deep Sky Tours feature live views of some of the objects which we typically look at during our popular Star Party programs, including nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies. The live stream is broadcast from the dome of our RCOS 16" f/9 RC telescope at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center.

Solar Tours

Hosts:
Joe Wheelock
Judy Meyer
Sam Jones


No sunscreen required!  Our Solar Tours feature live views of our nearest star, the Sun.  Depending upon the Sun's activity level at the time of the program, your host will show sunspots, flares, prominences, and other features using specialized telescopes and solar filters.

Archived Moon Tours

Archived Deep Sky Tours

Archived Solar Tours

July 6, 2023 February 22, 2023
July 28, 2020 April 21, 2022 June 16, 2021
March 5, 2021
 
May 3, 2020
 
 
December 11, 2020  
  December 2, 2020  
  November 11, 2020  
  August 8, 2020  
  July 14, 2020  
  June 23, 2020  
  June 12, 2020  
  June 9, 2020  
  May 22, 2020  
  May 16, 2020  
  May 9, 2020  
  April 23, 2020  
  April 18, 2020  
  April 14, 2020  
 

"Decoding Starbirth with AI" Live Deep Sky Tour (Archived from March 7, 2024)

 

Dr. Stella Offner and Saul Rivera show you views from a camera attached to a research-grade 16" telescope at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center while talking to Dr. Offner about her research and how she is using AI to learn more about stellar formation. 

FAMILY ASTRONOMY: Big Planets (Archived from November 8, 2023) 

 

Your hosts Joe Wheelock and Saul Rivera show you live views of several planets in our solar system, teach you cool facts about them, and even talk about big planets in other star systems!

"Ring of Fire" Live October Annular Eclipse (Archived from October 14, 2023)

 

A special collaborative livestream between McDonald Observatory and the Blakemore Planetarium in Midland, Texas, for the October 2023 Annular Eclipse! Hosts and staff at both locations talk about eclipses, what causes them, how to safely view them, answer questions submitted by the public, and watch the peak of the eclipse, with live views from telescopes.

FAMILY ASTRONOMY: Books!  Books!  Books! (Archived from March 8, 2023)

 

We love astronomy, and we love astronomy books!  Join us as we share some of our favorite astronomy books for all ages,
from babies and kids to families and adults.

FAMILY ASTRONOMY: Galaxies (Archived from January 18, 2023)

 

Bring the whole family to look at, learn about, and even build your own galaxies!  If you'd like to build a galaxy along with the live program, be ready with a 12-inch piece of cardboard or poster board, glue, cotton balls, and glitter glue or paint.

Mars Opposition Livestream with Lowell Observatory (Archived from December 8, 2022)


Hosts: Saul Rivera and Judy Meyer, McDonald Observatory
John Compton and Kevin Schindler, Lowell Observatory

This show is a special joint livestream between McDonald Observatory and Lowell Observatory for the Mars 2023 opposition! Hosts from both observatories discuss all things Mars, such as its science, history, geology, and future missions.  This show also features live views of Mars from telescopes at both sites.

Hobby-Eberly Telescope - LIVE from the Control Room (Archived from November 9, 2022)


Hosts: Saul Rivera, McDonald Observatory
Dr. Steven Janowiecki, Resident Astronomer, Hobby-Eberly Telescope

Hosts Saul Rivera and resident astronomer Dr. Steven Janowiecki show how astronomers conduct research
and what they see in the control room as data are collected.

Hobby-Eberly Telescope Birthday Celebration (Archived from October 26, 2022)


Host: Saul Rivera, McDonald Observatory
Co-Hosts: Dr. Jim Fowler, Dr. Steven Janowiecki, Herman Kriel

Join us in celebrating the birthday of our largest telescope with a panel discussion with some of the staff that work on it!
Learn about the history, engineering, and science of the Hobby Eberly Telescope.

Live Milky Way Tour (Archived from Wednesday, August 24, 2022)


Hosts: Saul Rivera and Joseph Wheelock at the McDonald Observatory

 

Hosts Saul Rivera and Joe Wheelock show you views from a camera attached to a research-grade 16" telescope at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center, along with spectacular wide angle views of the Milky Way.  Unfortunately, the viewing portion of the show was clouded out.

Live Total Lunar Eclipse (Archived from Sunday, May 15, 2022)


Hosts: Saul Rivera and Joseph Wheelock at the McDonald Observatory

 

Hosts Saul Rivera and Joe Wheelock show live views from a camera attached to a  telescope at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center. Discussion topics include eclipses, how they occur, how to get safe pictures of them, and the program includes open ended Q&A.

What is Spectroscopy? (Archived from Wednesday, February 16, 2022)


Hosts: Joseph Wheelock, Saul Rivera, and Stephen Hummel at the McDonald Observatory


Learn about a technique astronomers use, spectroscopy, and see unique views of some celestial objects with one of our telescopes.

Family Astronomy: Lives of Stars (Archived from Wednesday, January 26, 2022)


Hosts: Judy Meyer, Martinique Pautzke, and Saul Rivera at the McDonald Observatory


Learn about the life cycle of stars and view various nebulae and star clusters which related to different stages of a star's life.

Family Astronomy: Live Planets (Archived from Wednesday, October 27, 2021)


Hosts: Judy Meyer, Martinique Pautzke, and Joe Wheelock at the McDonald Observatory


Watch this family-oriented livestream program which was broadcast on October 27, 2021.
We discussed planets and enjoyed live views of Jupiter, Saturn, and more.

Perseid Meteor Shower (Archived from Wednesday, August 11, 2021)


Hosts: Stephen Hummel and Saul Rivera at the McDonald Observatory
with Dr. Anita Cochran, Assistant Director, McDonald Observatory


Enjoy the Perseid meteor shower livestream which was broadcast on August 11, 2021.
Unfortunately, the viewing portion of the show was clouded out, but hosts also discussed the origins of meteor showers,
their relationship with comets, and much more.

Reflections on the 82-inch Telescope (Archived from May 5, 2021)

Hosts: Kevin Mace and Martinique Pautzke

Join us as we celebrate the 82nd anniversary of the 82-inch Otto Struve Telescope.
We discuss the early history of the McDonald Observatory and the workings of this 82-inch (2.1 meter) telescope.
A number of ‘guest stars’ joined us to share their stories and experiences with the first telescope at the McDonald Observatory.

Hobby-Eberly Telescope Tour (Archived from March 10, 2021)

Hosts: Martinique Pautzke and Saul Rivera

Explore McDonald Observatory’s 10-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope nestled in the mountains of Far West Texas.
Learn how 91 mirrors collect starlight, why the telescope spins on air, and who we need to keep a research facility operating.
Hosts Martinique Pautzke and Saul Rivera use images and videos to engage all ages in this program.


Planet Fest 2020 (Archived from October 21, 2020)

Hosts: Stephen Hummel and Martinique Pautzke

Watch this program from October 21, 2020 when Mars was at its nearest to Earth in 17 years.  Also included in this program are
views of the planets Jupiter and Saturn, far-flung Neptune, and the dwarf planet Pluto, 3.2 billion miles away at the time.


Jupiter & Saturn Conjunction 2020 (Archived from December 21, 2020)

Hosts: Kevin Mace, Frank Cianciolo, and Stephen Hummel

This program featured live views and discussion about the close conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn on December 21, 2020.

 

Interested in supporting us? https://mcdonaldobservatory.org/support

 

 

McDonald Observatory Community Partnership

 

Charged Coupled Devices

A person holds a CCD between two fingers.

Every night, light from celestial sources streams into telescopes at observatories around the world. After passing through various instruments and optics, each beam of light is brought into focus on a detector. Light sensitive detectors are essential for studying astronomy because they record the intensity and position of the light that has traveled so far to reach us. Previous generations of astronomers were accustomed to using glass photographic plates or even their unaided eyes as detectors to study light from the night sky. However, today astronomers use detectors called Charged-Coupled Devices, or CCDs, controlled by complex electronics, to make their observations.

CCDs are made of a thin wafer of silicon which is sensitive to light, on top or bottom of which is placed a tight array of pixels. The entire detector is usually a few square centimeters in size, about the size of a nickel, and it can be as thin as a micron, or a tenth of the diameter of a human hair. Pixels are laid out on the silicon wafer in a rectangular grid pattern, usually several hundred to a few thousand on a side. In order to fit so many pixels on such a small surface, the pixels themselves must also be very small; each measures approximately 10 to 20 microns across.

The pixels act like small buckets for collecting light. When light is focused onto the CCD, photons, or particles of light, fall into the pixels and are stored there, much like raindrops would build up in buckets laid out in an open field on a drizzly day. In reality, the pixels don't store photons, but electrons. Each photon that passes through a pixel knocks an electron off of the silicon layer of the detector, and it is this electron that the pixel stores. Electrons, unlike photons, are negatively charged particles, and their negative charge keeps them trapped inside the pixels. Thus, the number of electrons that the CCD collects is directly related to the number of photons that fall onto it.

Because astronomical sources are usually very faint, astronomers allow CCDs to collect light for time intervals ranging from a fraction of a second to several hours. During this time, electrons build up in the individual pixels. The number of electrons accumulated in a particular pixel depends on how many photons have passed through it. At the end of the exposure, the entire array is read electronically to determine the number of electrons present in each pixel. This digital information, which is collected from the grid either row-by-row or column-by-column, is then sent to a computer. When digital the value for each pixel is known, the entire array of pixels forms an image! Astronomical software packages can display and save the images for astronomers to use in their research.

During observing, CCDs must be kept very cold in order for them to work properly. This is usually achieved by encasing the CCD in a dewar, which is a type of special thermos designed to hold liquid nitrogen. Liquid nitrogen is added to the dewar on a regular schedule to keep the CCD chilled down to 77 K (or –321 degrees F).

The data collection methods enabled by CCDs have revolutionized modern astronomy. Images made with CCDs are much faster to gather and much easier to manipulate than images made using previous methods, such as photographic plates. Moreover, the small size and electronic data collection capabilities of CCDs have allowed for such major advances as space-borne observatories; the Hubble Space Telescope, together with the beautiful images it sends back to earth, are a testament to the success of CCD technology.

McDonald Observatory boasts several CCDs that are used with various instruments on the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope, the 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope, and the 0.8-meter Telescope. Oftentimes, the CCDs are given names according to the company that manufactured them. For example, the TI1 CCD was made by Texas Instruments, the TK CCD was made by Tektronics, and the LF1 CCD was made by Loral Fairchild. Many of the CCDs at McDonald Observatory, such as TK3, TK4, CC1, and TI1, are shared among the instruments, but some of them, such as LF1 on the PFC, are always used on the same instrument. The CCDs are always treated with great care, because they are very expensive. Despite their cost, though, they are essential pieces of equipment for modern-day observing at McDonald Observatory.

 

 

Prime Focus Corrector

The Prime Focus Corrector mounted on the 0.8-meter telescope.

The Prime Focus Corrector, or PFC, is the instrument currently used on the 0.8-meter telescope. The PFC takes images of celestial objects. As a prime focus instrument, it is located at the open end of the telescope tube. Light enters the telescope from an area on the sky and is reflected from the 0.8-meter mirror into a focal plane. The instrument is placed at the front of the telescope, in the focal plane. Once inside the PFC, light passes through a filter and onto a detector called a charged coupled device (CCD).

The PFC has five filters, and each one is designed to allow light of only one color to pass through. The filters are standard UBVRI filters, whose colors range from 360 nanometers, or violet, to 1,000 nm, or infrared. Before starting an observation, the astronomer must choose which of the filters to use, depending on what type of objects or properties he or she intends to study.

The CCD detector on this instrument can capture images in a region of the sky that is three-quarters of a degree across, or a bit larger than the size of the full Moon.

Although it is a relatively small telescope, the 0.8-meter telescope and the PFC make a very useful combination for many types of astronomical projects. Astronomers have used the PFC to make surveys of the sky, search for extrasolar planets, study comets, and search for Near Earth Asteroids.

The PFC also allows astronomers the opportunity to construct color images of celestial objects. All individual images that astronomers take with CCDs are only measures of intensity and are therefore black and white. However, with five filters of different wavelength ranges on the PFC, the intensity can be measured for every visible color. These images can be combined to create one color image of the object. Nearly all color images of astronomical objects are made in this way, including those from the Hubble Space Telescope.

 

Imaging Grism Instrument and Polarimeter (IGI, IGP)

IGI mounted on the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope.

The Imaging Grism Instrument, IGI (rhymes with piggy), is an instrument built by Dr. Gary Hill and can be used at the Cassegrain focus of either the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope or the 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope. IGI is a very simple instrument that performs the following three functions:

Focal Reducer

A focal reducer is a set of lenses and mirrors that reduces the focal length, the total effective path that light travels in the telescope. By decreasing the focal length, IGI also decreases the f-number of the telescope, the ratio of the focal length and mirror diameter. The 2.7-meter Smith Telescope has a focal length of 24 meters and a mirror diameter of 2.7 meters, so the f-number for this telescope is 24 divided by 2.7, or 8.8.

IGI decreases the focal length by a factor of five to 4.7 meters and, hence, the f-number to 1.8.

Why would one want to reduce the focal length or f-number of a telescope? Well, there are basically two reasons: to increase the "speed" of the telescope and to change its magnification.

The f-number is often used to describe the "speed" of an optical system. A telescope with a low f-number is said to be very "fast." A fast telescope requires less integration time -- the time spent collecting light -- than a telescope with a larger f-number. Therefore, with the same integration time, a telescope with a lower f-number produces a brighter image than one with a larger f-number.

Also, the focal length of a telescope is directly related to the magnification; telescopes with a larger focal length have a larger magnification and a smaller field of view. If observing an object such as the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), which is large and bright, you might choose to use the focal reducer. Without the focal reducer, you will need to spend more time observing in order to make an image of the entire galaxy. Additionally, you may want to make an image of a greater region of sky, such as a cluster of very faint galaxies, so you would use IGI in its imaging and focal reducing mode.

Spectrograph

In addition to acting as a focal reducer, astronomers can use IGI as a low-resolution spectrograph. IGI has a light collimator that makes the light rays all parallel to one another. By inserting a grism into the path of this collimated light, the light is dispersed into its spectrum of wavelengths. It's that simple; you just slip the grism into the light path and you've got a spectrograph.

Polarimeter

IGI also has another variation in which it can be used as a type of instrument called a "polarimeter." In this mode, IGI is called the Imaging Grism Polarimeter (IGP). The observer adds another system of optics to IGI to create IGP. This addition consists of two parts: a polarizing beam splitter and a half-wave plate. The beam splitter, as the name implies, takes a beam of light and splits it into two separate paths. The wave plate rotates the polarization of the light. Together, these two create an instrument that can observe light of different polarizations from regions such as active galaxies and star-forming regions.

UBVRI filters

Filters used for astronomical observations, such as these, are often mounted on disks called filter wheels. The astronomer can turn the filter wheel so that incoming light passes through the correct color filter.

When using a telescope to make images of celestial objects, astronomers often place special pieces of glass called filters into the path of the light. Just as a coffee filter allows coffee to pass through, and blocks everything that is not coffee, an astronomical filter allows light of certain wavelengths to pass through and blocks other wavelengths. This enables astronomers to study specific colors of light from celestial sources. Astronomical filters are made of colored glass and usually measure about one square inch.

Two important types of filters are wide-band filters and narrow-band filters. Narrow-band filters, as their name suggests, only allow a small range of wavelengths of light to pass through. They are often used to study light that is emitted by specific elements, such as hydrogen or oxygen. Wide-band filters, on the other hand, isolate a large range of wavelengths of light. In the area of the spectrum near visible light, the most commonly used set of wide-band filters go by the names U, B, V, R, and I.

The U filter stands for ultraviolet, and it allows light of wavelengths between about 320 nanometers (nm) and 400 nm to pass through. Thus, the U band is about 100 nm wide.

The B filter is for blue, and it filters light of wavelengths between about 400 nm and 500 nm.

Likewise, the V, R, and I filters stand for visible, red, and infrared respectively, and their respective wavelength ranges are approximately 500 nm to 700 nm for V, 550 nm to 800 nm for R, and 700 nm to 900 nm for I.

The system was first developed in the 1950s at the McDonald Observatory with the 0.9-meter Telescope, and included the UBV filters. Today, the UBVRI filter system has become standard in astronomy. Many astronomers use these filters for a wide variety of research projects.

 

 

Argos

The 2.1-meter Otto Struve telescope has been brought down to a servicing position so that astronomers can work on Argos, which is mounted at prime focus.

Argos is an instrument that is available to use on the 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope. It's a photometer, which means it measures the intensity of light received by the telescope -- usually in very short time intervals. In its initial design, which was later revised, the instrument used many phototubes (tiny glass tubes that are sensitive to light) to detect incoming photons. Because of this, it was given the name Argos in honor of the many-eyed monster from Greek mythology. Instead of phototubes, however, Argos uses a charged coupled device (CCD) to make observations of the night sky.

Argos is a prime focus instrument, meaning that it is located at the open end of the Otto Struve Telescope. Light that enters the telescope is reflected off the 2.1-meter diameter primary mirror and is brought into focus at the top of the telescope tube. The instrument is situated in the focal plane of the light so that the CCD intercepts the light when it is in focus. The field of view of the detector measures 2.8 arc-minutes across, which is roughly the size of a tennis ball seen from a mile away.

Unlike most astronomical instruments, Argos doesn't have a shutter to open or block the flow of light onto the CCD. Instead, the CCD is divided in half, and images are collected using the so-called "frame transfer method." Initially, the first half of the CCD collects light for a given exposure time. When the time has elapsed, the data from that half of the microchip is instantly transferred to the second half, freeing the first half to again start collecting data. While the first half is collecting more data, the second half reads the transferred set of data out to a computer. The entire process happens very quickly, as exposure times can be as small as one second, and it continues for as long as the astronomer needs to observe.

There are several filters available for use with Argos, which allow astronomers to study specific wavelengths of light from astronomical sources. Filters that are commonly used with the instrument include a special blue filter and standard BVR filters. It is possible to mount two filters into Argos at one time, so that the astronomer may switch between them at will. Because the entire slide mount must be removed to change filters, this makes it more convenient for astronomers who need more than one filter for their observations.

Argos is a relatively young instrument, as it was finished in June of 2001 and commissioned in November of 2001. Despite its young age, however, Argos has helped astronomers at McDonald Observatory discover 22 pulsating white dwarf stars to date.

 

Guiders

The scanco guider in place in the Coude slit room.

Collecting light from astronomical objects is often very difficult because people do not observe the heavens from a stationary point. As Earth turns on its axis, objects such as the Sun, Moon, and stars appear to travel though the sky. In order to compensate for this motion, many types of amateur and professional telescopes alike are designed to track the stars as they move overhead. Tracking simply involves moving the telescope in right ascension at a constant rate - this follows the rotation of the Earth, and causes the stars to appear stationary in the field of view of the telescope.

For very precise measurements, however, simply tracking on an astronomical object is not accurate enough. Factors such as refraction of light through the atmosphere at different parts of the sky, the telescope structure bending slightly differently at different positions, and tracking that doesn't follow the Earth's motion exactly all cause an astronomical object to wander in a very small field of view. To ensure that this doesn't happen, astronomers guide the telescope on the object. Guiding is simply a fine-tuning of the telescope tracking. It involves moving the telescope in the necessary direction to correct for errors not accounted for in tracking.

Guiding is usually accomplished using an instrument called a guider. A guider is a camera with a charged coupled device (CCD) or TV that records some of the incoming light that has been reflected out of the main optical path. Guider images taken every few seconds or every fraction of a second are sent to a computer and displayed for the astronomer to see. The astronomer finely adjusts the position of the telescope based on the movement of the object in the images. Even better are instruments called auto-guiders. Images from auto-guiders are sent to a computer, where they are analyzed by a computer program for object movement. If the program determines that the object has moved and the telescope should be adjusted, the computer does so. Astronomers generally like auto-guiding because it can be quite accurate, and the freedom from having to guide on an object allows them to do other things.

There are several different guiders that are used at McDonald Observatory, the most familiar ones being the Apogee guider, the Star 1 guider, the MicroLuminetics guider, the White Guider, and the Scanco guider. Each guider can be used with more than one instrument. For example, the Apogee guider is used with CoolSpec, the Large Cassegrain Spectrograph, the Imaging Grism Instrument, and the Millisecond Infrared Astrophysical Spectrometer. The Star 1 guider can be used with the Cassegrain Spectrometer es2 or the Imaging Grism Instrument, and the MicroLuminetics guider is most often used with the Sandiford Cassegrain Eschelle Spectrometer. The Coudé Spectrograph on the 2.7-m Harlan J. Smith Telescope is the sole user of the Scanco guider, and the Prime Focus Camera on the 0.8 meter Telescope also has its own unnamed guider.

 

Sandiford Cassegrain Echelle Spectrometer

The Sandiford Cassegrain Eschelle Spectrometer (bottom) is shown here mated to the Otto Struve Telescope.

The Sandiford Cassegrain Echelle Spectrometer is an instrument often used on the 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope. It is a spectrometer, which means that it spreads incoming light into its component wavelengths for astronomers to study. The light is spread by an echelle, which is a special type of diffraction grating.

The Sandiford Cassegrain Echelle Spectrometer, or CE for short, is mounted on the telescope at the Cassegrain focus of the telescope. This focus position is located behind the back of the primary mirror. Light that enters the telescope is reflected off the primary mirror, which is 2.1 meters in diameter. The primary mirror directs the light to a smaller secondary mirror near the top of the telescope tube, and the secondary mirror reflects the light back down the telescope tube, through a hole in the primary mirror, and into the instrument. The instrument is placed such that it intercepts the light when the light is brought into focus.

Once inside CE, light must pass through a variety of optics before it is measured. First, it is directed through a narrow slit, which shapes the incoming beam of light into a very skinny rectangle. This line of light is the most convenient way to create a tidy spectrum. Mirrors reflect the light towards an echelle, which is a special type of diffraction grating. The echelle separates the light into its component colors. The separated light is then reflected through a filter expressly designed to keep different parts of the spectrum from overlapping, and finally to a charged coupled device (CCD). The CCD is a light detector that records the spectrum and sends it to a computer in digital form for astronomers to study.

CE is a high resolution instrument, meaning that it is capable of separating light into very fine divisions. High resolution allows astronomers to see more detailed properties of the objects they are studying. CE can detect light of wavelengths between 370 nm and 1100 nm very efficiently. Since its introduction as an instrument, it has been used primarily to study the spectra of different kinds of stars to determine their composition, motions, and structure.

 

The Sandiford Cassegrain Echelle Spectrometer was named in honor of the late Brendan Sandiford, a McDonald Observatory employee who helped develop the instrument in 1991.

Cassegrain Spectrograph

The 2.1-meter (82-inch) Otto Struve Telescope at the University of Texas McDonal

Light from the primary mirror is reflected by a secondary mirror to an instument attached to the telescope through a hole in the primary mirror.Light from the primary mirror is reflected by a secondary mirror to an instument attached to the telescope through a hole in the primary mirror. The Cassegrain Spectrograph (ES2) is a spectrometer constructed by the Boller and Chivens company and used on the Otto Struve 2.1-m telescope at the Cassegrain focus. The spectrograph offers low to medium resolution with resolving power of 600-2,500 over the wavelength range from 0.3 to 1.1 micrometers.

ES2 is a classic spectrometer. Light comes into the telescope, onto the primary mirror, and is reflected by the secondary mirror down to the Cassegrain focus. Within the spectrograph, the light passes through the slit, is collimated (made parallel) by reflecting off a parabolic mirror, and, then is reflected by the diffraction grating (i.e., a dispersing element) into the light's spectrum over ES2's wavelength range. This spectrum of light is then focused by a set of lenses onto the charged coupled device (CCD), either the TI1 or CC1. The TI1 CCD is used for the blue region of the spectrum (i.e. shorter wavelengths), and the CC1 CCD observes the red region (longer wavelengths).

As with most spectrometers, ES2 has both spatial and spectral coverage. The instrument measures the spectrum of light from a particular source so it has spectral coverage. However, the instrument also measures the spectrum of light from different regions in the source. That is, it has spatial coverage; slits for ES2 range from 0.5 to 120 arcseconds. Consider that an astronomer may want to observe some extended source in search of emission from oxygen atoms. The astronomers will want spectral coverage so that they can determine the nature of the emission, but they will also want spatial coverage so that they can determine which regions of the object have, for example, oxygen atoms at the proper temperature to emit radiation.

Robert G. Tull Coudé Spectrograph

There are four different configurations of the Tull Spectrograph on the 2.7 meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope. The configurations are TS11, also known as the 6-Foot Camera; TS12, also known as the Long Focus camera; TS21; and TS23. The instruments are spectrographs, meaning they separate light into its component colors, creating a spectrum for astronomers to study.

All of these instruments are located at Coudé focus. Light is collected by the telescope and reflected by four mirrors down the telescope axis and into a room known as the Coudé slit room. A pivoting mirror at the base of the telescope axis allows an astronomer to decide which spectrograph entrance slit to use. One spectrograph slit allows the incoming light to follow the 6-Foot Camera and the Long Focus Camera light path. The other spectrograph slit allows the incoming light to follow the TS21 and the TS23 light path. These light paths are inside the Coudé room, which is essentially the inside of an astronomical camera that happens to be large enough to allow people to walk around inside. It is a long room painted entirely black, and it contains many pieces of optical equipment. The optical equipment directs light from the spectrograph slits to the diffraction gratings, lenses, prisms and mirrors that make up the 6-Foot Camera, the Long Focus Camera, TS21, and TS23. At the end of the optical path, light is detected by a charged coupled device (CCD) camera.

The difference between the different configurations is that they provide varying degrees of resolution, or spreading of light into its component colors. The 6-Foot Camera is a medium to high resolution spectrometer, while the Long Focus Camera is a very high resolution spectrometer. TS21 and TS23 are both medium to high resolution spectrometers. There are five different diffraction gratings and two different echelles that can be used with the instruments. An echelle is a special type of diffraction grating with fewer grooves per millimeter than a normal diffraction grating. Different combinations of echelles and diffraction gratings provide different degrees of resolution and allow astronomers to study different ranges of wavelengths.

The instruments at Coudé focus on the 2.7-m Harlan J. Smith Telescope provide the highest resolution available at McDonald Observatory. The instruments were designed for spectroscopy of the atmospheres of stars and planets, and they are most often used for this purpose.

Formerly called the Coude Spectrograph, the instrument was renamed "the Robert G. Tull Coudé Spectrograph" in honor of its creator.

 

High Resolution Spectrograph

The High Resolution Spectrograph is located below the observing floor of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, in the basement.

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) hosts a trilogy of spectroscopic instruments, the High-, Medium-, and Low-Resolution Spectrographs (HRS, MRS, and LRS). Of these, the HRS offers the highest resolution; that is, it can discern fine features in the spectra from astronomical sources by spreading the spectrum out more than the other spectrographs.

Because the light is more spread out, astronomers generally must observe brighter objects with the HRS than those that they might detect with LRS or MRS. However, in this sacrifice of sensitivity, the observer attains a spectral resolution that is matched by only a few astronomical instruments in the world.

In design and function, the HRS is much like the MRS. The HRS is housed in a dark, cooled room below the telescope floor which is, as described by research engineer and assistant director John Booth, a "meat locker." In fact, the room that houses the HRS and MRS is a meat locker. The HET staff found that it was less expensive to buy a commercial meat locker than to build a thermally-controlled room.

Because the HRS is not located at the telescope's prime focus like the LRS, fiber-optic lines move the light from the prime focus to the HRS in the meat locker.

The HRS is, technically, a fiber-fed cross-dispersed echelle spectrograph.

It is called "fiber-fed" because the light is delivered to the instrument via optical fibers into the entrance slit of the spectrograph.

The dispersive element is an echelle grating, a special kind of diffraction grating that gives much higher resolution than other gratings. These gratings are generally set apart from other diffraction gratings because they have much deeper and far fewer grooves cut into their surface.

The echelle is the grating of choice for high resolution spectrographs. However, with an echelle grating, you generally need another dispersing element, a grating or prism, to effectively break the spectrum into smaller pieces and stack them on top of one another. Otherwise, you'd need a really long detector, a charged-coupled device (CCD), to gather all of the spectrum.

With today's large square CCDs, it is possible to collect the data from the "stacked" spectra that are organized by the second dispersing element. This element in the spectrograph is called the cross-disperser.

Hence, the HRS is a fiber-fed cross-dispersed echelle spectrograph.

 

Eyepiece

Viewers prepare to look through the eyepiece of the 0.9-meter Telescope.

Astronomers no longer look through eyepieces on research telescopes to do their research, but eyepieces are still important at McDonald Observatory.

That's because they are attached to both our Harlan J. Smith research telescope and our 0.9-meter Telescope on a regular basis for our Special Viewing Nights. These monthly programs allow members of the public who've made advance reservations look through these telescopes for up-close views of planets, galaxies, and other beautiful celestial objects.

McDonald is one of the few professional observatories in the world that allows the general public to use its large research-class telescopes.

 

Mitchell Spectrograph

The Mitchell Spectrograph on the Harlan J. Smith Telescope.

The Mitchell Spectrograph was initially known as VIRUS-P. That's because it is a prototype for VIRUS, a much larger instrument planned for an upcoming project on the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory. The installation of the Mitchell Spectrograph on the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope is both helping astronomers prepare for that project, and to do interesting science today.

VIRUS stands for “Visible Integral-field Replicable Unit Spectrograph.” A spectrograph takes the light from astronomical objects and breaks it down into its component wavelengths, creating a spectrum for that object. A spectrum is like a fingerprint of a star or galaxy, and astronomers can get amazing amounts of information from it: how far away something is, how fast it’s moving, what elements or compounds it contains, and how hot or cold it is.

The “R” in VIRUS stands for “Replicable.” The final VIRUS instrument will contain 145 copies of the same spectrograph, put together to make one powerful instrument. The prototype contains one copy.

That’s so astronomers and engineers can test it, and work the kinks out, before they make all the copies. This will save money and time.

The final VIRUS instrument will be used for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Project. Its 145 spectrographs will be capable of simultaneously observing almost 36,000 individual pieces of the sky.

For the HETDEX project, HET & VIRUS will measure the positions in space of 10,000 galaxies every night, meaning a million galaxies in 100 nights. This survey is sufficient to constrain the scale of the universe to better than 1%, and will tell us whether “dark energy” — a mysterious force causing the universe to expand faster than expected — is a constant effect over time, or whether it evolves. The nature of dark energy has been called the biggest problem in all of science today.

The type of galaxies that HETDEX will map is very specific: the so-called “Lyman-alpha” galaxies. Right now, the HETDEX team is looking for these very galaxies in a pilot survey using the Mitchell Spectrograph on the Smith Telescope. This instrument was completed in October 2006.

They are also making VIRUS-P available for other astronomers to use, and it has attracted quite a bit of attention.

Together, VIRUS-P and the Smith Telescope make the most powerful instrument/telescope combination for a variety of studies. Its unique ability to take spectra of a large area of the sky at once allows astronomers to study light that is spread over a large region of the sky and very faint. By being able to grasp so much sky area at once, VIRUS-P can add up many very faint spectra to make one detailed spectrum. For example, this has opened up the study of the dark matter around galaxies, since one has to probe the very furthest extent of the galaxy where the light from stars is very faint.

 

Camera for Quasars in the Early Universe

CQUEAN attached to the Otto Struve Telescope. (Credit: Seoul National University)

Light from the primary mirror is reflected by a secondary mirror to an instument attached to the telescope through a hole in the primary mirror.Light from the primary mirror is reflected by a secondary mirror to an instument attached to the telescope through a hole in the primary mirror. The Camera for Quasars in the Early Universe (CQUEAN) is a multipurpose imaging camera located at the Cassegrain focus of the Otto Struve Telescope. It is optimized for viewing red objects that emit wavelengths between 0.7 to 1.1 microns. Its field of view is fairly large for professional-grade telescopes, at 4.7 sqaure arcminutes.

The instrument has a fast readout time that allows for astronomers to observe celestial objects whose light output varies rapidly. CQUEAN also includes an auto-guider program to keep the telescope tracking an object across the sky during long exposure times.

"The red sensitivity and no fringing at long wavelengths make the camera special, "Dr. Myungshin Im, from Seoul National University, co-Principal Investigator of the CQUEAN project explains. "We wanted to obtain imaging data to select high-redshift quasars. Usually quasars have red colors due to their spectra being red-shifted to longer wavelengths. This requirement called for a construction of a red-sensitive imager, and to be competitive with other surveys, we built CQUEAN quickly with off-the-shelf components."

CQUEAN is good at detecting red wavelengths because it has a CCD designed to work well at long wavelengths.The trade-off is that to gain efficiency in the red part of the spectrum, it must lose efficiency in the blue. Currently, the CQUEAN team is working to improve the sensitivity at blue wavelengths by replacing some of the optics in the system.

CQUEAN was constructed at Kyunghee University and Seoul National University of Korea from February 2009 through August 2010. Dr. Im and Professor Soojong Pak (Kyunghee University) are the leaders of the CQUEAN project. Dr. Won-Kee Park (Seoul National University) was in charge of software development. Dr. Seunghyuk Jang (Samsung) was responsible for the optical design of the focal reducer. Also, students at Kyunghee University and Seoul National University worked on the development of the camera.

CQUEAN has been used to select 20 high redshift quasar candidates for spectroscopic follow up in the Infrared Multi-tiered Survey. It also obtained images of a supernova in the M101 galaxy. The CQUEAN team is also working on CQUEAN2, a similar camera with a field of view nearly 100 times larger.

Friends of McDonald Membership

Joining or renewing? Choose your level below. You can also give a gift membership.

Give a Gift Membership to the Friends of McDonald

Joining or renewing for yourself? Use the membership form.

50th Anniversary of McDonald

T-shirt image for 50th anniversary designed by Tim Jones

I remember the 50th anniversary of McDonald Observatory in 1989.  I was there!  Here's the t-shirt image that Tim Jones designed for that event.

College Trip to McDonald

I was a college student at UT in the early '90s, and had to do a photo essay for photojournalism class. I chose McDonald Observatory as my subject matter. I didn't know a soul at the Observatory, but contacted them and asked permission to visit. I was allowed to come out and photograph the telescopes inside the domes, and got a private tour of just about everything. It was incredible.

The trip fueled my love of astronomy. Back on campus in Austin, I ended up interning at StarDate magazine, which led me to a couple of summers interning in Hubble Space Telescope press office, then grad school for science journalism, and finally into a PR job at one of the national observatories.

And now here we are, almost 20 years later. I'm working with the folks at McDonald who helped me out back in my school days. I'm learning more about astronomy all the time. It's amazing to get to communicate discoveries about the universe that are made right here in Texas!

 

75th Anniversary Paint Job

Stripping the 82" Otto Struve Telescope Dome

Stripping and painting of the 82" Otto Struve Telescope dome began September 3, 2013, as part of the overall 75th Anniversary year.

The existing coating is being stripped using high-pressure water, bringing the surface of the dome to bare, galvanized metal panels.  Once the stripping and rinsing surface preparations are completed, the dome gets fresh paint.

A low-emissivity white urethane-epoxy paint is used, the first coat acting as a primer/bond coat, and the subsequent two coats providing the protective and weather top-coat.

Much of the work has been done in inclement weather, at the end of the monsoon season, including rain, humidity in excess of 98%, and moderate to high wind.

Comet Hale-Bopp

As a graduate student at UT, I made several visits to McDonald Observatory. One night in particular stands out in my mind. In the early morning hours Comet Hale-Bopp was hanging above the horizon, looking absolutely spectacular in the observatory's dark skies.

During the overnight hours, any calls to the observatory were routed to the 107-inch control room, where I was running the telescope. The phone rang and the caller asked, "What is that thing in the sky that looks like a comet?" I replied, "You're exactly right — it's a comet!"

When I first saw it.

I first saw the 82-inch telescope when I came to work here in 2000. I thought it was the most beautiful instrument I'd ever seen. It reminded me of the old pictures of astronomers working at Mount Wilson.

I was so disapponted to find out tours were not done there, because when people think of a grand old telescope, I'm sure THIS is what they would think of. To this day, when visitors ask me "What's the coolest thing you've ever seen here at McDonald?" I still say "Saturn through the 82-inch telescope."

Opening of the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center

McDonald Observatory vista

I remember how exciting it was to be newly hired at the McDonald Observatory Visitors Center in anticipation of the VC's grand opening.  We opened only days before Spring Break, and let me tell you that was a steep learning curve those first few months.  The StarDate Cafe served hot chocolate from individual cocoa packets!  

After the first 1,000 cups of hot chocolate that very first week, modifications were made to order bulk rather than individual portions.  I remember thinking that the lines must almost be at an end, then looked up and saw the masses still lined up out the door!  Exhausting yet thrilling days back then! 

Now, I work in the noble landmark of the Otto Struve 82-inch Telescope.  I love the location, I love the view, I am facinated by the "workings" and I am indeed priveledged to be a part of the history of McDonald Observatory.

 

Snowed In

Snow trees at the playground.

Shoemaker-Levy 9 impacts from the 0.9-meter Telescope

The Shoemaker-Levy 9 impacts on Jupiter occured July 16-22, 1994 as pieces of the object, earlier broken into a "string of pearls" by the immense gravity of Jupiter, one by one impacted Jupiter's upper atmosphere leaving scars in the visible image of Jupiter that were larger in size than the Earth.  Had one of these objects hit the Earth it would have been devastating, but thankfully Jupiter had caught them and was absorbing the many blows.  Observatories all over the world had plans to view the impacts if they could be seen from Earth, but no one knew if it would be possible.

At Mt. Locke, I was a staff member at the time and we made sure everything was ready for the chance to see the first impact on a foreign body, Jupiter in this case, ever observed by mankind.  The 0.9-meter observer was set to look for the impact flash reflecting off one of Jupiter's moons since no one on Earth could see them directly.  They would hit just over the horizon of Jupiter and within a few minutes the site would rotate into view.

On the first night, the observer was not able to see the flash as he had hoped, so his plan was abandoned freeing up the 0.9-meter for other use. No backup observations had been planned, so I asked the Superintendent for permission to do visual observations at the 0.9-meter. By the next night we were ready to take a look.

All the opportunities to view Jupiter were in the early evening, as Jupiter set shortly after sunset (and from the 0.9-meter, the mountain blocked our view of it even earlier).

We got word from the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope observer that the first impact of the evening had occured. We were watching the approaching edge of Jupiter anxiously to see the new impact site. When it came into view, it was incredible. As it passed over the face of Jupiter, we called just about everyone on the mountain to come take a look.  Observers on the other telescopes were using guide cameras with their spectrographs which don't really produce quality images so they took turns guiding for their instruments and came to get an eye view.  We viewed every night we could and had visitors from Fort Davis including the Boy Scout troop marveling at the newly formed impact "craters."

That period of viewing is my most memorable experience during my 22+ years working at the Observatory.

My Growing Up Years at The McDonald Observatory

Family photo 1972; Mt. Fowlkes in background

The McDonald Observatory was my childhood home. My family moved there from San Antonio in 1968 or so, just after the large telescope was built. My father’s office every day was mostly the 82-inch Telescope. My playground was the mountains ...

There were four of us at the time, myself being the oldest, and three younger brothers. We rode the bus to school in Fort Davis along with all the other children that lived on the mountain. Actually, our homes were at the base of Mt. Locke. They were all single-wide mobile homes. Some, like ours, were installed up the side of the mountain, in the shadow of Mt. Locke. Other mobile homes were located in a large circle in the valley of Mt. Locke.

The land on which the Visitor’s Center is today, was a field. There were usually Brahma bulls in this pasture and we had ‘fun’ taunting them — at a safe distance on the other side of a barbed wire fence!

Our play activities never included any regular television shows. We were too remote to get any stations except on clear nights and some mornings, we could get channel 2 from El Paso!  There was a television antenna that Dad installed in a large pine tree out the back door of the trailer — which, by the way, had no stairs to it. It was a long fall out the back door if one decided to exit that way!  Anyway, the antenna would frequently get blown around and what little reception we got would go away. Dad would climb the tree and twist the antenna around until one of us shouted out from inside “GOOD! STOP THERE!”  However, other than Bugs Bunny at 6 am on Saturdays, we really had no interest in television.

We played cowboys and Indians and made up our own games, usually with nothing other than our own imaginations and stayed outside as much as possible. We learned which wildlife to retreat from – namely skunks and porcupines. Once, we saw a mountain lion. I believe we ran all the way down Mt. Fowlkes without stopping. I’m sure the mountain lion ran down the other side of the mountain just as fast.

We didn’t know the name of that mountain then — we called it ‘flat top’ mountain because, well, it was flat on top. We regularly wandered around up there as well as the woods behind our houses that led up to the top of the mountain to the main telescopes. The Hobby-Eberly Telescope had not yet been built on our ‘flat top’ playground, so we had free reign. There were rocks to collect, trees to climb, forts to built — the possibilities endless.

Most of the residents had horses. There was a stable in the circle of houses below us. We kept an ornery sorrel named Foxy there. Foxy was gentle with us kids, but always tried to bite my dad.  There were several trips to the emergency room in Alpine for broken bones.  One was a broken collar bone that I sustained when riding someone else’s Shetland pony that brushed me off under a tree.

We left before I entered middle school and I cried and cried. I miss that lifestyle to this day. As an adult, I ended up in Houston for a job opportunity and that’s where I must stay. My children and now grandchildren are from here. I return to the McDonald Observatory from time to time and reminisce about how life would be different if my father hadn’t taken another job and taken us away from there.

It’s a wonderful, magical place in my mind. My childhood experiences there shaped who I am today and I’m very grateful for having lived there.

The Astronomy Department Airline: Nonstop Service Between Austin and Marfa

One of our Aztecs at the Austin terminal.

In the '70s, the Department operated a scheduled air charter service between Austin and Marfa. Strictly speaking, the airplane was "leased" and not "chartered." That word is important to the FAA, because leased aircraft (which operate under FAA Part 91) could do things that chartered aircraft (which operate under FAA part 135) could not (at least legally).

We used a Piper Aztec, a twin engine, turbo-charged piston powered airplane that seated 5 passengers plus the pilot. Our pilot was a World War 2 veteran (a P51 pilot during the war) named Jake Jacobsen. His actual first name was Ingvar, but he went by Jake.

The flight left Browning Aviation (a general aviation terminal at the old Robert Mueller airport) promptly at 8:00 a.m. every Monday and Friday. Two hours later we landed at Marfa, where we swapped vehicles with the staff that was departing the mountain back to Austin. The plane was refueled, Jake had his cup of coffee, and the flight left Marfa at 10:30 a.m. for the return to Austin.

Drinking that extra cup of coffee was risky for the passengers because there was no restroom on the airplane, and many of us arrived at our destination in agony, sprinting for the nearest restroom after getting off the airplane. There is a legendary story of one of our astronomers using the PUD (personal urinary device), a milk bottle sized contraption that Jake kept under the seats for extreme emergencies. Of course this device was used in full view of everyone on the airplane.

The vehicle left the TQ [temporary quarters, now called the Astronomers Lodge] for the Marfa airport at 9:30 a.m., and this made the last night of observing difficult, especially during long winter nights when observing could go on till 7:30 a.m. or later. After completing his last night, the observer had to convert his data to punched cards, a slow process, but the only method available to get stored data off the IBM 1800 computer for transport to Austin. Departing observers frequently carried up to 10 boxes of cards, each box containing 1500 punched cards. 

 

Betty Evans, Dr. David S. Evans

This morning, I had the unique, and wonderful opportunity to host Ms. Betty Evans, and her niece, for a VIP tour here at McDonald.  Ms. Evans is the wife of Dr. David S. Evans, a renowned astronomer from Cambridge, who later worked with McDonald Observatory.


Ms. Evans was delightful to talk with, and has numerous anecdotes and memories of the McDonald institution from the 1968 time-frame forward. 

There are many rare and inspiring people I've met since I've been here at the Observatory, and Ms. Evans is one of the most memorable.  I aspire to be like her, and like my father when I'm in my 90s, spry, with a sharp wit, and a clear memory.

Many of Dr. Evans contributions, and even some of the equipment he worked with continue to be important to this day.  I was able to show Ms. Evans the current incarnation of one of the telescopes her husband made history with, still working today, and contributing toward astronomy and contemporary scientific discovery now, and into the future.

Ms. Evans is a gracious, and fine lady, in the most classical of the sense, and I am honored to have met her.

My Experiences at the HET

Working at the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) was one of the high points of my career in optics, and a time I will never forget!  I was employed as the On-site Optical Engineer for the HET scope from about August 2001 until March 2003. From the very start, it was an unusual experience.

The person who hired me for this Optical Engineer position resigned and left the site shortly after I began work. That was unfortunate, since I was looking forward to reporting to that individual, as my supervisor. But it worked out that I continued reporting to the on-site Director of McDonald, so it would prove to be a pleasant and satisfactory arrangement.

I had worked at multiple observatories in Hawaii (Island of Maui) and also for the U. of H. Institute for Astronomy (I fA), so working for another university was not an issue. The HET Observatory and its telescope were the largest facility and telescope equipment with which I had ever been associated, (optical scope that is, since I had also worked at the NRAO, which has extremely large radio telescopes!) I knew the HET was going to be an interesting challenge.

During my time there, I had the opportunity to help with the care and feeding of the HET, from tasks as mundane as sweeping dust off the concrete ring wall on which the HET scope rides on air bearings, to cleaning the mirror segments with CO2 snow. Also, these tasks included technical matters such as measuring the reflectivity of the mirror coatings, making adjustments to mechanical equipment, helping work on detectors, and occasionally helping other guys to remove one of the mirror segments from the primary mirror array, when a mirror needed special attention. My least favorite jobs were:  (a.) climbing around on the truss in order to inspect or remove a mirror segment, and  (b.) climbing up and down the CCAS tower outside, which was 90 feet to the top. But these were also parts of the job.

All in all, I liked the work at the HET very much and will never regret having had this opportunity to work with the HET.  The HET is an amazing telescope for astronomical research; it facilitates the pursuit of spectroscopy on a level which is hard to equal. It just does what it was intended to do!  Best of all, the people at the HET and at McDonald in general, were the greatest bunch of folks, and consequently were a joy to work with as associates!  A nicer group of folks you will not find, not easily. My favorite visual observing scope was the 82 inch, which has exquisite optics for imagery. We got to use this scope several times, which was a real treat!

My wife and I lived on-site in one of the University houses which are on the McDonald Observatory property. We both loved that experience. Deer, javalina, foxes, humming birds, etc. would visit our patio and yard all the time, and we never tired of watching and interfacing with the wild life at McDonald. My wife worked at the Visitor's Center, and she enjoyed that as much as I liked working at HET. More nice people were her associates, at the the Center.

McDonald Observatory will always be a place I remember with warm feelings. It was a great learning opportunity, a good part of my optical career, and a wonderful place to live and share our lives with our fellow employees at the site. Thanks for all the good times, and keep up the great work in professional astronomy!

Expanding the Soul

At night at the 82-inch.

When you stay in the house too much, without any contact with nature, you know how you develop a sort of sickness of the soul? Peak experiences in nature do the opposite; they're soul expanding. McDonald Observatory gives people a special way to connect with nature, whether those people travel to the site, or not. For me, it started each night with seeing a long way in every direction from the top of Mount Locke. You can see lightning storms far off over the plains, rainbows and all the distant sunsets, and stars, and planets popping into view. For a girl in her 20s, there was never so exhilarating a freedom as being able to walk around after dinner, under the darkening sky, just looking up.

  No streetlights came on, but there was no need to worry about being out alone at night, even in the dark of the Moon, as we women sometimes worry in the city. It was always a safe journey into even the darkest of nights, and I came to know my way along the paths between the domes by touch, rather than sight.

There was a magic question that every astronomer always wanted to answer: "What are you working on?" They talked so freely about the space around us, with so many different perspectives on what's out there. Often these conversations went on late at night, in one or another of the domes, as points of fresh data appeared on computer screens in front of us. The tools of astronomy, like those at McDonald Observatory, have let astronomers study starlight — that delicate substance — in order to draw their pictures of the universe.

It was thanks to Harlan Smith that those pictures didn't go into a private room with a sign over the door marked "Astronomers Only." Harlan was a trailblazer and trendsetter who helped open the door to viewing and marveling at astronomers' pictures of what surrounds us in space, for all. I was proud to act as his minion.

I saw too many wonderful sights in the sky over McDonald Observatory to list here. I'll mention one particularly rich Perseid meteor shower, which built over many nights. At the shower's peak, in the hours before dawn, I lay in the back of a flatbed truck parked between the 107-inch and 82-inch domes, as Perseid meteors in all colors literally rained down from the top of the sky. I also especially remember a little crescent Moon, only 18-19 hours from the new phase (I forget the exact number now). It was just a ghost of a Moon really, rising in the east in bright dawn twilight, spotted from the catwalk of the 82-inch telescope dome. The astronomers inside that dome were just finishing their night's work, and they came outside to enjoy the little Moon with me.

I haven't had a night on Mount Locke in a quarter century now. But my soul got so big from being outside on those nights at McDonald Observatory that the memories have carried me through many decades since … and I'm grateful.

Widening State Highway 118 - Explosively!

Highway 118 before the blast.

State highway 118 from Ft. Davis to the observatory used to be a very different road than it is today. It was a very narrow 2 lane road with no shoulders and no safety “skid out” zones on the steep turns (like Dead Man’s). There were places where the road had a shear wall on one side, and a steep cliff on the other.

Starting in 1975, the state highway department added a number of improvements to the road: they widened it, added scenic overlooks, replaced the low water crossings with bridges so Limpia Creek wouldn’t flow over the road, and they added safety zones around the steep turns.

In January 1976 the highway department informed us there was going to be a big explosion as they blew away part of the mountain to make the road wider and add a shoulder. We all walked down to the old Millimeter Wave Observatory to watch the show. We weren’t disappointed; it was quite an explosion!

Nova computers

The Nova computer was a "16-bit minicomputer" introduced to McDonald Observatory around 1970 by Dr. Ed Nather for instrumentation control. In fact, Ed bought Nova SN 1 with drawings signed by Edson de Castro himself, the founder of the computer manufacturer, Data General Corporation. The machine was small enough to fit on a roll-around cart so that it could be easily used at the 30-inch or 36-inch telescope to control an instrument mounted to the back of the telescope.

Digital memory and micro-computers were not yet available, so the computer used core memory, up to 8 kilobytes per board (about 12" x by 12"), a CPU designed with small scale TTL digital "chips," and user-designed interfaces that all slid handily into the chassis. Software was loaded into the computer from paper tape using an ASR-33 teletype, and data in turn were punched to paper tape.

The light sensor was a photomultiplier tube, a one pixel device that converted photons to electronic pulses which could be counted by the Nova computer interface. In an effort to reduce internal noise, the tubes were kept cold in insulated boxes stuffed with dry ice. Condensation on the boxes during inclement weather would sometimes short out signal cables, so that at one time de-humidifiers were installed at the 30-inch and 36-inch telescopes.

Early on, Nova software was all written in "assembly language." High-level languages and operating systems came later. With an understanding of the Nova assembly language, software could be modified or entered using the computer front panel switches. Lights on the front panel permitted reading the software by stepping through the program one instruction at a time.

At night, the stillness in front of the TQ (Transient Quarters) was broken all night by the rat-a-tat-tat of teletypes punching UBV photometry data on miles of paper tape which was feed into a temporary storage receptacle — a trash can. And in the telescope, each tape punch was preceded by the mechanical sound of the filter wheel advancing about every second to the next color. Up until the Nova computer, the filter had to be turned by hand and the data written in a notebook.

The mini-computer revolutionized the measurement of flare stars, and put McDonald at the forefront of this branch of astronomy. But astronomy keeps moving on, so that now flare star photometry is relegated to amateurs and mini-computers are replaced by microprocessor chips.

The automated photometers freed the astronomer up to guide the telescope; this was before the day of automatic guiding. Astronomers on break would meet at the TQ for coffee with patches over their guiding eyes to maintain light sensitivity.

Snowed in: November 1969

Saw this spider web while on a walk in the snow

We had just moved back from Maryland where our daughter Kimberlee was born while Ed was serving in the army from Nov. 1967 until Oct. 1968. We had moved in when his folks into a tiny bedroom not big enough for the three of us. We managed with the hope that would find something soon. He was looking for a job, and as you know, there were just not any jobs available at the time. He had applied at every possible place. Finally, in March of 1969, Ed was hired as a night assistant at the observatory.

In November of that same year, Curt Laughlin (who was the Superintendent) asked Ed if he thought I would be interested in moving into one of the new trailers which had been moved in to provide housing for the new employees. I was thrilled and began moving all the stuff that I could handle by myself because Ed was day sleeping. Eventually, I got us all moved in. Thanksgiving was fast approaching and we made plans to drive down to town to spend it with the in-laws. Surprise – the morning of, we got up to winter wonderland that would have knocked your socks off. It snowed so much our car was completely covered with snow and there was no way out. We were snowed in. However, that did not keep us from having a little fun. We played in the snow until Kim and I were all wet.

I soon learned that if we were going to live up there we would have to properly outfit ourselves with winter clothing that would keep us warm. I even bought a sled for the kids. In 1974 our son Trae was born, and both kids were raised at McDonald. When the snow was so deep that we didn’t have to worry about cars coming along, we would allow the kids to start the sled from House 15 and ride down across the road into our garage (House 10). At the time, there were so many kids, we never had to worry about them out playing at the pond, walking up the hill getting into mischief at the Transient Quarters (TQ) which is now known as the Astronomer’s Lodge, and building forts in the woods. Jerry Wiant had a bell and when he wanted the kids to come home he would ring the bell until they all started coming home. Times were so different then, we did not worry about them at all.

There are too many memories for me to name them all, but our favorite was always the snows we had while living there for 34 years. Our family was one of the original bunch and we have sustained friendships with most of the original crew.

I still visit the observatory with my grandsons Joseph and Braeden. You will find us at the pool on Mondays and Thursday during the summer months. When we are done we always drive by the house where we lived. It will always have a special place in my heart.

1970s Memories of McDonald

Space Songs

Eric and I arrived on the mountain from the east coast in December of 1969 where he would take charge of the laser project, his first job. McDonald was a wonderful place to live! We could see for miles out the living room window of House E where we lived until 1975 when the new houses were finished. It was a great place to raise children, and we made lifelong friends.

One of my favorite memories is from the time when Barbara Laughlin led the observatory children in a performance of "Space Songs." In the picture you can see Gary Gallo (narrator) on the right. In the chorus are Cobb, Barker, Dutchover, Williams, Wiant, and Silverberg children. We still are known to occasionally sing "The Sun is a Mass of Incandescent Gas" and "Why Do the Stars Twinkle at Night."

Special Viewing Night

Special Viewing Night was offered to the locals of our area in west Texas for no admission. We had never been to the McDonald Observatory and thought this would be an opportune time. We picked the perfect night for our reservation. The skies were clear and the temperature cool. Dan, the moderator, showed us several interesting things in the night sky. Looking through the 36-inch telescope, we were blown away by the awesome wonder of the universe. The McDonald Observatory is truly a treasure in our area, and we will definitely be back again.

Visit to McDonald Observatory

107 Harlan Smith and 82 Otto Struve Telescopes

In January 2001, I watched the Sun rise from the Harlan J. Smith 107" Telescope building. I saw its dome close when the Sun came up.

At the W.L. Moody, Jr. Visitors Information Center, among other treasures, I purchased earrings that I still wear. The Frank Bash Visitors Center was being built next to it.

The people in Fort Davis proved to be friendly, knowledgable, and shared their knowledge freely. The place seemed magical. It was so green and so many trees dotted the landscape of the Fort Davis mountains.

I really enjoyed Joe's official tour of the Harlan J. Smith Telescope and of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope.

Here are some photos that I took.

Toddler to Technician

My experience with the McDonald Observatory began at an early age. In fact, when I was just a toddler in the 1950s. I vaguely remember visiting the observatory with family members and being simultaneously awed and terrified by the drive up. The 82" Otto Struve was the only one of the larger telescopes in existence at the time. We would make a day event of it, driving up from Marfa early and spending most of the day in the beautiful setting atop the Davis Mountains. A picnic with barbacoa cooked on a large pit at one of the road side parks leading up to Mt. Locke was always the way we completed our experience. Once at the observatory, the adults would split off from the brood of youngsters, leaving one of the adults to tend to us while they all went up to the 82" for a look see. I don't know what sort of tours they had at the time, if any, but I believe the telescope was accessible to visitors then. We kids were left to our own entertainment, supervised by a parent, and we made the most of it. It must have been like herding cats for whomever was left in charge because I can remember at least half a dozen to a dozen cousins at any one visit.

My most vivid recollection was one that could have had a tragic ending. On one visit after the adults had all gone up to enjoy the sites at the 82", we children and our adult attendant, my father's brother, entertained ourselves with child's play near the car park. At the time, if my recollection is accurate, visitor's cars were parked on the lower loop road where the 30" and 36" telescopes are now located. As we played, some of us noticed a visitor's vehicle slip its brakes and began to move backwards down the slopped parking area toward the drop off on the far side of Mt. Locke. We screamed and caught uncle's attention and he reacted almost instantly. He yelled at us to stay back and raced toward the slowly moving vehicle. He reached it and opened the drivers door, leaped in and applied the foot brake, stopping the car just before it plunged down the mountain. After all was said and done, he was both gratefully thanked by the car's owner who found it sitting not where he parked it, and chastised by our adult group for having taken such a risk to save it from a devastating plunge. I was too small to understand all of it at the time, but in my mind, my uncle was a brave hero for risking his life and doing what he did.

Now, these many years later, I find myself back at McDonald Observatory once again. Only this time, I am part of the staff at the Hobby-Eberly Telescope doing work as a technical staff associate. An electro-mechanical technician to be more precise. I came by this job after having left Texas in my youth to make my own way in the world, meeting and marrying the love of my life, Yolanda. We spent ten years in California, where she is from, raised two beautiful daughters, Ida and Jolene, and struggled as a young couple to make a go of it. Circumstances caused us to move back to Texas where I became employed in the oil and gas business for almost fourteen years. After a downsizing layoff, I decided to go back to school and hone my skills, acquire new ones, and prepare myself for another career. In late 1999, three years after first light for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, I applied for and was hired to my present job. I was ecstatic to be employed and live at such a prestigious world renown observatory and to be back near my hometown of Marfa. I have since had the absolute privilege of working with the most professional colleagues, current and past, both here at the HET and in Austin at the astronomy department. Together we have not only successfully commissioned and operated one of the world's premier spectrographic telescopes, but are currently undertaking the next phase of cutting edge astronomical science with the HETDEX project. Scheduled for completion sometime in 2014, we will be poised to make history by looking for the meaning of Dark Energy.

I have been at the HET for fourteen years now and have enjoyed every single one of them. From doing the everyday grunt work to even being deputy manager of the facility for a short stint, it has been an adventure. I love what I do, where I do it, and working with my colleagues every day. It has been rewarding and gratifying knowing I have been a small part of the science that we produce here in association with astronomers and their departments all over the world. I can truthfully say that I am at peace with the beautiful natural environment of the Davis Mountains, and I am at peace and one with the universe around me. Every night when I gaze up into the dark clear skies of West Texas, I marvel at being a part of the whole. The Milky Way appears to me as a river that can take anyone that wants to go on the journey to the far reaches of the universe and beyond. Who knows, with HETDEX, maybe we will.

Sneaking in

I happened to be in the neighborhood of the observatory after presenting a workshop in Alpine and decided to drive up to see what was going on. Alas, the observatory was closed for a private tour of Japanese tourists. I decided to take my chances, started mingling with the group, and told our observatory guide that I was a translator for the group. The truth is I didn't speak a word of Japanese! Sometimes, a little fib and subterfuge is necessary when the stars are calling, and there are no other options available. I made some new friends -- despite the language barrier -- participated in some great observing, and learned astronomy is amazing, whatever language you speak or don't speak.

Hauling the lens up the Mountain

My father Henry Noah Jones lived in the Ft. Davis , Texas area when my sister Mary Lou Jones was born there, My mom told me dad helped haul a huge lens up the mountain for a new obsevatory being built there at the time.

High School Junior

My Dad, a traveling salesman, and I visited McDonald in the summer of 1950. I was a high school junior from Lamesa, Texas. We met Paul Jose and how I"ll never know, I was invited to spend a week or so at the Observatory. I lived in the dome. I got to observe at the prime focus, develop plates, and do just about everything! Paul and his wife kept me fed and happy. It was a truly wonderful experience. I went to Texas A&M and finished with a degree in Physics. Then I received an MS in Physics fron UCLA and finally a PhD in Astronomy from Wisconsin. I went on to Indiana as a new Assistant Professor. Indiana had observing privileges at McDonald! So I observed at McDonald as a real astronomer from 1965 through the 1970s.

I hope to meet many friends at the celebration on April 26. Please reintroduce yourselves! It has been a long time.

Martin Burkhead

My wife, Barbara, and I are on our way to Capitol Reef National Park to serve as volunteers for May. I will be the visiting Astronomer!

From the Midwest to West Texas

A picture of me soon after I started working here.

I grew up on a farm near the town of Boonville, IN, and I have been interested in Astronomy since I was five years old. I received a 2.4-inch telescope as Christmas gift when I was ten and I joined the Evansville Astronomical Society when I was twelve. The club's observatory was at a local park where the the skies were pretty dark. The original telescope was a 12.5 inch F/10 Reflector that was made by the astronomer Edgar Everhart. It was replaced a long time ago with a Celestron C-14.

When I was a teenager I built a six-inch Newtonian Reflector on a Dobsonian mounting. I was very active in the club and served as the clubs Secretary/Historian and Program Chairman for several years. I received a degree in Electronics and worked in that profession for several years but my real passion has always been Astronomy.

In 1995 I began employment at the Evansville Museum of Arts and Science in their planetarium. One day while looking through the International Planetarium Society bulletin I happened upon a listing for a job opening conducting public programs at the McDonald Observatory Visitors Center. I had always dreamed of working at an observatory and this sounded just perfect for me! I applied for the job but unfortunately it had already been filled.

In 1996 I took a trip to the southwest to visit sights that have always intrigued me. I saw the Grand Canyon for the first time and visiting observatories was the top item on my list. I went to Kitt Peak, Lowell, and Sunspot just to name few. On the way back I stopped by McDonald and went to star party and did a self-guided tour the next day. After this trip I decided that someday I would live in the southwest.

In Oct. of 1999 I found out that the job at the Visitors Center was available again and I re-applied. I contacted the Visitors Center and spoke with Marc Wetzel and informed him that I was interested in the job and a few days later I hopped on a plane(s) and flew here for an interview. I was offered the job a few days later.

The journey here for the interview is a story in itself. On Nov. 1, 1999, I left Indiana for the three-day journey to my new job and home. My parents and brother traveled with me for the move and I have been here ever since. Living in West Texas is a lot different than Indiana, but it did not take me long to adapt. In closing I would like to say, follow your dreams because someday they may become true.

Sidewalk Shadows

I was selected to participate in a week long Space Science Workshop at the observatory. I was excited to attend because it was my first time to travel to the area. I learned many fascinating things about space and activities to share with my K-4th graders in the science lab at Samuel W. Houston Elementary School in Huntsville, TX. My favorite experiment was when we proved that the Earth is moving not the Sun by the use of sidewalk chalk shadow people. I still use this experiment today with my students. Thank you so much for inviting me to participate in a world of space science in the great outdoors.

First and Best

I was allowed to offer Astronomy for the first time it was taught for the 2006-2007 school year at Lehman High School in Kyle, TX. My Department Chair recommended the Professional Development at McDonald Observatory, so I applied to attend two seminars. I loved the summer experience at McDonald Observatory! McDonald Observatory was the first working professional observatory I had ever visited. May of 2006 I brought my first group of students to McDonald Obs and it really changed their lives in the most positive ways. I am still attending trainings and bringing students to one of my favorite places on Earth, McDonald Observatory!

Boot Camp!

I am the basketball or Sun in the picture!

This was my very first trip to the observatory! Having no idea where the observatory was at, but knowing it was going to take me eight hours to drive, I packed my belongings late the night before, after being at school all day teaching my junior high kiddos, and got minimal sleep. I left my home a little earlier than normal and drove non stop, except for fuel and food of course, by myself. Then taking that winding road (118) off the Interstate up to the mountain top, was a bit more than I was ready for, but because I procrastinated felt it would be just fine. I knew I would check in, get my lodging, at the time it was at the Indian Lodge and then get me some rest for the next day's activities! Little did I know it would resemble boot camp I had attended some 30 years earlier in San Antonio!

Upon arriving and checking in, I was extremely tired and was informed where the classroom was and would be starting the training THEN! Although the staff was no where close to the drill instructors I had at boot camp, it was that I was expecting some rest prior to training beginning and did not get any. 18 plus hours was a bit of a long day, especially driving almost half of it. I did pick up quite a bit of information those first hours and was glad we attended. The next morning, although somewhat early and late to bed that night made for another long day, but one filled with exciting learning and things I was able to use in my classes.

I also had another exciting story the second night at the Indian Lodge. It had begun raining and my roommate and I had a great room. After we had returned from the observatory for the night, we entered our room to find we had a leak. My roommate was not so put out as I was, since the leak was over MY bed! Fortunately, they had another room and we moved that night, but in the rain!

Needless to say, the rest I did not get while at the observatory was not really needed as the staff had so much for us to do and accomplish, I completely forgot all about the rest and was able to concentrate on learning so I could be a better facilitator at my school.

Thank you to each and every one of those fantastic observatory staff members!

Starry, Starry Night

I had forgotten what a truly dark sky could produce ... the magic, the infinity, the glorious majesty, and the over whelming feeling of being a part of something far greater than everyday life. The abundance of stars crashed over me like a giant wave the instant I walked out of the transient quarters at the McDonald Observatory in west Texas late one July night. I was one of 16 teachers chosen to broaden their astronomical horizons through the American Astronomical Society Teacher Resource Agent program (AASTRA). Dr. Mary Kay Hemenway and her graduate assistant, Pamela Gay, were our guides, instructors and mentors through five nights of observation and work on the 76 centimeter telescope. But all I could think of that first night as I walked with my head held back at a 90 degree angle to my body was, “I forgot.”

I remember the first time I saw a night sky with the dominant summer Milky Way. It was almost a religious experience. I was no longer attached to my grounded hunk of tissues and bone. I became part of the darkness of space. My thoughts blended with the stars and I felt the importance of my planet’s place in our galaxy.

All of my memories of childhood wonderment came rushing back on that warm summer night. With each meteorite that fell, I felt elation and sheer joy. I don’t think I stopped smiling that entire night, even when I had to report back to the telescope for my second run at
3:00 a.m.

For those of us who teach astronomy but do not usually participate in actual astronomical research, the technology that has developed around this science is absolutely fascinating. There was no keyboard button to push, no screen to look at, and no star to locate that we did not find interesting.

On the first night though, we had problems. A summer thunderstorm struck before we arrived and the electrical power running the computers had been zapped with one bolt of lightning. We lost the ability to align the telescope with our guide star, Cygnus B and the telescope needed to be recalibrated. Everyone on all of the shifts that first night worked to accomplish this feat. We centered the telescope on several stars but it wasn’t until about 5:00 a.m. that all of the instruments checked out — just in time to shut down for sunrise.

I am not a night person but I couldn’t wait for my second night of observation. By the third morning, with two runs under our belts, we were feeling confident and started comparing notes, Making astronomical observations reminded me of rock hunting; the more specimens you find, the pickier you get.

A variety of star clusters within the Milky Way were located and imaged using our charged coupling device (CCD) capabilities. We also looked at nebulae, which supply the galaxy with pigmentation. Against the black curtain of space, nebulae colored the imaginations of all who viewed them. The Omega Nebula (M17) was the most spectacular. Looking at the monitor, we all felt the presence of beginnings; all that could be created was in that misty shroud. Fantastic!

One night we found an irregular galaxy (NGC 6027, part of the Seyfert Sextet) that was vaguely shaped like one of the worms in the science fiction novel Dune so we laughingly started referring to it as “Aracus.”

When we completed our stay at the McDonald Observatory, the goals of the AASTRA program had been accomplished. Our science was more firmly grounded. Our abilities to translate that science for students would be formed by personal experience. We had new resources and new networks. As we sat together on that last night, the talk centered not on technology but on the dark sky. We laughed that Jupiter was so bright that it looked like an airplane making an approach to an airport.

One teacher reiterated the story of how the different colored meteors had fallen one after another as if on cue. Another spoke of how brilliant the different constellations were and how extremely bright Cassiopeia was in July. I added my tale about the hypnotic effect the brightly banded Milky Way had on me as a child. We finished our stories, sang some songs, and made a final pledge. We vowed in unison to do one thing first when we returned home. We would take our loved ones and anyone else we could persuade to see a piece of magic that most city dwellers miss - the dark sky.

Thank you McDonald Observatory.

Originally published in The Science Teacher Magazine, April 2000

Time Travels of the 82-inch Telescope Model

Toni Beldock, Head of Exhibit Design and Production and John Peel, Exhibit Production Supervisor, opening the crate

Last week, the more than 75-year-old model of the 82-inch telescope arrived at the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin, Texas. This morning I got to be there when they opened the crate containing it. I felt a little like Indiana Jones in the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" movie to get to be a part of this ceremony. The model is on loan from the Western Reserve Historical Society and it came all the way from Cleveland, Ohio. Twenty-five years ago, the model was exhibited at the Museum of the Big Bend at Sul Ross State University in Alpine in association with McDonald Observatory’s 50th anniversary.

Some people really wanted to see this model again and others have never seen it. This caused our staff member Bill Wren to track it down. It had moved from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History over to the Western Reserve Historical Society, and it took him a while to find it. Then, over 50 people donated to our campaign to bring the model back to Texas and we are grateful to all of them. We expected it to be here sooner but the record-setting ice and snow in the Midwest delayed its departure from Cleveland.

The model will be part of the Texas State History Museum’s exhibit entitled McDonald Observatory: 75 Years of Stargazing, which opens on May 1 and runs through June 30, 2014. Then it will take the 450-mile trek to the Observatory’s visitors center near Fort Davis, Texas and be on display indefinitely.

If you open the little little trap doors on the side of the model, you can see into an area that was once the astronomer’s quarters. Astronomers no longer sleep in the 82-inch dome. That was something they did before they build the Astronomer’s Lodge (Long House or TQ for those in the know) and other housing. Still, the musty smell inside the crate tells me that the spirits of the model builders and the Warner & Swasey Company, that built the telescope, live on.

I was awakened from this nostalgic experience this morning with a fire drill at the Museum — not nearly as exciting as the scene in the movie when the spirits of the Ark kill everyone who is watching it being opened. Nonetheless, it was fun to time travel back to the 1930s and what it must have been like to be involved in the creation of the great 82-inch Telescope and its model.

Ladybugs

Ladybug migration

My first visits to McDonald Observatory occurred in the seventies as a camper at Prude Ranch. One of our field trips was to the Observatory and what struck me the most wasn't the telescopes or skies, but the migration of thousands of ladybugs on every surface. It was a Milky Way of orange and black.

The 1937 Trip to West Texas

Richard Robertson (left), his mother Bon Sory (center) & sister June at the McDonald Observatory Sept. 7, 1937

Shortly after my 10th birthday, our family left Dallas in our 1935 Plymouth for a trip to West Texas. Memorable stops along the way were eating breakfast in the Nimitz Hotel in Fredericksburg, and spending the night in the new Lone Starr Lodges in Kerrville. We headed for Fort Davis, where we spent the night at the Prude Ranch and then drove up Mt. Locke to see the new McDonald Observatory on September 7th.

 Somehow, I realized that this was a very important place. We took pictures there, and at the ruins of old Ft Davis. On the way to El Paso and the Carlsbad Caverns, we drove to Marfa during an awesome rain storm. My dad had to shed his britches and shoes and get out of the car to lead us through the deep water. Eventually, we reached New Mexico and the Caverns. My Mother's note in the photo album said there were 300 in our party to watch the bats fly out before group toured the caverns.

Building the Road to the Observatory and Hauling the Tube and Mirror

In order for the observatory to be built a road had to be constructed up the mountain, which was a distance of 17 miles from Ft. Davis., C.E. Armstrong and Sons (my Great Grandfather and his company) were part of the building of the road.

When it was completed and the building was ready for the installation of the equipment, Charles Armstrong and Sons hauled the 82-inch Telescope tube and later the first mirror up the mountain to the observatory. The original dedication took place on May 5, 1939.

Railroad Family Exploring

Jim Baker family: Myrtle Alexander Baker and children.

It was probably very early in the public history of McDonald Observatory when the Jim Baker family made their first visit. With 3 preschoolers (Warren, Mildred, and Roger), it must have been a Sunday near 75 years ago, probably when Jim was operating a Burro half-circle crane for the redecking of Southern Pacific Railroad's Pecos High Bridge.

 A white placcard on the door, and the man peering through the glass would indicate the observatory was not open to visitors. We did pet whitetail deer in the yard.

Big Telescope

I was lucky enough to get to the observatory two summers in a row for teacher workshops. On the second of these, I got my hands on a "real" telescope. No, not a research instrument. I was honored to collect photons with my own eyes through the 36-inch, by far the largest telescope I've ever used. Starting at age 12 with a 4.25-inch reflector, over the years, I worked up to a 10-inch. And I have observed objects with telescopes as large as 20 inches.

But this was a real treat!

Objects that would be faint or impossible with those smaller telescopes simply jumped out of the eyepiece! It was such a pleasure to use this telescope to see familiar objects as if for the first time. While I prefer to find objects manually, it was just plain fun to tell it what to find and watch it home in on the target -- and to see that it is smart enough to know it can't look through the mountain behind it. The fun continued well past 1 a.m., as another teacher and I kept picking off targets. Fatigue isn't a problem when you have the rare opportunity to use such a fine instrument under such perfect conditions.

I spent a fair amount of time just staring at that sky. There have been few times indeed when I have been privileged to raise my eyes to such a clear and dark sky. And despite my long experience, there were moments when the huge number of faint stars made it a little difficult to find familiar patterns.

It was hard to put the telescope to sleep and quit for the night. I almost felt sorry for astronomers working inside at a computer console who would not get the total experience of that night.

1st visit 1955 at age 10

In 1955 my mother inherited her father's car and she brought me and her mother to McDonald Observatory from Lamesa, a long trip at the time.

We were in a '49 or so Dodge, and it vapor locked on the way to observatory. My mother made me and my grandmother get out while she backed the non-running car back down the hill.

My grandmother just stood on the side of the road with her hands over her eyes screaming the whole time, knowing my mother was about to die, but she managed to back down the very narrow road and got the car restarted at the bottom.

I didn't make it to the observatory that time and probably didn't come back until the late 60s to visit, but I'll never forget the first attempt.

Vacation with children

A highlight of our epic three week vacation, with 5 kids in a "Pop-Top VW" was the McDonald Observatory. Friends at the Moody Foundation, my customer, had urged be to go to the Observatory. Evidently the Moodys were big contributors, and I had done considerable work in their new building, American National Insurance Co., Galveston. I had seen photos in the Moody offices. Anyway the experience was "other worldly," to use a cliche'. I loved it and have returned many times. The kids now have kids and will be taking them soon.

Remembering William Johnson McDonald in Paris, Texas

L-R: Brandon Hoog, David L. Lambert, and Rhonda Rogers. Photo by Joel Barna.

On May 2, 2014, McDonald Observatory Director David L. Lambert gave a talk on the history and future of McDonald Observatory in Paris, Texas — the home of William Johnson McDonald (1844-1926), whose bequest to the University of Texas created McDonald Observatory.

The event, on the campus of Paris Junior College, was hosted by the Rotary Club of Paris and the Texas Exes Paris Chapter. In his closing, Lambert said that his own life had been greatly affected by the events that Mr. McDonald set in motion through his will, and that he liked to think that Mr. McDonald would be happy to see what his estate had created and how it had grown and developed over time. Later, Lambert was joined by Texas Exes Paris Chapter officers Brandon Hoog and Rhonda Rogers for a photo (shown) in front of the historic marker that honors Mr. McDonald at the site of the First National Bank of Paris, downtown.

Observing with Dr. Harlan Smith

Gemini Twins Castor and Pollux over the Harlan Smith Telescope

During April of 1982, I attended a Planetarium Conference with a very good friend of mine, Bryan Snow. Bryan was then Director of the Scobee Planetarium at San Antonio College. Just before we left on our journey we contacted a local meteorologist about the weather conditions in Fort Davis. His comment was, "You poor boys." The forecast was a snow storm for the Davis Mountains. Mind you, this was late for this time of year. While traveling out interstate 10 West the weather was very nice. When we arrived in Fort Stockton, Texas we noticed the outside temperature dramatically dropped. We stopped for lunch in Fort Stockton and noticed the buses traveling from the West had sheets of ice on the front grills. We did not think much of it and proceeded with our trip to the Davis Mountains.

When we approached the mountainous area, we encountered one of the most beautiful snow storms I have ever seen. Living in San Antonio, Texas, for so many years one rarely sees snowfall. So this was a real treat. Arriving at the Indian Lodge located at the Davis Mountain State Park, snow had blanketed much of the area.

The Indian Lodge was not only our hotel accommodations but also the site of the Planetarium Conference. One of the speakers at the conference was then McDonald Observatory Director Dr. Harlan Smith. The conference went well and later we all wondered if the skies would clear. Harlan Smith said it will be clear tonight. I then asked Dr. Smith if it would be alright to set up my vintage orange Celestron C8 telescope on Mt. Locke near the 107" telescope dome. Harlan said it was okay.

Indeed the skies did clear. I was using my 1950 Epoch Skelnate Pleso star charts to star hop and locate faint planetary nebulae that would push the limits of my C8 telescope. While observing these faint fuzzy objects, a gentleman in a wool ski cap came behind me, and requested to look through my telescope. We then proceeded to observe many faint planetary nebulae, which some appeared nearly stellar in the Celestron C8 telescope. He told me that was the most planetary nebulae he had seen in a single evening.

At that point he explained he had recently returned from an Astronomical Conference in Greece. He said he was there with some of the most notable astronomers in the world. While at the conference they stepped outside to look at the night sky. The gentleman informed me many of these astronomers could not identify the bright object in the western sky as the planet Venus. He then proceeded to have a class on whats up in tonight's sky which he instructed. The gentleman Bryan and I were observing with was Dr. Harlan Smith. Dr. Smith was not only a professional astronomer but also an observer.

That evening was one of the most memorable experiences of my life, that I will always cherish. The 107" Telescope on top of Mount Locke now bears his name.

The Message of Starlight

I love to learn and consider myself a lifelong learner. My original degrees are in Biology and Botany, but my first love of Astronomy began at the age of 5 when I first saw the Milky Way from the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. Growing up in the wilds of New York City brought me to learn at the Hayden Planetarium in as many "Astronomy for Young People" courses as my parents would allow.

I have been teaching a one semester Astronomy course for high school students since the Fall of 2004. From the beginning, I have sought professional development opportunities to extend and update my knowledge and authentic research experiences that I could turn into investigations for my students.

 I was fortunate to be selected for The Age of the Milky Way workshop the summer after I had worked on the ARBSE program through Kitt Peak National Observatory. The summer of 2008 had brought me to Kitt Peak. The night I was supposed to be rotating through and collecting our data for the Open Cluster project found us immersed in a major electrical storm that closed down the 0.9-meter telescope.

Undeterred, I saw a similar, shorter program at McDonald Observatory posted for the Summer of 2009. Since West Texas is closer to Oklahoma than Arizona, I decided that this was the place to be. The drive takes me 10 hours from Norman, but I have learned to love each part of the way, know where to stop and stretch and when I see the Davis Mountains rise up, I really get excited. I enjoyed the drive through the Davis Mountains as much to see the biology of the area. It is lovely.

We had perfect skies during the three nights and four days of that workshop, and I think the group of us closed down the telescopes each night of our stay there. The message of starlight and dark skies is magical, and once you have experienced it you are rarely satisfied with any less.

The other wonderful part is that I was able to connect with a group of teachers and UT Astronomers with similar interests and hopes for their students. We continue our conversations and sharing via e-mails and Facebook. We also became friends. I am always humbled when the Longhorns are willing to share their skies with this Sooner.

Other workshops (MONET in 2010; The Hubble Universe in 2012; and Texas EXES with Dr. Chris Sneeden and sharing his quest to study halo stars in 2013) have been outstanding (even thought it rained for the entire MONET workshop). Getting to have eyeball-to-eyepiece views on all of the scopes has been impressive. M 13 on the 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope was just amazing, but my favorite scope is the 0.9-meter because it is the most hands-on for the teachers.

Getting to meet and learn from folks such as Drs. Mary Kay Hemenway, Kurtis Williams, Rick Hesseman, Keely & Steve Finklestein, Kyle Fricke, Jody Harkrider, Judy Stanton Meyer, Marc Wetzel, and all the research astronomers who have shared their experiences and what they were learning has been exciting and stimulating. They practice what they preach!

I look forward to more experiences in the dark skies of West Texas whenever I can come down. The true beneficiaries are my own students and my three sons who are amazed that I have so much enthusiasm for what I teach. While I haven't been able to field trip my students down to West Texas, I can take them to the dark skies of the Oklahoma Panhandle during the Okie-Tex Star Party each Fall.

Learning more about Astronomy and our Universe is very special when it is hands-on, but nothing prepares you for the aesthetics and emotional side of the magic of starlight! Thanks for the memories and learning to share with others! Here's to the future! Happy 75th Anniversary!

Seed Funding for the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory

James W. McCartney and Neil Griffin gave seed funding for the future Frank N. Bash Visitors Center (photo Kevin Mace)

My wife, Linda, and I were guests at McDonald Observatory in the 1980s. It was an exceptional experience. The people there, the student instructors, the cordial reception, and program were all very impressive. Multiple telescopes were available, for viewing nebulae, twin stars, the moon, Saturn’s rings, and various other objects. The quality of the presentations could not have been better, but we noticed that the quality of the existing visitors’ center was something else.

I called Frank Bash, who, I believe, was at the time the chair of the astronomy department at UT Austin, and mentioned this to him. I suggested that some consideration be given to improving the visitors center. As I recall, he said that, by coincidence, they were looking into that matter at that time and were looking to raise some seed money to provide architectural plans for the project. I believe that around an additional $70,000 was needed. I indicated that I would see if I could get a friend of mine, Neil Griffin of Kerrville, to join me in making a contribution around that level. Whether Neil had had any prior connection with McDonald Observatory or the astronomy department at UT, I do not know, but he indicated immediately that he liked the idea and would like to participate. The seed money was provided, as I am sure along with other funds, and work on the new upgraded visitors center was begun.

The Visitors Center, which opened in 2002 and was later named in honor of Dr. Frank Bash, is, of course, an important part of the McDonald Observatory complex and provides a statement of the quality of the overall operation.

The annual run

I just wanted to throw this story out there and it is not some spectacular tale of stars and galaxies far, far away. it is about a group of guys that makes a short little motorcycle run from the Waco and Temple areas of Texas to the observatory each year.

T-Bone, Mace, Quagmire, and Johnnykat ride out to West Texas each year to sleep in tents, see the sights and enjoy what mother nature has to offer. Along with our ride comes a visit to McDonald Observatory each year. It is a great ride to the top and pictures are taken of the same things each year and it always seems new. We were lucky enough to meet a great guy one year that allowed us to actually see the inside. AMAZING! We may not be astronomers, but we are still amazed by the size and capability of each of these 'scopes. This stop is on our list again this year. Terlingua4 ...

Supernova in M82

In January 2014 light from a supernova in M82, the Cigar Galaxy, reached us here on Earth. I was able to view it with my small Dobsonian, but I wanted more so I signed up for one of the special viewing sessions on the 36" Telescope at McDonald Observatory.

When time came for the viewing session, skies were heavily overcast. Only I and two others stuck it out with staff member Dan Gordon. Dan was convinced the clouds would part if we were willing to wait it out. Finally it did clear, and the three of us were rewarded with a fantastic evening on the telescope.

I had asked Dan if we might view the supernova in M82, but he was doubtful because he felt it would be behind the dome of the 107" Telescope. As the session came to an end, Dan was kind enough to give it a try. M82 had just barely peeked out from behind the 107" dome, and we were treated to a sight few ever get a chance to see ... a supernova in a neighboring galaxy just 12 million light years distant. Viewed through the 36" scope it was fantastic, and an experience I will always treasure. I'd like to give a huge thank you to Dan Gordon for being willing to have a go at finding M82 in the waning evening hours. Thank you, Dan!

First Visit 1956

My family lived in Odessa, TX at the time of my first visit. All I wanted to do was see the stars. As a child it was amazing to see this telescope that could go to the stars. I have a picture of myself in front of the observatory in 1956, and Christmas of 2009 I took a picture of my grandson standing in the area that I stood. My grandson loved the visit and wishes to go back and hope to do so next summer, 2015.

StarDate 7/2008

After years of hearing StarDate on NPR, I knew that the McDonald Observatory was a worthy destination on my Hemicentennial (50th Birthday) Celebration roadtrip. I decided to leave Seattle and drive to various astronomy-related sites ending with a visit to the McDonald Observatory (and my son who was living in Marfa). I started in Seattle and drove to The Griffith observatory in L.A., Kitt Peak Observatory in Tucson, the VLA in Soccoro, NM, and finally to the McDonald in Ft. Davis.

Loving astronomy as a Seattleite (avg 226 cloudy days per year) is perhaps the most frustrating hobby in the universe, so my time looking at the dark skies of West Texas was a quasi- religious experience for me. My son from Marfa and I came to a star party and got to see the Jovian moons and other deep-sky objects we couldn't see with our binoculars. I think that day was one of my "perfect days," starting with a horse ride at the Prude Ranch. Then a lunch at the StarDate Cafe watching the hummingbirds, then a thorough visit at the visitor's center, dinner in Ft. Davis, then back to the observatory for the Star Party.

The next night we put our star smarts to use at the end of a road (field) in Marfa complete with fireflies, crickets, the train, and the Summer Triangle right overhead.

Now my son can point out the stars to his boys and think about the moons of Jupiter. Life just gets better, doesn't it?

A scientist discloses the truth about Santa Claus

My father, R. Edward Nather, passed away on August 13, 2014. He was one of McDonald Observatory's most illustrious astronomers. Would you believe that when he passed at age 87, he still kept his observing suit?

All of you have "Ed Stories," so here is one of mine. In 1976, I was 6 years old and the youngest of Dad's children. That Christmas, Dad told my siblings and me that we had to spend the holiday at "the observatory," which to my child's ears simply meant "someplace foreign and unfamiliar."

One afternoon, I recall being kept away from my parents for what seemed like a nefarious reason, and this only lit my natural inclination toward investigation. So I snuck out of wherever I was banished and found my parents sitting in a living room, on the floor, buried under mounds of wrapping paper. Dad handed me a hollow plastic candy cane filled with M&Ms and said very matter-of-factly — as you do — "Santa Claus does not exist. We've been giving you presents every Christmas."

I took it in stride - being handed chocolate always helps bad news go down easier — and within minutes, I had wandered off to go look at the deer through the window. And that is how I learned the truth about Santa Claus.

This was not the last hard truth that Dad would bestow upon me, but it is by far the most memorable in its insouciance and scientific delivery. If you knew Ed Nather, you are nodding right about now.

Yerkes to McDonald . . .

Event at McDonald Obs. 1940.

This is being written by Bruce Babcock, son of Horace W. Babcock (1912-2003). Horace was at McDonald during parts of the year 1940. I'm not sure if he would be considered a staff or a visiting astronomer. I know he was brought in by Otto Struve after a stint at Yerkes in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. It was there he met my mother and they were married on July 1, 1940.

He later worked on radar and rocket projects during the war (at MIT and Caltech) and then joined the Mount Wilson staff in 1946. He retired as Director of the Carnegie Observatories after taking a leading role in the creation of Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. His father, Harold Delos Babcock, was on the Mount Wilson staff from 1909-1949. Both won the Bruce Medal, among many other honors. This photo was among many family 35 MM slides taken during the 1940s and 1950s. I imagine that he took this photo.

I was hoping to identify the people in the photo. The woman in white is my mother, Margaret Anderson Babcock. Otto Struve is, I believe, second from the left. I'm not sure if the others are staffers and their wives, or were visitors attending some kind of event. I've had no luck so far. Any help would be appreciated. Many thanks,

Bruce Babcock

Dedication of McDonald Observatory

Leading astronomers from around the world gathered for the dedication of McDonald Observatory and its 82-inch telescope.

W.J. McDonald Bequest

Paris, Texas banker William Johnson McDonald left the bulk of his fortune to The University of Texas at Austin “for the purpose of aiding in erecting and equipping an Astronomical Observatory to be kept and used in connection with and as part of the University for the study and promotion of the study of Astronomical Science.”

Discovery of Titan's Atmosphere

Gerard Kuiper discovered the atmosphere of Saturn’s moon Titan, the first detection of an atmosphere for any moon in the solar system.

Improving the View

Harold Johnson and W.W. Morgan devised a system for measuring the colors of stars. The system, which is still in use today, allows astronomers to remove the effect of interstellar dust, which makes stars look redder.

Shape of the Milky Way

Gerard De Vaucouleurs proposed that the Milky Way galaxy is a barred spiral, with spiral arms extending from a long “bar” of stars in its center.

Dedication of the 107-inch Telescope

The 2.7-meter (107-inch) Harlan J. Smith Telescope at the University of Texas Mc

Dedication of the 107-inch (2.7-meter) Telescope. It was later renamed the Harlan J. Smith Telescope in honor of the observtory director responsible for its construction.

Coude Spectrograph

The 2.7-meter (107-inch) Harlan J. Smith Telescope at the University of Texas Mc

Robert Tull completed the Coude spectrograph for the 107-inch Telescope. It is the largest and most sensitive spectrograph of its type in the world. It has been renamed the Tull Spectrograph, and is still in use today.

 

Bouncing a Laser Off the Moon

One month after Neil Armstrong took the first “small step” on the Moon, McDonald Observatory bounced a laser beam off a reflector left on the Moon by Apollo 11. The experiment measured the Earth-Moon distance with an accuracy of a few inches.

Invention of High Speed Photometry

An instrument developed by R. Edward Nather opened a new field of astronomy, high-speed photometry. It allows astronomers to measure changes in an object’s brightness on timescales of a thousandth of a second or less. Among other things, it has been used used to discover rapid pulsations in white dwarfs, the “corpses” of once-normal stars like the Sun.

Sizing Up the Stars

Tom Barnes and David Evans published a method for determining a star’s size by measuring its brightness and temperature. Known as the “surface brightness relation,” it is still a commonly used technique today.

Helping with Hubble Space Telescope

Hubble Space Telescope

NASA launches Hubble Space Telescope, which was developed and planned with the input of several University of Texas astronomers and engineers. In particular, Fritz Benedict and Bill Jeffreys led a team developing the telescope's Fine Guidance Sensors, which allow it to point precisely at cosmic targets. Today, McDonald astronomers routinely use Hubble and other space-based telescopes in their research.

Dedication of Hobby-Eberly Telescope

The primary mirror of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at McDonald Observatory.

The innovative Hobby-Eberly Telescope was dedicated. It uses a mosaic of 91 individual mirror segments to create a primary mirror with an effective light-gathering power of a single 9.2-meter mirror.

Most Powerful Supernova

An automated search using a McDonald telescope discovered the most powerful supernova to date, Supernove 2005ap.The exploding star briefly shone 100 billion times brighter than the Sun. The Texas Supernova Search project was run by University of Texas graduate student Robert Quimby using the ROTSE IIIb telescope at McDonald.

Dark Energy Search

McDonald astronomers Gary Hill and Karl Gebhardt began developing the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX). It will examine more than one million galaxies to probe the nature of dark energy, which is causing the universe to expand faster as it ages.

First Planet Orbiting a Close Binary Star

Using the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, McDonald astronomers including Bill Cochran discovered the first planet orbiting a close-together binary star system. It is one of many exoplanet discoveries made at McDonald.

University of Texas Partners with University of Chicago

Yerkes Observatory

When The University of Texas at Austin received W.J. McDonald's bequest for building an observatory, it had no astronomy department. The University of Texas entered into an a agreement with the University of Chicago, which had many fine astronomers and its own Yerkes Observatory. The deal allowed for the University of Chicago to operate McDonald Observatory for 30 years.

Donation of Mount Locke

The two large domes in the foreground house the 2.1-meter (82-inch) Otto Struve

Mrs. Violet Locke McIvor donated the mountain upon which now sit most of McDonald Observatory's telescopes. Previously called "Flat Top" or "U Up and Down Mountain" (for the ranch in which it sat), it was renamed Mount Locke in honor of Mrs. McIvor's grandfather. Dr. G.S. Locke of Concord, New Hampshire, was the founder of the ranch.

Donation of Mount Fowlkes

HET

After receiving the donation of Mount Locke (previously called Flat Top) as the site for the new observatory, planners thought they should acquire the nearby smaller mountain (Little Flat Top) for possible future expansion. They received the donation from the estate of Fort Davis Judge Edwin H. Fowlkes, for whom the mountain was re-named. Decades later, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (one of the world's largest optical telescopes) was built atop Mount Fowlkes.

Otto Struve Directorship

Otto Struve

Astronomer Otto Struve was the first director of McDonald Observatory. He served from November 1932 to August 1947, and was concurrently director of The University of Chicago's Yerkes Observatory.

Gerard Kuiper Directorship

Astronomer Gerard Kuiper served as director of McDonald Observatory for approximately two years.

Bengt Strömgren Directorship

Bengt Strömgren served as director of McDonald Observatory from January 1951 through August 1957.

Second Kuiper Directorship

Gerard Kuiper served a second time as director of McDonald Observatory from September 1957 to March 1959.

William W. Morgan Directorship

William W. Morgan served as director of McDonald Observatory from April 1959 to August 1963. He was the final McDonald director from the University of Chicago.

Harlan J. Smith Directorship

Harlan J. Smith was the first University of Texas director of McDonald Observatory, and served simultaneously as chair of the new astronomy department in Austin. Among many other accomplishments, he led the construction on the 107-inch telescope that now bears his name. More information on Harlan J. Smith is available on his University of Texas memorial page.

Frank N. Bash Directorship

Astronomer Frank N. Bash served as director of McDonald Observatory from 1991 to 2003, and served two years as interim director from 1989-1990.

David Lambert Directorship

Dr. David L. Lambert became director of McDonald Observatory in 2003. Lambert also holds the Isabel McCutcheon Harte Centennial Chair in Astronomy, and has been a professor at The University of Texas at Austin since 1969. He retired as observatory director in 2014.

StarDate Radio Program Debuts

McDonald Obervatory's StarDate radio program debuted on the nation's airwaves, initially funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Today, StarDate is the longest running, nationally syndicated science show on radio. It currently airs on more than 300 stations. More information is available at StarDate Online.

Frank N. Bash Visitors Center opens

The 12,000-square-foot Frank N. Bash Visitors Center opened. Originally called the Texas Astronomy Education Center, it features an interactive exhibit, 90-seat theater, cafe, gift shop, and outdoor telescope park and amphitheater. It was later renamed the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center for the the former director of McDonald Observatory.

W.L. Moody Visitors Information Center opened

The W.L. Moody Visitors Information Center opened in 1982. For two decades, it served thousands of visitors to McDonald Observatory.

Taft Armandroff Directorship

Taft Armandroff with Struve Telescope dome

Taft Armandroff became director of McDonald Observatory on June 1, 2014. He had previously served as director of the W.M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii. Armandroff's research specialties include dwarf spheroidal galaxies, stellar populations, and globular clusters.

Construction Begins on Giant Magellan Telescope

Eleven international partners, including The Univesity of Texas at Austin, announced June 3, 2015, that they had approved the start of construction on the Giant Magellan Telecope (GMT). The telescope is poised to become the world's largest. It is expected to see first light in 2021 and be fully operational by 2024.

McDonald Laser Ranging Station

The McDonald Laser Ranging Station at the University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory. (credit: Kathryn Gessas/McDonald Observatory)

Otto Struve Telescope, Interior

The 2.1-meter (82-inch) Otto Struve Telescope at the University of Texas McDonald Observatory.

The 2.1-meter (82-inch) Otto Struve Telescope at the University of Texas McDonald Observatory. McDonald Observatory photo

Harlan J. Smith Telescope, Interior

The 2.7-meter (107-inch) Harlan J. Smith Telescope at the University of Texas McDonald Observatory. Photo by Marty Harris/McDonald Observatory

The 2.7-meter (107-inch) Harlan J. Smith Telescope at the University of Texas McDonald Observatory. Photo by Marty Harris/McDonald Observatory

Frank N. Bash Visitors Center, Aerial View

An aerial view of the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory. Credit: Bill Wren/McDonald Observatory

Hobby-Eberly Telescope, Primary Mirror

The primary mirror of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at McDonald Observatory. The mirror is made up of 91 segments, and has an effective aperture of 9.2 meters. Credit: Marty Harris/McDonald Observatory

The primary mirror of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at McDonald Observatory. The mirror is made up of 91 segments, and has an effective aperture of 9.2 meters. Credit: Marty Harris/McDonald Observatory.

Hobby-Eberly Telescope, Interior

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at McDonald Observatory. Credit: Thomas A. Sebring/McDonald Observatory

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at McDonald Observatory. Credit: Thomas A. Sebring/McDonald Observatory.

McDonald Observatory Domes

The two large domes in the foreground house the 2.1-meter (82-inch) Otto Struve Telescope (left) and the 2.7-meter (107-inch) Harlan J. Smith Telescope (right). Between these two, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) can be seen, atop neighboring Mt. Fowlkes.

The University of Texas McDonald Observatory. The two large domes in the foreground house the 2.1-meter (82-inch) Otto Struve Telescope (left) and the 2.7-meter (107-inch) Harlan J. Smith Telescope (right). Between these two, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) can be seen, atop neighboring Mt. Fowlkes. Photo by Tim Jones/McDonald Observatory.

Otto Struve Telescope, Dome

The 2.1-meter (82-inch) Otto Struve Telescope at the University of Texas McDonald Observatory. Photo by Marty Harris/McDonald Observatory

The 2.1-meter (82-inch) Otto Struve Telescope at the University of Texas McDonald Observatory. Photo by Marty Harris/McDonald Observatory.

Harlan J. Smith Telescope, Dome

The 2.7-meter (107-inch) Harlan J. Smith Telescope at the University of Texas McDonald Observatory. Photo by Marty Harris/McDonald Observatory

The 2.7-meter (107-inch) Harlan J. Smith Telescope at the University of Texas McDonald Observatory. Photo by Marty Harris/McDonald Observatory.

Illustration of the Giant Magellan Telescope

Illustration of the Giant Magellan Telescope. Credit: Matt Johns, Carnegie Observatories

Illustration of the Giant Magellan Telescope. Credit: Matt Johns, Carnegie Observatories.

Supernova 2006bp

Supernova 2006bp was discovered by the Texas Supernova Search within two days of its explosion. Credit: Robert Quimby, UT-Austin McDonald Observatory.

ROTSE IIIb Telescope

The Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment has placed telescopes in four locations on Earth to cover the entire sky in search of gamma-ray bursts. Credit: ROTSE Collaboration

The Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment has placed telescopes in four locations on Earth to cover the entire sky in search of gamma-ray bursts. One of these, ROTSE IIIb, is located at McDonald Observatory. In addition to its primary mission, the telescope is used for the ROTSE Supernova Verification Project (RSVP). Credit: ROTSE Collaboration.

Logo for Texas Supernova Search

The Texas Supernova Search is carried out by post-doctoral researcher Robert Quimby using the ROTSE IIIb telescope at McDonald Observatory. Credit: Robert Quimby, UT-Austin McDonald Observatory.

The Texas Supernova Search is carried out by post-doctoral researcher Robert Quimby using the ROTSE IIIb telescope at McDonald Observatory. Credit: Robert Quimby, UT-Austin McDonald Observatory.

Presentation of AEP Foundation Grant

Bart Rosenquist (left) and Fred Hernandez (center) of American Electric Power present a check for $30,000 to McDonald Observatory education coordinator Marc Wetzel (right).

Bart Rosenquist (left) and Fred Hernandez (center) of American Electric Power present a check for $30,000 to McDonald Observatory education coordinator Marc Wetzel (right). Rosenquist is a customer services representative for AEP Texas in San Angelo. Hernandez is the community affairs representative for AEP Texas in San Angelo. Photo credit: McDonald Observatory

McArthur, Barbara

Barbara McArthur is a Research Scientist with The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory. Credit: Matt Lanke.

Benedict, G. Fritz

Fritz Benedict is an emeritus Senior Research Scientist with The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory. Credit: McDonald Observatory

'Kicked Out' Black Hole

This supermassive black hole has been ejected from the center of its host galaxy. The black hole drags part of its surrounding accretion disk along for the ride. Some of the material lags behind, then catches up, crashing into the moving disk and producing a powerful burst of X-rays. Credit: Tim Jones/McDonald Observatory.

Salcido, Jimmy

Jimmy Salcido (center) receives a plaque and pin celebrating his 30 years of service with McDonald Observatory. Also pictured, from left: Dr. David Lambert, Director; Don Wallace, Superintendent; Rex Barrick, head of Physical Plant. Credit: Frank Cianciolo/McDonald Observatory.

Spectrum of a Distant Quasar

This chart shows the light given off by superheated material spiraling into a black hole at the heart of a galaxy 12.7 billion light-years away. This active galaxy, called a "quasar," is known as CFHQS 1641+3755. Because its light has traveled so far to us, it has lost energy, causing wavelengths to stretch. The light from neutral hydrogen gas, indicated by the label "Ly alpha" here, has stretched from a wavelength of 1216 Angstroms all the way to 8500 Angstroms. (For comparison, the human eye can only see light of wavelengths up to 6500 Angstroms.) The magnitude of this stretch, or "redshift," is what allows astronomers to calculate the quasar's distance. This quasar is one of only a handful known at such a great distance. This spectrum was taken with Marcario Low Resolution Spectrograph on the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory. Credit: Gary Hill/Tim Jones/McDonald Observatory.

Supernova 2005ap (with labels)

Left: Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) image of the field where supernova 2005ap was found, showing four nearby galaxies (A, B, C, and D) in December 2004. Right: Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) image of the same field about 2.5 months later, showing supernova 2005ap. The supernova's host galaxy is too distant to appear in either image. Credit: SDSS, R. Quimby/McDonald Obs./UT-Austin

Supernova 2005ap (without labels)

Left: Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) image of the field where supernova 2005ap was found, showing four nearby galaxies in December 2004. Right: Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) image of the same field about 2.5 months later. Supernova 2005ap appears at right center. The supernova's host galaxy is too distant to appear in either image. Credit: SDSS, R. Quimby/McDonald Obs./UT-Austin

Solar Twin HIP 56948

HIP 56948 is more like the Sun than any known star. Located 200 light-years away in Draco, the dragon, the star is too dim to see with the unaided eye. Credit: Tim Jones/McDonald Obs./UT-Austin

Gary Hill & Phillip MacQueen with the Mitchell Spectrograph

Instrument-building astronomers Gary Hill (left) and Phillip MacQueen with the Mitchell Spectrograph.

Instrument-building astronomers Gary Hill (left) and Phillip MacQueen pose with  the Mitchell Spectrograph, which is mounted on the Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory. Formerly known as VIRUS-P, the Mitchell Spectrograph is the prototype for the VIRUS instrument that will be created for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) to carry out the HET Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX). Credit: Marty Harris/McDonald Obs./UT-Austin

Jogee, Shardha

Shardha Jogee is an assistant professor in Department of Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. Photo credit: Christina Murrey/UT-Austin

Evans, Neal

Neal Evans is a professor and chairman of the Department of Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. Photo credit: McDonald Obs./UT-Austin

Sneden, Chris

Chris Sneden is a professor in the Department of Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. Photo credit: McDonald Obs./UT-Austin

Gebhardt, Karl

Karl Gebhardt is a professor in the Department of Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. Photo credit: McDonald Obs./UT-Austin

Kormendy, John

John Kormendy is a professor in the Department of Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. Photo credit: Courtesy John Kormendy/UT-Austin

Barnes, Tom

Thomas G. Barnes is a Senior Research Scientist at McDonald Observatory, part of The University of Texas at Austin. Photo credit: McDonald Obs./UT-Austin

Wheeler, J. Craig

J. Craig Wheeler is The Samuel T. and Fern Yanagisawa Regents Professor in Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. Credit: UT-Austin

Dome of the Harlan J. Smith Telescope

The closed dome of the Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory. The Hobby-Eberly Telescope is visible in the background at left. Credit: Bill Nowlin Photography

The closed dome of the Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory. The Hobby-Eberly Telescope is visible in the background at left. Credit: Bill Nowlin Photography

Harlan J. Smith Telescope dome with stars

Stars shine in an inky night sky above the open dome of the Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory. Credit: Bill Nowlin Photography

Stars shine in an inky night sky above the open dome of the Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory. Credit: Bill Nowlin Photography

The Astronomers Lodge

The Astronomers Lodge, where visiting scientists and other official visitors stay while visiting McDonald Observatory, sits below the Harlan J. Smith Telescope dome on Mount Locke. The dome of the Otto Struve Telescope is visible at right. Credit: Bill Nowlin Photography

The Astronomers Lodge, where visiting scientists and other official visitors stay while visiting McDonald Observatory, sits below the Harlan J. Smith Telescope dome on Mount Locke. The dome of the Otto Struve Telescope is visible at right. Credit: Bill Nowlin Photography

Light Deficit in Elliptical Galaxy Cores

Two giant elliptical galaxies, NGC 4621 and NGC 4472, look similar from a distance, as seen on the right in images from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. But zooming into these galaxies' cores with Hubble Space Telescope reveals their differences (left, black and white images). NGC 4621 shows a bright core, while NGC 4472 is much dimmer. The core of this galaxy is populated with fewer stars. Many stars have been slung out of the core when the galaxy collided and merged with another. Their two supermassive black holes orbited each other, and their great gravity sent stars careening out of the galaxy's core. Credit: NASA/AURA/STScI and WikiSky/SDSS

Core of Galaxy NGC 4621

The core of ellipitical galaxy NGC 4621 is bright; it does not show 'light deficit.' Credit: NASA/AURA/STScI

Elliptical Galaxy NGC 4621

This image of the elliptical galaxy NGC 4621 is from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Credit: WikiSky/SDSS

Core of Galaxy NGC 4472

This image of the core of elliptical galaxy NGC 4472 comes from Hubble Space Telescope. This core shows a 'light deficit' — it is missing light from stars that have been gravitationally slung out of the core during a past merger of galaxies and their supermassive black holes into the current supergalaxy. Credit: NASA/AURA/STScI

Elliptical Galaxy NGC 4472

This image of the elliptical galaxy NGC 4472 is from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Credit: WikiSky/SDSS

Komatsu, Eiichiro

Dr. Eiichiro Komatsu is the Director of the new Texas Center for Cosmology, and an Associate Professor of Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. Credit: UT-Austin

Fry, Edward S.

Dr. Edward S. Fry is a Distinguished Proofessor of Physics and Astronomy at Texas A&M University. (Credit: Texas A&M University)

Suntzeff, Nicholas

Dr. Nicholas Suntzeff is head of the astronomy program within the Department of Physics at Texas A&M University. He has a joint appointment in the Department of Astronomy of The University of Texas at Austin. (Credit: Texas A&M University)

Newton, H. Joseph

Dr. H. Joseph Newton served as Dean of the College of Science at Texas A&M University from 2002 to 2015. (Credit: Texas A&M University)

Mitchell, George P.

Mr. George P. Mitchell is Chairman and CEO of GPM Inc. and former Chairman and CEO Mitchell Energy and Development Corp. The Houston businessman and philanthropist is a major contributor to the astronomy programs at both Texas A&M University and The University of Texas at Austin. (Credit: Texas A&M University)

Bill Cochran

Bill Cochran is a Research Professor with The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory. Credit: McDonald Obs./UT-Austin

Silver and Gold HET

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope gleams in silver and gold against a deep blue night sky. Credit: Damond Benningfield

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope gleams in silver and gold against a deep blue night sky. Credit: Damond Benningfield

HET with Orange Sky

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope atop Mt. Fowlkes gleams silver against an amazing orange sunset. Credit: Damond Benningfield

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope atop Mt. Fowlkes gleams silver against an amazing orange sunset. Credit: Damond Benningfield

Texas Historical Marker

This sign from the Texas Historical Survey Committee explains the the founding of McDonald Observatory and its early history. Credit: Damond Benningfield

This sign from the Texas Historical Survey Committee explains the the founding of McDonald Observatory and its early history. Credit: Damond Benningfield

Sign with Domes

The domes of the Struve and Smith Telescopes appear in the distance beside this entry sign. Credit: Damond Benningfield

The domes of the Struve and Smith Telescopes appear in the distance beside this entry sign. Credit: Damond Benningfield

TxDoT Elevation Sign

This sign from the Texas Department of Transportation is near the dome of the Harlan J. Smith Telescope. It alerts visitors that the summit of Mt. Locke is the highest point on Texas highways. Credit: Damond Benningfield

This sign from the Texas Department of Transportation is near the dome of the Harlan J. Smith Telescope. It alerts visitors that the summit of Mt. Locke is the highest point on Texas highways. Credit: Damond Benningfield

Entry Sign

This stone sign signals visitors they are entering the grounds of McDonald Observatory. The Hobby-Eberly Telescope is visible at left in the distance. Credit: Damond Benningfield

This stone sign signals visitors they are entering the grounds of McDonald Observatory. The Hobby-Eberly Telescope is visible at left in the distance. Credit: Damond Benningfield

Aerial View of McDonald Observatory

In this aerial view, the two large domes in the foreground are the 2.1-meter Struve Telescope (left) and the 2.7-meter Smith Telescope (right) atop Mt. Locke. The Hobby-Eberly Telescope can been seen atop Mt. Fowlkes in the distance between them.

In this aerial view, the two large domes in the foreground are the 2.1-meter Struve Telescope (left) and the 2.7-meter Smith Telescope (right) atop Mt. Locke. The Hobby-Eberly Telescope can been seen atop Mt. Fowlkes in the distance between them. The 0.8-meter Telescope dome is visible in the right foreground, with the 0.9-meter Telescope appearing to the lower right of the Smith Telescope. Credit: Damond Benningfield

Glowing HET

The interior lights from the Hobby-Eberly Telescope glow through the dome opening and louvers.

The interior lights from the Hobby-Eberly Telescope glow through the dome opening and louvers. The telescope's large segmented mirror can be seen through the louvers. Credit: Damond Benningfield

Lonestar Supercomputer

The Lonestar supercomputer is a resource of the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) at The University of Texas at Austin.

The Lonestar supercomputer is a resource of the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) at The University of Texas at Austin. It is a Dell Linux cluster with 5,840 processing cores, and a peak performance of 62 teraflops (62 trillion floating-point operations per second). Since its launch in 2006, Lonestar has provided more than 85 million computing hours to approximately 1,100 researchers across the nation. Credit: TACC/UT-Austin

Birth of a primordial star

Birth of a primordial star, as seen through a supercomputer simulation. A spiral pattern forms inside the disk surrounding the star, leading to enhancements in density. One of these density perturbations is large enough to trigger the formation of a secondary protostar. Distances are measured in Astronomical Units (AU), which is the distance between Earth and our Sun. Credit: Clark, Glover, Smith, Greif, Klessen, Bromm (Univ.of Heidelberg, UT Austin); Texas Advanced Computing Center

Time sequence of the disk evolution around the first star

Time sequence of the disk evolution around the first star. The disk gives rise to spiral density waves, compressing the gas, and thus triggering further fragmentation into additional protostars. Already 110 years after the first protostar formed, three neighboring stars have emerged. The assembly process of the first stars will continue for another 100,000 years or so, at which point a massive double-star will likely have formed, possibly accompanied by a small group of somewhat lower-mass stars. Credit: Clark, Glover, Smith, Greif, Klessen, Bromm (Univ.of Heidelberg, UT Austin); Texas Advanced Computing Center

Volker Bromm

Volker Bromm is a professor in the UT Austin Department of Astronomy. (Credit: UT Austin)

Buckyballs Around a Hydrogen-Rich Star

Artist's concept of buckyballs and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons around an R Coronae Borealis star rich in hydrogen. Credit: MultiMedia Service (IAC)

Supernova 2008am

A follow-up image of supernova 2008am. Credit: D. Perley & J. Bloom/W.M. Keck Observatory

Wide Shot of Controlled Burns Near HET

The Southern Area Incident Management Team undertook controlled burns on Sunday, April 17, 2011 to get rid of fuel on the mountains around McDonald Observatory. This would starve the Rock House wildfire of fuel should it head back in our direction. The Hobby-Eberly Telescope dome is at right. (Credit: Frank Cianciolo/McDonald Observatory)

HET and Controlled Burn on Guide Peak

The Southern Area Incident Management Team undertook controlled burns on Sunday, April 17, 2011 to get rid of fuel on the mountains around McDonald Observatory. This would starve the Rock House wildfire of fuel should it head back in our direction. This shot shows Guide Peak, to the north of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, almost completely burned. (Credit: Frank Cianciolo/McDonald Observatory)

Overview of Observatory with Controlled Burn on Guide Peak

Guide Peak in flames from the controlled burn undertaken by the Southern Area Incident Management Team on April 17, 2011. The two peaks of McDonald Observatory, Mount Fowlkes and Mount Locke, are to the right and far right, respectively. The domes of the 9.1-meter Hobby-Eberly, 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith, and 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescopes are visible. (Credit: Frank Cianciolo/McDonald Observatory)

Frank N. Bash Visitors Center with Controlled Burn

The controlled burn of Sunday, April 17, 2011, as seen from the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center's public telescope park at McDonald Observatory, where public star parties are held three times each week. The Southern Area Incident Management Team undertook the controlled burn to starve the Rock House wildfire of fuel, should it turn back toward the observatory. (Credit: Frank Cianciolo/McDonald Observatory)

0.9-meter Telescope with Fire on Horizon

This view of the Rock House wildfire was shot on the night of April 9, 2011 overlooking the dome of the 0.9-meter Telescope. (Credit: Frank Cianciolo/McDonald Observatory)

Smith Telescope with Fire on Horizon

This view of the Rock House wildfire was shot on the night of April 9, 2011, from the catwalk of the 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope dome looking east. The 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope is at left. (Credit: Frank Cianciolo/McDonald Observatory)

HET with Controlled Burns on Surrounding Peaks

The Southern Area Incident Management Team undertook controlled burns on Sunday, April 17, 2011 to get rid of fuel on the mountains around McDonald Observatory. This would starve the Rock House wildfire of fuel should it head back in our direction. Here, Black Mountain is burning. The Hobby-Eberly Telescope dome is at right. Above it, the bright line on the right is the wildfire which broke through a burn-out line on Sunday afternoon. The bright line on the left is the front of a back-fire set to stop that portion of the wildfire. Silhouetted by the back-fires on Black and Spring (to the left) Mountains is Guide Peak now with only small pockets of active fires. (Credit: Frank Cianciolo/McDonald Observatory)

HBC 722

This composite image reveals the hidden power sources of this volatile star forming region. Blue represents starlight as seen by the UK Infrared Telescope (UKIRT), green is Herschel's view of the heated gas by ultraviolet radiation from protostars, and red is cooler gas seen by the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory. X marks the outburst, an area astronomers will keep an eye on. (Credit: J. Green, Univ. of Texas/ESA/UKIRT/CSO)

Binary White Dwarf

Two white dwarfs have been discovered on the brink of a merger. In just 900,000 years, material will start to stream from one star to the other, beginning the process that may end with a spectacular supernova explosion. Watching these stars fall in will allow astronomers to test Einstein's theory of general relativity as well as the origin of a special class of supernovae. Credit: David A. Aguilar (CfA)

Kepler-18

The top graphic shows the orbits of the three known planets orbiting Kepler-18 as compared to Mercury's orbit around the Sun. The bottom graphic shows the relative sizes of the Kepler-18 and its known planets to the Sun and Earth. Credit: Tim Jones/McDonald Obs./UT-Austin

The top graphic shows the orbits of the three known planets orbiting Kepler-18 as compared to Mercury's orbit around the Sun. The bottom graphic shows the relative sizes of the Kepler-18 and its known planets to the Sun and Earth. Credit: Tim Jones/McDonald Obs./UT-Austin

Visitors Center at Dusk

The Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory at dusk.

The Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory at dusk. The domes of the Harlan J. Smith and Otto Struve Telescopes are visible atop Mt. Locke in the distance. © 2002, Hester + Hardaway Photographers

Inside the Theater

Inside the theater at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center.

Inside the theater at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory. © 2002, Hester + Hardaway Photographers

Visitor Orientation Presentation

Visitors watch an orientation presentation.

Visitors watch an orientation presentation inside the theater at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory. © 2002, Hester + Hardaway Photographers

Exhibit Hall

A portion of the exhibit hall at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory.

(Kevin Mace / McDonald Observatory)

Sodium in Extra-Solar Planet Atmosphere

Seth Redfield used HET's High Resolution Spectrograph to detect the well-known signature of sodium, a pair of absorption lines known as a "doublet," at specific wavelengths (indicated here in angstroms) in the atmosphere of the extra-solar planet HD189733b. Credit: S. Redfield/T. Jones/McDonald Obs.

HET Observations of an Extra-Solar Planet's Atmosphere

The dotted line shows the planet's orbit around the star HD189733. The planet orbits the star once every 2.2 Earth days, crossing the face of the star well below its equator. The small circles indicate the planet's location during each of Seth Redfield's more than 200 HET observations over the course of one Earth year. The red circles indicate observations during transit; the rest of the circles denote out-of-transit observations. Credit: S. Redfield/T. Jones/McDonald Obs.

The 'Hot-Jupiter' Orbit of an Extrasolar Planet

HD189733b is a "hot Jupiter"-type extrasolar planet. It is 20% more massive than Jupiter, but orbits 10 times closer to its star than Mercury orbits the Sun. Mercury's orbit around the Sun is shown for comparison. Credit: S. Redfield/T. Jones/McDonald Obs.

Sundial Court

Visitors enjoy the Sundial Court at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory. The domes of the Harlan J. Smith and Otto Struve Telescopes are visible atop Mt. Locke in the distance. © 2002, Hester + Hardaway Photographers

Astronomy Gift Shop

The Astronomy Gift Shop at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory. © 2002, Hester + Hardaway Photographers

Information Desk

The Information Desk and the Astronomy Gift Shop at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory

The Information Desk and the Astronomy Gift Shop at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory. © 2002, Hester + Hardaway Photographers

Information Desk and Astronomy Gift Shop

The Information Desk and the Astronomy Gift Shop at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory. © 2002, Hester + Hardaway Photographers

William J. McDonald photo

William Johnson McDonald

Hobby-Eberly Telescope, Aerial View

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope. Credit: Marty Harris/McDonald Observatory.

Struve Telescope Mirror, about 1935

The 82-inch telescope's primary mirror, around 1935.

J.S. Plaskett, C.A.R. Lundin, and George A. Decker view the 82-inch telescope's primary mirror at Warner & Swasey Company in Cleveland prior to shipment to Texas. The telescope was later re-named the Otto Struve Telescope. This photo was likely taken in 1935. Photo courtesy Warner & Swasey Company.

Struve Telescope Dome with Workers, mid-1930s

Workers take a break from construction on the dome of the 82-inch telescope (later re-named the Otto Struve Telescope). The dome is 62 feet wide and weighs 115 tons. Construction on the telescope began in 1933 and ran through 1939. Credit: McDonald Observatory.

Struve Telescope Construction, mid-1930s

Workers at Warner & Swasey Company in Cleveland put the finishing touches on the polar axis and driving gear of the 82-inch telescope (later re-named the Otto Struve Telescope) destined for McDonald Observatory. Photo courtesy Warner & Swasey Company.

Struve Telescope Tube, mid-1930s

The tube of the 82-inch telescope (later re-named the Otto Struve Telescope) en route to McDonald Observatory. Credit: McDonald Observatory.

Drawing of Struve Telescope

Engineering diagram of the 82-inch telescope (later re-named the Otto Struve Telescope). Credit: McDonald Observatory.

Construction of Smith Telescope, late 1960s

Construction on the 107-inch telescope.

Construction on the 107-inch telescope (later re-named the Harlan J. Smith Telescope) began in 1966 and ended in 1968. Credit: McDonald Observatory.

William J. McDonald painting

William Johnson McDonald

Otto Struve, first director of McDonald Observatory

Otto Struve, first director of McDonald Observatory

Otto Struve (d. 1963) was the first director of McDonald Observatory, serving from 1932 to 1947. During this period, McDonald was run jointly by The University of Texas at Austin and The University of Chicago. Struve served simultaneously as the director of Chicago's Yerkes Observatory. Credit: McDonald Observatory.

Dedication of McDonald Observatory, 1939

Many of the world's foremost astronomers attended the dedication of McDonald Observatory on May 5, 1939. This photo includes, among others, Walter Baade, Bart Bok, Edwin Hubble, Jan Oort, Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, Henry Norris Russel, Martin Schwarzschild, and R.J. Trumpler. Credit: McDonald Observatory.

Lagoon Nebula

The Lagoon Nebula is a star-forming region in the constellation Sagittarius. It also goes by the names M8 and NGC 2563. This image was made with the 0.8-meter Telescope at McDonald Observatory, using the Prime Focus Corrector instrument. To obtain a color image, three exposures were added together, one made with a red filter, one with a green filter, and one with a blue filter. Credit: Mary Kay Hemenway/AASTRA teacher program/McDonald Observatory.

Eagle Nebula

The Eagle Nebula, also known as Messier 16, lies in the constellation Serpens. This image was made by the 0.8-meter Telescope at McDonald Observatory, with the Prime Focus Corrector instrument. To obtain a color image, three exposures were added together, one made with a red filter, one with a green filter, and one with a blue filter. Credit: Mary Kay Hemenway/AASTRA teacher program/McDonald Observatory.

Trifid Nebula

The Trifid Nebula lies about 8,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius. It also goes by the names Messier 20 (M20) and NGC 6514. This image was made by the 0.8-meter Telescope at McDonald Observatory, with the Prime Focus Corrector instrument. To obtain a color image, three exposures were added together, one made with a red filter, one with a green filter, and one with a blue filter. Credit: Mary Kay Hemenway/AASTRA teacher program/McDonald Observatory.

Dumbbell Nebula

The Dumbbell Nebula lies in the constellation Vulpecula. It is also known as Messier 27 (M27) or NGC 6853. This image was made by the 0.8-meter Telescope at McDonald Observatory with the Prime Focus Corrector instrument. To obtain a color image, three exposures were added together, one made with a red filter, one with a green filter, and one with a blue filter. Credit: Mary Kay Hemenway/AASTRA teacher program/McDonald Observatory.

Horsehead Nebula

Lying just below the belt of Orion, the Horsehead Nebula is actually two nebulae, one lying in front of the other. The foreground nebula, which includes the horsehead figure, appears dark because there are no nearby stars to illuminate it. The background nebula emits the characteristic red light of hydrogen, caused to glow by the energy of nearby stars. The Horsehead is also known as IC 434. This image was made with the 0.8-meter Telescope at McDonald Observatory, with the Prime Focus Corrector instrument. Credit: Tom Montemayor/McDonald Observatory

Bubble Nebula

The Bubble Nebula, also known as NGC 7635, is a sphere of active star formation glowing faintly in the constellation Cassiopeia. The hydrogen gas cloud from which the stars form emits red light, the characteristic color of hydrogen, by absorbing energy from them. This image was made with the 0.8-meter Telescope at McDonald Observatory, with the Prime Focus Corrector instrument. Credit: Tom Montemayor/McDonald Observatory.

Helix Nebula

The Helix Nebula, also known as NGC 7293, is a wreath placed by nature around a dying star. Nearing the end of its life and running out of nuclear fuel, the star in the center of the nebula has blown off its outer atmosphere. The blue-green interior color of the nebula is caused by oxygen emission; farther out the red color is caused by hydrogen emission. Our Sun will likely meet the same fate in about five billion years. This image was made with the 0.8-meter Telescope at McDonald Observatory, with the Prime Focus Corrector instrument. Credit: Tom Montemayor/McDonald Observatory.

Spiral Galaxy M33

More than a billion stars form the whirling spiral galaxy Messsier 33 (M33) in the constellation Triangulum. Its spiral arms glow blue with the light of hot, new stars. Older, yellow stars populate the nucleus. At a distance of only 3.5 million light-years, M33 is one of the nearest spiral galaxies. This image was made with the 0.8-meter Telescope at McDonald Observatory, with the Prime Focus Corrector instrument. Credit: Tom Montemayor/McDonald Observatory.

Rebecca Gale Telescope Park

The Rebecca Gale Telescope Park at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center is home to three star parties each week, under some of the darkest night skies in North America. Credit: Frank Cianciolo/McDonald Observatory

The Rebecca Gale Telescope Park at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center is home to three star parties each week, under some of the darkest night skies in North America. Credit: Frank Cianciolo/McDonald Observatory

Frank N. Bash Visitors Center

The Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory opened in 2002. The interior houses exhibits, a theater, and cafe. This photo of the Center shows the Sundial Court in front, the patio of the StarDate Cafe (left), the Rebecca Gale Telescope Park (right, rear) and the Amphitheater (center, rear). Credit: Martin Harris/McDonald Observatory

GMT Model

Model of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

Model of the Giant Magellan Telescope. Note the person at bottom right, indicating scale. Credit: Marsha Miller/Univ. of Texas.

SALT with Star Trails

The Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) at the South African Astronomical Observatory. SALT is a near-twin of the Hobby-Eberly Telesocope at McDonald Observatory. The HET Board is a partner in the SALT consortium. (Credit: SALT Consortium)

Dr. Khotso Mokhele & Dr. Frank Bash

Dr. Khotso Mokhele (left), president of South Africa's National Research Foundation, with Dr. Frank Bash, former director of McDonald Observatory. Dr. Mokhele visited McDonald in 2000 to give a talk on the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), whose design is based on the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald.

Smith Telescope with Nearly-full Moon

A nearly full gibbous Moon shines at sunset over the dome of the 2.7-meter (107-inch) Harlan J. Smith Telescope.

A nearly full gibbous Moon shines at sunset over the dome of the 2.7-meter (107-inch) Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory. While the dome was viewed from about half a mile away, the Moon, at the time of this photograph, was nearly 222,000 miles away. Distances can be truly deceiving in West Texas! Credit: Frank Cianciolo/ McDonald Observatory

0.9-meter (36-inch) Telescope, Interior

The 0.9-meter (36-inch) Telescope at McDonald Observatory. Today, this telescope is mostly used for public outreach programs, including Elderhostel programs and Special Viewing Nights. Credit: Kevin Mace/McDonald Observatory

0.9-meter (36-inch) Telescope, Dome

The 0.9-meter (36-inch) Telescope at McDonald Observatory. Credit: Kevin Mace/McDonald Observatory

The 0.9-meter (36-inch) Telescope at McDonald Observatory. Credit: Kevin Mace/McDonald Observatory

Edge-on Spiral Galaxy

This snapshot of an edge-on spiral galaxy was taken with a digital camera attached to the MONET/North telescope at McDonald Observatory, as a quick test of the new telescope. Photo by Stathis Kafalis, Stathis-Firstlight.

MONET at Dusk

The clamshell enclosure of the MONET/North telescope is open, revealing the 1.2-meter robotically controlled telescope. The crescent Moon shines above. Photo by Dr. Frederic Hessman, University of Göttingen.

MONET Enclosure

The barn-shaped enclosure of the MONET/North telescope at McDonald Observatory sits atop Mt. Locke, below the Otto Struve Telescope (top left) and the Harlan J. Smith and 0.8-meter telescopes (top right). Photo by Dr. Frederic Hessman, University of Göttingen.

MONET Team with Telescope

The MONET/North team poses with the telescope, celebrating completion of its clamshell-style enclosure and placement of the 1.2-meter robotically controlled telescope inside. Photo by Diane Peterson, McDonald Observatory.

Harlan J. Smith, first UT director of McDonald Observatory

Harlan J. Smith (1924-1991) served as director of McDonald Observatory from 1963 to 1989. He was the first University of Texas director, after a partnership with the University of Chicago's Yerkes Observatory ended. Among many other accomplishments, he initiated the construction of the 2.7-meter (107-inch) telescope at McDonald that now bears his name. (Credit: McDonald Observatory)

Gerard P. Kuiper, second director of McDonald Observatory

Gerard P. Kuiper was the second director of McDonald Observatory, after Otto Struve. The Observatory was run by the University of Chicago's Yerkes Observatory at that time. Kuiper was best known for his studies of solar system bodies. While at McDonald Observatory, he used the 2.1-meter (82-inch) telescope to make in-depth studies of Mars' atmosphere, to discover methane in the atmosphere of Titan (Saturn's largest moon), and to discover new moons of both Uranus and Neptune. (Credit: McDonald Observatory)

Test Site for CTI-II Telescope, Day

Adjusting the dome of a fully automated 'RoboDome' telescope. Come nightfall, the 10-inch telescope will measure sharpness of star images. This testing will enable astronomers to choose the best site at McDonald Observatory for the coming CTI-II Telescope. The domes of two McDonald telescopes are visible in the background. Image courtesy Dr. John McGraw, University of New Mexico

Test Site for CTI-II Telescope, Night

The fully automated 10-inch telescope inside the 'RoboDome' (atop the wooden tower) is measuring the sharpness of star images. The testing will enable astronomers to choose the best site at McDonald Observatory for the coming CTI-II Telescope. The domes of three McDonald telescopes are visible at bottom left. Image courtesy Dr. John McGraw, University of New Mexico

CTI-II Test Site with Researchers

University of New Mexico research faculty members and a student install a fully automated 'RoboDome' telescope that measures the sharpness of star images.

University of New Mexico research faculty members and a student install a fully automated 'RoboDome' telescope that measures the sharpness of star images. The telescope measures the twinkling of starlight, or astronomical "seeing." Astronomers seek sharp, stable stellar images with minimal twinkling, which is created by atmospheric turbulence. Image courtesy Dr. John McGraw, University of New Mexico

Frank N. Bash Visitors Center sign

The visitors center at McDonald Observatory was re-named the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory in a ceremony on July 22, 2006, to honor former Observatory director Dr. Frank Bash. Photo by Frank Cianciolo/McDonald Observatory

Star Party

Visitors enjoying a star party at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory.

Visitors enjoying a star party at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory. Frank Cianciolo/McDonald Observatory

Redfield, Seth

Seth Redfield is a post-doctoral researcher and Hubble Fellow at The University of Texas at Austin. Credit: McDonald Obs.

HET at Twilight

The mirror of the 9.2-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope is visible through the open louvers in this twilight view. In daylight, the flagpoles on the right show the flags of the five HET partner institutions. Credit: Marty Harris/McDonald Obs./UT-Austin

Interacting Galaxies from GEMS (1 of 4)

One of the many interacting galaxy pairs seen by the GEMS survey with the Hubble Space Telescope. Credit: S. Jogee/UT-Austin/GEMS Collaboration/STScI/NASA

Interacting Galaxies from GEMS (2 of 4)

One of the many interacting galaxy pairs seen by the GEMS survey with the Hubble Space Telescope. Credit: S. Jogee/UT-Austin/GEMS Collaboration/STScI/NASA

Interacting Galaxies from GEMS (3 of 4)

One of the many interacting galaxy pairs seen by the GEMS survey with the Hubble Space Telescope. Credit: S. Jogee/UT-Austin/GEMS Collaboration/STScI/NASA

Interacting Galaxies from GEMS (4 of 4)

One of the many interacting galaxy pairs seen by the GEMS survey with the Hubble Space Telescope. Credit: S. Jogee/UT-Austin/GEMS Collaboration/STScI/NASA

Mitchell Spectrograph

The George and Cynthia Mitchell Spectrograph mounted on the Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory. (Martin Harris/McDonald Observatory)

Gary Hill and the Mitchell Spectrograph

Phillip MacQueen and VIRUS

HETDEX Search Area

HETDEX will search a large region of the sky that overlaps the Big Dipper. While the Dipper's stars are only a few dozen light-years away, though, the galaxies that HETDEX will target are around 10 billion light-years away. [Tim Jones]

Upgraded Field of View

This diagram shows HET's new, upgraded field of view (center), compared to its original field of view (right) and the full Moon (left). [Tim Jones/McDonald Observatory]

What is the Universe Made Of?

GMT Artist's Concept

An artist's concept of the GMT

An artist's concept of the Giant Magellan Telescope. Credit: Todd Mason/GMT Consortium/Carnegie Observatories

HET in the morning

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory basks in early morning sunlight in this aerial view. The dome is open, revealing some of the structure at the top of the telescope itself. [Tim Jones/McDonald Observatory]

McDonald in the Morning

Early morning sunlight bathes the three largest telescopes at McDonald Observatory, in the Davis Mountains of West Texas, in this aerial view. The Hobby-Eberly Telescope (foreground) is atop Mount Fowlkes, with the Harlan J. Smith and Otto Struve telescopes atop Mount Locke. [Tim Jones/McDonald Observatory]

HET from Above

Blue sky reflects in the primary mirror of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory in this aerial view. The mirror is made of 91 individual segments. A dark instrument platform, which sits at the top of the telescope, partially obscures the mirror. [Martin Harris/McDonald Observatory]

McDonald Telescopes

Early morning sunlights illuminates the three largest telescopes at McDonald Observatory: the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (foreground) and the Harlan J. Smith and Otto Struve telescopes. [Tim Jones/McDonald Observatory]

Pulsations of a Carbon White Dwarf (color)

This 'light curve' shows the changes in light output over time, or 'pulsations,' of the first-discovered pulsating carbon white dwarf, as measured by the Argos instrument on the 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope at McDonald Observatory. Credit: K. Williams/T. Jones/McDonald Observatory

Pulsations of a Carbon White Dwarf

This 'light curve' shows the changes in light output over time, or 'pulsations,' of the first-discovered pulsating carbon white dwarf, as measured by the Argos instrument on the 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope at McDonald Observatory. Credit: K. Williams/T. Jones/McDonald Observatory

First Pulsating Carbon White Dwarf

McDonald Observatory astronomers Michael Montgomery, Kurtis Williams, and Steven DeGennaro discovered that the star SDSS J142625.71+575218.3 is the first pulsating carbon white dwarf. Credit: Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Collaboration (http://sdss.org)

Scout Patch

Boy Scouts participating in Scout Nights at McDonald Observatory receive this souvenir patch, funded by a grant from Mr. Harry E. Bovay, Jr. of Houston, Mr. Lowell Lebermann of Austin, and Ms. Virginia Lebermann of Marfa. (credit: Tim Jones/McDonald Observatory)

Cochran, Anita

Anita Cochran is a Senior Research Scientist and Assistant Director of McDonald Observatory. Credit: McDonald Observatory/UT-Austin

Hemenway, Mary Kay

Dr. Mary Kay Hemenway is Senior Lecturer and Research Associate in the astronomy department at The University of Texas at Austin. She specializes in astronomy education for elementary and secondary teachers and the history of astronomy. Credit: McDonald Obs./UT-Austin

HET at Dusk

The last rays of Sun strike the aluminized dome of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at dusk, producing pastel shades of pink, lavender, and silver. Credit: Bill Nowlin Photography

HET in its Landscape

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope sits atop Mount Fowlkes in the Davis Mountains of West Texas. Credit: Bill Nowlin Photography

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope sits atop Mount Fowlkes in the Davis Mountains of West Texas. Credit: Bill Nowlin Photography

Gerard de Vaucouleurs

French astronomer Gerard de Vaucouleurs (1918-1995) was among the first group of five faculty members to join the new The University of Texas Astronomy Department in 1960. He is best known for his extensive galaxy studies, and his Reference Catalogue of Bright Galaxies, which was published by The University of Texas Press in three editions. (Credit: McDonald Obs./UT-Austin)

Winget, Don

Astronomer Don Winget speaks to an audience at a meeting of the UT Astronomy Program Board of Visitors. Credit: Marty Harris/McDonald Observatory

Whirlpool Galaxy with the Mitchell Spectrograph

The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) is seen at left in an image taken with the one-meter MONET North telescope at McDonald Observatory. At right: The MItchell Spectrograph (formerly known as VIRUS-P) measured the intensity of the hydrogen-alpha emission at 246 points across the central region of the galaxy. The H-alpha emission traces the light from very young stars, and thus is a good indicator of the rate of star formation at each of these locations. Red dots indicate higher levels of star formation; the blue and black dots indicate lower levels of star formation. Credit: G. Blanc/K. Fricke/T. Jones/McDonald Obs.

Star Formation in the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51)

The Mitchell Spectrograph (formerly known as VIRUS-P) on McDonald Observatory's 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope measured the intensity of hydrogen-alpha emission at 246 points across the central region of the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51). The H-alpha emission traces the light from very young stars, and thus is a good indicator of the rate of star formation at each of these locations. Red dots indicate higher levels of star formation; the blue and black dots indicate lower levels of star formation. Credit: G. Blanc/McDonald Obs.

Whirlpool Galaxy

This image of the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) was taken with the MONET North telescope at McDonald Observatory as part of the observatory's educational outreach program. Credit: K. Fricke/MONET/McDonald Obs. (funded by Astronomie & Internet, a Program of the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation, Essen)

AEP Texas Funds West Texas School Trips

AEP Texas has granted $3,000 to McDonald Observatory to fund scholarships for West Texas schoolchildrent to visit the Observatory during the 2009-2010 school year. Pictured with presentation check, left to right, are: Sandra Preston (Observatory Assistant Director for Education and Outreach), Joel Barna (Observatory Development Officer), Graham Dodson of AEP Texas, and Dr. David L. Lambert (Director of McDonald Observatory).

WMAT with domes

The new Wren-Marcario Accessible Telescope (WMAT) sits on a concrete pad behind the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory. This 100% wheelchair-accessible telescope will be dedicated July 17, 2010. It will allow mobility-impaired visitors greater participation in the Observatory's popular star parties, and will also be used by other visitors. The Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) is visible in WMAT's central mirror, and the domes of Mt. Locke are visible in the background (Harlan J. Smith Telescope at left, Otto Struve Telescope at right). Credit: Frank Cianciolo/McDonald Observatory

WMAT diagram showing wheelchair access

The Wren-Marcario Accessible Telescope at McDonald Observatory's Frank N. Bash visitors center is designed to be 100% wheelchair accessible. The telescope's open design and wide wheelchair pathways will allow mobility-impaired visitors greater access to the Observatory's popular star parties, and will also be used by other visitors. Credit: Tim Jones/Mike Jones/McDonald Observatory

Comet Hartley 2

This photo of Comet Hartley 2 (green, right center) was taken by Joe Wheelock near McDonald Observatory on October 8. On this date, the comet appeared to the right of two star clusters called the "Double Cluster" in the constellation Perseus. The red nebulae to the far left are collectively called the Heart and Soul Nebula. The photo was taken using a camera with a 105-mm telephoto lens piggybacked onto a 16-inch Newtonian telescope. Credit: Joe Wheelock/McDonald Observatory

Komatsu, Eiichiro

Dr. Eiichiro Komatsu is director of the Texas Cosmology Center and a professor of astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Komatsu is also a member of the science team for WMAP, NASA's Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe. (Credit: Texas Cosmology Center/UT-Austin)

M87 Black Hole Artist's Concept

Artist's concept of what a future telescope might see in looking at the black hole at the heart of the galaxy M87. Clumpy gas swirls around the black hole in an accretion disk, feeding the central beast. The black area at center is the black hole itself, defined by the event horizon, beyond which nothing can escape. The bright blue jet shooting from the region of the black hole is created by gas that never made it into the hole itself but was instead funneled into a very energetic jet. Credit: Gemini Observatory/AURA illustration by Lynette Cook

Christmas Burst

The merging of the helium and neutron star produces a broad torus, plus two jets aligned with the rotation axis of the system. The jets interact with the previously ejected torus causing the observed spectrum. (Credit: A. Simonnet, NASA, E/PO, Sonoma State University)

Dodson-Robinson, Sally

Dr. Sally Dodson-Robinson is an assistant professor of astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. (credit: UT-Austin)

Supermassive Black Hole

Artist's concept of stars moving around a galaxy's black hole. Credit: Gemini Observatory/AURA/Lynette Cook

An artist's conception of stars moving in the central regions of a giant elliptical galaxy that harbors a supermassive black hole. Credit: Gemini Observatory/AURA artwork by Lynette Cook

Karl Gebhardt

Karl Gebhardt is the Herman and Joan Suit Professor of Astrophysics at The University of Texas at Austin.

Karl Gebhardt is the Herman and Joan Suit Professor of Astrophysics at The University of Texas at Austin. Credit: McDonald Observatory

Dramatic Transformation of Massive Galaxies over 10 Billion Years

The most massive galaxies present two to three billion years after the Big Bang differ dramatically from today’s, when the universe is 13.7 billion years old. A remarkably high fraction of the massive young galaxies host disk components, making them look like thick pancakes. In contrast, today’s most massive galaxies (ellipticals and lenticulars) typically have large bulges, and are shaped like watermelons. Additionally, 40% of the young massive galaxies are ultra-compact, compared to less than 1% of their massive elliptical and lenticular descendants today. Credit: T. Weinzirl, S. Jogee (U. Texas)/ A. Feild (STScI/NASA)

Comparison of Massive Galaxies at Early Times vs. Today

Massive galaxies today are substantially larger and more bulgy than massive galaxies 10 billion years ago. Credit: T. Weinzirl, S. Jogee (U. Texas)/STScI/NASA/SDSS

Massive galaxies today are substantially larger and more bulgy than massive galaxies 10 billion years ago. The left column illustrates the difference in size by comparing a face-on view of the massive present-day elliptical galaxy (NGC 4472) to the Hubble NICMOS image of a face-on ultra-compact galaxy from 10 billion years ago. The right column highlights the disky nature of massive young galaxies by contrasting an edge-on view of a modern bulge-dominated spiral (NGC 4594, the Sombrero Galaxy) with the an edge-on view of a massive disky galaxy from 10 billion years ago. Credit: T. Weinzirl, S. Jogee (U. Texas)/STScI/NASA/SDSS

Major Merger

This Hubble image of NGC 4676, nickednamed “The Mice,” illustrates an ongoing major merger between two colliding galaxies of similar mass. The gravitational forces between the two galaxies have produced two long tails of gas and stars stretching away from the galaxies, as well as a bridge of stripped material between the galaxies. Credit: NASA, H. Ford (JHU), G. Illingworth (UCSC/LO), M.Clampin (STScI), G. Hartig (STScI), the ACS Science Team, and ESA

McDonald Laser Ranging Station

The McDonald Laser Ranging Station at The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory. (credit: Kathryn Gessas/McDonald Observatory)

Lunar Lunar Laser Ranging Station

The Lunar Lunar Laser Ranging Station at the University of Texas McDonald Observatory. Photo by Randall L. Ricklefs/McDonald Observatory

Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET)

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at the University of Texas McDonald Observatory. Photo by Marty Harris/McDonald Observatory.

Aerial From Mt Locke

The large telescope domes of McDonald Observatory. In the top left corner, the Hobby-Eberly Telecope dome sits atop Mt. Fowlkes. In the foreground, the dome of the Otto Struve Telescope sits at left and the Harlan J. Smith Telescope at right, atop Mt. Locke. Credit: Marty Harris/McDonald Observatory.

The large telescope domes of McDonald Observatory. In the top left corner, the Hobby-Eberly Telecope dome sits atop Mt. Fowlkes. In the foreground, the dome of the Otto Struve Telescope sits at left and the Harlan J. Smith Telescope at right, atop Mt. Locke. Credit: Marty Harris/McDonald Observatory.

Lunar Laser on the Harlan J. Smith Telescope

From the late 1960s to mid-1980s, McDonald Observatory astronomers measured the Earth-Moon distance by beaming a laser from the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope to reflectors placed on the Moon by Apollo astronauts. (credit: Frank Armstrong/UT-Austin)

Drs. Rankin & Lambert with GMT Model

Dean of Natural Sciences Dr. Mary Ann Rankin and McDonald Observatory Director Dr. David Lambert, with a model of the Giant Magellan Telescope. An illustration of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope is in the background. Credit: Marsha Miller/Univ. of Texas.

McDonald Observatory Fire Truck

McDonald Observatory's new custom-designed, orange fire truck was purchased with grant funds from the Texas Forest Service and the UT-Austin administration. The domes of the Harlan J. Smith Telescope (left) and Otto Struve Telescope (right) can be seen in the background, atop Mt. Locke. Photo by Frank Cianciolo/McDonald Observatory.

Steve Bramlett, Safety Officer & Fire Marshal

Steve Bramlett, Safety Officer & Fire Marshal for McDonald Observatory, in front of the Otto Struve Telescope dome with the Observatory's new emergency services vehicle. Photo by Yadon Hardaway/McDonald Observatory.

Volunteers Tour HET

On May 18, 2006, McDonald Observatory honored volunteers who help out with our thrice-weekly star parties and other events. After a reception and dinner, they were treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of the Hobby-Eberly-Telescope. Frank Cianciolo/McDonald Observatory

Volunteers at 0.9-meter Telescope

On May 18, 2006, volunteers who help out with McDonald Observatory's thrice-weekly star parties and other events were treated to a private star party on the 0.9-meter Telescope (seen here), after a reception and dinner. Frank Cianciolo/McDonald Observatory

Testing the Mitchell Spectrograph

McDonald Observatory astronomers Phillip MacQueen (left) and Gary Hill test the VIRUS prototype (now called The George and Cynthia Mitchell Spectrograph) from the control room of the Harlan J. Smith Telescope. [Martin Harris/McDonald Observatory]

HET in the Davis Mountains

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope sits atop Mount Fowlkes in the Davis Mountains of West Texas. The telescope will be the site of the HETDEX experiment. [Damond Benningfield]

de la Cruz, Teresa 'Fendi'

Teresa "Fendi" de la Cruz is the voice of McDonald Observatory's Spanish-language radio program Universo. Credit: Damond Benningfield

Marco Lara and Ignacio 'Nacho' Acosta

Marco Lara (left) and Iganacio "Nacho" Acosta during a recording session of McDonald Observatory's Spanish-language radio program Universo. Lara is the program's associate producer; Acosta is its audio engineer. Vocal talent Teresa "Fendi" de la Cruz can be seen in the background, inside the soundproof recording booth. Credit: Damond Benningfield

Moon, Venus, and Jupiter over UT Tower

The Moon, Venus, and Jupiter blaze over the Tower of The University of Texas at Austin campus on December 1, 2008. This photo was taken from a 16th floor window of Robert Lee Moore Hall, which houses the administrative offices of McDonald Observatory and the Department of Astronomy. Credit: Joel Barna

Black hole diagram

The illustration shows the relationship between the mass of a galaxy's central black hole and the mass of its central bulge. The new higher mass Gebhardt and Thomas computer modeled for M87's black hole, 6.4 billion solar masses, could change this relationship. They used a more complete computer model than previous work. This may mean that the black holes in all nearby massive galaxies are more massive than we think, signaling a change in our understanding of the relationship between a black hole and its surrounding galaxy. Credit: Tim Jones/UT-Austin after K. Cordes & S. Brown (STScI)

Lambert, David L.

Dr. David L. Lambert is the Director of McDonald Observatory, and holds the Isabel McCutcheon Harte Centennial Chair in Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin

Hemenway Awarded AAS Education Prize

Dr. Mary Kay Hemenway was presented with the American Astronomical Society's Education Prize by AAS President Dr. John Huchra (left), in Washington, D.C. in January 2010. (Credit: Richard Dreiser/AAS)

Paul and Ruthie Premack

Paul and Ruthie Premack of San Antonio's premack.com have funded McDonald Observatory's dark skies awareness efforts that kick off in Summer 2010. Credit: Joel Barna/McDonald Obs.

WMAT with HET

The Wren-Marcario Accessible Telescope (WMAT) sits on a concrete pad behind the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory. This 100% wheelchair-accessible telescope was dedicated July 17, 2010. It allows wheelchair users greater access to telescope viewing at the Observatory's popular star parties. The Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) atop Mt. Fowlkes is visible in WMAT's central mirror. Credit: Frank Cianciolo/McDonald Observatory

Harold C. Simmons Dark Energy Optical System (mock-up)

This montage shows a mock-up of the new top end for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET), including the Harold C. Simmons Dark Energy Optical System, under construction at The University of Texas at Austin's Center for Electromechanics. Once completed, it will travel to McDonald Observatory to be mounted atop the HET in preparation for the HET Dark Energy Project. Credit: Univ. of Texas/Center for Electromechanics

Upgraded HET

Artist's concept of the upgraded Hobby-Eberly Telescope. The VIRUS spectrographs are contained in the curved gray "saddlebags" on the side of the telescope. They receive light through the green cables, which contain bundles of fiber-optic lines. This illustration shows the telescope without its enclosing dome. Credit: McDonald Observatory/HETDEX Collaboration

NN Serpentis

This artist's concept shows two newly discovered planets orbiting the binary star NN Serpentis. Credit: Stuart Littlefair/Univ. of Sheffield

Miller, Sarah

Sarah Miller, and undergraduate student in astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin, has been chosen as a Rhodes Scholar for 2008. The scholarship will fund her doctoral studies in astrophysics at Oxford University in the U.K.

ROTSE IIIb enclosure

The ROTSE IIIb telescope is inside this enclosure on McDonald Observatory's Mt. Fowlkes, not far from the much larger Hobby-Eberly Telescope. ROTSE, the Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment, headquarters at The University of Michigan, has placed telescopes in four locations on Earth to cover the entire sky in search of gamma-ray bursts. Credit: Tim Jones/McDonald Observatory

GMT Site Blasting

On March 23, 2012, engineers began a series of detonations to level the peak of Las Campanas Mountain in Chile. The mountaintop is the future site for the Giant Magellan Telescope. Credit: Francisco Figueroa/GMTO

LCOGT First-Light Team

The LCOGT installation crew. From left: Vincent Posner, David Petry, Annie Hjelstrom (Project Manager), Wayne Rosing (Chief Engineer and founder), and McDonald Observatory's Bill Wren. Credit: LCOGT Network

LCO 1-meter Telescope

The first 1-meter telescope in the Las Cumbres Observatory global network (pictured) saw first light at McDonald Observatory in 2012. Located on Mount Fowlkes, this robotic telescope is part of a world-wide network of telescopes used in both research and education. On October 30, 2019, a second 1-meter LCO telescope was dedicated at McDonald, in an adjacent dome on Mount Fowlkes. Credit: Frank Cianciolo/McDonald Observatory

LCOGT Dome with Mt. Locke Domes

The dome of the new 1-meter telescope of the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network is seen at front at its home on McDonald Observatory's Mt. Fowlkes. The domes of the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope and 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope are visible in the background atop Mt. Locke. Credit: Frank Cianciolo/McDonald Observatory

HET with Star Trails

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope. Credit: Frank Cianciolo/McDonald Observatory/UT-Austin

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope is surrounded by star trails centered on Polaris, the North Star. Credit: Frank Cianciolo/McDonald Observatory.

Students at Hobby-Eberly Telescope

Central Texas high school students participated in a week-long research experience at McDonald Observatory in June 2012. Here the students visit the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. Credit: Irina Marinova/McDonald Observatory

Evidence for Gravitational Waves

Data showing the decreasing orbital period of J0651. The dotted lines shows when the eclipse times should occur if the orbit were constant. The top panel shows how the eclipses have changed from when expected; the dashed line fits the observations. The bottom panel shows a zoomed view of the primary eclipses for four different months of observations (the colors correspond to the points in the top panel). Over time, the mid-point of the eclipses happen sooner (they shift to the left), indicating that the orbital period of the binary system is shrinking. The rate at which this orbit is shrinking is so far consistent with predictions from the emission of gravitational waves. Credit: JJ Hermes/McDonald Obs./UT-Austin

CANDELS galaxies

A small portion of one of the CANDELS fields; click for more information.

A small portion of one of the CANDELS fields; small circles indicate galaxies included in the survey. Galaxies seen at various distances are circled in colors according to epoch. Galaxies at a redshift of 4, or 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang, are circled in magenta, while galaxies at 5, 6, 7 and 8 are circled in blue, green, yellow and red, respectively. The three insets show a zoomed in view of three galaxies; the upper-left panel is one at a redshift of 4, the lower-right is at a redshift of 6, and the lower-left is at a redshift of 7.

This composite image is made up of an optical image (shown in blue) by Hubble Space Telescope as part of the GOODS survey, combined with an infrared Hubble image (red and green) taken in dedicated CANDELS observations.

Credit: S. Finkelstein/CANDELS Collaboration/STScI/NASA

CANDELS galaxy colors

This graph shows that galaxies become dustier over time; click for more information.

The red circles from left to right represent the measured average color of galaxies at a redshift of 4, 5, 6 and 7, where the bottom axis shows the time since the Big Bang. The light blue bar running through the center of the diagram shows the color of the local galaxy NGC 1705, which contains no dust. When CANDELS astronomers saw that the redshift 7 galaxies in their sample have a similar color as NGC 1705, they derived that those are also dust free. The gradual reddening they observed at lower and lower redshifts reveals that the galaxies are getting dustier with time.

Credit: S. Finkelstein/CANDELS collaboration

GMT Artist's Concept

The Giant Magellan Telescope, against the southern Milky Way, as it will appear when completed. Credit: Todd Mason/Mason Productions and GMTO Inc.

The Giant Magellan Telescope, against the southern Milky Way, as it will appear when completed. Credit: Todd Mason/Mason Productions and GMTO Inc.

Galaxy NGC 1277

This image of NGC 1277 was taken with Hubble Space Telescope. This small, flattened galaxy contains one of the most massive central black holes ever found. At 17 billion solar masses, the black hole weighs an extraordinary 14% of the total galaxy mass. [NASA/ESA/Andrew C. Fabian]

Image of lenticular galaxy NGC 1277 taken with Hubble Space Telescope. This small, flattened galaxy contains one of the most massive central black holes ever found. At 17 billion solar masses, the black hole weighs an extraordinary 14% of the total galaxy mass.

Credit: NASA/ESA/Andrew C. Fabian

Environment of NGC 1277

The galaxy NGC 1277 (center) is embedded in the nearby Perseus galaxy cluster.
[D. W. Hogg/M. Blanton/SDSS Collaboration]

The galaxy NGC 1277 (center) is embedded in the nearby Perseus galaxy cluster. All the ellipticals and round yellow galaxies in the picture are located in this cluster. NGC 1277 is a relatively compact galaxy compared to the galaxies around it. The Perseus cluster is 250 million light years from us.

Credit: David W. Hogg, Michael Blanton, and the SDSS Collaboration

Size of NGC 1277's Black Hole

The diamater of the 17-billion-solar-mass black hole in the heart of galaxy NGC 1277 is eleven times wider than Neptune's orbit around the Sun. [D. Benningfield/K. Gebhardt/StarDate]

This diagram shows how the diamater of the 17-billion-solar-mass black hole in the heart of galaxy NGC 1277 compares with the orbit of Neptune around the Sun. The black hole is eleven times wider than Neptune's orbit. Shown here in two dimensions, the "edge" of the black hole is actually a sphere. This boundary is called the "event horizon," the point from beyond which, once crossed, neither matter nor light can return.

Credit: D. Benningfield/K. Gebhardt/StarDate

Dr. Paul R. Shapiro

Dr. Paul R. Shapiro

Dr. Paul R. Shapiro is the Frank N. Edmonds, Jr., Regents Professor in Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. (Credit: UT-Austin)

Chow Telescope with Milky Way

The Milky Way shines over the dome of the new Alan Y. Chow Telescope at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center. Credit: Frank Cianciolo/McDonald Observatory.

The Milky Way shines over the dome of the new Alan Y. Chow Telescope at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center. Credit: Frank Cianciolo/McDonald Observatory

Alan Y. Chow

Dr. Alan Y. Chow

Dr. Alan Y. Chow dontated the new Chow Telescope recently dedicated at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center. Dr. Chow is a physician, teacher, inventor, and amateur astronomer. Credit: Alan Chow

Chow Telescope

Chow Telescope

The Alan Y. Chow Telescope was recently dedicated at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center. It will be used for public programs, teacher training, and teacher and student research. Credit: LCOGT

Anne Adkins

Anne Adkins

Anne Adkins is a member of the McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors. Photo courtesy Anne and Howard Adkins.

Wayne Alexander

Wayne Alexander

Wayne Alexander is a member of the McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors. Photo courtesy Wayne and Barbara Alexander.

Barbara Alexander

Barbara Alexander

Barbara Alexander is a member of the McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors. Photo courtesy Wayne and Barbara Alexander.

John Gerling

John Gerling

John Gerling is a member of the McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors. Photo courtesy John Gerling.

Mike Gibson

Mike Gibson

Mike Gibson is a member of the McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors. Photo courtesy Mike Gibson.

Ted Gray

Ted Gray

Ted Gray is a member of the McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors. Photo courtesy Ted Gray.

John Heasley

John Heasley

John Heasley is a member of the McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors. Photo courtesy John Heasley.

David King

David King

David King is a member of the McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors. Photo courtesy David King.

Robert Neblett

Robert Neblett

Robert Neblett is a member of the McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors. Photo courtesy Robert Neblett.

David Rose

David Rose

David Rose is a member of the McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors. Photo courtesy David Rose.

Eugene Sepulveda

Eugene Sepulveda

Eugene Sepulveda is a member of the McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors. Photo courtesy Eugene Sepulveda.

Klaus Weiswurm

Klaus Weiswurm

Klaus Weiswurm is a member of the McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors. Photo courtesy Klaus Weiswurm.

75th Anniversary logo

75th anniversary logo

McDonald Observatory is celebrating its 75th anniversary from September 2013 through August 2014. The anniversary logo may be used to promote official anniversary events. If you have questions about acceptable use, or need a different file type of the logo, please contact observatory press officer Rebecca Johnson.

75th Anniversary poster art

This poster was created to commemorate the 75th anniversary of McDonald Observatory. Credit: McDonald Observatory

CANDELS Image Highlighting Galaxy z8_GND_5296

Hubble CANDELS image highlighting galaxy z8_GND_5296

This image from the Hubble Space Telescope CANDELS survey highlights the most distant galaxy in the universe with a measured distance, dubbed z8_GND_5296. The galaxy's red color alerted astronomers that it was likely extremely far away, and thus seen at an early time after the Big Bang. A team of astronomers led by Steven Finkelstein of The University of Texas at Austin measured the exact distance using the Keck I telescope with the new MOSFIRE spectrograph. They found that this galaxy is seen at about 700 million years after the Big Bang, when the universe was just 5% of its current age of 13.8 billion years.

Image credit: V. Tilvi, S.L. Finkelstein, C. Papovich, A. Koekemoer, CANDELS, and STScI/NASA

Artist's Rendition of Galaxy z8_GND_5296

Artist's rendition of galaxy z8_GND_5296

An artist's rendition of the newly discovered most distant galaxy z8_GND_5296. (The galaxy looks red in the actual Hubble Space Telescope image because the collective blue light from stars get shifted toward redder colors due to the expansion of the universe and its large distance from Earth.)

Image credit: V. Tilvi, S.L. Finkelstein, C. Papovich, and the Hubble Heritage Team

Shetrone, Matthew

Dr. Matthew Shetrone

Dr. Matthew Shetrone is a Senior Research Scientist with McDonald Observatory, and the Facilities Manager for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. (credit: McDonald Observatory)

Armandroff, Taft

Taft Armandroff will become director of McDonald Observatory in June 2014

Dr. Taft Armandroff will become director of McDonald Observatory in June 2014. Credit: McDonald Observatory

John P. Dennis, III

John P. Dennis, III

John P. Dennis, III is a member of the McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors. Photo courtesy John P. Dennis, III.

Systemic Live

Systemic Live is an educational website to help the public understand more about extrasolar planets, created by Univ. of Texas astronomer Dr. Stefano Meschiari in conjunction with Dr. Greg Laughlin and others at The University of Calif., Santa Cruz. Credit: Systemic Live Collaboration

Super Planet Crash

Super Planet Crash is an online game created by Univ. of Texas astronomer Dr. Stefano Meschiari in conjunction with Dr. Greg Laughlin and others at The University of Calif., Santa Cruz. Credit: Systemic Collaboration

Best of Show, Jr. High-High School Category

Pencil drawing of Otto Struve Telescope by Rafael Riegel

Rafael Riegel's pencil drawing of the Otto Struve Telescope won Best of Show in the junior high-high school category of McDonald Observatory's art contest celebrating our 75th anniversary on April 26, 2014. Rafael is a sophomore at Fort Davis High School. Credit: Rafael Riegel

Best of Show, Elementary School Category

Mixed-media collage by Charlotte Browning

Charlotte Browning's mixed media collage featuring the Otto Struve Telescope won Best of Show in the elementary school category of McDonald Observatory's art contest celebrating our 75th anniversary on April 26, 2014. Charlotte is in kindergarten at Marfa Montessori School. Credit: Charlotte Browning

Solar Sibling HD 162826

Finder chart for HD 162826

The star HD 162826 is probably a "solar sibling," that is, a star born in the same star cluster as the Sun. It was identified by University of Texas at Austin astronomer Ivan Ramirez, in the process of honing a technique to find more solar siblings in the future, and eventually to determine how and where in the Milky Way galaxy the Sun formed.

HD 162826 is not visible to the unaided eye, but can be seen with low-power binoculars. It is 110 light-years away in the constellation Hercules, and appears not far from the bright star Vega in the night sky.

Credit: Ivan Ramirez/Tim Jones/McDonald Observatory

Dr. Frank N. Bash

Dr. Frank N. Bash

Dr. Frank N. Bash served as Director of McDonald Observatory from 1991 to 2003, and as Interim Director 1989-1991. The Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory was named for him. Bash is currently the Frank N. Edmonds, Jr. Regents Professor Emeritus in Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. His research centers on large-scale structure of spiral galaxies and star formation on large scales. (Credit: McDonald Observatory)

1930s Struve Telescope Model

Model of the 82-inch Otto Struve Telescope, on display at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory. (Kevin Mace/McDonald Observatory)

Warner and Swasey Co. of Cleveland created this model of the 82-inch Telescope (later re-named the Otto Struve Telescope) before they built the actual telescope on-site at McDonald Observatory. The model is now on display at the observatory's Frank N. Bash Visitors Center. (Photo by Kevin Mace/McDonald Observatory)

Kepler-444

Kepler-444 hosts five Earth-sized planets in compact orbits. The planets were detected from the dimming that occurs when they transit the face of their parent star, as shown in this artist's concept. Credit: Tiago Campante/Peter Divine

An animation is also availlable; click to view and download.

Kepler-444 hosts five Earth-sized planets in compact orbits. The planets were detected from the dimming that occurs when they transit the face of their parent star, as shown in this artist's concept. Credit: Tiago Campante/Peter Divine

An animation is also availlable; click to view and download.

Mt. Locke Domes with Star Trails

Star trails whirl around Polaris, the North Star, in early evening above the dome of the Otto Struve Telescope. The dome of the Harlan J. Smith Telescope is at right. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

HET Panorama

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope sits atop Mt. Fowlkes, surrounded by the Davis Mountains. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Struve Telescope with Open Dome

The Otto Struve Telescope points through its open dome. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Smith Telescope Panorama

The closed dome of the Harlan J. Smith Telescope dominates the foreground of this panoramic view. At left, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope is visible atop Mt. Fowlkes. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Looking into the Mt. Locke Domes

This ariel view looks into the open domes of the Harlan J. Smith Telescope (front) and the Otto Struve Telescope (rear). Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

HET Mirror through Dome

Looking into the open dome of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope reveals the 91 segments of its primary mirror. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Amphitheater with Milky Way (horizontal)

Visitors in the amphitheater during a public star party at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center. The Milky Way is clearly visible under the dark skies of McDonald Observatory. The streak at top center shows the path of an artificial satellite passing overhead. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Smith Telescope with Sunrise

The Sun rises behind the open dome of the Harlan J. Smith Telescope in this panoramic view. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Struve Telescope Dome with Sunset

The open dome of the Otto Struve Telescope is backed by multi-colored sunset. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

UT Seal, Observatory Nameplate

The great seal of The University of Texas at Austin appears with the observatory's name on the Art Deco dome of the Otto Struve Telescope. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Overview of Mt. Fowlkes

The summit of Mt. Fowlkes features the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (largest dome), as well as the McDonald Laser Ranging Station, the ROTSE/IIIb telescope, a 1-meter telescope of the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Network Group (small dome in foreground), and several other instruments and workshops. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Overview of Mt. Locke

The summit of Mt. Locke features the Harlan J. Smith Telescope (largest dome), the Otto Struve Telescope (smaller of the two large domes), as well as the smaller 0.8-meter Telescope (small silver dome at left center) and 0.9-meter Telescope (small white dome to the left of the Smith Telescope). The large red-roofed building at bottom right is the Astronomers Lodge. The white building to the right of the large domes is the Physical Plant. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

HET with Mt. Locke Domes in Background

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope dome sits atop Mt. Fowlkes at left. The domes of the Harlan J. Smith and Otto Struve telescope sit atop Mt. Locke in the background at right. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Overview of McDonald Observatory

This overview of McDonald Observatory includes Mt. Fowlkes (left, with Hobby-Ebely Telescope dome), Mt. Locke (right, with Harlan J. Smith and Otto Struve telescope domes), and the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center (center, at the base of Mt. Locke). Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Overview of Frank N. Bash Visitors Center

The Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory. The domes of the Harlan J. Smith and Otto Struve telescopes are visible atop Mt. Locke in the background. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Amphitheater with Mt. Locke

The amphitheater and public telescope park at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center are shown with the domes of the Harlan J. Smith and Otto Struve telescopes visible atop Mt. Locke in the background. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

McDonald Observatory and Surroundings

The three largest domes of McDonald Observatory appear in their context of the Davis Mountains. The Hobby-Eberly Telescope is visible in front atop Mt. Fowlkes. The Harlan J. Smith and Otto Struve telescopes are visible behind it atop Mt. Locke. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Astronomer's Lodge with Domes

The Astronomers Lodge sits beneath the dome of the Harlan J. Smith Telescope atop Mt. Locke. The dome of the Otto Struve Telescope is at right. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Amphitheater and Public Telescope Park

The amphitheater and public telescope park at the McDonald Observatory Frank N. Bash Visitors Center. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

HET Dome at Dusk

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope at dusk. The flags of the four partner instistutions fly with the U.S. flag outside the open dome. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Amphitheater with Milky Way (vertical)

Visitors attend a star party in the amphitheater at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center. The Milky Way shines brightly overhead, plainly visible under the dark skies of McDonald Observatory. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Frank N. Bash Visitors Center, Night

Nighttime view of the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory. The domes of the Harlan J. Smith and Otto Struve telescopes are visible atop Mt. Locke in the background. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

HET Panorama with Clouds

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope is surrounded by clouds and highlighted with a lens flare in this panoramic image. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Smith Telescope with Open Dome

The Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Smith Telescope with Colorful Clouds

The 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory, with its new IGRINS instrument, was used by UT Austin astronomer Andrew Mann and colleagues to observe the red dwarf star in the Hyades cluster to confirm the planet’s discovery. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Colorful clouds pass behind the open dome of the Harlan J. Smith Telescope. The Hobby-Eberly Telescope is visible atop Mt. Fowlkes in the background at left. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Struve Telescope at Sunset

A colorful sunset forms the backdrop to the open dome of the Otto Struve Telescope. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

HET with Star Trails (vertical)

Star trails wheel around Polaris, the North Star, above the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

HET with Star Trails (horizontal)

Star trails swirl around Polaris, the North Star, above the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Taft Armandroff with Struve Telescope Dome

Dr. Taft Armandroff, Director of McDonald Observatory, stands on the catwalk of the Harlan J. Smith Telescope. The Otto Struve Telescope dome is visible in the background. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Taft Armandroff with HET Mirror

Dr. Taft Armandroff, Director of McDonald Observatory, stands in front of the mirror of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Smith Telescope with Star Trails

Star trails zoom past the dome of the Harlan J. Smith Telescope. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

HET VIRUS Structure

This square black unit attached the Hobby-Eberly Telescope is one of two "saddlebags" that ride along with the telescope as it turns. (Part of the telescope's segmented mirror is visible at bottom left.) Each saddlebag will hold multiple spectrographs that together make up VIRUS, the instrument that will carry out a study of dark energy. The project is called HETDEX, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Engergy Experiment. More information about the project, and VIRUS, is available at http://hetdex.org. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

HET Mirror and Louvers

This interior view of the dome of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope reveals its segmented mirror, the dome opening, and the open louvers that look like blinds which encircle the structure. When open, the louvers allow cool air to flow through the dome, keeping the temperature inside as close as possible to the temperature outside. This helps to maintain the quality of astronomical observations. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

HET Mirror and VIRUS Structure (front view)

This interior view of the dome of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope reveals its segmented mirror, the dome opening, and the open louvers (visible at left center) that look like blinds which encircle the structure. The black structure (visible at right center) is one of two "saddlebags" that ride along with the telescope as it moves. Each will carry multitple spectrographs that together make up the instrument known as VIRUS. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

HET Mirror and VIRUS Structure (back view)

The mirror of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope is seen from behind, highlighting its teal blue support structure. At left, the square black unit is one of two "saddlebags" that ride along with the telescope as it turns. Each saddlebag will hold multiple spectrographs that together make up the VIRUS instrument. At right, the louvers that look like blinds are visible. These encircle the structure. When open, they allow cool air to flow through the dome, keeping the temperature inside as close as possible to the temperature outside. This helps to maintain the quality of astronomical observations. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

HET Control Room

Control room of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. Credit: Kevin Mace / McDonald Observatory

IGRINS Instrument

The IGRINS instrument sits inside the dome of the Harlan J. Smith Telescope. IGRINS stands for Immersion Grating Infrared Spectrometer. The instrument is a collaboration between The University of Texas and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute. Dr. Dan Jaffe, Chair of the University of Texas Astronomy Department, is the Principal Investigator. More information about IGRINS is available here. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Smith Telescope with IGRINS

The IGRINS instrument (foreground) sits inside the dome of the Harlan J. Smith Telescope. The telescope is visible at left. IGRINS stands for Immersion Grating Infrared Spectrometer. The instrument is a collaboration between The University of Texas and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute. Dr. Dan Jaffe, Chair of the University of Texas Astronomy Department, is the Principal Investigator. More information about IGRINS is available here. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Andrew Mann

Andrew Mann

Dr. Andrew Mann is a Hubble Post-doctoral Fellow at The University of Texas at Austin. (credit: Andrew Mann)

Kepler-452b (Artist Concept)

Artist's concept of Kepler-452b

This artist's concept depicts one possible appearance of the planet Kepler-452b, the first near-Earth-size world to be found in the habitable zone of star that is similar to the Sun. The habitable zone is a region around a star where temperatures are right for water — an essential ingredient for life as we know it — to pool on the surface. Scientists do not know if Kepler-452b can support life or not.

What is known about the planet is that it is about 60 percent larger than Earth, placing it in a class of planets dubbed "super-Earths." While its mass and composition are not yet determined, previous research suggests that planets the size of Kepler-452b have a better than even chance of being rocky. Kepler-452b orbits its star every 385 days.

The planet's star is about 1,400 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus. It is a G2-type star like the Sun, with nearly the same temperature and mass. This star is 6 billion years old, 1.5 billion years older than the Sun. As stars age, they grow in size and give out more energy, warming up their planets over time.

Scientists and artists considered these facts when creating this illustration. If the planet Kepler-452b does in fact have liquid on its surface and has grown warmer due to the older age of its star, it could possibly be experiencing a runaway greenhouse effect, where oceans would begin to evaporate and contribute to increased cloud cover. This, plus other factors such as the planet's large size, was factored into the hypothetical scenario depicted in this illustration.

Image credit: NASA Ames/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle

Kepler-452b Compared with Earth

 

 

Scientists using data from NASA's Kepler mission have confirmed the first near-Earth-size planet orbiting in the habitable zone of a sun-like star. The habitable zone is the region around a star where temperatures are just right for water to exist in its liquid form.

The artistic concept compares Earth (left) to the new planet, called Kepler-452b, which is about 60 percent larger. The illustration represents one possible appearance for Kepler-452b — scientists do not know whether the planet has oceans and continents like Earth.

Both planets orbit a G2-type star of about the same temperature; however, the star hosting Kepler-452b is 6 billion years old, 1.5 billion years older than the Sun. As stars age, they become larger, hotter and brighter, as represented in the illustration. Kepler-452b's star appears a bit larger and brighter.

Image credit: NASA Ames/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle

Kepler-452 system compared to our solar system

This size and scale of the Kepler-452 system compared alongside the Kepler-186 system and the solar system. Kepler-186 is a miniature solar system that would fit entirely inside the orbit of Mercury.

The habitable zone of Kepler-186 is very small compared to that of Kepler-452 or the Sun because it is a much smaller, cooler star. The size and extent of the habitable zone of Kepler-452 is nearly the same as that of the Sun, but is slightly bigger because Kepler-452 is somewhat older, bigger and brighter. The size of the orbit of Kepler-452b is nearly the same as that of the Earth, at 1.05 AU. Kepler-452b orbits its star once every 385 days.

Credit: NASA Ames/JPL-CalTech/R. Hurt

Keaton Bell

Keaton Bell is a graduate student in astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. (Credit: UT Austin)

Keaton Bell is a graduate student in astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. (Credit: UT Austin)

White Dwarf Outburst

The regular brightness pulsations (red) of white dwarf star PG1149+057 are visibly affected by an outburst (green). Such outbursts have been detected in two pulsating white dwarfs to date, and astronomers plan to hunt for more examples. (Credit: J.J. Hermes/Univ. of Warwick/NASA) 

HET with George T. Abell Gallery

The dome of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope sits in front of a backdrop of blue sky. The interior of the George T. Abell Gallery, where visitors can learn about HET and view the telescope, is illuminated. (Ethan Tweedie Photography)

HET Back View

Back view of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope shows support structure of the primary mirror (turquoise), as well as the tracker above the mirror that supports the new Harold C. Simmons Dark Energy Optical System (top center). (Ethan Tweedie Photography)

Harold C. Simmons Dark Energy Optical System Installed on HET

The Harold C. Simmons Dark Energy Optical System is a complex set of optics, including four mirrors, that sit above the primary mirror of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope on a support structure called a tracker. The primary mirror feeds light from cosmic targets into the Simmons System, which sharpens the view before sending that light into the telescope's science instruments. (Ethan Tweedie Photography)

Harold C. Simmons Dark Energy Optical System

Here the Harold C. Simmons Dark Energy Optical System is seen in the lab at The University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences, before it has been completely enclosed in its protective casing. (Hanshin Lee/McDonald Observatory)

Working on the Harold C. Simmons Dark Energy Optical System

Research Associate Hanshin Lee works on the Harold C. Simmons Dark Energy Optical System before it is placed atop the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. The 2-ton Simmons System is 5 meters tall, and contains four precisely alligned mirrors (three 1-meter mirrors and one 0.25-meter mirror). (Hanshin Lee/McDonald Observatory)

GMT at Las Campanas Observatory (Artist's Concept)

This artist's concept of the Giant Magellan Telescope shows the telescope and enclosure as they will appear when completed at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile's Atacama Desert. (Credit: GMTO Corporation)

Galaxy Simulation (Animation Available)

This illustration shows the gas density in a simulated galaxy at about 1 billion years after the Big Bang (redshift 6) with properties similar to those of the galaxies in a Hubble Space Telescope study released today. This includes an efficient rate of turning gas into stars. The simulated galaxy is being fed by streams of cold gas (green and yellow) flowing in along filaments from the cosmic web. This fuels the star formation occurring in the regions with the densest gas in this galaxy (red and white), mostly in the galaxy's center but also in clumps around it. The gas in this galaxy has shrunk to a compact, star-forming "blue nugget" with a violently unstable, clumpy disk.

Animation is available here: https://youtu.be/aDZNe_RvVl0

Credit: Avishai Dekel, Nir Mandelker, Daniel Ceverino, Joel Primack, and the VELA simulation team

Galaxies in HST's CANDELS GOODS-South Field

This image shows a region of the CANDELS GOODS-South field, which is one of the fields used in this study. This image combines data taken from Hubble Space Telescope's optical and near-infrared cameras, and contains galaxies at a range of distances. The larger galaxies are relatively close by, while the smallest specks hail from the earlier universe.  Some of the smallest dots in this image are those used in this study; their light is coming from 0.5 to 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang.

Credit: NASA, ESA, A. Koekemoer and the CANDELS science team

Natalie Gosnell

Dr. Natalie Gosnell is a W.J. McDonald Postdoctoral Fellow at The University of Texas at Austin. (Credit: Natalie Gosnell)

Birth of a Blue Straggler

Left: A normal star in a binary system gravitationally pulls in matter from an aging companion star that has swelled to a bloated red giant that has expanded to a few hundred times of its original size. Right: After a couple hundred million years the red giant star has burned out and collapsed to the white dwarf that shines intensely in ultraviolet wavelengths. The companion star has bulked up on the hydrogen siphoned off of the red giant star to become much hotter, brighter and bluer than it was previously. Credit: NASA/ESA, A. Feild (STScI)

Open Star Cluster NGC 188

McDonald Observatory astronomer Natalie Gosnell and her team used the open star cluster NGC 188 as a laboratory to study stellar evolution. Credit: Digitized Sky Survey 2 (STScI/AURA, Palomar/Caltech, and UKSTU/AAO)

Artist's Concept of HD 32963

This artist's concept shows the relative sizes and separation of the star HD 32963 and its newly discovered Jupiter-mass planet. Credit: Stefano Meschiari/McDonald Observatory

Orbit of HD 32963 b

This artist's concept shows the orbit of the newly discovered Jupiter-mass planet orbiting the star HD 32963, compared to the orbits of Earth and Jupiter around the Sun. Credit: Stefano Meschiari/McDonald Observatory

Dominick Rowan

Dominick Rowan is a high school senior from Armonk, New York. Credit: Dominick Rowan

HET with Pink Sunset

The dome of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope below a beautiful West Texas sunset. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

HET with pink sunset 2

The dome of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope sits at left with a backdrop of a multi-colored West Texas sunset. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Simmons Optical System

Close-up view of the Harold C. Simmons Dark Energy Optical System that sits atop the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. These new optics were installed in 2015 as the heart of a major upgrade to the telescope. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Working on HET

Hobby-Eberly Telescope staffer Emily Mrozinsky works on the telescope. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Working on HET 2

Hobby-Eberly Telescope staffer Emily Mrozinsky works on the telescope. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Working on HET 3

Hobby-Eberly Telescope Mechanical Engineer Emily Mrozinsky works on the telescope. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Cleaning HET's Mirrors

Hobby-Eberly Telescope staffer Amanda Turbyfill cleans one of HET's 91 hexagonal mirror segments by spraying it with dry ice. The small pellets of frozen carbon dioxide are abrasive enough to clear off dirt and bugs, but won't scratch the mirror. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Sunrise view from McDonald Observatory

A beautiful sunrise over the Davis Mountains seen from McDonald Observatory. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photograghy

Sun Rising over the Davis Mountains

The horizon seems to catch fire as the Sun rises in the Davis Mountains as seen from McDonald Observatory. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photograghy

Working on HET 4

Hobby-Eberly Telescope site manager Herman Kriel works on the telescope. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

HET Mirror Seen from Above

Looking down at the main mirror of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. The Harold C. Simmons Dark Energy Optical System is visible at top center. The black "saddlebags" holding the VIRUS spectrographs are visible at the left and right sides. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Mirror Images?

The wall panels of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope dome (top half of photo) recall the colors and shapes of the 91 hexagonal segements of the telescope's main mirror (bottom half of photo). Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Sunrise over McDonald Observatory

A colorful sunrise over McDonald Observatory. Mount Locke is at left, featuring the domes of the Harlan J. Smith and Otto Struve telescopes. The observatory's physical plant is at bottom center. At right center, the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center and the domes of its public telescope park can be seen. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Telescope Dome with Yucca

The dome of McDonald Observatory's 0.8-meter Telescope, also known as the 30-inch Telescope, is seen atop Mount Locke. A yucca plant blooms at the top of the stairs leading down to the dome. The Davis Moutnains are visible in the background. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Working on IGRINS

Graduate student Kyle Kaplan works on the IGRINS instrument mounted on the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Sunrise with the Struve Telescope

The Sun rises behind the dome of the 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Struve Telescope with Sunrise

The dark silhouette of the 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope is backed by a colorful sundrise. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Star Trails at HET

Star trails are seen through opening of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope dome. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

New vs. Old Solar Camera

Comparison photos of a sunspot group shot December 26, 2015 using McDonald Observatory's solar viewing system. At left, the view from the system's new Semmes camera. At right, the view from the old Semmes camera. (Kevin Mace/McDonald Observatory)

SDO vs. McDonald Solar Camera

These images of a sunspot group viewed in white light were both taken on December 26, 2015. At left, the view from the space-based Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). At right, the view from McDonald Observatory's recently upgraded solar viewing system. The two images are are surprisingly comparable. (SDO/NASA, Kevin Mace/McDonald Observatory)

Three Generations of Solar Cameras

These views of the Sun's full disk allow a comparison of three generations of solar cameras on McDonald Observatory's solar viewing system, from the original Overcash camera (smallest solar disk), to the upgrade to the first Semmes camera (middle disk), to the most recent Semmes camera upgrade (largest disk). The new camera's maximum resolution of the full solar disk has provided an astonishing improvement in size and clarity. (Kevin Mace/McDonald Observatory)

Sunspots, Flares, and Filaments

The view of sunspots, solar flares, and solar filaments was taken on June 20, 2015 with McDonald Observatory's solar viewing system. (Kevin Mace/McDonald Observatory)

Solar Prominences

This view of solar prominences was taken on April 4, 2013, with McDonald Observatory's solar viewing system using a hydrogen-alpha filter. (Kevin Mace/McDonald Observatory)

K2-25 in the Hyades Cluster (annotated)

The 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory, with its new IGRINS instrument, was used by UT Austin astronomer Andrew Mann and colleagues to observe the red dwarf star in the Hyades cluster to confirm the planet’s discovery. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

The red dwarf star K2-25 is indicated in this view of part of the Hyades open star cluster from the Digitized Sky Survey. The Hyades is the closest open star cluster to Earth. It is visible in the night sky in the horns of the constellation Taurus, the bull. (A. Mann/McDonald Obs./DSS)

Part of the Hyades Cluster (unannotated)

A view of part of the Hyades open star cluster from the Digitized Sky Survey. The Hyades is the closest open star cluster to Earth. It is visible in the night sky in the horns of the constellation Taurus, the bull. (A. Mann/McDonald Obs./DSS)

Supernova 2012cg

The blue-white dot at the center of this image is supernova 2012cg, seen by the 1.2-meter telescope at Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory. This supernova is so distant that its host galaxy appears here as only an extended smear of purple light. Credit: Peter Challis/Harvard-Smithsonian CfA

The blue-white dot at the center of this image is supernova 2012cg, seen by the 1.2-meter telescope at Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory. At 50 million light-years away, this supernova is so distant that its host galaxy, the edge-on spiral NGC 4424, appears here as only an extended smear of purple light. Credit: Peter Challis/Harvard-Smithsonian CfA

Brendan Bowler

Dr. Brendan Bowler is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. (credit: Brendan Bowler) 

Galaxies Akira and Tetsuo

An artist’s rendition of the galaxies: Akira (right) and Tetsuo (left) in action. Akira’s gravity pulls Tetsuo’s gas into its central supermassive black hole, fueling winds that have the power to heat Akira’s gas. The action of the black hole winds prevents a new cycle of star formation in Akira. (Credit: Kavli IPMU)

Exoplanet K2-33b Orbits Youthful Star

K2-33b, shown in this illustration, is one of the youngest exoplanets detected to date. It makes a complete orbit around its star in about five days. These two characteristics combined provide exciting new directions for planet-formation theories. K2-33b could have formed on a farther out orbit and quickly migrated inward. Alternatively, it could have formed in situ, or in place. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Comparing K2-33 to our Solar System

This image shows the K2-33 system, and its planet K2-33b, compared to our own solar system. The planet has a five-day orbit, whereas Mercury orbits our sun in 88 days. The planet is also nearly 10 times closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

K2-33 in Upper Scorpius

Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) image of the 11 million year old Upper Scorpius Star forming region. The two bright stars are Nu Scorpii (left) and Beta Scorpii (right), both likely members of Upper Scorpius. The cloudy region around Nu Scorpii is a reflection nebula; residual dust from recent star formation as well as interstellar dust is reflecting light from the bright star. A zoom-in inset is shown around the star K2-33b, with the planet host circled in red.

Large color image constructed from Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) images, inset constructed using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). (Credit: A. Mann/McDonald Obs/DSS/SDSS)

Forming a Direct Collapse Black Hole

An image based on a supercomputer simulation of the cosmological environment where primordial gas undergoes the direct collapse to a black hole. The gas flows along filaments of dark matter that form a cosmic web connecting structures in the early universe. The first galaxies formed at the intersection of these dark matter filaments (Aaron Smith/TACC/UT-Austin)

Aaron Smith

Aaron Smith is a graduate student in UT Austin's Department of Astronomy.

Surface of Proxima b (Artist's Impression)

This artist’s impression shows a view of the surface of the planet Proxima b orbiting the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our solar system. The double star Alpha Centauri AB also appears in the image to the upper-right of Proxima itself. Proxima b is a little more massive than Earth and orbits in the habitable zone around Proxima Centauri, where the temperature is suitable for liquid water to exist on its surface. Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser

 

Proxima b orbiting Proxima Centauri (Artist's Impression)

This artist’s impression shows the planet Proxima b orbiting the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our solar system. The double star Alpha Centauri AB also appears in the image between the planet and Proxima itself. Proxima b is a little more massive than Earth and orbits in the habitable zone around Proxima Centauri, where the temperature is suitable for liquid water to exist on its surface. Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser

 

Proxima b Infographic

This infographic compares the orbit of the planet around Proxima Centauri (Proxima b) with the same region of our solar system. Proxima Centauri is smaller and cooler than the Sun and the planet orbits much closer to its star than Mercury. As a result, it lies well within the habitable zone, where liquid water can exist on the planet’s surface. Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser/G. Coleman

 

Motions of Proxima Centauri due to Orbiting Planet

This plot shows how the motion of Proxima Centauri toward and away from Earth is changing with time over the first half of 2016. Sometimes Proxima Centauri is approaching Earth at about 3 miles per hour (5 kph) — normal human walking pace — and at times receding at the same speed. This regular pattern of changing radial velocities repeats with a period of 11.2 days. This indicated the presence of a planet with a mass at least 1.3 times Earth's, orbiting about 4.4 million miles (7 million km) from Proxima Centauri — only 5% of the Earth-Sun distance. Credit: ESO/G. Anglada-Escudé

 

Walter E. Massey

Dr. Walter E. Massey is Chair of the Board of the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization. (Credit: Walter E. Massey)

Taft Armandroff

McDonald Observatory Director Dr. Taft Armandroff is the Vice Chair of Board of the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization. (Credit: GMTO Corporation)

Betelgeuse in Infrared

This 2012 infrared image of Betelgeuse by the orbiting Herschel telescope shows two shells of interacting matter on one side of the star. (Credit:  L. Decin/University of Leuven/ESA)

Orion

This view of Orion, the hunter, was captured from McDonald Observatory on November 20, 2016 by a DSLR camera piggybacked on a three-inch telescope for a 12-minute exposure. Supergiant star Betelgeuse forms the hunter's bright orange shoulder at top left. (Credit: Tom Montemayor)

Robert Shelton

Dr. Robert Shelton is President of the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization. (Credit: GMTO)

Galaxy Cluster MACS 0416

A Hubble Space Telescope view of the galaxy cluster MACS 0416 is annotated in cyan and magenta to show how it acts as a ‘gravitational lens,’ magnifying more distant background galaxies. Cyan highlights the distribution of mass in the cluster, mostly in the form of dark matter. Magenta highlights the degree to which the background galaxies are magnified, which is related to the mass distribution.

Credit: STScI/NASA/CATS Team/R. Livermore (UT Austin)

Galaxy Cluster Abell 2744

A Hubble Space Telescope view of the galaxy cluster Abell 2744 is annotated in cyan and magenta to show how it acts as a ‘gravitational lens,’ magnifying more distant background galaxies. Cyan highlights the distribution of mass in the cluster, mostly in the form of dark matter. Magenta highlights the degree to which the background galaxies are magnified, which is related to the mass distribution.

Credit: STScI/NASA/CATS Team/R. Livermore (UT Austin)

HETDEX Infographic

This infographic provides information about the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX). Credit: Cockrell School of Engineering/UT-Austin

Star Falling into a Supermassive Black Hole

This artist's impression shows a star crossing the event horizon of a supermassive black hole located in the center of a galaxy. The black hole is so large and massive that tidal effects on the star are negligible, and the star is swallowed whole. The effects of gravitational lensing distorting the light of the star are not shown here. (Mark A. Garlick/CfA) 

Star Falling into a Supermassive Black Hole

This artist's impression shows a star crossing the event horizon of a supermassive black hole located in the center of a galaxy. The black hole is so large and massive that tidal effects on the star are negligible, and the star is swallowed whole. The effects of gravitational lensing distorting the light of the star are not shown here. (Mark A. Garlick/CfA) 

Star Hits the Hard Surface of a Supermassive Sphere

This is the first in a sequence of two artist's impressions that shows a huge, massive sphere in the center of a galaxy, rather than a supermassive black hole. Here a star moves towards and then smashes into the hard surface of the sphere, flinging out debris. The impact heats up the site of the collision. (Mark A. Garlick/CfA) 

Supermassive Sphere Brightens Post-Impact

In this second artist's impression a huge sphere in the center of a galaxy is shown after a star has collided with it. Enormous amounts of heat and a dramatic increase in the brightness of the sphere are generated by this event. The lack of observation of such flares from the center of galaxies means that this hypothetical scenario is almost completely ruled out. (Mark A. Garlick/CfA) 

Binaries over Mauna Kea (still frame from animation)

This image shows several of the binaries from this study, each orbiting around its center of mass, which is marked by an ‘x.’ Colors indicate surface temperatures, from warmest to coolest: gold, red, magenta, or blue. The background image is a map of the entire sky visible from Hawaii and a silhouette of Mauna Kea (home of Keck Observatory and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, where this study was conducted over the past decade). Each binary is shown roughly where it is located in the night sky. The actual sizes of these orbits on the sky are very small (about one billionth the area covered by each ‘x’), but the orbit sizes shown in the animation are accurate relative to each other. The animation is also in extreme fast-forward; each second corresponds to approximately two years of real time. (Credit: Trent Dupuy/Karen Teramura/PS1SC)

Las Cumbres Observatory

Map of the Las Cumbres Observatory global network of robotic telescopes. (Credit: Las Cumbres Observatory)

Forming a Massive Star

Projected density distributions of dark matter (background and top panel) and gas (bottom three panels) components when the massive star forms. The stellar cradle is extremely asymmetrical as a wide, wedge-shaped structure (middle panel) due to the initial supersonic gas motions left over from the Big Bang. The circle in the right panel indicates the gravitationally unstable region with mass of 26,000 solar-masses. (Credit: Shingo Hirano)

A Newborn Protostar

Gas density distribution around the newborn protostar. The left-to-right supersonic gas motion results in the non-spherical, compressed density structure. (Credit: Shingo Hirano)

Evolution of a Protostar

Evolution of the temperature and density structure in the protostellar accretion phase after the protostar formation. The rapid accretion of dense gas cloud (white contour) constricts an expansion of the photoionized region (red) which is possible to shut off the gas accretion. (Credit: Takashi Hosokawa)

Artist's Concept of Exocomet System

Artist’s concept of a view from within the exocomet system KIC 3542116. (Credit: Danielle Futselaar)

Placing Glass for Casting GMT Mirror 5

Staff at The University of Arizona's Richard F. Caris Mirror Laboratory review the glass placed in the mold, checking for space for the last few pieces of glass for mirror 5 of the Giant Magellan Telescope. (Credit: Damon Jackson)

GMT Mirror 5, Glass-Filled Furnace

The GMT mirror 5 mold filled with 17,500 kg of low expansion glass, ready for the lid of the furnace to be placed. (Credit: University of Arizona)

GMT Mirror 5 Furnace

GMT mirror 5 furnace fully assembled and ready to start. (Credit: University of Arizona)

CEERS Field seen by HST

A Hubble Space Telescope view of the field that CEERS will survey. This field has been imaged by several surveys with Hubble, including AEGIS and CANDELS. A larger version (133Mb) of this image is available; click here to access. (Credit: Anton Koekemoer/STScI)

Exoplanet VHS 1256-1257 b

Image of the planetary-mass companion VHS 1256-1257 b (bottom right) and its host star (center). (Credit: Gauza, B. et al 2015, MNRAS, 452, 1677-1683)

Exoplanet GSC 6214-210 b

Image of the planetary-mass companion GSC 6214-210 b (bottom) and its host star (top). (Credit: Ireland, M. J. et al 2011, ApJ, 726, 113)

Exoplanet ROXs 42B b

Image of the planetary-mass companion ROXs 42B b (right, labeled 'b') and its host star (left, labeled 'A'). (Credit: Kraus, A. L. et al. 2014, ApJ, 781, 20)

GMT Mount

Engineering drawing of the mount for the Giant Magellan Telescope. (Credit: GMTO)

Andrew Vanderburg

Dr. Andrew Vanderburg was a NASA Sagan Fellow in the UT Austin Department of Astronomy through August 2020. He is now a professsor of astronomy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. (Credit: UT Austin)

Casey, Caitlin

Dr. Caitlin M. Casey is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. (Credit: Caitlin Casey)

Rizzuto, Aaron

Aaron Rizzuto is a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. (credit: UT Austin)

Wu, Ya-Lin

Ya-Lin Wu will be a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin in 2018. (credit: Ya-Lin Wu)

Neutron Stars Merge to Form Black Hole

The spectacular merger of two neutron stars that generated gravitational waves announced last fall likely did something else: birthed a black hole. This newly spawned black hole would be the lowest mass black hole ever found.

After two separate stars underwent supernova explosions, two ultra-dense cores (that is, neutron stars) were left behind. These two neutron stars were so close that gravitational wave radiation pulled them together until they merged and collapsed into a black hole. The illustration (top) shows the two neutron stars spinning around each other while merging.

X-ray studies are critical for understanding what happened after the two neutron stars collided. The Chandra X-ray Observatory observed GW170817 multiple times. An observation two to three days after the event failed to detect a source, but subsequent observations 9, 15 and 16 days after the event resulted in detections (bottom left). The source went behind the Sun soon after, but further brightening was seen in Chandra observations about 110 days after the event (bottom right), followed by comparable X-ray intensity after about 160 days.

By comparing the Chandra observations with those by the NSF's Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), researchers explain the observed X-ray emission as being due entirely to the shock wave — akin to a sonic boom from a supersonic plane — from the merger smashing into surrounding gas. There is no sign of X-rays resulting from a neutron star. Thus, the researchers in this study claim this is a strong case for the merger of two neutron stars merging to then produce bursts of radiation and form a black hole.

Credit: Illustration: CXC/M. Weiss; X-ray: NASA/CXC/Trinity University/D.  Pooley et al.

GMT Site Excavation

Hard rock excavation has begun for the Giant Magellan Telescope's massive concrete pier and the foundations for the telescope's enclosure at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. More than 13,000 tons of rock will be removed. Credit: GMTO Corporation

McDonald Geodetic Observatory Radio Dish Site

The site for the McDonald Geodetic Observatory’s 12-meter radio telescope dish is being prepared at the base of Mount Locke, near the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center. The dish will rest on a concrete pier attached to bedrock, soon to be poured in the rebar-filled box at center. Credit: Frank Cianciolo/McDonald Observatory

Construction on McDonald Geodetic Observatory

Construction is ongoing for the McDonald Geodetic Observatory. Credit: McDonald Observatory

Galaxy Wind

ALMA, aided by a gravitational lens, imaged the outflow, or "wind," from a galaxy seen when the universe was only one billion years old. The ALMA image (circle call out) shows the location of hydroxyl (OH) molecules. These molecules trace the location of star-forming gas as it is fleeing the galaxy, driven by either supernovas or a black-hole powered “wind.” The background star field (Blanco Telescope Dark Energy Survey) shows the location of the galaxy. The circular, double-lobe shape of the distant galaxy is due to the distortion caused by the cosmic magnifying effect of an intervening galaxy.

Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), J. Spilker/UT-Austin; NRAO/AUI/NSF, S. Dagnello; AURA/NSF

Artist's Impression of Galaxy Wind

Artist impression of an outflow of molecular gas from an active star-forming galaxy.

Credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF, D. Berry

Cloud Models

Models of two turbulent clouds without stars (left) and with stars launching winds (right). The colors show gas speed: grey (6-10 km/s), blue (12-25 km/s), and red (180-250 km/s). Credit: Stella Offner/UT Austin

Models of two turbulent clouds without stars (left) and with stars launching winds (right). The colors show gas speed: grey (6-10 km/s), blue (12-25 km/s), and red (180-250 km/s). Credit: Stella Offner/UT Austin

Magnetic Waves from a Young Star

Gas density and velocity (top) and magnetic field strength and magnetic field lines (bottom) showing magnetic waves propagating ahead of the wind shell. The left and right panels show different models. The waves stand out when the surrounding gas is not turbulent. Credit: Stella Offner/UT Austin

StarDate Logo

StarDate is a public education and outreach arm of The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory. The StarDate radio program airs daily on about 400 stations. The bimonthly StarDate magazine is the perfect skywatching companion for amateur astronomers or anyone interested in celestial events and space exploration. And StarDate Online puts skywatching information and more at your fingertips at http://stardate.org.

Dusty Star-Forming Galaxy DSFG850.95

This composite image of the dusty star-forming galaxy DSFG850.95 shows young stars, seen in blue from Hubble Space Telescope, and dust, seen in red by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. Credit: Patrick Drew (UT Austin)/STScI/ALMA

Crystalized White Dwarf

White dwarf star in the process of solidifying. (credit: University of Warwick/Mark Garlick)

White dwarf star in the process of solidifying. (credit: University of Warwick/Mark Garlick)

Habitable Zone Planet Finder

The Habitable Zone Planet Finder instrument during installation in its clean-room enclosure in the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory. Credit: Guðmundur Stefánssonn/Penn State

Anne Dattilo

Anne Dattilo is senior undergraduate student in the Department of Astronomy. (credit: Anne Dattilo)

David Booth

David Booth, co-founder and executive chairman of Austin-based Dimensional Fund Advisors. (credit: David Booth)

GMT with Artificial Guide Stars

Artist’s concept of the Giant Magellan Telescope, shown with beams creating artificial guide stars that the telescope’s adaptive optics system will use to compensate for turbulence in the atmosphere, ensuring extremely clear images. (GMTO Corporation)

Sandy Wood

Sandy Wood has served as the voice of StarDate radio since 1991. She is retiring from the program on July 16, 2019. (credit: McDonald Observatory/StarDate)

Billy Henry

Bill Henry

Billy Henry is the new voice of StarDate radio. His first program airs on July 17, 2019. (credit: Damond Benningfield/StarDate)

GMT Site Rendering

The latest design of the GMT enclosure, telescope, and site at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. Credit: M3 Engineering

GMT Enclosure and Night Sky

The latest design of the GMT enclosure, telescope, and site at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile with a night sky background. Credit: M3 Engineering and GMTO Corporation

GMT Structure and Primary Mirrors

The GMT telescope structure showing the six 8.4-meter off-axis mirrors arrayed around a central, on-axis 8.4-meter mirror. Credit: M3 Engineering  

Dome of 2nd LCO 1-meter Telescope

Dome of the new 1-meter Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) telescope on Mount Fowlkes, dedicated October 30, 2019. In the background, the domes of the Harlan J. Smith and Otto Struve telescopes are visible on Mount Locke. Credit: Katie Parker/McDonald Observatory

MAMBO-9 artist impression

Artist impression of what MAMBO-9 would look like in visible light. The galaxy is very dusty and it has yet to build most of its stars. (Credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF, B. Saxton)

ALMA image of MAMBO-9

ALMA radio image of the dusty star-forming galaxy called MAMBO-9. The galaxy consists of two parts, and it is in the process of merging. (Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), C.M. Casey et al.; NRAO/AUI/NSF, B. Saxton)

Keith and Kevin Hawkins

Astronomer Keith Hawkins (left), an assistant professor at The University of Texas at Austin, is pictured with twin brother Kevin Hawkins. Credit: Rob Hardin

Identical Twin Binary Stars

Hawkins found that the chemical 'DNA,' or spectra, of twin stars born together are identical, as shown here. Hawkins captured these spectra of two stars in a binary pair using the Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory. (The background image is an artists' concept of a binary star.) Credit: K. Hawkins/UT Austin (data) and NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle (background)

Caroline Morley

Dr. Caroline Morley is an assistant professor in the UT-Austin Department of Astronomy. (credit: Caroline Morley)

Brown Dwarf GJ 504 B

This image of the low-mass brown dwarf GJ 504 B was taken by Bowler and his team using adaptive optics with the NIRC2 camera at Keck Observatory in Hawaii. The image has been processed to remove light from the host star (whose position is marked with an “x”). The companion is located at a separation of about 40 times the Earth-Sun distance and has an orbital period of about 240 years. By returning to this and other systems year after year, the team is able to slowly trace out part of the companion’s orbit to constrain its shape, which provides clues about its formation and history. Credit: Brendan Bowler (UT-Austin)/W. M. Keck Observatory

Possible Orbits for Giant Planets and Brown Dwarfs

By patiently watching giant planets and brown dwarfs orbit their host stars, Bowler and his team were able to constrain the orbit shapes even though only a small portion of the orbit has been monitored. The longer the time baseline, the smaller the range of possible orbits.  These plots show nine of the 27 systems from their study. Credit: Brendan Bowler (UT-Austin)

Eccentricity Distribution

These two curves show the final distribution of orbit shapes for giant planets and brown dwarfs. The orbital eccentricity determines how elongated the ellipse is, with a value of 0.0 corresponding to a circular orbit and a high value near 1.0 being a flattened ellipse. Gas giant planets located at wide separations from their host stars have low eccentricities, but the brown dwarfs have a wide range of eccentricities similar to binary star systems. For reference, the giant planets in our solar system have eccentricities less than 0.1.Credit: Brendan Bowler (UT-Austin)

Teznie Pugh

Dr. Teznie Pugh is the Superintendent of McDonald Observatory. (Credit: Lara Eakins/UT-Austin)

Artist's concept of Kepler-1649c

An artist's concept of Kepler-1649c orbiting around its host red dwarf star. This newly discovered exoplanet is in its star’s habitable zone and is the closest to Earth in size and temperature found yet in Kepler's data. Credit: NASA/Ames Research Center/Daniel Rutter 

Artist's Concept of Kepler-1649c's Surface

An artist's concept of what Kepler-1649c could look like from its surface. Credit: NASA/Ames Research Center/Daniel Rutter 

Comparison of Earth & Kepler-1649c (labeled)

A comparison of Earth and Kepler-1649c, an exoplanet only 1.06 times Earth's radius. Credit: NASA/Ames Research Center/Daniel Rutter

Comparison of Earth & Kepler-1649c (unlabeled)

A comparison of Earth and Kepler-1649c, an exoplanet only 1.06 times Earth's radius. Credit: NASA/Ames Research Center/Daniel Rutter

Mechanism to Create Aluminum-26

This schematic of the proposed mechanism shows a cutaway view of a young star and the disk of gas surrounding it, in which planets may form. The gas parcel Offner's team modeled is depicted as a cluster of red dots. The 'inner disk' is the region from the star out to Earth's distance from the Sun (1 Astronomical Unit, or about 93 million miles). Some fraction of the enriched outflow gas may fall onto the disk where the cosmic ray irradiation is weak. Regions I and II denote different regions of cosmic ray transport. Credit: Brandt Gaches et al./Univ. of Cologne

Location of K2-25b

A newly characterized sub-Neptune-sized planet, named K2-25b, orbits a low-mass star in the Hyades cluster, a cluster of young stars about 150 light years away from Earth in the constellation of Taurus. The detailed characterization sheds light on how such planets form and evolve. Credit: Gudmundur Stefansson

Artist's Impression of K2-25b

New detailed observations from the Habitable Zone Planet Finder on the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, as well as NSF’s NOIRLab facilities, reveal a young exoplanet, orbiting a young star in the Hyades cluster, that is unusually dense for its size and age. Slightly smaller than Neptune, K2-25b orbits an M-dwarf star — the most common type of star in the galaxy — every 3.5 days. Credit: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. Pollard

Ultimately Large Telescope

UT Austin astronomers Anna Schauer, Niv Drory, and Volker Bromm are advocating the revival of the lunar liquid mirror telescope project orginally proposed in 2008 by Roger Angel and collaborators. The Texas group advocates that rather than have a 20-meter liquid mirror (shown), the size be increased to 100 meters so that the telescope can study the first stars that formed in the universe, the so-called Population III stars. They have dubbed this facility the 'Ultimately Large Telescope.' (credit: Roger Angel et al./Univ. of Arizona)

Anna Schauer

Dr. Anna Schauer is a NASA Hubble Fellow in the Department of Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. (credit: UT Austin)

VIRUS Focal Surface

This image shows the ‘focal surface’ of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, where the optical fibers of VIRUS are arrayed. The circles each contain a square grid of 448 fibers. When the telescope is pointed and VIRUS takes an observation, each of the 32,000 fibers takes a spectrum simultaneously, recording a vast array of information on the speed, direction, and chemical makeup of every point inside the field of view, which is about the size of the full Moon. Credit: J. Pautzke/E. Mrozinski/G. Hill/HETDEX Collaboration

Pinwheel Galaxy from VIRUS (with labels)

Click here to access an unlabeled version of this image.

This false-color image of the Pinwheel Galaxy (Messier 101) shows the power of the VIRUS instrument built for the HETDEX survey. The image is a mosaic made up of the central portion of 21 VIRUS pointings across a region of sky about half the size of the full Moon, with some small gaps in coverage. The colors show the contrast between young stars (blue/white) and older stars (red/orange).

Unlike a regular astronomical image, which is essentially made using a sophisticated camera, this image comprises more than 1 million spectra. That is, for every point on this image, VIRUS has recorded the ‘cosmic fingerprint’ of the light using one of its 32,000 optical fibers. So at each point, astronomers have information about the speed, direction, and chemical makeup of the material that produced it. This wealth of information across the entire galaxy presents an unprecedented opportunity to understand the galaxy’s evolution. HETDEX takes this amount of information for every pointing on its survey, making the largest spectral survey of the sky ever, by far.

The breakout boxes show just four examples of the ‘cosmic fingerprint’ of objects in this view. Clockwise from top left: a white dwarf in our galaxy, an active galaxy 11 billion light-years away, a star-forming region in the Pinwheel Galaxy 20 million light-years away, and a star-forming galaxy 3 billion light-years away.

Credit: G. Zeimann/HETDEX Collaboration

Pinwheel Galaxy from VIRUS (unlabeled)

Click here to access a version of this image with labels.

This false-color image of the Pinwheel Galaxy (Messier 101) shows the power of the VIRUS instrument built for the HETDEX survey. The image is a mosaic made up of the central portion of 21 VIRUS pointings across a region of sky about half the size of the full Moon, with some small gaps in coverage. The colors show the contrast between young stars (blue/white) and older stars (red/orange).

Unlike a regular astronomical image, which is essentially made using a sophisticated camera, this image comprises more than 1 million spectra. That is, for every point on this image, VIRUS has recorded the ‘cosmic fingerprint’ of the light using one of its 32,000 optical fibers. So at each point, astronomers have information about the speed, direction, and chemical makeup of the material that produced it. This wealth of information across the entire galaxy presents an unprecedented opportunity to understand the galaxy’s evolution. HETDEX takes this amount of information for every pointing on its survey, making the largest spectral survey of the sky ever, by far.

The breakout boxes show just four examples of the ‘cosmic fingerprint’ of objects in this view. Clockwise from top left: a white dwarf in our galaxy, an active galaxy 11 billion light-years away, a star-forming region in the Pinwheel Galaxy 20 million light-years away, and a star-forming galaxy 3 billion light-years away.

Credit: G. Zeimann/HETDEX Collaboration

HET Mirror with VIRUS Saddlebags

The two black structures to the left and right of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope's main mirror are nicknamed 'saddlebags.' They hold the dozens of spectrographs that make up the VIRUS instrument designed to undertake HETDEX, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Night Sky Friendly Lighting Business Recognition Poster

Businesses and organizations recognized through McDonald Observatory's Night Sky Friendly Lighting program will receive this poster to display at their site, as well as window decals. (credit: McDonald Observatory)

Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve

The new Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve covers 15,000 square miles in west Texas and northern Mexico. It is the world's largest International Dark Sky Reserve. (Tim Jones/McDonald Observatory)

COSMOS-Webb and WDEEP

Together, the WDEEP and COSMOS-Webb large JWST first-year programs will probe reionization, the period where galaxies burnt off the cosmic haze of residual gas leftover from the Big Bang.

WDEEP, by staring at a single small patch of sky 1.5% the size of the full Moon, targets the beginning of this process, searching for the first galaxies to form out of the cosmic dark ages only 300 million years after the Big Bang. COSMOS-Webb targets the next phase of cosmic history, where massive galaxies have begun to ionize enormous regions of space, heralding the end of reionization. These observational strategies are complementary.

COSMOS-Webb probes an area 3 times the area of the full Moon to scan a wide area of space for rare, massive galaxies, while WDEEP drills 15 to 20 times fainter in a single narrow region, sensitive to the smallest, earliest galaxies.

(Credit: M. Bagley/S. Finkelstein/C. Casey (UT Austin); ESA/C. Carreau (background))

Finkelstein, Steven

Steven Finkelstein is an associate professor in the Department of Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. (Credit: Steven Finkelstein)

Yifan Zhou

Yifan Zhou is a postdoctoral researcher with McDonald Observatory. (Credit: Yifan Zhou)

Dark Energy Explorers on Zooniverse

The Dark Energy Explorers interface on the Zooniverse online platform.

David Doss

David Doss

David Doss at a meeting of McDonald Observatory's Board of Visitors. (McDonald Observatory)

Stargazer Trailer in Terlingua

Big Bend Stargazer trailer under awning with nigh-sky friendly lights in Terlingua, Texas. photo by Stephen Hummel / McDonald Observatory.

Big Bend Stargazer trailer under awning with nigh-sky friendly lights in Terlingua, Texas. Photo by Stephen Hummel / McDonald Observatory.

Steven Weinberg

Nobel laureate Steven Weinberg (1933-2021) was a professor of physics and astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. (Larry Murphy/UT Austin)

Marfa Gardens' Night-Sky Friendly Lighting

Marfa Gardens guest houses in Marfa, Texas, demonstrate night-sky friendly lighting practices. The Milky Way is visible above the buildings. (Stephen Hummel/McDonald Observatory)

Frank Cianciolo

Frank Cianciolo

Frank Cianciolo and 16-inch telescope. Cianciolo is retiring as Manager of McDonald Observatory's Frank N. Bash Visitors Center in August 2021. (Loyd Overcash/McDonald Observatory)

Milky Way and Satellite Galaxy Leo I

McDonald Observatory astronomers have found that Leo I (inset), a tiny satellite galaxy of the Milky Way (main image), has a black hole nearly as massive as the Milky Way's. Leo I is 30 times smaller than the Milky Way. The result could signal changes in astronomers' understanding of galaxy evolution. Credit: ESA/Gaia/DPAC; SDSS (inset)

Bill Wren

Bill Wren has retired after 32 years with McDonald Observatory, most recently working on protecting the dark skies over the observatory and surrounding areas. (McDonald Observatory)

Brendan Bowler

Brendan Bowler is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Astronomy. (Phot credit: Brendan Bowler)

GMT Exterior with Lasers

This artists's concept shows the Giant Magellan Telescope using its laser guide star system to compensate for turbulence in Earth's atmosphere, to make its images as sharp as possible. (Credit: Giant Magellan Telescope — GMTO Corporation)

GMT Enclosure Cross Section

This image shows a cross section of the Giant Magellan Telescope enclosure and telescope mount. (Credit: Giant Magellan Telescope — GMTO Corporation)

Stella Offner Receives Delta Award

Dr. Stella Offner, Associate Professor of astronomy, receives the Delta Young Astronomer Lectureship Award on March 15, 2022. (Delta Electronics Foundation)

Stella Offner

Dr. Stella Offner is an Associate Professor in the Department of Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. (credit: Stella Offner)

2022 NASA Hubble Fellowship Program Awardees

NASA has selected 24 new Fellows for its prestigious NASA Hubble Fellowship Program (NHFP). The program enables outstanding postdoctoral scientists to pursue independent research in any area of NASA Astrophysics. Fellows are named corresponding to three broad scientific questions NASA seeks to answer about the universe: How does the universe work? – Einstein Fellows; How did we get here? – Hubble Fellows; Are we alone? – Sagan Fellows.

The 2022 NHFP Fellows are shown in this photo montage. The Einstein Fellows (seen in the blue hexagons from top to bottom, left to right) are: Riccardo Arcodia, Jessica Avva, Tarraneh Eftekhari, Kyle Kremer, Hayley Macpherson, Bart Ripperda and David Vartanyan.

The Hubble Fellows (seen in the yellow hexagons from top to bottom, left to right) are: Elias Aydi, Emily Cunningham, Seiji Fujimoto, David Guszejnov, Sultan Hassan, Kartheik Iyer, Tharindu Jayasinghe, Arianna Long, Rohan Naidu, Kathryn Neugent, and Joel Ong.

The Sagan Fellows (seen in the red hexagons from top to bottom, left to right) are: Fei Dai, Feng Long, Ryan MacDonald, Gudmundur Stefansson, Michael Wong, and Zhoujian Zhang.

Credit: NASA, STScI, NExScI, NHFP

Seiji Fujimoto

Seiji Fujimoto is a 2022 NASA Hubble Fellow who joined UT Austin in 2022. (Credit: Seiji Fujimoto)

Arianna Long

Arianna Long is a NASA Hubble Fellow who joined UT Austin in 2022. (Credit: Arianna Long)

Milky Way Over Mt. Locke

The Milky Way soars over the domes of McDonald Observatory's Mount Locke showcasing the region's dark skies. (Stephen Hummel/McDonald Observatory)

Milky Way Over the Davis Mountains

The Milky Way soars over the Davis Mountains of West Texas showcasing the region's dark skies. (Stephen Hummel/McDonald Observatory)

Schematic of Supernova 2014C

This schematic shows the various ejecta and winds (red and purple) given off by the exploding star (left, yellow). The common-envelope disk (blue) surrounds both stars, the one exploding as a supernova and its binary partner (not shown). The boundary layer around the common-envelope disk is the source of the hydrogen the team detected. (credit: B. Thomas et al./UT Austin)  

Catalyst Midstream Partners County Line Processing Plant

The Catalyst Midstream Partners County Line Processing Plant in Orla, Texas, has been recognized for good lighting practices by McDonald Observatory. (Stephen Hummel/McDonald Observatory)

16-inch RC Telescope

A young visitor observes through the 16" Ritchey-Chretien at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center during a public star party. Credit: Nolan Zunk / University of Texas at Austin.

Constellation Tour

The Constellation Tour is always a hit at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center during a public star party. Credit: Nolan Zunk / University of Texas at Austin.

Telescope Viewing at the Star Party

Visitors queue up for telescope views during a Star Party at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center.  In the foreground is the dome housing the 22" Cassegrain telescope, while atop Mt. Locke in the background is the 107" Harlan J. Smith Telescope.  Credit: Nolan Zunk / University of Texas at Austin.

City of Alpine Visitor Center - Night Sky Friendly Lighting

McDonald Observatory recognized the City of Alpine Visitor Center for using night-sky friendly lighting. By using shielded lighting and recessing string lights so they don't shine upwards, using all soft-white and amber bulbs with appropriate intensities, and turning unnecessary lights off late at night, the Visitor Center provides more than enough light for safety without harming the night sky that attracts visitors to the Big Bend region. 

New $6 million Astronomy Science Center at McDonald Observatory To be Built for Texas, Nation

MCDONALD OBSERVATORY, NEAR FORT DAVIS, TEXAS: One of the world's best small science centers will be available to the public at McDonald Observatory in late 2001, when the new Texas Astronomy Education Center (TAEC) opens.

More than $6 million has been raised to build the TAEC, a new 12,000-square-foot visitors' center at the base of Mount Locke at McDonald Observatory. All the funds for constructing the TAEC have been provided by individuals, corporations, and foundations in Texas and the U.S.

The TAEC will house "Decoding Starlight," a unique educational exhibit explaining how astronomers use spectroscopy to understand the universe. "Decoding Starlight" is funded by a $1-million grant from the National Science Foundation. In addition, federal highway-enhancement funds for landscaping were awarded to the TAEC by the Texas Department of Transportation.

According to Frank Bash, Director of McDonald Observatory, the goal of the TAEC is to help interest children in careers in science and technology. "The Texas economy increasingly depends on highly skilled, technically trained people, but our high schools and colleges have been graduating fewer and fewer people wanting to enter technical fields," says Bash. "Astronomy is a wonderful tool for getting more children
interested in science and math, and that's why we have worked so hard to get the TAEC built. Many generous people are making investments in public outreach and education today through the TAEC that will help all Texans have a better, more prosperous future.

Adds Frank Bash: "We are very proud of the donors who are making the TAEC possible."

Among the major donors to the Texas Astronomy Education Center are Bill and Bettye Nowlin of Austin; Garland and Mollie Lasater of Fort Worth; The Convergence Institute of Austin; the Cullen Foundation of Houston; the Houston Endowment of Houston; the Cullen Trust for Higher Education of Houston; George A. Finley III of Corpus Christi; The Gale Foundation and Mrs. Rebecca Gale of Beaumont; Houston H. Harte of San Antonio; the Joan and Herb Kelleher Charitable Foundation of San Antonio; Sterling Turner Charitable Foundation of Houston; and the West Endowment of Houston.

Project Background

McDonald Observatory was founded near Fort Davis in the 1930s, through a bequest from William J. McDonald, a banker from Paris, Texas. It is a world-renowned center of astronomical research, with major telescopes built in the 1930s, 1960s, and 1990s.

In 1997, the innovative Hobby-Eberly Telescope was dedicated at McDonald Observatory. This telescope, the third-largest in the world, was built by a consortium including The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), Stanford University, and two German partners, Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich and Georg-August University in Goettingen.

With its unique design, the $15-million Hobby-Eberly Telescope cost only about one-sixth as much as comparable telescopes elsewhere. It will help keep McDonald Observatory at the forefront of scientific research well into the next century.

Public Outreach Programs

McDonald Observatory has also been a leader among observatories throughout the world in public outreach. The Observatory creates and distributes the award-winning StarDate, Sternzeit (in German), and Universo (in Spanish) radio programs, which together are heard by more than 8 million people each week in the United States and Europe. StarDate magazine has 15,000 subscribers. More than 40,000 people visit the StarDate and Universo web sites each week. Thousands of teachers nationwide have used materials, in English and Spanish, provided by McDonald Observatory in teaching hundreds of thousands of students.

Visitors' Center Program

In addition, McDonald Observatory has welcomed visitors to its remote corner of Texas for the unique tours of a working observatory and the star parties and public programs that McDonald Observatory offers. Since 1980, visitors have used the W.L. Moody, Jr., Visitors' Center at the base of Mount Locke. The Moody Center was designed to accommodate 20,000 visitors per year. For the past two decades, however, the numbers of visitors have continued to climb well beyond the capacity of the Moody Center. In 1999, more than 130,000 visitors came to McDonald Observatory. Beyond that, a 1994 study by the University of Texas of the Permian Basin Center for Education and Economic Diversification estimated that there would be up to 250,000 visitors per year within the next decade.

Positive Impact on West Texas

These visitors have a major impact on the economy of West Texas: Two decades of hospitality for families and other visitors have made McDonald Observatory one of the top tourist attractions in Texas and a star among the state's cultural-tourism centers. The UTPB economic-impact study shows that McDonald Observatory annually brings about $8 million in direct expenditures to the West Texas economy, and predicts that this impact will increase to $14.5 million annually.

The Texas Astronomy Education Center

The desire to increase the size of the existing Visitors' Center facilities has also provided the opportunity to rethink the experience that visitors have at the Observatory. With the assistance of members of the McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors, planning for an expanded Visitors' Center began in the early 1990s, with a stronger emphasis on education for families with children.

Educators call astronomy "a science of wonder," because it awakens the interest of children in the world around them and strengthens interest in all the scientific and technical fields that our society needs to maintain economic growth and progress.

The Texas Astronomy Education Center is a six-phase program with a total budget of $7.7 million ($6.7 for construction and $1 million for an operating endowment). Phases I, reconfiguring the existing Moody Visitors' Center, was completed in 1995. Phase II, building the George T. Abell Gallery at the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, was funded by the Abell Hanger Foundation of Midland, the Meadows Foundation of Texas, and an anonymous foundation, and was completed in 1998.

Construction of the new TAEC building and its landscaping comprise Phases III and V; they are scheduled to begin in summer, 2000. Phase IV, building the "Decoding Starlight" exhibits is underway.

Phase VI, fund-raising for an operating endowment to support expanded educational programming and for funds that will allow sharing exhibits with other science-education centers, is underway. Information on contributions to this fund is available from Joel Barna (telephone 512/471-6335; e-mail jwbarna@astro.as.utexas.edu)

Features of the TAEC

Rhotenberry Wellen Architects of Midland, Texas, designed the TAEC to be in harmony with its West Texas surroundings. The design takes advantage of the sites rolling terrain to link indoor and outdoor spaces, and it was inspired by elements of architecture from the earliest habitation of the Southwest.

Besides being five times as large at the existing visitors' center building, the TAEC will feature a number of greatly expanded educational and recreational opportunities for visitors:

  • A 74-seat orientation theater
  • "Decoding Starlight," the $1-million NSF funded exhibits on astronomical spectroscopy
  • A 2,400-square-foot exhibit hall for "Decoding Starlight"
  • A classroom for teacher training and visiting school groups
  • The Rebecca Gale Telescope Park for star parties, three nights each week, and with daytime archaeo-astronomy exhibits and walking trails
  • The Star Amphitheater, with light-protected star party seating for 350
  • An expanded gift shop
  • A new 800-square-foot cafe
  • A sheltered outdoor dining area and courtyard
  • Expanded parking facilities
  • Expanded rest rooms

Next Steps

Plans call for construction to begin on the TAEC in summer, 2000, with completion of the building and landscaping in summer of 2001. Exhibits will be installed in late summer, 2001. The grand opening of the TAEC will be celebrated in Fall, 2001.

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 construction of the $16.5 million SALT observatory, to be built at the South African Astronomical Observatory in Sutherland, South Africa.

The South African Parliament approved the SALT project on June 1, 1998. Dr. Ben Ngubane, Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, gave the project the "green light" to begin construction, with the November 25, 1999 signing of the Science and Technology Agreement Protocol between South Africa and Poland, one of the project’s major international partners.

"SALT will enable South Africa to remain internationally competitive in astronomy well into the 21st century," says Ngubane. "SALT has become a prominent national project, exciting the minds and imaginations of our nation’s children. It is critical that we use this opportunity to get them involved with science and technology."

The nine-meter-class SALT is based almost entirely on the design of the HET, located at McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis, Texas. The HET partnership is providing its innovative telescope design, software, commissioning experience, and technical expertise in exchange for 10 percent of observing time when SALT begins operations, scheduled for 2003.

"The Hobby-Eberly Telescope institutions are delighted that the SALT project has decided to copy our innovative telescope," says Bash. "We look forward to working with South Africa and the other participating institutions to create an outstanding telescope in the Southern Hemisphere."

When completed, SALT will be the largest single telescope in the Southern Hemisphere optimized for spectroscopy, affording astronomers not only unparalleled views of the southern sky’s portion of the Milky Way galaxy, but also allowing them to explore the origins of the universe; study quasars, active galactic nuclei, and galaxy populations; and conduct planetary searches.

Major financial partners for the construction of SALT include the Governments of South Africa and Poland, Rutgers University, and Goettingen University (Germany). Strong interest has been shown by Carnegie—Mellon University, University of Wisconsin, Iowa State University, and the New Zealand government.

The HET partnership is a consortium of five universities: The University of Texas at Austin, Pennsylvania State University, Stanford University, Georg-August University in Goettingen, and Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich.

For more information, contact
Sandra Preston
Director, Public Information Office
(512) 475-6765
sandi@astro.as.utexas.edu

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, primarily on the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at McDonald Observatory.

Kormendy brings over 23 years of research and teaching experience, most recently holding a professorship at the Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii. He is best known for his advanced work on the structure of galaxies and for his pioneering work on direct evidence that normal and active galaxies harbor black holes. "John Kormendy is an excellent scientist who has put his name on every topic on which he has worked," says Christopher Sneden, Chairman of the Department of Astronomy. 

As holder of the Vaughan Chair, Kormendy will lead new research efforts, particularly in the areas of dark matter, the evolution of the various types of galaxies, and the accretion flares of stars that are being swallowed by black holes. "Research on dark matter is ideally suited for the HET," says Kormendy, "since we need to get spectra of exceedingly faint structures at large radii in galaxies. With the HET, Texas can be one of the groups that ‘control the state of the art’ in this exciting area." Kormendy’s other research objectives will continue to include the search for supermassive black holes in galactic nuclei, surveying extreme dwarf galaxies in the Virgo Cluster, and fostering closer scientific ties with HET partner Ludwig—Maximilians—Universität, Munich. 

Born in 1948 in Graz, Austria, Kormendy holds a 1976 doctorate in astronomy from the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, and received his bachelor of science in honors mathematics, physics and chemistry (astronomy division) in 1970 from the University of Toronto. Author of over 100 journal articles and conference and review papers, Kormendy is the recipient of the 1970 Gold Medal, Royal Astronomical Society of Canada; a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, 1970—1971; the 1988 Muhlmann Prize, Astronomical Society of the Pacific; and a 1995 Humboldt Research Award, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany. He is a member of the American Astronomical Society, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, the Royal Astronomical Society, and the International Astronomical Union.

Named for long-time UT astronomy department benefactor Curtis T. Vaughan, Jr., the Vaughan Chair was established in 1979 and provides over $2 million for the appointment of preeminent astronomy faculty and additional instrumentation for the HET to support the Vaughan Chair’s research goals. "My support for the University’s McDonald Observatory grew out of my own interest in astronomy in the early 1950s – particularly in cosmology – and my friendship, in the 1970s, with Harlan Smith, then Chairman of the department and Director of McDonald Observatory," says Vaughan, a member of the McDonald Observatory and Astronomy Board of Visitors.

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 phase had begun.

"Early operations marks the beginning of regular use of the HET for science," says Frank Bash, chairman of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Board, director of McDonald Observatory, and the Frank N. Edmonds, Jr., Regents Professor in Astronomy at the University of Texas at Austin. "This is an important milestone for an unique and powerful new scientific instrument, and we want the astronomical community to know about it."

"Scientists at all institutions participating in the HET have been eagerly anticipating the flow of astronomical data that early operations are now producing. Indeed, the HET is already paying scientific dividends by making contributions in the areas for which it was designed: spectroscopic surveys and time-domain astrophysics," says Larry Ramsey, the HET project scientist and professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State. Ramsey is is one of the original designers of the HET concept, along with Daniel Weedman, formerly at Penn State and now at the National Science Foundation Division of Astronomical Science."

Adds Thomas G. Barnes III, associate director of McDonald Observatory, who led the commissioning team, "We are especially delighted that the early weeks of operations for the telescope have yielded exciting results that hint at the kind of capability the telescope will have when it is in full operation."

The HET contains the world's largest primary mirror, measuring 11 meters (433 inches) from edge to edge. Due to its innovative design, the HET was built and commissioned for $15 million, a fraction of the cost of other comparable telescopes. The HET was constructed and is operated by a consortium of five universities: the University of Texas at Austin; Pennsylvania State University (Penn State); Stanford University; and two German universities, Georg-August University in Goettingen and Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich.

Because of the way the Hobby-Eberly Telescope will be used, 9.2 meters (362 inches) of its surface will be accessible at any given time. Thus, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope is effectively the third-largest telescope in the world, after the twin 10-meter (393-inch) Keck I and Keck II telescopes in Hawaii.

The HET attained "first light" in December 1996 and "first spectrum" in September 1997. It was dedicated in October 1997. The telescope's commissioning phase, during which the telescope's sophisticated optical, mechanical, and electrical systems were de-bugged, integrated, and optimized for science operations, lasted until October 1999. In early operations, the telescope will be used for scientific research for half of each month. So far, the telescope is operating with the Marcario Low-Resolution Spectrograph, designed and built by a team led by Gary Hill and Phillip MacQueen of McDonald Observatory, and the Upgraded Fiber Optic Echelle spectrograph, an instrument built at Penn State by Larry Ramsey and Penn State graduate students Jason Harlow and David Andersen. A high-resolution spectrograph, designed and built by a team led by Robert Tull of McDonald Observatory, will be installed in early 2000, to be followed by a medium-resolution spectrograph, being constructed under the direction of Larry Ramsey.

Users of the HET report exciting results. The first paper based on observations with the HET was recently accepted by the Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific and will appear in the January 2000 issue. Donald Schneider, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State; Gary Hill, of Texas; and Xiaohui Fan, a graduate student at Princeton University, have led a project to obtain HET spectra of high-redshift quasar candidates found by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). During this past spring, five quasars with redshifts between 2.9 and 4.2 were discovered by observations with the LRS. This work has continued through the fall, and the HET has observed more than a dozen distant quasar candidates in the past few weeks.

Edward L. Robinson, the William B. Blakemore II Regents Professor in Astronomy at the University of Texas at Austin, has used the HET to observe a new X-ray star in visible light. The X-ray properties of the new star, named J1859+226, show that it is probably a black hole that has begun to swallow gas pulled off a normal star orbiting around the black hole.

New X-ray stars, called X-ray transients, are rare. About one X-ray transient erupts per year in our galaxy. J1859+226 erupted a week after the beginning of Early Operations on the HET. Because objects observed with the HET are chosen dynamically and in real time (the HET is "queue scheduled"), Robinson was able to begin observing J1859+226 as soon as it was identified at visible wavelengths, several days before the peak of the eruption. He continued observing J1859+226 every one or two days for the next six weeks. The HET observations are a unique contribution to understanding how black holes attract and swallow matter.

The namesakes of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope are William P. Hobby, the former Lieutenant Governor of Texas, and Robert E. Eberly of Pennsylvania, an industrialist and philanthropist. The HET stands on Mount Fowlkes at McDonald Observatory in far West Texas, which has the darkest skies of any major observatory in the continental United States.

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope: A joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), Stanford University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Unversität Göttingen

University of Texas-led Team Discovers Unusual Multi-Planet System with NASA's Kepler Spacecraft

The top graphic shows the orbits of the three known planets orbiting Kepler-18 a

NANTES, France — A team of researchers led by Bill Cochran of The University of Texas at Austin has used NASA’s Kepler spacecraft to discover an unusual multiple-planet system containing a super-Earth and two Neptune-sized planets orbiting in resonance with each other. They will announce the find today in Nantes, France at a joint meeting of the American Astronomical Society’s Division of Planetary Science and the European Planetary Science Conference. The research will be published in a special Kepler issue of The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series in November.

Cochran’s team is announcing three planets orbiting Kepler-18, a star similar to the Sun. Kepler-18 is just 10 percent larger than the Sun and contains 97 percent of the Sun’s mass. It may host more planets than the three announced today.

The planets are designated b, c, and d. All three planets orbit much closer to Kepler-18 than Mercury does to the Sun. Orbiting closest to Kepler-18 with a 3.5-day period, planet b weighs in at about 6.9 times the mass of Earth, and twice Earth’s size. Planet b is considered a “super-Earth.” Planet c has a mass of about 17 Earths, is about 5.5 times Earth’s size, and orbits Kepler-18 in 7.6 days. Planet d weighs in at 16 Earths, at 7 times Earth’s size, and has a 14.9-day orbit. The masses and sizes of c and d qualify them as low-density “Neptune-class” planets.

Planet c orbits the star twice for every one orbit d makes. But the times that each of these planets transit the face of Kepler-18 “are not staying exactly on that orbital period,” Cochran says. “One is slightly early when the other one is slightly late, [then] both are on time at the same time, and then vice-versa.”

Scientifically speaking, c and d are orbiting in a 2:1 resonance. “It means they’re interacting with each other,” Cochran explains. “When they are close to each other ... they exchange energy, pull and tug on each other.”

Kepler uses the “transit method” to look for planets. It monitors a star’s brightness over time, looking for periodic dips that could indicate a planet passing in front of the star. A large part of the Kepler science team’s work is
proving that potential planets they find aren’t something else that mimics the transit signature (such as a perfectly aligned background star, specifically either an eclipsing binary star or a single star orbited by a giant planet). That follow-up work to Kepler is done by scores of scientists using ground-based telescopes the world over (including several at The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory) as well as Spitzer Space Telescope.

Kepler-18's planets c and d did astronomers a favor by proving their planet credentials up front via their orbital resonance; they had to be in the same planetary system as each other for the resonance to occur.

Confirming the planetary bona fides of planet b, the super-Earth, was much more complicated, Cochran says. His team used a technique called “validation,” instead of verification. They set out to figure out the probability that it could be something other than a planet.

First, they used the Palomar 5-meter (200-inch) Hale Telescope with adaptive optics to take an extremely high-resolution look at the space around Kepler-18. They wanted to see if anything close to the star could be positively identified as a background object that would cause the transit signal they had attributed to a super-Earth.

“We successively went through every possible type of object that could be there,” Cochran says. “There are limits on the sort of objects that can be there at different distances from the star.” Astronomers know how many of different types of objects (various kinds of stars, background galaxies, and more) are seen on average in the sky. They didn’t find anything in the Palomar image.

“There’s a small possibility that [planet b] is due to a background object, but we’re very confident that it’s probably a planet,” Cochran says. His team calculated that the likelihood the object is a planet is 700 times more
likely than the likelihood that it’s a background object.The process is called “planet validation,” rather than the usual “planet verification.” Cochran says it’s important to understand the difference — not just for this system, but for future discoveries from Kepler and other missions.

“We’re trying to prepare the astronomical community and the public for the concept of validation,” he says. “The goal of Kepler is to find an Earth-sized planet in the habitable zone [where life could arise], with a one-year orbit.
Proving that such an object really is a planet is very difficult [with current technology]. When we find what looks to be a habitable Earth, we’ll have to use a validation process, rather than a confirmation process. We’re going to
have to make statistical arguments.”

Kepler was selected as the tenth NASA Discovery mission. NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., is the home organization of the science principal investigator, and is responsible for the ground system development, mission operations and science data analysis. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., managed the Kepler mission development. Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colo., developed the Kepler flight system and supports mission operations with the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder. The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore archives, hosts, and distributes the Kepler science data. For more information about the Kepler mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kepler.

— END —

Media Contacts

Rebecca Johnson, McDonald Observatory Press Officer, 512-475-6763

Michele Johnson, Kepler Press Officer, NASA Ames Research Center, 650-604-4789

Vishnu Reddy, AAS Division of Planetary Sciences Press Officer, +49 555-15787579623

Anita Heward, European Planerary Science Congress Press Officer, +44 (0) 7756 034243

Science Contact: Dr. William Cochran, 512-471-6474

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. The results were published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters on October 20 by Alexei Khokhlov, Elaine Oran, and Almadena Chtchelkanova of NRL and Peter Hoeflich, Lifan Wang, and J. Craig Wheeler of the University of Texas.

"Combining Texas observations with the cutting-edge numerical techniques at NRL has pointed the way to a new idea," says Wheeler, the Samuel T. & Fern Yanagisawa Regents Professor in Astronomy at the University of Texas at Austin. "We think that jets cause a major class of supernova explosions."

Supernovae are caused by the explosion of a massive star, and the explosions have been thought to arise through one of two mechanisms. In the first type, called Type Ia, massive stars can explode like a stick of dynamite, leaving no collapsed remnant. Astronomers use Type Ia supernovae as "standard candles" to measure distances in the Universe, and studies of Type Ia supernovae have suggested that the expansion of the Universe is accelerating.

Other types of supernovae involve the collapse of the center of an especially massive star to form an extremely dense object, either a neutron star or, perhaps in some circumstances, a black hole. The formation of a neutron star is thought to be more common. These types of supernovae are called Type Ib and Ic and Type II.

Astronomer Lifan Wang, a Hubble Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin, has studied all types of supernovae for several years, primarily using the 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope at McDonald Observatory. Wang's work has focused on determining whether the light of supernovae is polarized that is, if the light waves given off by supernovae are aligned in certain directions. If a supernova's light is expanding uniformly in all directions, there is no polarization. There will be measurable polarization if light from the parts of the supernova is spreading asymmetrically.

All the supernovae Wang has examined that are thought to arise from core collapsethe Type Ib and Ic and Type II supernovaehave been substantially polarized, and hence substantially "out-of-round." At the same time, all the Type Ia supernovae have shown little or no polarization.

For the polarized supernovae, Wang has identified a trend suggesting that the closer one looks to the center of a supernova explosion, the larger the asymmetry found. In many cases, his data suggest, the explosion must be occurring strongly along a preferred axis. The explosion must be bipolar. "These observations cannot be explained by current theory," says Wang, "so a new theory was needed."

When the core collapses, a neutron star forms before any explosion can occur. Up to now, the theory of core-collapse supernovae has been focused on the production of neutrinos that are generated within the newly formed neutron star. These ephemeral particles carry off more than a hundred times the energy required to trigger the explosion of the star. The question has been whether they carry too much and spoil the explosion, or leave enough energy behind to cause the explosion.

To help with a new theory that explains supernova formation and takes polarization into account, Wang and his Texas colleagues turned to Khokhlov, Oran, and Chtchelkanova of NRL, who used computer modeling to test scenarios that could explain the newfound polarization of these supernovae. Their models tested the idea that collapsing supernovae begin by expelling mass and energy from the new neutron star in a strongly directional process.

"Moving mass and energy in a single direction is the operational definition of a jet," says Wheeler. "These are jet-induced explosions."

If the new jet theory is right, the traditional questions about neutrinos and supernovae may be irrelevant. In their calculations, Khokhlov and his associates found that the jet punches out of the star, but also sends shock waves sideways, sharing some of the energy throughout the star. The result is that the entire star is blown up by the jet and the neutrinos do not need to play any obvious role. The ejected matter is sent out in the jet and in a pancake containing other star material. "The result is just what we need to explain the polarization," says Peter Hoeflich, a Research Scientist at the University of Texas at Austin, who is an expert on the flow of radiation from supernovae.

The numerical techniques to compute the effect of a jet on a star were developed by Khokhlov when he was at the University of Texas at Austin and have been refined and applied to this problem at the Naval Research Laboratory, where he is currently a Research Scientist. The computer code developed by Khokhlov is fully three dimensional and has an "adaptive-mesh" capability, so that it automatically computes most carefully just where the need is greatest. This code was used by Khokhlov and his colleagues to compute the propagation of a jet from near the surface of a newly formed neutron star to its eruption into space.

"The next task is to better understand the origin of the jet," says Wheeler. "The most plausible cause is the rapid rotation of the neutron star and its strong magnetic field. We have begun to look into how the newly formed neutron star can channel its energy up the rotation axis by magnetic jets or intense pulsar radiation."

For Additional Information, contact:

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 the greater Texas–Mexico region to discuss current astrophysical problems and present their own research in various disciplines of astronomy and astrophysics.

"The conference provides the opportunity for researchers and students to discuss topics of mutual interest. These are neighborhood meetings, but they have an international flavor," said Dr. Greg Shields, the Jane and Roland Blumberg Centennial Professor in Astronomy at the University of Texas and chair of the scientific organizing committee. He added that the first conference by this group was held in 1986.

Although this year’s conference theme—Flows, Blows, and Glows—highlights the series’ traditional emphasis on nebular and interstellar studies, the meeting includes a wider range of topics. Over the three-day event, six topics will be presented: ionized nebulae, interstellar medium and star formation, cosmology and the evolution of the galaxies, active galactic nuclei and black holes, supernovae and gamma-ray bursts, and stars.

The sessions consist of invited talks of 30–40 minutes, contributed talks of 15–20 minutes, and poster presentations. Proceedings will be published in Revista Mexicana de Astronomia y Astrofisica. In addition to Shields, the scientific organizing committee comprises Dr. Reggie Dufour, Rice University; Drs. Manuel Peimbert and Silvia Torres-Peimbert, National Autonomous University (Mexico); and Drs. Paul Shapiro and Craig Wheeler, University of Texas. The local organizing committee, chaired by Dr. Cecilia Colomé, includes Shields and Yancy Shirley.

For more information, contact Shields at 512-471-1402
(shields@astro.as.utexas.edu) or Colomé at 512-471-3451
(cc@astro.as.utexas.edu

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, Fort Davis and Sutherland will establish a working relationship between the Commissioners' Court of Jeff Davis County and the Council of Sutherland, with the goal of sharing experiences and potential economic benefits as "observatory towns."

Fort Davis is home to the University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory and the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. Sutherland is known for the South African Astronomical Observatory, where the largest single telescope in the Southern Hemisphere – the 9-meter Southern African Large Telescope – is being built over the next five years. The Southern African Large Telescope is based almost entirely on the innovative design of the 11-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope.

The scientists and engineers who built the Hobby-Eberly Telescope are collaborating with their South African counterparts working on the Southern African Large Telescope. "This twin town agreement demonstrates how scientific cooperation often leads to cooperation in other areas also," said Dr. Peter Martinez of the South African Astronomical Observatory.

"Not only do our two towns share a similar size and environment," said Judge Peggy Robertson, Jeff Davis County Commissioners' Court, "we enjoy international exposure because of our world-class observatories. It seems only fitting that both the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and the Southern African Large Telescope are technological 'twins' as well."

Alletta van Sittert, Chief Executive Officer of Sutherland Municipality, also cited the mutual educational and economic advantages that the towns derive from their observatories. "McDonald Observatory is known for its Visitors' Center and the planned Texas Astronomy Educational Center," van Sittert said. "And as part of the agreement between our observatory and the Local Council of Sutherland, we will work jointly toward the economic development of the town of Sutherland and surrounding areas. One of our efforts will be to develop a Science Visitor Center similar to the one at McDonald Observatory."

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 total number of black holes so far found in the universe to at least 33. The findings were being announced Tuesday, June 6, at the 196th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Rochester, N.Y.

The team includes Kormendy, who holds the Curtis T. Vaughan, Jr. Centennial Chair in Astronomy at UT Austin's Department of Astronomy, Dr. Karl Gebhardt, a Hubble postdoctoral fellow at the University of California at Santa Cruz, Dr. Douglas Richstone, a professor of astronomy at the University of Michigan's Department of Astronomy, and an international team of collaborators.

"With the new black hole findings, we have left the 'Gee whiz!' discovery phase of this subject and entered the phase of doing science with supermassive black holes," Kormendy said. "In the early days of the search, from the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, all the emphasis was on finding out whether these black holes really exist."

Black holes are so compressed that their surface gravity is strong enough to keep even light from escaping. Some black holes have masses several times the mass of the Earth's Sun. These are formed when massive stars die. Supermassive black holes, in contrast, are a million to a billion times the mass of the Sun and are found at the centers of galaxies.

Because black holes are invisible, scientists can detect and study them only by observing the movements and velocities of the stars swirling around them. The first supermassive black hole was discovered in 1984, although astrophysicists for years had been predicting black holes on the basis of their theories of how the galaxies operate.

"Supermassive black holes were predicted by our theory of what powers quasars, the brightest objects in the universe. An enormous amount of work on quasars had been done," Kormendy said. "But an important piece of the puzzle was missing. Nobody was sure that supermassive black holes really exist."

Kormendy started his search in 1985 and discovered the second, third, and fourth supermassive black holes while observing at the Canada­France­Hawaii Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii.

Since then, new discoveries have been made at a rate of one or two per year. The discoveries being announced at the Rochester AAS meeting are the result of 18 months of data collected by the new Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope. In addition, analysis methods have improved and measurements have become more accurate.

Kormendy said that at least six new black holes have been discovered by other scientific teams. "Suddenly the number of black holes available to us has doubled. This has happened, basically, in the last few weeks as people, including our team, rushed to prepare for this meeting," Kormendy said. "The new spectrograph is a much more efficient way to look for black holes. Many people have been gearing up to find them."

With 33 black holes available for research, scientists have enough material to develop a much clearer picture of how galaxies form and how black holes grow. For example, the latest discoveries reveal a fundamental new correlation between black hole mass and galaxy formation, as measured by the random velocities of stars.

Galaxies exist in two basic forms, with variations. Kormendy explained that there are disk or Frisbee-shaped galaxies, such as the Milky Way, and denser, rounder galaxies bulging like partially deflated beach balls. Black holes appear to be closely connected with the properties of the elliptical or bulge-shaped galaxies, but pure disk galaxies do not seem to contain supermassive black holes. The properties of black holes suggest that they grow to their present sizes as part of the galaxy formation process.

Contact: Dr. John Kormendy
(512) 471-8191

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 issue of the British journal Nature.

Dr. David L. Lambert, a professor of astrophysics at the University of Texas at Austin and a leading authority on the composition and evolution of stars; David C. Knauth, a graduate student at the University of Toledo at Toledo, Ohio; Dr. Steve R. Federman, a professor of astronomy at the University of Toledo; and Dr. Phil Crane, an astrophysicist at NASA in Washington, D.C., conducted their research at UT Austin’s McDonald Observatory. They used the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith telescope and a spectrograph built by Robert G. Tull and Phillip J. MacQueen.

Their research provides novel information on the presence and production of lithium in space. Astronomical observations of the ratios and abundance of the elements and their isotopes throughout the universe are used to learn more about the processes by which elements were formed.

"The overall goal of almost all of my work is to discover the origins of the chemical elements," said Lambert, who holds the Isabel McCutcheon Harte Centennial Chair in Astronomy. "We are trying to understand how the chemical elements were made. The Big Bang that started the universe provided hydrogen, helium, and very small amounts of one form of lithium—the isotope 7Lithium."

"With the exception of the three light elements—lithium, beryllium, and boron—all the other elements, we believe, are made in stars by one mechanism or the other. The origins of these three light elements have long been a mystery," Lambert said.

According to Lambert, scientists in the 1970s proposed that the three elements are formed when high-energy particles called cosmic rays smash into carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen nuclei in interstellar clouds and break the nuclei up into lithium, beryllium, and boron. On the basis of these predictions, two forms of lithium produced by this process, 6Lithium and 7Lithium, should be found in roughly equal amounts.

But in the very few places where measurements are possible, the two forms of lithium are found in far different ratios. For example, in meteorites, the ratio of 7Lithium to 6Lithium is 12:1, not the roughly 1:1 ratio predicted if the lithium had been formed by cosmic rays, Lambert said. "This tells us that there is another process making a lot of lithium. That process probably involves stars."

Scientists conducting the research over the last two winters at McDonald Observatory discovered for the first time a pair of interstellar clouds in which the ratio of the two forms of lithium was close to 1:1 for 7Lithium to 6Lithium.

"That’s the prediction of the cosmic ray value," Lambert said. "This is the first time—in interstellar clouds or in any other stellar source—that the ratio has been found so close to the cosmic ray prediction."

"It’s been known for a long time that cosmic rays were a substantial contributor to the origins of lithium and the other two light elements. Also, the cosmic rays themselves have a ratio of about 1:1 for 7Lithium to 6Lithium. But this is the first time we’ve seen gas where the cosmic rays dominated production of lithium," Lambert said.

After earning a doctorate in philosophy in solar physics at the University of Oxford in his native England, Lambert was a research fellow at the California Institute of Technology. He joined the UT Austin faculty in 1969. In 1988, he received the Heineman Prize for Astrophysics from the American Astronomical Society and the American Institute of Physics for setting new standards of precision in the quantitative analysis of the spectra of stars, work basic to the understanding of the evolution of stars and galaxies.

New Lighting Ordinance Promotes Darker Skies, Safer Streets

ALPINE, Texas: On May 23, 2000, the Alpine City Council unanimously approved a new lighting ordinance, which took effect June 22. The ordinance represents a successful collaboration by several people, including Alpine City Manager Doug Lively; James Walker of the Big Bend Astronomical Society; Mark Adams and Bill Wren of the University of Texas’s McDonald Observatory; and Roland Pena, Manager of Community Services for AEP-West Texas Utilities in the Big Bend and Western Regions.

Officially known as "An Ordinance to Improve Outdoor Lighting in the City of Alpine, Texas," the ordinance preserves the darkness and clarity of the night sky that make this part of west Texas such an ideal locale for astronomy, while providing safer, more efficient outdoor lighting that conserves energy and reduces waste.

"It’s a real credit to the hard work of the City of Alpine and everyone involved that such a positive piece of legislation came out of this process, ensuring quality outdoor lighting for citizens and dark skies for the Observatory and other star gazers," said Wren, Public Affairs Specialist II at McDonald Observatory, the darkest professional observing site in the continental United States.

"I believe we have a good ordinance that is enforceable and is fair to everyone," added Walker, area resident and secretary of the Big Bend Astronomical Society. "Our new lighting ordinance will reduce light pollution, keep the sky darker so we can see the stars better, and conserve energy."

Search For Extrasolar Planets Hits Home

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND: Today, a team of astronomers will announce the discovery of a Jupiter-mass planet orbiting a star, Epsilon Eridani, 10.5 light-years away, making it the first such planet found this close to our own solar system. Dr. William Cochran, of the University of Texas McDonald Observatory, will present the team’s findings at the symposium on "Planetary Systems in the Universe," as part of the 24th General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union, in Manchester, England.

"Detecting a planet orbiting Epsilon Eridani, a star very similar to our own Sun and only 3.22 parsecs from Earth, is like finding a planet in our own backyard -- relatively speaking," said Cochran. "Not only is this planet nearby, it lies 3.2 AU (478 million kilometers, or 297 million miles) from its central star -- roughly the distance from the Sun to the asteroid belt in our own solar system."

The planet of Epsilon Eridani has between 0.8 and 1.6 times the mass of Jupiter and an orbital period of just under seven years -- about 60 percent the orbital period of Jupiter but longer than that of most other extrasolar planets discovered recently. In fact, the planet could qualify as the first "Jupiter analogue" were it not for its highly eccentric (elliptical) orbit of 0.6. (The orbits of planets in our solar system are more circular.)

To arrive at its discovery, the team studied nearly 20 years of high-precision radial velocity (RV) measurements of Epsilon Eridani, the fifth brightest star in the constellation Eridanus, the river. A bright K2 V star (approximate magnitude of 3.7), Epsilon Eridani is slightly less massive than our Sun (0.85 solar mass) and slightly cooler (5,180 degrees Kelvin). The team noted that the star’s high level of chromospheric activity is consistent with its relatively young age, less than a billion years old.

"We looked very hard at several years worth of spectrophotometric data for Epsilon Eridani, to make sure that the star’s low RV -- 19 meters per second -- was not due to periodic stellar cycles," stated Dr. Artie Hatzes of the McDonald Observatory. "Especially helpful were the Ca II H and K S-index measurements that Dr. Sallie Baliunas, our collaborator at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, had made and analyzed of 100 lower main sequence stars, Epsilon Eridani among them. Earlier data that showed an RV amplitude higher than what we found had led some researchers to attribute the RV variations to the star’s activity cycle. After studying the relative flux in the Ca II H and K emission cores from this star, however, we concluded that there is no significant periodicity in the Ca II spectrophotometric measurements that matches the period of the Doppler variation."

"We also ruled out the possibility of a stellar companion," Hatzes added. "There is just no strong evidence to suggest that Epsilon Eridani is a binary star."

The team’s data represent a combination of six independent data sets taken with four different telescopes and with three different measurement techniques. In addition to their own observations made with the 2.7-meter telescope at McDonald Observatory, Cochran and Hatzes drew from data collected by three other planet search groups, including the Canada-France-Hawaii Observatory and the European Southern Observatory.

Asymmetric, primordial dust rings made up of 1-mm-size particles extend 60 AU from Epsilon Eridani. The irregular shape of this ring may be due to another, undiscovered planet. "If there is indeed a second planet, the asymmetry of the disk would suggest that the planet is orbiting just inside the ring, at a distance of 30 AU -- much farther out than the planet we have found and with a much longer orbital period than the one we’ve discovered," according to Hatzes. "Thus, it might also be responsible for the possible overall slope in our velocity measurements. And where there’s one planet, there may be more."

The discovery of the planet around Epsilon Eridani raises the likelihood of detecting planets with longer orbital periods and multiplanet systems like our own. "Given its close proximity to Earth, a one-arcsecond separation between the planet and its central star, and the relatively large degree of perturbation -- about 1.4 milli-arcseconds -- of the star from its orbiting planet mean that we could very likely resolve the true mass of this planet, using both direct imaging and space-based astrometric measurements with Hubble Space Telescope," Cochran noted.

In addition to Cochran and Hatzes, team members consist of Barbara McArthur, McDonald Observatory; Gordon Walker, University of British Columbia; Alan Irwin and Stephenson Yang, University of Victoria; Bruce Campbell (formerly of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Victoria); Sallie Baliunas, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics; Martin Kürster, Michael Endl, and Sebastian Els, European Southern Observatory; Geoffrey Marcy, University of California, Berkeley; and Paul Butler, Carnegie Institution of Washington.

Contact: Dr. William Cochran
(512) 471-6474
wdc@astro.as.utexas.edu

Long Foundations support Universo

AUSTIN, Texas: Mr. Joe R. Long and Dr. Teresa Lozano Long of Austin, through the Long Foundations, have made a $100,000 gift to McDonald Observatory to support the innovative Universo radio program.

Started in 1995 with a grant from the National Science Foundation, Universo is a daily two-minute Spanish-language radio program on astronomy heard on 175 radio stations in the U.S. and Central and South America, with 3.5 million listeners each week. Produced in the studios of KXCR-FM in El Paso, it is the most widely syndicated daily Spanish-language program on any subject in the United States, airing in markets that are home to 90 percent of the Spanish-speaking population in the U.S. Universo is the sister program of StarDate radio, which has 5.7 million weekly listeners across the country.

Says McDonald Observatory Director Dr. Frank Bash, "This generous gift from Joe and Teresa Long through the Long Foundations helps advance one of strongest goals for the observatory and the University of Texas at Austin. It allows us to reach out to young people throughout Texas and the country and excite them about the world around us, so that they will become interested in careers in science and technology."

Universo also includes a web site (http://universo.utexas.edu) that draws hundreds of visits each week. In addition, it encompasses teacher’s materials used by hundreds of teachers with tens of thousands of students each year. Recent sponsors include the American Honda Foundation; Harcourt General Corporation, based in Boston and San Antonio; National Instruments, Inc., of Austin; and the American Astronomical Society.

Says Robert W. Milkey, Executive Officer of the American Astronomical Society, "Universo is instrumental in improving science literacy in the Spanish speaking population of the United States and in inspiring talented youth in this community to pursue careers in science. The increasing use of minority talent will be essential in increasing the strength of the country's technical workforce for the new century."

McDonald Observatory is currently seeking a national sponsor for Universo: A national sponsor for Universo could gain daily access to Universo’s audience of technologically curious listeners, who would hear a 15-second sponsorship message as an integral part of 180 two-minute programs each year. The Universo web site and classroom materials also present opportunities for sponsorship. National sponsorship costs $180,000 per year.

"This gift from the Long Foundations continues their wonderful tradition of support for The University of Texas, the arts, and our community," adds Bash.

Long Foundations provide support for Universo, Spanish-language sister program to StarDate radio broadcasts

AUSTIN, Texas: The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory has received a $100,000 gift from Joe R. Long and Dr. Teresa Lozano Long of Austin, through the Long Foundations. The gift will support the innovative Universo radio program, the sister program to StarDate radio.

 

Begun in 1995 with a grant from the National Science Foundation, Universo is a daily, two-minute Spanish-language radio program devoted to astronomy. The program is broadcast on 175 radio stations in the United States, Central America, and South America, with 3.5 million listeners each week.

Produced in the studios of KXCR-FM in El Paso, Universo is the most widely syndicated daily Spanish-language program on any subject in the United States, airing in markets that are home to 90 percent of the Spanish-speaking population in the nation. The Universo Web site is: http://universo.utexas.edu/ (StarDate radio has 5.7 million weekly listeners in the United States.)

"This generous gift from Joe and Teresa Long through the Long Foundations helps advance one of strongest goals for the observatory and The University of Texas at Austin," said Dr. Frank Bash, director of McDonald Observatory. "It allows us to reach out to young people throughout Texas and the country and to excite them about the planets, galaxies, and stars around us. The program is an excellent tool to interest young people in careers in science and technology."

Bash added that funding "from the Long Foundations continues their wonderful tradition of support for the University of Texas, the arts, and our community."

The Web site makes Spanish language educational materials available to thousands of teachers and students each year. Recent sponsors of the Web site include the American Honda Foundation; Harcourt General Corporation, based in Boston and San Antonio; National Instruments Inc. of Austin; and the American Astronomical Society.

"Universo is instrumental in improving science literacy in the Spanish-speaking population of the United States and in inspiring talented youth in this community to pursue careers in science," said Robert W. Milkey, executive officer of the American Astronomical Society. "The increasing use of minority talent will be essential in increasing the strength of the country's technical workforce for the new century."

McDonald Observatory officials said they would welcome new national sponsors for Universo or the Universo Web site and classroom materials. A national sponsor provides $180,000 and also a provides 15-second sponsorship message, which is featured on of each of the 180 programs per year.

Touching the Stars: UT Astronomer Honored for Inspiring Teachers, Students

AUSTIN, Texas: Dr. Mary Kay Hemenway, a research associate and senior lecturer in the Department of Astronomy at the University of Texas at Austin, has been selected to receive the Honorary Life Member award from the Science Teachers Association of Texas (STAT). The award honors Dr. Hemenway’s years of dedication and significant contributions to science education in Texas, and will be presented October 13 as part of the Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching, at Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.

Hemenway received news of her selection while preparing a set of astronomy education presentations for the three-day conference. "I am honored to be recognized by STAT, the organization of the most outstanding science educators in our state," Hemenway said.

Dr. Barbara ten Brink, Chair of the Awards Committee, praised Hemenway for inspiring elementary, middle-school, and high-school science teachers and for her commitment to instilling the love of learning and teaching astronomy in her fellow educators. "Dr. Hemenway’s Astronomy Institutes, workshops, and conference presentations have influenced the teaching of astronomy and physics to hundreds of classroom teachers," Ten Brink said. "As a participant on one of her field trips to McDonald Observatory, I can attest to the value of the experience."

"McDonald Observatory is very privileged to have Dr. Hemenway associated with it," added Dr. Frank Bash, Director of UT’s McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis, Texas. "She is the nation’s leading expert in teaching astronomy in grades K–12, and she has made a major contribution to the scientific education of Texas school children."

Hemenway is currently creating the K–12 educational programs for the new Texas Astronomy Education Center, scheduled to open at McDonald Observatory in the fall of 2001. The programs consist of professional development workshops for teachers and field experiences for students. "Our goal at the Observatory is for the Texas Astronomy Education Center to become the hub for K–12 astronomy programs for teachers and students in Texas," said Hemenway. The programs will align with the Texas education standards for science and will offer teachers continuing education credits.

Hemenway is an internationally recognized expert on creating and implementing innovative training for science teachers and on using science as a catalyst to improve teaching and curricula from grades K to 16. She received her doctorate in astronomy from the University of Virginia before coming to the University of Texas in 1974. Hemenway, who has been the Department of Astronomy’s Director of Educational Services since 1980, holds the office of Secretary of the Board of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific and implements federally supported programs with secondary-school science teachers.

World’s Top Observatories to Collaborate for Public Education

Educators from many of the world’s top observatories are heading to Cape Town, South Africa, this week, in an effort to strengthen international ties in public science education. Beginning Friday, they will attend a workshop to discuss the creation of an "International Collaborative for Educational Outreach for State-of-the-Art Telescopes."

Currently, no such international collaboration exists. Workshop attendees will discuss the goals, mission, and priorities for such a group.

"This workshop will enable all participants, especially the staff of the South African Large Telescope (SALT), an opportunity to learn from, and collaborate with, colleagues in the field of astronomy education and outreach," said Sandra Preston, workshop organizer and Director of McDonald Observatory’s Public Information Office at the University of Texas. SALT, now under construction, is a southern-hemisphere near-clone of the innovative Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at McDonald Observatory.

Observatories participating in the workshop include: the Gemini Project, the W. M. Keck Observatory, Japan’s Subaru Telescope, the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Very Large Array and Arecibo radio telescopes, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, the South African Large Telescope, the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope, Great Britain’s Jodrell Bank Observatory, and Spain’s Gran Telescopio Canarias.

Following the workshop, the presentations and discussions will be published in the form of conference proceedings. Information on how to obtain copies will be made available at that time.

The U.S. National Science Foundation provided travel funds for participants from U.S. observatories. The Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology of the South African government provided funds for the hosting of the workshop in Cape Town.

Case Rijsdijk
South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO)
case@saao.ac.za

American Electric Power Sponsors StarDate, Bringing Astronomy Lore to Millions

American Electric Power Company (AEP) has made a grant to the University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory to sponsor its StarDate radio program. By doing so, AEP becomes StarDate’s exclusive national sponsor for 2001.

American Electric Power is a multinational energy company based in Columbus, Ohio. AEP owns and operates more than 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity, making it one of America’s largest generators of electricity. The company is also a leading wholesale energy marketer and trader, ranking second in the U.S. in electricity volume. AEP provides retail electricity to more than 9 million customers worldwide and has more than $55 billion in assets, primarily in the U.S. with holdings in select international markets. Wholly owned subsidiaries are involved in power engineering and construction services, energy management and telecommunications.

According to Tom Shockley, vice chairman of AEP, "The McDonald Observatory is one of the leading astronomy education and research facilities in the world. On-going study in key disciplines such as astronomy is absolutely critical to our country maintaining its leadership worldwide in the fields of science and technology. AEP is extremely pleased to have this opportunity to partner with the University of Texas and the McDonald Observatory to bring StarDate to life in 2001 for millions of listeners across the country."

Now celebrating its twenty-second year on the air, StarDate is a daily two-minute radio program on astronomy heard on 215 radio stations across the United States, with some 5.7 million listeners each week. The program encompasses instructional materials used by hundreds of teachers with tens of thousands of students each year. StarDate’s Spanish-language sister program, Universo, is heard by more than 3.7 million people each week in markets that are home to 90 percent of the Latino population of the U.S.

Says McDonald Observatory Director Dr. Frank Bash, "This generous gift from American Electric Power helps advance several important goals for the observatory and the University of Texas at Austin. Specifically, it allows us to reach out to young people across the country and excite them about careers in science and technology."

For more information, contact
Joel Barna, Development Officer
Univ. of TX McDonald Observatory
512-471-6335, jwbarna@astro.as.utexas.edu

SBC Foundation supports radio outreach for science education

The SBC Foundation has made a $150,000 gift to the University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory to support the innovative Universo radio program.

Started in 1995 with a grant from the National Science Foundation, Universo is a daily two-minute Spanish-language radio program on astronomy heard on 156 radio stations in the U.S. and Central and South America, with 3.5 million listeners each week. It is the most widely syndicated daily Spanish-language program in any subject in the United States, airing in markets that are home to 90 percent of the Spanish-speaking population in the U.S. Universo is the sister program of StarDate radio, which has 5.7 million weekly listeners across the country.

According to Nancy Gerval, president of the SBC Foundation, "This is an important educational program that reaches one of the fastest-growing segments of our diverse community. We are pleased to support a project that is in keeping with our corporate commitment to strengthening our communities while getting young people energized about career opportunities in the fields of science and technology."

The SBC Foundation addresses community needs in the areas of education, community economic development, health and human services, and culture and the arts. Since its formation in 1984, the SBC Foundation has distributed nearly $600 million in grants, United Way support, and employee outreach programs focused primarily within SBC’s core service areas. It is an independent foundation funded by SBC Communications Inc. and its family of companies.

The generous grant from the SBC Foundation will help support production and distribution of Universo nationwide in 2001 and 2002.

Says McDonald Observatory Director Dr. Frank Bash, "This generous gift from the SBC Foundation helps advance one of the most important goals for the observatory and the University of Texas at Austin. It allows us to reach out to young people throughout Texas and the country and excite them about the world around us, so that they will become interested in careers in science and technology."

Universo also includes a web site (http://universo.utexas.edu) and it encompasses teacher’s materials used by hundreds of teachers with tens of thousands of students each year. Recent sponsors of Universo include the Long Foundations; the American Honda Foundation; Harcourt General Corporation; National Instruments, Inc., of Austin; and the American Astronomical Society.

Adds Frank Bash, "This gift from the SBC Foundation continues a wonderful tradition of support for The University of Texas, for education, and for our community. Millions of people each week will learn more about our universe because of this support."

For more information, contact
Joel Barna, Development Officer
Univ. of TX McDonald Observatory
512-471-6335, jwbarna@astro.as.utexas.edu

Missing Molecule Holds Clues to Comet's Origin

Dr. Tony L. Farnham, a planetary scientist at The University of Texas at Austin studied comet C/1999 S4 along with collaborators Drs. David G. Schleicher and Laura M. Woodney of Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, AZ; Dr. Peter V. Birch of Perth Observatory in Western Australia; Dr. Clara A. Eberhardy of the University of Washington in Seattle; and Dr. Lorenza Levy of Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.

 

The researchers used telescopes at UT Austin’s McDonald Observatory, Lowell Observatory, and Australia’s Perth Observatory to observe it both before and after break-up. They determined that the comet is deficient in the molecule carbon-2, which indicates that the comet formed near Neptune, billions of years ago when our solar system was forming.

"We usually get a look at the surface of a comet, but this time we got to look inside," Farnham said. Farnham is the Harlan J. Smith Planetary Post-Doctoral Researcher at UT Austin’s department of astronomy. Because the opportunity to study the inside of a comet is so rare, it’s essential that astronomers know what type of comet it is, so they can use the information in their models of solar system formation.

Comets are sometimes referred to as "dirty snowballs," because they are made up of dust and rocks held together by ice. Astronomers know that comets generally formed in two places in the early solar system: in the region around Neptune, and the region around Jupiter. Generally, Neptune-origin comets ended up in the Kuiper Belt, a band of comets just beyond that planet’s orbit. Jupiter-origin comets ended up in the Oort Cloud, a halo of comets surrounding our solar system far beyond the orbits of the planets.

Different lines of evidence may indicate another history for the comet. Other researchers found that 1999 S4 is missing other carbon-chain molecules, Farnham said, indicating that the comet may have formed near Jupiter.

The discrepancy in results "may be telling us is that it has a surface material different from what’s inside," Farnham said. "That may be an explanation of what happened, that the comet formed around the Jupiter region, and other materials formed on the surface as it migrated out," into the outer solar system. "We don’t have any proof of that," he cautioned.

Farnham also calculated a lower limit for the length of the comet’s nucleus before break-up: about 0.4 kilometers.

They are useful for studying the history of our solar system because they are believed to be relatively unchanged since the solar system formed, unlike planets, whose geological processes continually re-write their surfaces.

"Comets have been in storage, especially dynamically new comets, like this one," Farnham said. A dynamically new comet is one that has never been near enough to the Sun to have any of its materials vaporize off its surface.

Comet C/1999 S4 was never visible to the naked eye.

For more information, contact

Dr. Tony L. Farnham in the UT Austin department of astronomy at 512-471-1483.

UT Austin scientists find evidence that all radio-loud quasars may be blazars

AUSTIN, Texas — Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have found new evidence to suggest that all radio-loud quasars may be blazars — and the differences between them may be related to the angle from which they are viewed. Quasars are quasi-stellar objects found in distant reaches of the universe and blazars are much brighter types of quasars.

After a spectroscopic survey of 62 quasars using the Harlan J. Smith Telescope at UT Austin’s McDonald Observatory, astronomers Dr. Feng Ma and Dr. Beverley Wills say there is new ultraviolet evidence suggesting that radio-loud quasars are simply blazars seen from the side. Their work will be published Friday (June 15) in the journal Science.

"A blazar is a special type of quasar that beams an intense jet of radiation in our direction. It’s as if we’re looking into a searchlight beam," said Wills, a McDonald Observatory research scientist. A quasar is a star-like object that emits more energy than 100 giant galaxies combined and is among the most distant objects found so far in the universe. The brilliance of a quasar is believed to originate from swirling gas and stars in the process of falling into a gigantic black hole at the quasar’s center.

About ten percent of all quasars catalogued by astronomers are referred to as radio-loud quasars because they are more luminous (or louder) at radio wavelengths than optical wavelengths. The strong radio emission of a radio-loud quasar results from two jets of energetic particles shooting away from the center of the quasar in opposite directions. Wills explained that some of the radio-loud quasars are much more luminous than other quasars "and randomly change their brightness, even from hour to hour. These are classified as blazars."

Ma, a graduate research assistant in the Microelectronics Research Center in the UT Austin College of Engineering, said the blazar’s powerful radiation also could be compared to a flashlight beam. "For most quasars, we are looking from the side, not directly into the beam, so we don’t really see the jets. But some have their beams pointing at us and we call them blazars," Ma said.

Wills said the scientists found evidence from spectra of several quasars suggesting that the unseen jets "heat up the gas swirling around the center and we see this glowing gas. This is like seeing light from a searchlight beam as the beam pierces a cloud, even though the searchlight may not be pointing in our direction. This is new, direct evidence from ultraviolet light that every radio-loud quasar has jets."

Ma said this phenomenon was predicted in the Astrophysical Journal Letters in a paper titled "Does Every Quasar Harbor a Blazar?" that he and Wills published in 1998 before observations were completed. "Our work will also have an influence on a method astronomers use to study cosmology," Ma added. "Because blazars are highly variable, radio-loud quasars should all be excluded when using (the brightness of) quasars to measure distances in the universe."

For more information, contact:
Dr. Beverley Wills at (512) 471-3424 or email <bev@astro.as.utexas.edu>
or
Dr. Feng Ma at (512) 471-3644 or (512) 232-4690.
For a PowerPoint presentation, see: http://pancake.as.utexas.edu/feng/Blazar/index.htm

Texas Teachers to Benefit from $35K Gift to McDonald Observatory

Midland oilman and investor Joe Parsley has given $30,000 to McDonald Observatory to enable West Texas teachers to attend professional development workshops at the Observatory, near Fort Davis.

"I want to get young students interested in science and engineering," Mr. Parsley said. A petroleum engineer, Mr. Parsley is a 1951 graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. Ms. Martha Jan Groebe of Dallas, Mr. Parsley’s daughter, has given an additional $5,000 to the Observatory. Their gifts will help teachers bring the wonders of astronomy back to their West Texas classrooms.

"We’re excited that these gifts will help us promote science education to our neighbors in the communities surrounding the Observatory," said Marc Wetzel, Education Coordinator for McDonald Observatory. "Teachers who come here will be totally immersed in astronomy, staying for two to five days — attending workshops by day and observing the stars at night. We hope to share with them the fun and fascination of science, and that they will pass it on to their students."

Teacher workshops will be given at the Observatory’s new Visitors Center, which will open in early 2002. Workshop leaders will use astronomy-based activities to promote both the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills and the National Science Education Standards. The State Board of Educator Certification recently authorized McDonald Observatory to offer continuing education credits to Texas teachers.

The new 12,000-square-foot Visitors Center also includes a large laboratory-style classroom with advanced audio and video capabilities, the $1.1 million interactive "Decoding Starlight" exhibit that explains how astronomers learn the secrets of the heavens, and a 90-seat theater with state-of-the-art audio and video technology. Outside, the Visitors Center includes two large telescopes in 20-foot domes, and a large amphitheater of rock benches where Observatory personnel will offer tours of the constellations under one of the darkest night skies in North America.

In addition, teachers will be able to tour the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (one of the largest telescope in the world) and the Harlan J. Smith 2.7-meter telescope (a large research telescope used every clear night of the year).

Mr. Parsley has been involved with McDonald Observatory for the past several years as a member of the Board of Visitors, an independent philanthropic and lobbying organization which supports the Observatory and UT Austin Department of Astronomy. Members of the Board have created or helped to create the Department’s endowed chairs and professorships and the Observatory’s post-doctoral fellowships. Their efforts and support helped to make both the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and the new McDonald Observatory Visitors Center possible.

Meadows Foundation Grant to Benefit McDonald Observatory

The Meadows Foundation of Dallas is granting McDonald Observatory $105,000 to support its K-12 educational programs over the next three years.

The grant will fund teacher professional development workshops and presentations, demonstrations, and hands-on activities for students at the new McDonald Observatory Visitors Center near Fort Davis. Programs at the Center will use astronomy-based activities to promote both the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills and the National Science Education Standards.

"We want to excite Texas students about careers in science and technology, and to provide teachers with the tools and information to do the same," said Sandra Preston, Director of Public Information and Education for McDonald Observatory. "This grant will go a long way toward enabling us to fulfill our public education mission."

The new 12,000-square-foot Visitors Center will begin hosting teachers and students when it opens early next year. Inside, a large laboratory-style classroom with advanced audio and video capabilities will be used for teacher workshops, as well as student field-trip activities. The Visitors Center also contains the $1.1 million interactive "Decoding Starlight" exhibit that explains how astronomers learn the secrets of the heavens, and a 90-seat theater with state-of-the-art audio and video technology. Outside, the Visitors Center includes two large telescopes in 20-foot domes, and a large amphitheater of rock benches where Observatory personnel will offer tours of the constellations under one of the darkest night skies in North America.

In addition, teachers and students will be able to tour the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (one of the largest telescopes in the world) and the Harlan J. Smith 2.7-meter telescope (a large research telescope used every clear night of the year).

The Meadows Foundation is a private philanthropic institution established in 1948 by Algur H. and Virginia Meadows to benefit the people of Texas. The Foundation’s mission is to assist the people and institutions of Texas to improve the quality and circumstances of life for themselves and future generations.
Foundation grants support work in fields of art and culture, civic and public affairs, education, health, and human services. The foundation also has a particular philanthropic interest in three areas: public education (particularly in the areas of early child development, enhanced reading skills and teacher preparation), mental health and the environment.

Give the StarDate Sky Almanac this season and support science education in Texas!

The 2002 edition of the StarDate Sky Almanac is now available for $4 from McDonald Observatory. The guide contains a year’s worth of skywatching information — how to find planets, bright stars and constellations, and when to watch for nature’s beautiful meteor showers. It’s brought to you by the folks who produce StarDate, the longest running science program on radio, and StarDate magazine. All proceeds benefit the public education programs of McDonald Observatory.

The Almanac contains month-by-month details on what to look for in the night sky. It also outlines what’s coming up in space exploration in 2002, including new telescopes for Earth orbit, launches to the Moon and comets, and the continuing saga of Mars. Next year’s anniversaries in astronomy and space exploration, including the discovery of Martian satellites and the last day humans stood on the Moon, are also listed.

To order, visit StarDate Online or send a check or money order made out to The University of Texas for $4 to: StarDate, 2515 Speedway C1402, Austin, TX, 78712. (Texas residents add $0.33 sales tax.)

Radioactive decay of elements gives age of stars, points to evolution of the Milky Way

Austin, Texas – Gold, silver, platinum and other exotic heavy elements forged in the explosions of massive stars are leading the way to understanding the birth of elements in our Milky Way galaxy. According to Christopher Sneden, professor of astronomy at the University of Texas at Austin, supernova explosions were the main influence on the earliest formation of elements in the Galaxy. Today, Sneden will review his work in an invited lecture at the 199th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Washington, D.C. Entitled "Early Galactic Nucleosynthesis of the Heaviest Elements," the talk will highlight recent high-resolution spectroscopic studies of the oldest Milky Way stars.

The observations were done with the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope at the UT-Austin McDonald Observatory, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Keck I Telescope in Hawaii. To work out the Galaxy’s element-formation history, Sneden studies the oldest stars in the Milky Way. To find the ages of his target stars, he uses a sleuthing method usually known for its archeological applications: the radioactive decay of elements. Sneden focuses on extremely heavy elements like precious metals, lead, europium, barium, and thorium. "For example, we can detect thorium in the earliest stars," he said. "Thorium has a half-life of 14 billion years. So we observe how much thorium the star has now, and compare that to how much we think it was born with. Thus, we have a clock," Sneden said. "This method gives us the ages of these stars directly: 12 to 16 billion years. These numbers are very similar to what other scientists are saying is the age of the Galaxy." Sneden then compares the amounts of different heavy elements in these old stars. These heavy elements are made by two distinct processes, so such comparisons offer a unique way to gain insight into exactly how elements formed early in our galaxy. "All of the elements of the Periodic Table heavier than iron are mostly made in what are called neutron bombardment reactions," Sneden said. "That means adding neutrons to the nucleus of an atom to make a different, heavier isotope." There are two ways this can happen. In each case, there must be a source of free neutrons. The slow process (s-process) occurs inside highly-evolved, late-type stars. These stars have exhausted all of their hydrogen fuel, and have begun to burn helium. The helium burning creates free neutrons, which hit seed nuclei of ordinary metals. The neutrons have no electrical charge, so they aren’t repelled. They enter the nucleus of the atom, turning it into an isotope. This neutron-capture continues until there are too many neutrons inside the nucleus for the isotope to remain stable. Then beta decay occurs: The isotope emits an electron, and is now a stable atom of the next element on the Periodic Table. The rapid process (r-process) is quite different. When a massive star dies in a supernova explosion, it creates an enormous blast of neutrons that pulverize atomic nuclei. These nuclei have no chance for beta decay. This creates incredibly neutron-rich nuclei, which then rapidly decay. "The slow process can create some isotopes, the rapid process creates others, and some are formed both ways," Sneden said. "For example, the s-process builds almost no europium, but lots of barium," he said. "We find that the most metal-poor stars -- these are the oldest stars in the Milky Way -- contain more europium than barium." Thus we know that the early formation of elements in our galaxy was more influenced by supernova explosions than anything else. "Contributions from the s-process came later," Sneden said. "This is shown by the generally higher metallicity levels of stars that have neutron-capture element abundance ratios that are more nearly like those of the Sun." Sneden and colleagues from UT-Austin and other institutions will be presenting several posters on various aspects of this research at American Astronomical Society meeting. These include: "HST-STIS Spectra of the R-Process-Rich Halo Giant CS 22892-052," in poster session 137.10, by Sneden and colleagues. "The Abundances and Age of the Galactic Halo Star BD +17°3248," in poster session 137.06, by J.J. Cowan (University of Oklahoma), Sneden, and colleagues. "The Rise of the S-Process," in poster session 91.10, by UT-Austin graduate student J. A. Simmerer, Sneden, and colleagues.

Radiation zaps Mars and extrasolar planets, affects biological evolution

Austin, Texas -- Calculations by a team of astronomers at The University of Texas at Austin show that jolts of radiation from space may affect biological and atmospheric evolution on planets in our own solar system and those orbiting other stars. The work by David Smith (a former UT-Austin undergraduate, now a graduate student at Harvard University) and UT-Austin astronomers John Scalo and J. Craig Wheeler is presented today at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Washington, D.C.

Bursts of radiation that can cause biological mutations, or even deliver lethal doses, can come from flares given off by the planet’s parent star or from more remote cosmic events (e.g., supernovae and gamma-ray bursts). The magnitude of the effect on life and evolution on a planet is related to how much protection it gets from its atmosphere. The work presented today concentrates on the transmission of high-energy X-rays and gamma-rays through planetary atmospheres.

"It’s a multi-level calculation," Scalo said. "First you have to determine the spectrum of the source [flare star, supernova, or gamma-ray burst], then you must calculate how the radiation propagates through and disrupts a planet’s atmosphere. Then you follow the radiation down to the surface of the planet, even underwater, eventually calculating how strongly it interacts with cellular material. The calculation presented today follows the paths of individual photons as they scatter off electrons bound in molecules and gradually lose energy until they are absorbed by atoms. The result shows just what fraction of the radiation reaches a planet’s surface (as function of the intensity and energy of the source and the thickness of the planetary atmosphere)."

Today, Mars has a thin atmosphere -- about 100 times thinner than Earth’s. More than 10 percent of the incident energy reaches its surface for photons with energies above about 100 kiloelectron volts (high energy X-rays and gamma-rays). "Any organisms unprotected by sufficient solid or liquid shields should have been lethally irradiated by cosmic radiation sources many times in the last few billion years," David Smith said.

According to John Scalo, "It may have been safe on Mars during the first few billion years, when the planet had a much thicker atmosphere, but today, and probably for the past billion years or so according to current climate evolution models, the planet has had little protection from high-energy radiation. When the atmosphere thinned, any life on the surface was exposed to high-energy radiation from exceptionally strong solar flares and occasional stronger bursts from different astronomical sources throughout the Galaxy."

The radiation need not be lethal, but may instead induce episodes of intense mutational damage and error-prone repair, leading to interestingly different evolution than on Earth. Mutations are usually deleterious, but they provide the diversity necessary to drive evolution. "Radiation bursts may spur evolution by intermittently enlarging the genomic diversity upon which natural selection is believed to operate," Scalo said. "As an example, chemical pathways adapted to a rapidly fluctuating radiation environment might result in organisms whose signatures of biological activity may be very different from those of terrestrial organisms.

"Gamma-ray bursts only last 10 seconds or so," Scalo said, "so the mutations they cause are unlikely to produce direct evolutionary effects." Exposure to gamma-ray bursts will tend to sterilize life on the exposed side of the planet that is not protected under enough rock or water; however gamma-ray bursts may cause long-lived changes indirectly by affecting planetary atmospheres. Significant gamma-ray irradiation from supernova explosions are more frequent and have a much longer duration and may be capable of driving evolutionary effects directly. Both of these distant cosmic sources are capable of delivering atmospherically and biologically significant high-energy radiation jolts every hundred thousand or million years -- possibly hundreds or thousands of such events over the history of a planet.

This picture of sporadic zaps of radiation is quite different than when a planet is constantly bathed in radiation from its parent star. "Most stars in our galaxy aren’t like the Sun," Scalo said. "Most are red dwarfs." These stars have little ultraviolet radiation that can cause mutations, but they flare violently, mostly in X-rays. "Conventional wisdom said that planets orbiting these stars couldn’t have atmospheres, that any atmosphere would freeze out because the planet’s rotation would be tidally locked," Scalo said. "More recent calculations show these planets can have atmospheres. What might life be like on a planet orbiting a red dwarf with powerful flares and continuous intense coronal X-rays? One possibility is that most of the biosphere would need to be underground or underwater; another is that the challenging mutational radiation environment would accelerate the evolution of life."

Future work will focus on the reprocessing of the lost gamma-ray and X-ray energy to ultraviolet radiation that can reach the ground. The high-energy photons lose energy to electrons that in turn excite atoms and molecules in the atmosphere. When those atoms de-excite, they can produce substantial ultraviolet radiation that can also affect the biosphere on the surface of the planet. In this case, bursts of cosmic irradiation would be important even when there is a thick atmosphere (like Earth’s) that will stop the original X-rays or gamma-rays. These jolts of irradiation can cause the formation of a "second ionosphere" at fairly low altitudes and disrupt a planet’s atmospheric chemistry. Smith, Scalo, and Wheeler are adding these effects into their calculations.

HET Goes “Back to Nature”

Fort Davis, Texas -- McDonald Observatory staff are cutting garage-door-sized holes all around the enclosure of the 9.2-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET), and fitting them with giant steel “venetian blinds” called louvers. This should allow the HET, one of the world’s largest telescopes, to operate at the same temperature as the outside air.

“You can’t beat Mother Nature,” said HET Chief Engineer John Booth. “This should go a long way toward allowing the HET to produce sharp astronomical images.

“The problem is heat. As the temperature drops outside at night, the walls of the dome keep the air inside warmer than the air outside,” Booth said. “When the warm air and cool air mix, at the location of the dome opening, they bend the light rays coming into the telescope. This mixing creates what we call bad ‘seeing’ -- it blurs the images of stars and galaxies we want to study.”

So after consultations and tests, McDonald Observatory decided to ‘open up the dome,’ to allow wind to blow through the building. This is being done by cutting 15-foot by 17-foot windows in the bottom half of the building, called the ring wall. The first cut was made on January 8. After each opening is cut, a pair of louvers – which looks like a huge venetian blind with four blades – is lifted by a crane attached to the rotating portion of the dome. Each pair of louvers weights 5,000 pounds – about the same as a large sport utility vehicle. The first louver was lifted into place on February 1. In all, 26 louvers (12 pairs and two singles) will be installed at the HET by May.

This is the first stage in the $500,000 HET dome ventilation project. Smaller heat sources, including a few instruments on the telescope itself, will also be shielded or moved out of the dome. Later, smaller louvers will be installed in the upper, geodesic part of the dome.

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope is a joint project of The University of Texas
at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), Stanford
University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and
Georg-August-Unversität Göttingen.

Bash to Step Down as McDonald Observatory Director

Austin, Texas -- Frank Bash, Director of the University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory, has announced that he will resign his directorship effective August 31, 2003. “I think it’s time,” Bash said. “It’s said that an observatory director has one telescope in him or her, and I’ve built mine,” he added, alluding to the 9.2-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope. The search for a new director will begin immediately.

“In going, I want to stress the importance of public outreach, and the growing importance of our K-12 education programs. I’m very proud of both,” Bash said. “I hope and expect that my successor will continue these efforts, which are designed to excite Texas teachers, and, in turn, students, about careers in science and technology. They are the folks on whose shoulders the future of this state depends.

“The state of Texas should be very proud that it supports one of the best observatories in the world. Through the legislature and through Texas foundations, we’ve built one of the world’s great telescopes,” he added.

“I’m also pleased and proud that the HET is being copied, with our help, by an international partnership based in South Africa,” Bash said, alluding to the HET-near-twin Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), now under construction near Sutherland. “I’m equally pleased that they are copying our educational and public outreach efforts.”

Bash has been the Director of McDonald Observatory since 1991, and was its Interim Director from 1989 to 1991. He came to the University of Texas at Austin as a postdoctoral researcher in 1967, after receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia. He joined the University faculty in 1969, and served as Chairman of the astronomy department from 1982 to 1986. He has won numerous teaching awards, and currently holds the Frank N. Edmunds Regent’s Professorship in Astronomy.

NOTE: The McDonald Observatory Director's Office may be contacted at 512-471-3303.

Media Representatives Invited to April 6 Preview of New McDonald Observatory Visitors Center

Fort Davis, TX -- McDonald Observatory has long been one of the most-visited travel destinations in Texas, and there's even more to enjoy now with the April 6 official opening of the new McDonald Observatory Visitors Center! The Center will welcome as many as 130,000 visitors each year to its bilingual (English/Spanish) exhibits, theater, cafe, and gift shop.

"I'm pleased to report that Jeff Davis County, Texas now has one of the best small science centers in the country," McDonald Observatory Director Frank Bash said.

Members of the media are invited to an April 6 slate of events to celebrate the Center's opening. These include a 2:30 p.m. tour of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, a 3:30 p.m. welcome meeting with Frank Bash, a 4:00 p.m. preview of the new Center, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5:30 p.m. with The Honorable Pete P. Gallego (State Rep., D.-Alpine) and University of Texas at Austin President Larry R. Faulkner. At 6:00 p.m., media representatives are invited to a press dinner at the StarDate Cafe at the Visitors Center, and are welcome to attend the public star party outside the Center afterward, weather permitting. We invite the general public to a free-admission Open House on April 7 to celebrate the Center's opening.

Press kits will be available on March 18. An electronic press kit, including publication-quality photos of the Visitors Center, will be available online at http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/news on March 18. Contact Rebecca Johnson to request a hard copy of the press kit and directions and information on lodging near McDonald Observatory.

Background
The new 12,000-square-foot Visitors Center houses an interactive exhibit, 90-seat theater, the StarDate Cafe, and an astronomy gift shop. Expanded outdoor venues surround the building, and will accommodate more visitors than ever before at McDonald's famous star parties, constellation tours and solar viewing. Guests will view sky objects through large telescopes in the two new 20-foot domes of the public telescope park, and attend constellation tours in the outdoor amphitheater -- while marveling at some of the darkest night skies in North America.

McDonald is home to the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, the largest telescope in the world specializing in the study of light through spectroscopy. The "Decoding Starlight" exhibit inside the new Visitors Center explains spectroscopy -- basically, how astronomers break light into its wavelengths to unlock its secrets -- in both English and Spanish. More than five years of planning and a $1.1 million grant from the National Science Foundation went into producing this exhibit. Exhibit highlights include:

  • a live two-meter-wide, detailed projection of the Sun's spectrum,
  • interactive displays that explain how astronomers crack the code embedded in light from stars and galaxies,
  • an introduction to the tools and technology that astronomers use,
  • and a behind-the-scenes look at life at McDonald Observatory.

In addition to welcoming thousands of families and vacationers to the Observatory, the new Center will take on a larger role in K-12 education. "It's important to McDonald Observatory to promote K-12 science education," Bash said. "This new facility will help us excite students about science and technology, and is designed to inspire them to pursue careers in those fields."

Teacher workshops will be given at the Visitors Center's laboratory-style classroom, which is equipped with advanced audio and video capabilities. Workshop leaders will use astronomy-based activities to promote both the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills and the National Science Education Standards. The Texas State Board of Educator Certification recently authorized McDonald Observatory to offer continuing education credits to Texas teachers.

"Teachers who come here will be totally immersed in astronomy, staying for one to five days -- attending workshops by day and observing the stars at night," said Marc Wetzel, Education Coordinator for McDonald Observatory. "We hope to share with them the fun and fascination of science, and that they will pass it on to their students." Pre- and post-visit support, funded by a grant from NASA and designed with the help of teachers, will be available through a free web site, teacher guides, and other materials.

The new Visitors Center replaces the existing W.L. Moody, Jr. Visitors' Information Center, which will be converted to office space for Visitors Center staff. The Moody Center, along with its adjacent 14-inch telescope and dome, will also become a resource for amateur astronomers.

Built in 1980 to handle 20,000 visitors per year, the Moody Center was handling 130,000 visitors per year by 1988. At that time, McDonald Observatory decided to begin raising funds for a new facility. More than $6 million has been raised in contributions from donors, foundations, grants, and revenues to fund the construction, which began with a ground-breaking ceremony in late July, 2000. The Observatory continues to raise operations funds for its K-12 education and public outreach programs.

-- END --

Note: RSVPs for the media events of April 6 would be greatly appreciated, but are not required.

Texas Astronomer uses Hubble Space Telescope to Solve Mystery of Favorite Galaxy

Austin, TX -- For more than a quarter-century, Fritz Benedict's thoughts have been 40 million light-years away, focused on a distant cosmic pinwheel in the constellation Coma Berenices. Now, his findings about spiral galaxy NGC 4314 constitute the cover story of the March 31 issue of The Astronomical Journal. Benedict is a Senior Research Scientist at the University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory.

It began in the bicentennial year of 1976, when Benedict was at McDonald Observatory in West Texas, using the 2.7-meter telescope to track Earth-orbiting satellites for the U.S. Air Force. He found a window of opportunity to point the telescope at other things, and began leafing through the Hubble Atlas of Galaxies for an interesting object.

"I came upon NGC 4314 -- a remarkably smooth galaxy, with not much star formation. It had a bar running through it with a spiral arm attached at each end, and what looked like another little spiral galaxy right in its center," Benedict said. "This piqued my curiosity." He measured the light coming from the central part of NCG 4314 with the 2.7-meter.

"I discovered that the spiral at its center was really a ring of recently formed stars. This raised more questions for me than it answered," he said, "because this galaxy is anemic, relative to star formation -- a condition probably brought on by a collision with another galaxy." Collisions strip the combatants of almost all their gas and dust, leaving them mostly unable to form new stars.

However, simulations predict a small amount of the gas falls back into the galaxies, enough to form a nuclear ring like the one seen in NGC 4314. "Its bar has collected most of that material and delivered it to the nuclear ring and is processing this gas into stars," Benedict said.

Back in 1976, as now, Benedict spent his spare time and weekends puzzling over his 'favorite galaxy,' while officially working on other projects. "We were ramping up for HST," he explains. Since 1977, Benedict has been a member of the Hubble Space Telescope Astrometry Science Team. (He became its Deputy Principle Investigator in 1993.) But as luck would have it, an added bonus of working on Hubble was that Benedict was awarded time to use the newly launched instrument in 1991 -- time he would dedicate to NGC 4314.

To prepare for the HST observations, he began to study NGC 4314 from the ground. This work resulted in the first of a series scientific papers, this most recent being the fourth. "I've used NGC 4314 like a spider web," said Benedict, "to ensnare the help of other astronomers whose understanding of galaxies would increase the scientific value of these observations."

The subject of the next paper was a couple of short exposures obtained with HST in 1991. "Hubble's original WFPC [Wide Field and Planetary Camera] resolved the ring around the galaxy's nucleus into individual star clusters," Benedict said. "I saw a dust pattern there and a hint of another bar, inside the nucleus, in addition to the main bar already seen."

Several years later, a UT-Austin postdoctoral researcher named Beverly Smith (now of East Tennessee State University) suggested looking at Benedict's galaxy in a different light -- literally. Smith and another new collaborator, Jeff Kenney of Yale University, made radio-wavelength observations with the six-antenna Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO) array.

Smith and Kenney helped Benedict to map the distribution of carbon monoxide (CO) gas in the galaxy. CO is a marker of star-formation sites. "We saw that the CO distribution matched the dust distribution, and saw what we interpreted as inflow of gas into the center of the galaxy from a bar," Benedict explained. "We identified the delivery method for the raw material, the gas and dust, required to fuel the star formation in the nuclear ring of NGC 4314."

HST received its first major upgrade in 1993, and in late 1995, Benedict spied on 'his galaxy' once again. He and collaborators (now including D. Andrew Howell of Lawrence Berkely Labs and Inger Jorgensen of Gemini Observatory) studied 76 star clusters in the ring around NGC 4314's nucleus. "Their blue color and hydrogen emission tell us that they're between one million and 15 million years old – very young compared to the age of the galaxy, which is around 10 billion years," Benedict said. His team also concluded that most of the galaxy's star formation occurs in such clusters, and that the formation of new stars has been more or less continuous over the last 20 million years.

Benedict's HST studies of the two spiral arms just outside the nuclear ring reveal that they seem to be in an outer ring. The arms' colors indicate that the stars there are 50 to 200 million years old, he said.

"The age difference between the inner ring of young stars and the larger oval-like feature containing the blue arms makes us think that the inner region around the nucleus contains a reservoir of gas that's becoming more compact over time," Benedict said. He speculates that as the gas concentrates more and more, it has entered two special locations near the nuclear ring, triggering two distinct epochs of star formation. These two special locations are called resonances. "Just as a child on a swing oscillates with a unique cadence, stars and gas orbiting the center of a galaxy sway in and out. At a resonance we find the gravitational attraction of the swaying stars combining to trap gas and concentrate it," Benedict said.

Benedict plans a future paper based on observations with the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii to uncover new details about the star formation process in NGC 4314.

 

-- END --

Texas astronomer brings infrared space telescope team to UT-Austin

Austin, TX -- A team of astronomers led by UT-Austin’s Neal Evans will meet in Austin today and tomorrow to plan their Legacy Science Project with NASA’s next major Earth-orbiting observatory. The Space Infrared Telescope Facility, or SIRTF, is scheduled for launch January 9, 2003. Evans heads one of six Legacy teams selected to complete major survey projects, which will produce data freely available to all astronomers, with SIRTF.

About a dozen astronomers, along with UT-Austin graduate students, will meet to fine-tune their observing plan, develop teams to work on different science aspects of their project, and discuss how to deal with their SIRTF data, Evans said. His collaborators include Paul Harvey of the UT-Austin astronomy department, and astronomers from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, The California Institute of Technology, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, The University of Pennsylvania, The University of Maryland, and The University of Leiden in the Netherlands.

The main idea of the Legacy Project, called ‘From Molecular Cores to Planet-Forming Disks,’ "is to get as complete a sample as possible of things that are forming stars like the Sun," Evans said. "We’ll be surveying large areas of molecular clouds, to find anything that will form a star or even something smaller," he said. This range encompasses failed stars (called brown dwarfs) all the way through to young proto-stars that may be surrounded by forming planets.

The team will make 400 hours of observations with SIRTF. Their sample will be about 1,200 light-years deep. A light-year is the distance light travels in one year, about 5,880 billion miles.

"The great strength of SIRTF is sensitivity," Evans said. "It will be sensitive to wavelengths emitted by dust orbiting newly forming stars at the same distance that Earth orbits the Sun. Right now, there’s nothing tracing that particular range of distances, which is crucial for the formation of planets like Earth. Other techniques probe either hotter or colder dust" Evans said.

Dust at that distance is heated to about 300 Kelvins (degrees above absolute zero). "At that temperature, dust will emit [light] very effectively at 10 microns," Evans said. "SIRTF is sensitive to light ranging in wavelength from 3.6 microns to 160 microns."

Neal J. Evans, II is the Edward Randall, Jr. Centennial Professor in Astronomy at the University of Texas at Austin. His project proposal was selected as a SIRTF Legacy Science Project in November 2000.

-- END --

NEWS MEDIA AVISORY UT-Austin astronomer's black hole discoveries subject of NASA news conference

EVENT

Televised and Webcast news conference on a University of Texas at Austin astronomer’s black hole discoveries

WHEN

11 a.m. (CST), Tuesday, Sept. 17.

WHERE

The news conference, called a Space Science Update, will originate from NASA headquarters in Washington and will be carried live on NASA TV with two-way question-and-answer capability for reporters covering the event from participating NASA centers. It will also be Webcast live on the Internet at: http://www.nasa.gov.

NASA TV is broadcast on the GE2 satellite, Transponder 9C, at 85 degrees West longitude, frequency 3880.0 MHz, audio 6.8 MHz. Audio of the broadcast will be available on voice circuit at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on 321/867-1220.

 

BACKGROUND

The latest findings from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope confirm for the first time that a previously undetected class of black holes has been found in an unlikely place — implying black holes are more common than previously thought. A press release from The University of Texas at Austin to follow at time of broadcast.

PANELISTS INCLUDE

Dr. Karl Gebhardt of the University of Texas at Austin
Dr. Roeland Van Der Marel of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore
Dr. Marcia Rieke of Steward Observatory at the University of Arizona, Tucson
Dr. Steinn Sigurdsson, of the Astronomy Department at Pennsylvania State University, University Park
Dr. Anne Kinney, director of the Astronomy and Physics Division in the Office of Space Science at NASA Headquarters, Washington (Panel Moderator)

CONTACT

Rebecca Johnson, University of Texas at Austin (512-475-6763)
Ray Villard, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore (410-338-4514)

-- END --

NEWS MEDIA AVISORY UT-Austin astronomer's black hole discoveries subject of NASA news conference

EVENT

Televised and Webcast news conference on a University of Texas at Austin astronomer’s black hole discoveries

WHEN

11 a.m. (CST), Tuesday, Sept. 17.

WHERE

The news conference, called a Space Science Update, will originate from NASA headquarters in Washington and will be carried live on NASA TV with two-way question-and-answer capability for reporters covering the event from participating NASA centers. It will also be Webcast live on the Internet at: http://www.nasa.gov.

NASA TV is broadcast on the GE2 satellite, Transponder 9C, at 85 degrees West longitude, frequency 3880.0 MHz, audio 6.8 MHz. Audio of the broadcast will be available on voice circuit at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on 321/867-1220.

 

BACKGROUND

The latest findings from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope confirm for the first time that a previously undetected class of black holes has been found in an unlikely place — implying black holes are more common than previously thought. A press release from The University of Texas at Austin to follow at time of broadcast.

PANELISTS INCLUDE

Dr. Karl Gebhardt of the University of Texas at Austin
Dr. Roeland Van Der Marel of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore
Dr. Marcia Rieke of Steward Observatory at the University of Arizona, Tucson
Dr. Steinn Sigurdsson, of the Astronomy Department at Pennsylvania State University, University Park
Dr. Anne Kinney, director of the Astronomy and Physics Division in the Office of Space Science at NASA Headquarters, Washington (Panel Moderator)

CONTACT

Rebecca Johnson, University of Texas at Austin (512-475-6763)
Ray Villard, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore (410-338-4514)

-- END --

UT-Austin astronomer discovers massive black holes in two star clusters

NOTE TO EDITORS: For high-resolution images to accompany this release, see: http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/pr/2002/18

 

AUSTIN, Texas — University of Texas at Austin astronomer Karl Gebhardt and colleagues have discovered the first black holes lurking in the hearts of two giant clusters of stars. The research provides clues to how the much-heavier "supermassive" black holes, which exist at the centers galaxies like our Milky Way, formed.

A black hole is an infinitely dense region of space, with such high gravity that not even light can escape. For many years, astronomers have known two types — supermassive black holes at the centers of large galaxies and the so-called "stellar-mass" black holes that result when a star about 10 times the Sun’s mass ends its life in a supernova explosion. Both types have been detected and measured, Gebhardt said, but a black hole with a mass in between these two has not been detected before.

Gebhardt, Michael Rich of UCLA and Luis Ho of the Carnegie Institution of Washington recently used the Earth-orbiting Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to spy on G1, a so-called "globular star cluster" in the nearby Andromeda galaxy. Globular clusters are spherical conglomerations of hundreds of thousands to millions of stars. (In contrast, a galaxy like our Milky Way contains about 200 billion stars.)

The team measured the speeds of the stars near the center of the cluster. The faster the stars move, the heavier the object they’re orbiting has to be. They deduced that G1’s central object weighs 20,000 times more than our Sun. This means it must be a black hole.

Gebhardt is also working with another group, including Roeland van der Marel of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore and others, who similarly studied the globular M15 in our own Milky Way galaxy with HST. They found that M15 harbors a black hole about 4,000 times the Sun’s mass.

"The black holes in G1 and M15 have masses in between stellar-mass and supermassive black holes," Gebhardt said. "They provide an important link that may hold the clue to how supermassive black holes form in galaxies."

Astronomers studying nearby galaxies have discovered a relationship between the size of a galaxy and the mass of the black hole at its heart: The bigger the galaxy, the more massive the black hole. Unfortunately, there are not enough small galaxies nearby to test the relationship at that end of the scale. Gebhardt said that globular star clusters are a good substitute for small galaxies. And the masses of the black holes in G1 and M15 fall in line with the black hole mass/galaxy mass relationship demonstrated in the past by Gebhardt and others.

"This evidence has major consequences about how we think black holes formed in galaxies," Gebhardt said. "Galaxies form out of a large collapsing cloud of gas. And the first things to form in that cloud are globular clusters. Those globulars are very stable, and very likely contained black holes in them at the time of their formation.
"There are two main theories about how galactic black holes form," Gebhardt said. "You could either make the black hole all at once, when the galaxy is forming, by dumping a lot of material in the middle, or you could start with a seed black hole that subsequently grows over time. The observational evidence now points to the idea that you start out with a small seed black hole."

The fact that globular clusters have these small black holes implies that they are excellent candidates to act as the seeds for the supermassive black holes that lurk in the centers of nearly all galaxies.

The G1 research will be published in an upcoming issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters. The M15 research will be published in two articles in an upcoming issue of The Astronomical Journal.

Gebhardt is studying other globular clusters, looking for more black holes. He will also do follow-up studies of G1 and M15 at The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis.

Gebhardt is an assistant professor in the University’s Department of Astronomy. He may be reached at 512-471-1473 or via email at: gebhardt@astro.as.utexas.edu.

-- END --

McDonald Observatory Planet Search finds first planet orbiting close-in binary star

Austin, TX— Astronomers with the McDonald Observatory Planet Search project have discovered the first planet orbiting a star in a close-in binary star system. The discovery has implications for the number of possible planets in our galaxy, because unlike the Sun, most stars are in binary systems. The team will announce their finding this week in a news conference at the American Astronomical Society’s Division of Planetary Sciences meeting in Birmingham, Ala.

Artie Hatzes (Thueringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg), Bill Cochran (UT-Austin McDonald Observatory), and colleagues found that the planet orbits the larger star of the binary system Gamma Cephei, about 45 light-years away in the constellation Cepheus. The primary star is 1.59 times as massive as the Sun. The planet is 1.76 times as massive as Jupiter. It orbits the star at about 2 Astronomical Units (A.U.), a little further than Mars’ distance from the Sun. (An A.U. is the distance from Earth to the Sun.) The second, relatively small star is only 25 to 30 A.U. from the primary star — about Uranus’ distance from the Sun.

Astronomers have found planets orbiting stars in binary systems before, but the stars in those binary systems were a hundred times farther apart than those of Gamma Cephei, Cochran said. "The stars were far enough apart to be essentially acting totally independently," he said.

Cochran’s team began observing Gamma Cephei with the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory in 1988. Prior to that, a Canadian team of astronomers used the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) to study Gamma Cephei. Together, the observations total 20 years.

In the past, some astronomers thought that the 2.5-year variation in light output from the binary star could be caused by physical processes in the stars.

"We think this is a planet because the variation has been nice and steady for eight complete cycles," Cochran said. "The star itself would not be varying that nicely for eight cycles over 20 years. Our observing techniques include several good indicators of stellar variability, and we see no variations that we can attribute to the star itself. The only logical thing that’s left is a planet."

A third-magnitude star, Gamma Cephei can be seen with the unaided eye. But even powerful telescopes cannot split the light from the system into two individual pinpoints.

The McDonald Observatory Planet Search began in 1987. The team uses the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope to monitor about 180 nearby Sun-like stars for Jupiter-sized planets. In addition to Gamma Cephei, the team has found planets orbiting the stars 16 Cygni B and Epsilon Eridani. The program is supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and NASA.

For more details on this discovery, please visit:
http://www.as.utexas.edu/planet/gamcep.html

-- END --

Texas astronomer watches as black hole eats a star

AUSTIN, Texas — UT-Austin graduate student Feng Ma didn’t expect to see a black hole gobble up a star when he went out to McDonald Observatory to point a telescope at the next quasar on the list of about 60 he’s studying. But that’s what happened, he realized on later review of his observations of a quasar called TEX 1726+344 with the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope.

 

Quasars are extremely bright pinpoints of light so distant in space and time that it’s thought we’re seeing them near the beginning of the universe. They are very young galaxies, with giant black holes at their cores. As material spirals around a black hole, it heats up before falling in, giving off massive amounts of radiation.

Astronomers study this radiation by passing it through a slit and spreading it into its component wavelengths, just as light is passed through a prism to create a rainbow. They can tease out which elements are present in the jet streaming out of the galaxy’s core by seeing the patterns of so-called "emission lines" in the quasar’s spectrum. Ma has been studying quasars to see how their emission lines may have changed over the last decade.

But in looking at his spectrum of TEX 1726+344, Ma saw a feature that was not in spectra of the quasar made in 1988 and 1990: an "absorption line." The presence of this line indicates a cloud of material along our line of sight, that is, in between the quasar’s high-energy jet and Earth. This cloud is absorbing certain wavelengths of light coming from the quasar.

The relative positions of the emission lines and the absorption line on the spectrum show that this cloud is being ejected from the black hole at 6,000 kilometers per second, Ma said. "This leads me to think it’s the signature of a star that’s been ripped apart by the black hole’s gravity," he said. "Half of the star’s matter fell into the black hole, and the other half was ejected in a gravitational sling-shot. This second half is the fast-moving cloud that caused the absorption line.

"If this interpretation is correct, we could see this feature in the spectrum go away in the next few years. I’d like to keep an eye on this quasar to see what happens," Ma said.
Ma’s research is published in this month’s issue of Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

TEX 1726+344 was discovered as part of the Texas Radio Survey (1974-1983), led by University of Texas astronomer James Douglas and carried out with the now-defunct Texas Interferometer radio telescope. UT-Austin graduate student Elizabeth Bozyan identified TEX 1726+344 as a quasar in her 1985 doctoral dissertation.

Feng Ma can be reached via email at: feng@astro.as.utexas.edu, or by phone at: 512-471-3644.

-- END --

NOTE TO EDITORS: High resolution images of the Harlan J. Smith Telescope are available through this link.

Texas astronomers make precise measure of extrasolar world’s true mass

AUSTIN, Texas — McDonald Observatory astronomers Fritz Benedict and Barbara McArthur have made the first ‘positional’ calculation of an extrasolar planet’s mass. The work clearly determines the companion is a planet (not a low-mass star), and is an incremental step in the process of discovering how planets form around other stars. They made the observations of the star Gliese 876 using the Hubble Space Telescope’s Fine Guidance Sensors.

The technique, called "astrometry," involves multiple extremely precise measurements of the star’s location as it orbits the center of mass of the star-planet system. The mass measurement of the planet announced today is about 50 times more accurate than previously known. Until now, the planet was known to have a mass between 1.9 and about 100 Jupiter masses. The HST-based calculations pinpoint the mass as between 1.89 and 2.4 Jupiter masses.

"Until this work, the companion causing Gliese 876 to wobble back and forth could have been anything from a planet to a garden variety low-mass star. We have conclusively established the planetary nature of the companion," Benedict said.

"Knowing the mass of extrasolar planets accurately is going to help theorists answer lots of questions about how planets form," Benedict said. "When we get hundreds of these mass calculations for planets around all types of stars, we’re going to see what types of stars form certain types of planets. Do big stars form big planets, and small stars form small planets? From the case of Gliese 876, we now know that a small star can form a big planet." An M-dwarf star, Gliese 876 is about one-third as massive as our Sun, and about 500 times fainter.

"Our multiple measurements of Gliese 876’s location determined the plane in which the planet orbits this star," McArthur said. "Put another way, the measurements determined the system’s orientation to Earth — that is, face-on, edge-on, or a particular angle. We find that the planet’s orbit is nearly edge-on to us."

"Making these kinds of measurements of a star’s movement on the sky is quite difficult," Benedict said. "We’re measuring angles equivalent to the size of a quarter seen from three thousand miles away, or scientifically speaking, angles of one-half of a milli-arcsecond."

Benedict’s team combined the orientation information with the radial velocity measurements (made in the planet’s discovery) to determine the planet’s mass.

The planet under scrutiny is the more distant of two orbiting Gliese 876 and was discovered in 1998 by two groups, led by Xavier Delfosse (Geneva Observatory) and Geoffrey Marcy (U.C. Berkeley and San Francisco State University). Marcy’s group discovered a smaller planet closer to Gliese 876 a year later.

"There are a few more of stars where we can do this kind of research with Hubble," Benedict said. "Most candidate stars are too distant. Astronomers can look forward to doing these kinds of studies on literally hundreds of stars with SIM [the Space Interferometry Mission]," he said. SIM is a NASA space-borne telescope to planned for launch near the end of this decade.

The planet around Gliese 876 is the second extra-solar planet overall whose mass has been calculated to such accuracy. The first was able to be calculated because the planet passed directly in front of the star to Earth’s line of vision — an event known as a transit.

This research will be published in the December 20 issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Fritz Benedict is a Senior Research Scientist at The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory. He can be reached by phone at: 512-471-3448, or via email at: fritz@astro.as.utexas.edu.

Barbara McArthur is a Research Associate at The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory. She can be reached by phone at: 512-471-3411, or via email at: mca@astro.as.utexas.edu.

-- END --

NOTE TO EDITORS: High resolution images to accompany this release are available online at the Space Telescope Science Institute website at: http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/pr/2002/27

Astronomer, Educator Hemenway Inducted into Texas Hall of Fame for Science, Mathematics, and Technology

AUSTIN, Texas — Mary Kay Hemenway, astronomy education expert with The University of Texas at Austin, was inducted into the Texas Hall of Fame for Science, Mathematics and Technology on January 20. A Senior Lecturer and Research Associate at the University, Hemenway has devoted much of her energies to educating K-12 teachers (and through them, their students) about astronomy for many years.

"When I heard I was to be inducted into the Science Hall of Fame, I felt very honored since I suspected I was nominated by some of the teachers I’ve worked with over the years," she said.

The award was presented at the Texas Summit for Science, Mathematics, and Technology in San Antonio, hosted by the San Antonio Education Foundation and the Texas Education Agency.

Most recently, Hemenway has worked with the UT-Austin McDonald Observatory Public Information Office helping to design and implement both teacher and student programs for the Observatory’s new Visitor Center in Fort Davis, Texas.

Hemenway has spent almost her entire professional career at the University of Texas at Austin. She has served as Director of Educational Services Office the UT-Austin Department of Astronomy almost continuously since 1980.

"Back then, we started thinking more broadly about what the role of the University is in society," said Frank Bash, Director of McDonald Observatory. "We thought it was worthy to use the University to help K-12 teachers teach astronomy. This idea was way ahead of its time.

"Since its founding in the 1930s, McDonald Observatory has always had strong programs in outreach to the general public. But it’s been in the last 20 years or so that we’ve begun working to help teachers and schools. With the new McDonald Observatory Visitors Center, we’ve dramatically expanded our efforts in this area, and Mary Kay Hemenway has been heavily involved in this effort," Bash said.

Hemenway received her Bachelor of Science in Physics degree from Notre Dame College of Ohio in 1965. She went on to receive both a Master of Arts (1967) and a Ph.D. in Astronomy (1971) from The University of Virginia.

She is the recipient of many grants from the National Science Foundation and NASA, as well as other agencies, for projects in science education. In addition to co-authoring a book and publishing papers in professional journals, she has extensive experience as a science education consultant with school districts and publishers. She has also has produced more than 25 abstracts and 50 book reviews. She frequently presents workshops to teachers at meetings such as Texas’ Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching (CAST) and annual conferences of the National Science Teachers’ Association (NSTA).

Hemenway served as Education Officer of the American Astronomical Society, the national society for professional astronomers, from 1991 to 1997. She oversaw and/or operated many of education programs for the Society. As well, she has been Secretary to the Board of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) since 1999. The ASP is an international organization of professional astronomers, educators, and astronomy enthusiasts founded in 1889 "to promote the understanding and appreciation of astronomy."

— END —

StarDate Magazine Celebrates 30 Years

AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory celebrates 30 years of publishing StarDate magazine this month.

 

The publication began in its life in January 1973 as the typewritten, photocopied newsletter McDonald Observatory News. It has grown into a 24-page color publication which brings science and stargazing to about 10,000 subscribers six times each year, covering a wide range of topics related to astronomy, space exploration, skylore, and skywatching. The name changed to StarDate in 1986. This brought it together with McDonald Observatory’s nationally syndicated radio program of that name.

"McDonald Observatory has a long tradition of bringing astronomy to the public," said Director Frank Bash. "Our magazine and radio programs are known throughout the country. We’re proud that we’ve been able to keep these non-profit programs going so long. Together with our public programs and teacher programs at the Observatory itself, StarDate allows us to fulfill our mission of exciting the public about science."

According to editor Rebecca Johnson, StarDate fulfills a niche in the realm of astronomy magazines. "Our articles and skywatching information are designed to be easily understood by busy readers who have a genuine interest in the heavens, but whom may not be hard-core, telescope-toting amateur astronomers," Johnson said.

"We try to make it informative and fun, by providing a mix of serious news and feature stories, as well as whimsical columns like ‘Merlin,’ where readers can write in and ask questions of our slightly silly science guru.

"In contrast, our ‘AstroPrimer’ column brings in one of the unique assets available to us by having University of Texas astronomers write brief introductions to different astronomical topics," she said.

"Our magazine is pure information with almost no advertising," said Sandra Preston, the Observatory’s Director of Public Information and Education. "It provides our radio listeners and others across the country with sky calendars and star charts for each month so they can see what’s happening in the sky."

Subscriptions to StarDate magazine are $21 per year, and can be ordered online or toll-free by phone at 800-STARDATE.

—END—

 

What are Astronomers Doing at McDonald Observatory?

AUSTIN, Texas — Do you ever wonder what astronomers do at an observatory? A new website from The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory reveals exactly which cosmic questions astronomers are trying to solve right now. Updated weekly, the site tells which astronomer is hard at work on what problem on each of four McDonald telescopes that week. The site also includes information about the telescopes, their instruments, and insight into the lives of the astronomers that use them -- all in plain English. The project is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

"McDonald has always been open to the public," Observatory Director Frank Bash said. "Now we’re making it even easier for folks to know what we’re doing here. Science is a process that goes on every clear night of the year at McDonald Observatory -- not just when major results are announced. Now people can go to this site at any time and see what we’re doing. I think it’s fantastic."

The address of the site is: http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/research

This week at the site, read about projects as diverse as looking for planets around the burnt-out cores of dead stars (called white dwarfs), to the study of black holes at the heart of massive elliptical galaxies, to finding the birthplace of stars in the disk of our Milky Way, to the mysteries of exploding stars called supernovae. Last but not least, the site also details this week’s upgrades to the telescopes and computer systems – maintenance vital to keep the Observatory running at peak efficiency.

One of the goals of the project is to show that scientists are people, too. To that end, the site includes brief interview-based biographies of the astronomers, accompanied by pictures of astronomers running in marathons, climbing mountains, Hungarian dancing, and more.

The site includes explanations of The Hobby-Eberly Telescope, The 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope, The 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope, and The 0.8-meter Telescope. And though instruments are not as well known as the telescopes that use them, telescopes would be useless without them. So the site includes descriptions and pictures of the instruments used on McDonald’s telescopes, and explains why an astronomer would choose one instrument over another to investigate a particular problem. Spectrographs, photometers, polarimeters, and more are explained.

The project is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation’s Math and Physical Sciences Internship in Public Science Education program to Mary Kay Hemenway and Sandra Preston. The program brings current science research results to the public by promoting partnerships between the research community and specialists in public science education. It provides support for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as elementary and secondary-school teachers, to work in conjunction with research scientists and professionals at science centers and museums.

— END —

Media Advisory: Westcave Preserve & McDonald Observatory Present Summer Solstice Events June 21

EVENT: Westcave Preserve is holding a summer solstice celebration Saturday. McDonald Observatory’s Dan Lester will discuss the Preserve’s solar observatory, which he helped design. Visitors will view an image of the Sun safely produced by a telescope (weather permitting) -- allowing them to see sunspots on the solar surface. They will also experiment with the Preserve’s solar energy panel, enjoy guided tours of the Preserve, and other activities.

 

WHEN: 11a.m. - 3p.m., Saturday, June 21. The event is $4 for adults, $2 for children.

WHERE: Westcave Preserve, in the Texas Hill Country 30 miles west of Austin. Take Highway 71 west past the village of Bee Cave. Turn left on Hamilton Pool Road (RR 3238), and travel 14.5 miles. The Preserve entrance is the first right turn after crossing the Pedernales River. A map is available here.

BACKGROUND: At summer solstice, the longest day of the year, the Sun is highest in the sky in the northern hemisphere. The event has special meaning at Westcave Preserve’s Warren Skaaren Visitor Center. Their solar observatory, designed by architect Robert Jackson and McDonald Observatory astronomer Dan Lester, is a centerpiece of the facility.

This solar observatory is unique in the nation. It uses a spot of light from the Sun to follow the motion of the Sun across the sky. Visitors near "local noon," which is between 1 and 2p.m. CDT will, weather permitting, use the observatory to see the Sun track across the sky, and understand how that path is different at different times of year. Using the observatory, they will actually watch the Sun move, and thereby watch the Earth turn.

Westcave is a 30-acre preserve with a breathtaking cave formation with waterfalls and deep pools. It is carpeted with lush vegetation and teeming with wildlife. LCRA acquired the property in 1983 and protects in partnership with the Westcave Preserve Corporation, which manages the site and its educational programs.

Tours allow visitors to view these natural formations.
The newest addition to Westcave, the Warren Skaaren Environmental Learning Center, includes integrated exhibits that illustrate how the forces and cycles of nature have interacted to create and sustain this unique sanctuary. Exhibits us the four elements – earth, water, fire, and air – to explain Westcave’s geology, water, weather, and energy and their connection to the Preserve’s plants and animals.

For more information, call (830) 825-3442, or visit the Preserve’s Web site.

 

— END —

StarDate Radio Program Celebrates 25 Years

AUSTIN, Texas—Astronomers think there might be a planet hiding in the dust circling the well-known star Vega, a resident of the constellation Lyra, the harp. Well, any alien denizens of that world are in for a treat: They are about to receive the first broadcast of the StarDate radio program.

Here on Earth, StarDate went on the air Oct. 1, 1978. Since Vega is about 25 light-years away, the radio signals of that first broadcast are just now reaching the star. The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory produces the daily, two-minute looks at topics in astronomy and space science.

"We’re very proud to have kept this show on the air for a quarter-century," said Frank Bash, director of McDonald Observatory. "Millions of people listen to StarDate. We are able to bring a little bit of the fascination of the heavens into their lives every day."

Each month, StarDate offers a balance of astronomy and space-science topics. About half of each month’s programs are related to skywatching: eclipses, meteor showers, planetary conjunctions, stars and constellations, and so on. Other topics relate to important anniversaries, recent scientific discoveries, Earth’s place in the cosmos, and related topics that help place astronomy in a broader cultural perspective.

StarDate began as a telephone message service in 1977, and shortly thereafter went on the air in Austin as a daily radio program called "Have You Seen the Stars Tonight?" After receiving a grant from the National Science Foundation, the program began national distribution in 1978 under the name StarDate, with writer/producer Deborah Byrd and announcer Joel Block.

Now the longest-lived nationally broadcast science module on the nation’s airwaves, StarDate airs on about 400 stations around the country, in most major markets. About half of the stations that air StarDate are public radio stations, and half are commercial.
Writer/producer Damond Benningfield joined the show in 1991, as did Sandy Wood, StarDate’s current announcer.

"We try to show people that astronomy -- and science in general -- can be for everyone, not just guys in white lab coats," said Benningfield. "It doesn’t take any science background to step outside and enjoy the crescent Moon, the planet
Venus, or the bright stars in the sky -- only an interest in the universe around us and a curiosity about what it all means."

According to Executive Producer Sandra Preston, "The program has grown over the years to include not just the radio show, but also Spanish and German radio programs, as well as a magazine, Web site and education materials." Preston joined the program in 1980.

StarDate magazine celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. This colorful 24-page bimonthly magazine brings science and stargazing to about 10,000 subscribers.

McDonald Observatory began producing the Spanish-language radio program Universo in 1995. Universo is heard on about 200 stations in the United States and Central America. The German version of StarDate, Sternzeit, airs on German public radio.

An extensive Web site, StarDate Online, contains information about astronomy and skywatching as well as a searchable database of radio scripts. Visitors can listen to past programs online, as well.

The program is recorded at Tequila Mockingbird studios in Austin by engineer Shayna Levin.

— END —

Summer Brings New Attractions to McDonald Observatory

FORT DAVIS, Texas—New attractions at McDonald Observatory’s Visitors Center allow patrons to catch an up close and personal view of the Sun, as well as garner in-depth insights about science and skywatching in a small-group setting.

A $10 thousand donation from Mr. Otto Wetzel has made it possible for live views of the Sun’s surface to be projected onto the screen inside the Visitor Center theater. The gift allowed a telescope stationed outside the Center to be outfitted with a new mounting system, and connected the telescope to computers inside the Center by fiber optic cable. The telescope can now be controlled remotely, from inside the Visitor's Center.

Daytime visitors can beat the heat inside the Center’s theater while enjoying real-time views of the Sun that show details as small as a few thousand miles across on the Sun’s surface. (This "Solar Viewing Program" is included in the General Admission ticket.)

The donor, Mr. Wetzel, is a long-time member of the Observatory’s Board of Visitors, an independent philanthropic and lobbying organization which supports the Observatory and UT Austin Department of Astronomy.

Another new addition to the programs of the McDonald Observatory Visitors Center this summer is the Twilight Program. This engaging, hour-long instructional presentation gives visitors a chance to learn about a topic in astronomy in a small-group setting. The program begins 90 minutes before the Star Party, and topics vary throughout the year. (Call our information line for specifics.) Tickets for the Twilight Program must be purchased during normal business hours the day of the program.

McDonald’s many other visitors programs are still going strong. By day, knowledgeable guides lead tours of the research telescopes (at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.), interpreting the telescopes’ histories, operations, and the science they work on. Visitors can get a peek at the largest telescope mirror in the world from the viewing gallery of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, and enjoy hundred-mile vistas of area mountains from the top of Mount Locke, site of the highest public road in Texas.

Inside the Visitors Center, extensive exhibits explain what astronomers do at an Observatory. Our theater offers a movie about the history of McDonald, while the StarDate Cafe offers "some of the best food in West Texas," according to The Dallas Morning News. Visitors can browse the astronomy gift shop for fun and educational items.

McDonald Observatory by night is a unique experience. The site is one of the darkest in the country for astronomical observing. McDonald’s famous public Star Parties take place on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Visitors can look through telescopes at the Rebecca Gale Telescope Park, and take part in tours of the constellations in the new outdoor Star Amphitheater. Star Party start times vary throughout the year based on the time of sunset. From April through August they begin at 9:30 p.m.

McDonald Observatory is located in the heart of the Davis Mountains of West Texas (see map). Visitors traveling east on Interstate 10 from El Paso take Highway 118 south at Kent for the 34-mile drive to the Observatory. Visitors traveling west on Interstate 10 may take Highway 17 south at Balmorhea to Fort Davis, then Highway 118 north 16 miles to the Observatory. Visitors coming from Big Bend National Park take Highway 118 north through Alpine and Fort Davis to the Observatory.

Visitors traveling from areas in the Mountain Time zone (e.g., El Paso) wishing to attend scheduled activities such as tours and Star Parties should note that the Observatory is on Central Time.

For recorded information on program times and prices, please call toll-free 877-984-7827. For other information, please call 432-426-3640.

— END —

Note to Editors: High resolution images of McDonald Observatory, including its research telescopes and interiors and exteriors of the new Visitors Center, are available here.

Exploding Stars: Asymmetry with Cosmological Consequences

Austin, Texas—University of Texas at Austin astronomers, along with colleagues in California and Europe, have discovered new facts about the exploding stars called supernovae that could have effects on the big cosmic questions -- how old is the universe, how large, and how is it changing over time?

The research announced today concludes that the exploding stars called Type Ia supernovae -- the "standard candles" of astronomical research -- don't exactly behave the way astronomers thought.

Former University of Texas researcher Lifan Wang (now of Lawrence Berkeley National Lab), his Texas colleagues J. Craig Wheeler and Peter Hoeflich, Dietrich Baade of the European Southern Observatory and other colleagues on their team have established that Type Ia supernovae do not explode in a perfectly spherical manner. This study was published in the July 10 edition of the Astrophysical Journal.

Type Ia supernovae are called standard candles because astronomers know -- to a certain extent -- how intrinsically bright these exploding stars are. A 100 watt bulb is always the same brightness, but looks dimmer if you are further away from it. Similarly, by comparing the intrinsic brightness of a Type Ia supernova to how bright it appears in the sky, astronomers can figure the distance to it -- and its host galaxy.

Knowing precise distances to galaxies outside our own Milky Way is critical to astronomers' calculations about the universe's age, size, and fate.

The researchers used the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile to measure the polarization of light coming from a Type Ia supernova (SN 2001el) in the galaxy NGC 1448, as it brightened and dimmed. Polarization is a technique to measure the "shape" of an astronomical object. Some Type Ia are little brighter than normal, others a little less bright.

The researchers were able to show that at peak brightness the exploding star was slightly flattened, with one axis shorter by about 10 percent. By a week later, however, the visible explosion was virtually spherical.

"This is the first time the intrinsic polarization, and hence shape, of a normal Type Ia supernova has been detected," Wheeler says.

According to Wheeler, this has two main consequences:

First, there are consequences for its uses in cosmological studies. "Standard candles may not look the same from all angles," he says. So, astronomers will need to account for the fact that different supernovae can be viewed from different aspects before being able to use them for precise distance measurements.

Wheeler uses the example of a carton of eggs to explain how asymmetry can affect brightness measurements. All the eggs in the carton are similar, but each egg looks different depending on how you view it. The egg shape is only apparent when they are viewed from the side. Viewed end-on, each egg looks round. Likewise, if supernovae are not spherically symmetric, they will shine more brightly in one direction than in others --even though each supernova may be virtually identical.

"A Type Ia supernova is a standard egg," Wheeler says. "Sometimes you look at it sideways and sometimes you look at it from the top or bottom, but it's a standard egg."

Even with a telescope as powerful as the VLT, distant supernovae appear only as point-sources of light, so asymmetric shapes cannot be seen directly. Instead they must be inferred from the way the light is polarized. (Polarization refers to the orientation of the plane of the electric wave component of light.)

The second consequence of supernova asymmetry has to do with seeking a better understanding how the thermonuclear explosions of supernovae work. "Astronomers are convinced that what's happening is a star in binary system is pulling mass off its companion star onto itself -- enough to cause it to explode. But there is zero direct observational evidence to prove that," Wheeler says.

"Now, we can look for direct evidence of this mass transfer process in the asymmetry of the light coming from a Type Ia -- this is the holy grail that people have been after for more than 30 years," he concludes.

— END —

Note to Editors:

A low-resolution image of SN 2001el in the galaxy NGC 1448 can be found online here, along with a news release from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Lambert to Lead McDonald Observatory

Austin, Texas—Dr. David Lambert, chair of the Astronomy Department at The University of Texas at Austin, will succeed Dr. Frank Bash as director of McDonald Observatory on Oct. 1, the university has announced.

Lambert holds the Isabel McCutcheon Harte Centennial Chair in Astronomy. He will step down as department chair when he assumes the directorship.

Lambert's plans for the observatory include supporting the ongoing work directed at bringing the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) to completion and exploring ways to become involved in new telescopes and instrumentation.

"I want to raise the HET's profile by bringing its scientific output up to expectations," he said. Lambert said he will expand present efforts for McDonald Observatory and the Department of Astronomy to become involved in the building of a much larger telescope, in all probability as part of a consortium of universities and agencies.

"A significant share in a very large telescope should be a priority goal for the Observatory and the Department," he said.

Lambert came to The University of Texas at Austin as a faculty associate in 1969, was appointed associate professor in 1970, professor in 1974 and the Isabel McCutcheon Harte Chair in 1987. He was educated in England, obtaining his bachelor’s and doctor’s degrees from the University of Oxford. Between Oxford and Texas, he was a research fellow of the California Institute of Technology and the Mount Wilson and Palomar Observatories.

In four decades of research in astronomical spectroscopy, he has published 400 papers on topics from the composition of the Sun, molecular emission by comets, the chemistry of the diffuse interstellar medium, and stellar nucleosynthesis and evolution. In 1987, his work on the quantitative analysis of stellar spectra was recognized with the Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics awarded by the American Institute for Physics and the American Astronomical Society.

He has held visiting professorships at the European Southern Observatory in Garching, Germany, the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, and the Indian Institute of Astrophysics in Bangalore, India.

— END —

McDonald Observatory & Partners Receive Federal Appropriation, Will Bring New Research Telescope to Texas

Austin, Texas—A $3.25 million federal appropriation to The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory, The University of New Mexico, and the Air Force will bring a new research telescope to McDonald. The appropriation will also fund major upgrades to the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET), one of the world’s largest optical telescopes.

U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla (R-Texas) sponsored the appropriation. Mr. Bonilla represents the 23rd Congressional District, which encompasses much of West Texas, including McDonald Observatory. Bonilla’s role as a senior member of the Appropriations Committee and Defense Appropriations Subcommittee enabled him to secure funding for the Observatory. "Mr. Bonilla has been very supportive of this initiative," said Dr. Frank Bash, director of McDonald Observatory. "It was through his support that this was able to happen, and we’re grateful to him."

"This funding will mean great things for the McDonald Observatory and the people of West Texas," said Bonilla. "I’m proud to have played a role in securing this funding and look forward to the progress it will make."

The appropriation will bring the 1.8-meter telescope — known as the CCD Transit Instrument (CTI) — from New Mexico to McDonald Observatory. Locating CTI at McDonald rather than creating a new site for it will be a great cost-saver, because it will take advantage of McDonald’s infrastructure of skilled personnel, roads, and electricity. At McDonald, the telescope will also benefit from the darkest night skies in the continental U.S. for astronomical research.

"This project will foster a productive partnership between two state astronomy institutions," McDonald astronomer Dr. Dan Lester said of The Universities of Texas and New Mexico. To further that partnership, astronomers from The University of New Mexico will now be eligible to apply for usage of McDonald’s four research telescopes with the same "preferred-user" status that University of Texas astronomers have.

It is expected that CTI will be up and running at McDonald within the next two years. The telescope was conceived and built by Dr. John McGraw of The University of New Mexico, who received his Ph.D. in astronomy from The University of Texas in 1977.

"CTI uses a novel detector array to create a large-scale image of one portion of the sky, night after night," McGraw says. "If anything changes or moves, this telescope will catch it. Those things include nearby asteroids, middle-distance supernovae, and distant active galaxies containing huge black holes that eat stars and gas for lunch."

Putting CTI at the same site as HET will provide great opportunities for researchers. "The combination of an imaging survey telescope (CTI) and a dedicated spectroscopic telescope (HET) is really powerful and unique," McGraw said. "Anything that CTI can detect, HET can get a spectrum of."

A spectrum of a star, galaxy, or other astronomical object provides information about its motion, temperature, and chemical content. A spectrum is made when the light from that object is broken into its component wavelengths, like a prism breaks visible light into a rainbow. HET specializes in this type of astronomy, called "spectroscopy."

Together, CTI and HET will work to:

  • map the structure of the Milky Way galaxy by looking at the distribution of stars of different types,
  • measure the mass in our galaxy to better understand the missing mass in our universe,
  • understand physical conditions in the centers of distant galaxies where black holes millions of times more massive than our Sun are pulling in stars and gas,
  • and investigate the distribution of material in the earliest galaxies.

Proposed upgrades for HET include greatly expanding the useful field-of-view of the telescope, and major improvements in the reflective coating of the mirrors. "Both improvements will provide major increases in the scientific productivity of HET," Bash said.

The appropriation will be administered by the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque.

This project is called NESSI, or The Near-Earth Space Surveillance Initiative. "Spin-off technology from CTI’s novel detector array applies to optical problems of interest to the Air Force," McGraw said.

According to Bash, "the technology developed will be useful as the Air Force looks for ways to improve space surveillance. Astronomers are expert at building and using ultra-sensitive detectors of objects which move across the sky and this expertise is very useful to the Air Force."

— END —

Einstein’s Biggest Blunder?

Public Lecture Accompanies Symposium Honoring Dr. Frank Bash

 

Austin, Texas — Dr. Alex Filippenko, professor of astronomy at The University of California, Berkeley, will discuss evidence that the universe’s expansion is speeding up, rather than slowing down as expected at a free lecture at The University of Texas at Austin next Friday.

The event will be Friday, October 17, at 7 p.m. in room 2.224 of Welch Hall on the Austin campus. (Maps of the campus can be obtained here).

Background

The UT Department of Astronomy and the American Astronomical Society (AAS) are sponsoring this AAS Second Century Scholar Lecture, which accompanies a symposium honoring Dr. Frank Bash. Dr. Bash stepped down as director of McDonald Observatory on September 30 after 14 years in the position.

Five years ago, observations of very distant exploding stars provided intriguing evidence that the expansion of the universe is speeding up with time, rather than slowing down as expected. New, completely independent data greatly support this conclusion, which resurrects the idea of a long-range "antigravity" effect first proposed by Albert Einstein. He later renounced the idea as his "biggest blunder." The discovery of the so-called accelerating universe was voted the top "Science Breakthrough of 1998" by Science magazine, and was the cover story for a June 2001 issue of TIME magazine.

The lecturer, Dr. Alex Filippenko, received his doctorate in astronomy from Caltech in 1984 and joined The University of California, Berkeley, faculty in 1986. His primary areas of research are exploding stars, active galaxies, black holes, and the expansion of the universe. He has co-authored more than 400 publications on these topics, and has won numerous awards for his teaching and research. He has served as President of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific and Councilor of the American Astronomical Society.

— END —

McDonald Observatory Receives Multi-Year Grant to Train Students

Fort Davis, Texas — McDonald Observatory astronomers Dr. Mark Adams and Dr. Matthew Shetrone have received a grant worth about $140,000 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to involve advanced undergraduate students in innovative astronomical and engineering research projects at the Observatory’s Davis Mountains site for the next three summers.

"This program reflects the McDonald Observatory’s dedication to its astronomical research and education missions," Adams said. "This NSF grants allows the Observatory to offer undergraduates exciting opportunities to participate in astronomical research early in their careers. Each summer, up to six students will spend ten weeks living and working at McDonald. It will be intellectually rewarding and fun."

The Observatory will recruit students primarily from colleges and universities in the southwestern United States. About half of those recruited will be astronomy or physics students; the remainder will be engineering students. While at the Observatory, each student will be mentored by a senior astronomer or engineer.

"The astronomy students will, in collaboration with their mentor, observe and analyze the universe with world-class telescopes and instrumentation," Shetrone said. "The program’s engineering students will be equally challenged by projects that involve analyzing and upgrading mechanical, electrical, software or optical systems that support the various McDonald telescopes."

This NSF program, titled "Research Experiences for Undergraduates," will give students exposure to the 9.2-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope (the third largest optical telescope in the world), the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope, the 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope, and the McDonald 0.8-meter Telescope. It is expected that several of these student projects will yield results that merit publication in professional astronomy or engineering journals.

— END —

Scientists Develop Cheap Method for Solar System Hunt Using McDonald Observatory Telescope

The 2.1-meter (82-inch) Otto Struve Telescope at the University of Texas McDonal

AUSTIN, Texas—University of Texas at Austin astronomers have invented an inexpensive method to determine if other solar systems like our own exist.

Among the more than 100 stars now known to have planets, astronomers have found few systems similar to ours. It’s unknown if this is because of technological limitations or if our system is truly a rare configuration. The McDonald Observatory astronomers’ novel search method uses a Depression-era telescope mated with today’s technology.

Astronomers Don Winget and Edward Nather, graduate students Fergal Mullally and Anjum Mukadem, and colleagues are looking for the "leftovers" of solar systems like ours. Their method searches for the pieces of such a solar system after its star has died, by exploiting a trait of ancient, burnt-out Suns called "white dwarfs."

University of Texas astronomers Bill Cochran and Ted von Hippel are also involved, along with S.O. Kepler of Brazil’s Universidade Federal de Rio Grande dol Sul and Antonio Kanaan of Brazil’s Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina.

Astronomers know that as Sun-like stars use up their nuclear fuel, their outer layers will expand, and the star will become a "red giant" star. When this happens to the Sun, in about five billion years, they expect it will swallow Mercury and Venus, perhaps not quite reaching Earth. Then the Sun will blow off its outer layers and will exist for a few thousand years as a beautiful, wispy planetary nebula. The Sun’s leftover core will then be a white dwarf, a dense, dimming cinder about the size of Earth. And, most important, it likely will still be orbited by the outer planets of our solar system.

Once a Sun-like system reaches this state, Winget’s team may be able to find it. Their method is based on more than three decades of research on the variability (that is, changes in brightness) of white dwarfs. In the early 1980s, University of Texas astronomers discovered that some white dwarfs vary, or "pulsate," in regular bursts. More recently, Winget and colleagues discovered that about one-third of these pulsating white dwarfs (PWDs) are more reliable timekeepers than atomic clocks and most millisecond pulsars.

These pulsations are the key to detecting planets. Planets orbiting a stable PWD star will affect observations of its timekeeping, appearing to cause periodic variations in the patterns of pulses coming from the star. That’s because the planet orbiting the PWD drags the star around as it moves. The change in distance between the star and Earth will change the amount of time taken for the light from the pulsations to reach Earth. Because the pulses are very stable, astronomers can calculate the difference between the observed and expected arrival time of the pulses and deduce the presence and properties of the planet. (This method is similar to that used in the discoveries of the so-called "pulsar planets." The difference is, the pulsar companions are not thought to have formed with their stars, but only after those stars had exploded in supernovae.)

"This search will be sensitive to white dwarfs which were initially between one and four times as massive as the Sun, and should be able to detect planets within two to 20 AU from their parent star. This means we’ll be probing inside the habitable zone for some stars," Winget said. (An AU, or astronomical unit, is the distance between Earth and the Sun.) "Basically, detecting Jupiter at Jupiter’s distance with this technique is easy. It’s duck soup," he said.

Easy, but not quick. Outer planets, orbiting their stars at large distances, can take more than a decade to complete one orbit. Therefore, it can take many years of observations to definitively detect a planet orbiting a white dwarf.

"You need to look for a long time for a full orbit," Winget said. "A half-orbit or a third of an orbit will tell us something’s going on there. But for a planet at Jupiter’s distance, a half-orbit is still six years." Winget added that for this method, "detecting Jupiter at Uranus’ distance is easier, but takes even longer."

For the PWD planet search, Nather conceived a specialized new instrument for McDonald Observatory’s 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope. He and Mukadam designed and built the instrument, called Argos, to measure the amount of light coming from target stars. Specifically, Argos is a "CCD photometer" — a photon counter that uses a charge-coupled device to record images. Located at the prime focus of the Struve Telescope, Argos has no optics other than the telescope’s 2.1-meter primary mirror. Copies of Argos are now being built at other observatories around the world.

Mullally continues the search for planets around white dwarfs with Argos on the Struve Telescope. He has 22 target stars, most of which were identified through the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. When the team finds promising planet candidates with Argos, they will follow up using the 9.2-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at McDonald Observatory.

"If we find large planets orbiting at large distances, that’s a good clue that there might be smaller planets closer in. In that case, what you do is pound away on that target with the largest telescope you have access to," Winget said. The HET will enable more precise timing of the PWD’s pulses, and thus be able to pinpoint smaller planets.

This search will be able to study types of stars unable to be studied with the doppler spectroscopy method — the most successful planet search method to date — Winget said. Because of idiosyncrasies in the make-up of Sun-like stars, the doppler spectroscopy method is not very sensitive in looking for planets around stars twice as massive as the Sun. Roughly half of the stars in Winget’s study will be white dwarfs that were originally these types of stars. For this reason, the PWD study at McDonald can be instrumental in scouting and assessing targets and observing strategies for NASA space missions planned in the next two decades, specifically the Space Interferometry Mission, Terrestrial Planet Finder and Kepler spacecraft.

This research is funded by a NASA Origins grant, as well as an Advanced Research Project grant from the State of Texas. Through funding from the Texas Higher Education Agency, two secondary schoolteachers (Donna Slaughter of Stony Point High School in Round Rock, Texas, and Chris Cotter of Lanier High School in Austin) have been directly involved in this research. Plans are now underway to extend this involvement to other teachers, and the students in their classrooms by bringing the science, scientists and the Observatory directly into the classroom using the Internet. Cotter and his colleagues at Lanier High School are involved with Mullally in testing this concept.

— END —

Astronomers Re-measure the Universe with Hubble Space Telescope

AUSTIN, Texas—University of Texas at Austin astronomers are using Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to improve measurements of vast distances in space, which could greatly increase the accuracy of knowledge in all areas of astronomy from understanding how stars evolve to the size and age of the universe itself.

Fritz Benedict, Barbara McArthur, Tom Barnes and colleagues are shoring up the wobbly "extra-galactic distance ladder" by measuring the tiny apparent motions, or "parallax," of a particular kind of star called "Cepheid variables."

"HST is the only telescope on Earth or in space that can do this with the required precision right now," Benedict said. "Obtaining these parallaxes is extremely difficult, equivalent to measuring the size of a quarter seen from 3,000 miles away."

The project, which ranked first among 1,100 proposals by astronomers for use of HST this year, continues later this month with more Hubble observations.

Cepheid variable stars are one tool that astronomers use to measure vast astronomical distances. They work well for this because the rapidity with which their light-output varies tells scientists their intrinsic brightness. This interdependence is called the "period-luminosity (PL) relationship." So astronomers can measure the period of variation for a Cepheid variable star in a galaxy and deduce that galaxy’s distance from knowledge of the luminosity of a Cepheid with that period.

Cepheids make up one rung on the extra-galactic distance ladder that astronomers use to measure distance to objects outside our own Milky Way galaxy. In this ladder, each rung is a type of distance measurement that is the basis for the next rung above it, to measure out to farther distances.

 

One of the lower rungs is knowledge of the distance to the Large Magellenic Cloud (LMC) -- one of the satellite galaxies of the Milky Way. Astronomers’ knowledge of the LMC’s distance is based in large measure on Cepheids inside that galaxy. The problem is, those Cepheids are not made up of the same stuff as the ones in our galaxy. So astronomers aren’t sure if the P-L relationship really works right on them.

The team is working to eliminate the LMC rung from the distance ladder and to replace it with something sturdier. They’re using HST to directly measure the distance to 10 Cepheid variable stars inside our own Milky Way galaxy.

"By doing this we can compare the direct distance measurement with the one predicted by astronomers’ best calculation of the Cepheid P-L relationship -- revealing any discrepancies and allowing for necessary adjustments in that calculation," said Barnes. McArthur added, "Cepheids will then become a better yardstick."

For this study, the team is using HST to make extremely precise measurements of the location of each of the 10 Cepheids at various times over two years. In comparing earlier observations to those taken later, each star appears to have moved. This apparent motion is called "parallax."

"Trigonometric parallax -- watching a star seeming to move from side to side because the Earth orbits around the Sun -- is the only fundamental method of getting Cepheid distances and luminosities free from complicating assumptions," Benedict said.

His team is making the measurements using HST’s Fine Guidance Sensors (FGS) -- the instruments whose primary reason for being is to enable HST’s cameras and spectrographs to lock onto their targets. However, this "bonus science" with FGS was planned from the start. Benedict helped ensure that the FGS could be used for parallax work, and has helped in planning their use for more than two decades.

"Because of the great demand for HST time, we can do these measurements only for a small number of stars in the Milky Way, fewer than a dozen," Benedict said. "In the future, SIM can do this for a lot more stars."

SIM, the Space Interferometry Mission, is a future NASA space observatory, but one whose final results will not be available until 2015.

With this HST project, Bendict says, "I’m happy that we’ll have good results in two years instead of 12."

 

— END —

Duncan Shares Bruno Rossi Prize for Ultra-magnetic Stars

Will Deliver Prize Lecture on Magnetars Jan. 7 in Atlanta

 

ATLANTA — It all started when two young physicists, between lectures at Princeton University, began to wonder why radio pulsars are so highly magnetized. Little did Robert Duncan and Christopher Thompson suspect, seventeen years ago, that the magnetism of radio pulsars is feeble compared to the powerful magnetic fields that their work would reveal: fields that alter the very structure of the quantum vacuum. Five years later, they predicted a new class of ultra-magnetic, X-ray luminous, flaring stellar corpses, thousands of times more magnetic than pulsars. This prediction and the eventual detection of what the two theorists called "magnetars" earned them, along with observational X-ray astronomer Dr. Chryssa Kouveliotou, this year’s Bruno Rossi Prize from the American Astronomical Society (AAS).

Duncan, an astrophysicist at The University of Texas at Austin, and Kouveliotou, of the National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC) in Huntsville, Ala., will present the Rossi Prize Lecture jointly on January 7 at the 203rd meeting of the AAS in Atlanta. (Thompson, of the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, is unable to attend the meeting.)

Magnetars and radio pulsars are two types of "neutron stars": compact remnants of massive stars that have ended their normal lives in supernova explosions. Stars heavier than the Sun by a factor of ten or more die in supernovae, dispersing most of their material into space. But at the center of a supernova, runaway gravitational collapse squishes material into a dense ball of neutrons about the diameter of a large city, yet more massive than the Sun.

One end-result of this process, the radio pulsar, has been known since the 1960s. Radio pulsars are swiftly-rotating neutron stars that give off radio waves from charged particles streaming above their magnetic poles. Their signals appear to pulsate as their radio beams sweep past Earth, like lighthouse beacons. A typical radio pulsar has a magnetic field that measures about a trillion Gauss. (For comparison, a common refrigerator magnet has a magnetic field of 100 Gauss; and the Sun’s magnetic field can reach 5,000 Gauss within magnetic sunspots.)

Birth of the Magnetar (1987-1998)
Duncan and Thompson’s calculations, first done in 1987, predicted a new type of neutron star with a magnetic field that is 1,000 times stronger than a radio pulsar’s. "But for five years we didn’t really understand what these calculations meant," said Duncan. "We were just trying to think of some way to scale down these strong magnetic fields, in order to understand radio pulsar magnetic fields, which are much weaker."

By 1992, the researchers had realized that radio pulsars are only one subclass of neutron stars: those born rotating so slowly that their global magnetic fields are not greatly amplified during the first minute after they form in the cores of supernovae. In other words, radio pulsars are actually weakly magnetized when one considers the range of physical conditions within neutron stars… despite the fact that they have trillion-Gauss magnetic fields. Neutron stars born rotating faster would become "magnetars," with bright X-ray emissions powered by their decaying magnetic fields.

A magnetar, Duncan and Thompson soon realized, is a strange, powerful beast, like a radio pulsar on steroids. Magnetar magnetic fields are strong enough to radically alter fundamental physical processes in their vicinity, splitting photons in two and polarizing the vacuum. These bizarre stars had never been seen, or so most astronomers thought.

There had been a few fleeting, enigmatic observations by space satellites of emissions from astronomical objects that the two scientists thought could be magnetars, but no one had tracked down and studied these sources carefully enough to find telltale magnetar properties. These mysterious objects included the so-called "soft gamma-ray repeaters" (SGRs) and "anomolous X-ray pulsars" (AXPs).

An SGR is a star that repeatedly gives off very intense bursts of "soft," or low-energy, gamma rays. All SGRs found so far lie inside or near the Milky Way. (They are not the sources of the mysterious gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), which have been found to lie far outside our galaxy, near the edges of the known universe.)

An AXP is a neutron star which rotates with period of about 10 seconds, and emits X-rays which seem to pulsate on the rotation period, due to the changing orientation of the star. In the 1990’s, these X-rays were a long-standing mystery: they were powered by some "anomalous" stellar energy source which astronomers did not understand, hence the name. Some AXPs, and some SGRs, are found in young supernova remnants.

Duncan and Thompson argued that both SGRs and AXPs are magnetars. The two spent almost a decade theorizing and hoofing it through scientific meetings trying to convince other scientists that magnetars were real, and that the bursts from SGRs, and the pulsating X-rays from AXPs, were powered by the decay of stupendously-strong magnetic fields.

An alternative picture, favored by many scientists during the 1990’s, involved a disk of material orbiting around a neutron star, somewhat like the rings of Saturn. In this alternative theory, the inner part of the swirling disk gets sucked down onto the neutron star by tremendous gravitational forces, releasing heat and powering observed X-ray and gamma-ray emissions.

"When we first suggested that SGRs and AXPs were magnetically-powered, most astronomers thought that the whole idea was crazy," Duncan said. "It seems funny now, but at the first scientific conference we went to, in 1992, we were allowed three minutes to present our quite elaborate theory. As late as the January 1998 AAS meeting, I was the last person scheduled to talk, for ten minutes, shortly after someone who argued against Einstein’s theory of relativity."

Kouveliotou’s Proof (1998)
But by January 1998, Kouveliotou at least was taking the magnetar idea very seriously. She was, in fact, leading an international team of eleven scientists in a concerted effort to check some of the predictions of the model. Using American and Japanese X-ray telescopes borne above Earth’s obscuring atmosphere on satellites, Kouveliotou and her team discovered that SGRs, like AXPs, emit pulses of X-rays even when they are in the non-bursting "quiet" state. Moreover, the X-ray pulse rate was slowing down in the way that matched magnetar predictions. This was widely, but not universally, recognized as a dramatic confirmation of Duncan and Thompson’s theory.

The magnetar model suddenly became the favorite for explaining SGRs, since it also provided an explanation for bright outbursts from SGRs. In the magnetar model, these bright flares are due to instabilities in the magnetic field, much like flares seen on the surface of the Sun, except that extreme magnetism means that magnetar flares are tremendously powerful and intense. Indeed, an August 1998 magnetar flare zapped Earth’s outer atmosphere and significantly affected nighttime radio communications, even though the flaring star was 20,000 light years away.

The AXP Debate (1998-2002)
The disk model offered no compelling explanation for the tremendous outbursts from SGRs. But many astrophysicists still favored the disk model as an explanation for the AXPs, since these stars had not shown any bright outbursts. So after 1998, X-ray astronomers who studied AXPs were divided into two warring camps: disks and magnetars. The race was on to find decisive observational evidence that could resolve the debate. This was very difficult because AXPs are exceedingly faint and hard to find among the myriad stars of our Galaxy, if you search for them using any type of radiation except X-rays.

Finally, in 2002, Caltech researchers Brian Kern and Christopher Martin used the Mt. Palomar telescope to show that a nearby AXP gives off a faint optical glow which pulsates on the stellar rotation period. The glow is no brighter than a single, flickering candle at the distance of the Moon. This is much fainter than the disk model predicted; moreover a disk would shine steadily, rather than pulsate. But a diffuse, hot gas of particles trapped in the magnetic field surrounding a magnetar plausibly shines faintly; and this unearthly glow would naturally appear to pulsate as the star rotates, since different views of the star’s magnetic field are presented to Earth as the star turns.

Also in 2002, Victoria Kaspi and Fontis Gavriil of McGill University, working with Peter Woods of NSSTC, showed that AXPs actually do emit bright bursts of soft gamma rays, very much like SGRs. Based on all this new evidence, in January 2004 the disk camp is mostly deserted, and magnetars seem on their way to becoming permanent members of the celestial bestiary.


Magnetars in 2004

Descriptions of magnetars can now be found in dictionaries, encyclopedias and some introductory astronomy textbooks. Perhaps more tellingly, magnetars have become part of the popular culture, appearing in science fiction stories and novels. ‘Magnetar Games’ is a popular video-game company, and ‘Magnetar Technologies’ makes ‘magnetar’ magnetic brakes for amusement-park rides, among other commercial products. There are at least two rock bands named ‘Magnetar.’

"I bought a Magnetar CD on the internet," Duncan said. "It is probably the worst music I have ever heard."

The Rossi Prize is named for Dr. Bruno Rossi, who was a pioneer of X-ray astronomy. It is awarded annually, and internationally, for outstanding contributions to high-energy astrophysics. Duncan is the first Texas scientist to receive the Prize. Only three previous Rossi Prizes have been given to theoretical astrophysicists, since the award was endowed 19 years ago.

— END —

Notes

More information on magnetars can be found at Dr. Duncan’s website.

A Hubble Space Telescope image of a supernova remnant associated with a magnetar can be found here. A caption follows:

BIRTHPLACE OF A MAGNETAR: 5,000 years ago, a massive star died violently within an irregular clump of stars which orbits our galaxy (the "Large Magellanic Cloud"). This ancient supernova left behind the expanding, glowing remnant of hot gas shown in this Hubble Space Telescope photo. The supernova also evidently left behind a magnetar --a compact, ultra-magnetic stellar corpse, powered by magnetic energy -- which is nearly invisible in ordinary, optical light, but glows brightly in X-rays. It is displaced from the center of the supernova remnant, suggesting that the neutron star received a "kick" at birth of about 1000 kilometers/second and subsequently drifted downward across the sky. According to Duncan and Thompson, this kick was probably induced by "neutrino magnetic starspots" in the newborn magnetar: a phenomenon analogous to sunspots. The star emitted a tremendous flare which reached Earth on March 5, 1979, and which was the brightest flux of gamma-rays detected from outside our Solar System until a second magnetar flare blitzed the Earth in 1998. This "March 5th event" provided astronomers with crucial evidence for the existence of magnetars.

Giant Galaxy String Defies Model of How Universe Evolved

UT-Austin's Palunas to Publish Results Next Month

 

Austin, Texas— Wide-field telescope observations of the remote and therefore early universe, looking back to a time when it was a fifth of its present age, have revealed an enormous string of galaxies about 300 million light-years long. This new structure defies current models of how the universe evolved, which can't explain how a string this big could have formed so early.

The string is comparable in size to the "Great Wall" of galaxies found in the nearby universe by Dr. John Huchra and Dr. Margaret Geller in 1989. This is the first time astronomers have been able to map an area in the early universe big enough to reveal such a galaxy structure.

The string was discovered by Dr. Povilas Palunas (The University of Texas at Austin), Dr. Paul Francis (Australian National University, Canberra, Australia), Dr. Harry Teplitz (California Institute of Technology in Pasadena), Dr. Gerard Williger (Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md.), and Dr. Bruce E. Woodgate (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.). The initial observations were made with the 4-meter (159-inch) Blanco Telescope at the National Science Foundation's Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, and confirmed with the 3.9-meter (154-inch) Anglo-Australian Telescope at Siding Spring Observatory in eastern Australia.

The team presented its finding Jan. 7 at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, and a paper describing this work will appear in the Astrophysical Journal in February.

The string lies 10,800 million light-years away in the direction of the southern constellation Grus (the Crane). The distance light travels in a year, almost six trillion miles or 9.5 trillion km., is one light-year, so we see the string as it appeared 10.8 billion years ago. It is at least 300 million light-years long and about 50 million light-years wide. The astronomers have detected 37 galaxies and one quasar in the string, but "there are almost certainly far more than this," Palunas said. "The string probably contains many thousands of galaxies."

"We are seeing this string as it was when the universe was only a fifth of its present age," Woodgate said. "That is, we are looking back four-fifths of the way to the beginning of the universe as a result of the Big Bang."

The team compared their observations to supercomputer simulations of the early universe, which could not reproduce strings this large. "The simulations tell us that you cannot take the matter in the early universe and line it up in strings this large," Francis said. "There simply hasn't been enough time since the Big Bang for it to form structures this colossal."

"Our best guess right now is that it's a tip-of-the-iceberg effect," he said. "All we are seeing is the brightest few galaxies. That's probably far less than 1% of what's really out there, most of which is the mysterious invisible dark matter. It could be that the dark matter is not arranged in the same way as the galaxies we are seeing." Recently, evidence has accumulated for the presence of dark matter in the universe, an invisible form of matter only detectable by the gravitational pull it exerts on ordinary matter (and light). There are many possibilities for what dark matter might be, but its true nature is currently unknown.

In recent years, Francis explained, it had been found that in the local universe, dark matter is distributed on large scales in very much the same way the galaxies are, rather than being more clumpy, or less. But go back 10 billion years and it could be a very different story. Galaxies probably form in the center of dark matter clouds. But in the early universe, most galaxies had not yet formed, and most dark matter clouds will not yet contain a galaxy.

"To explain our results," Francis said, "the dark matter clouds that lie in strings must have formed galaxies, while the dark matter clouds elsewhere have not done so. We've no idea why this happened - it's not what the models predict."

To follow up this research, the astronomers say, the next step is to map an area of sky ten times larger, to get a better idea of the large-scale structure. Several such surveys are currently under way. The research was funded by NASA and the Australian National University.

— END —

Note

Animations and still images related to this news release can be found online here at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

McDonald Observatory Hosts Special Events in Mid-March

FORT DAVIS, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory invites the public to a slew of special events the week of March 13-20, which coincides with spring break for many schools around the state. The events include book signings and an expanded schedule of Star Parties, guided tours and Solar Viewings.

Karen Stewart Winget, author of Dear Visitor, Voices of McDonald Observatory,will be signing copies of her book on March 15, 16 and 17. Published in 2003, the work is a collection of oral histories from early and current residents, astronomers and staff, spanning from when McDonald Observatory was only a tent and a telescope, to today's world-class astronomical observatory.

The observatory will be holding lots of extra "Star Parties," too. Weather permitting, these events give visitors a chance to view stars, planets and nebulae through multiple telescopes in the Visitors Center Telescope Park under the darkest skies in the continental United States. Star Parties will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday (March 13), Monday (March 15), Tuesday (March 16), Wednesday (March 17), Friday (March 19) and Saturday (March 20). In the event of cloudy or rainy skies, alternative programs will be offered.

During the day, guided tours of the observatory include a visit to the 107-inch Harlan J. Smith Telescope. While on the tour, view 100-mile vistas from the summit of Mt. Locke while standing on the highest public road in Texas. From March 13-20, guided tours will be held daily at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. (Visitors also can take a self-guided tour to see the largest telescope mirror in the world, daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Hobby-Eberly Telescope, with its 432-inch-wide mirror, is on adjacent Mt. Fowlkes.)

Other daytime activities include the Solar Viewing Program, which allows visitors to enjoy real-time views of the Sun that show details as small as a few thousand miles across on the Sun’s surface. Held in the multimedia theater at the Visitors Center, this program is included with a General Admission ticket. Solar Viewings will be held daily March 13-20, at 9:45 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 12:45 p.m., 2:15 p.m., and 3:45 p.m.

McDonald Observatory is in the heart of the Davis Mountains of West Texas. Visitors traveling east on Interstate 10 from El Paso take Highway 118 south at Kent for the 34-mile drive to the observatory. Visitors traveling west on Interstate 10 may take Highway 17 south at Balmorhea to Fort Davis, then Highway 118 north 16 miles to the observatory. Visitors coming from Big Bend National Park take Highway 118 north through Alpine and Fort Davis to the observatory.

Visitors traveling from areas in the Mountain Time zone (for example, El Paso) wishing to attend scheduled activities such as tours and Star Parties should note that the observatory is on Central Time.

For recorded information on times and prices, call us toll-free at 877-984-7827 (or visit us online here. For any other information, call the Visitors Center Information Desk at 432-426-3640.

— END —

Note to Editors: Images of McDonald Observatory, including its research telescopes and interiors and exteriors of the Visitors Center, are available online in high resolution here.

Peeking at a Puzzling Supernova with Spectropolarimetry

Austin, Texas— By measuring polarized light from an unusual exploding star, an international team of astrophysicists including Peter Hoeflich and J. Craig Wheeler of The University of Texas at Austin has worked out the first detailed picture of a Type Ia supernova and the distinctive star system in which it exploded.

Using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile, the researchers determined that supernova 2002ic exploded inside a flat, dense, clumpy disk of dust and gas, previously blown away from a companion star. Their work suggests that this and some other precursors of Type Ia supernovae resemble the objects known as protoplanetary nebulae, well known in our own Milky Way galaxy.

The team of researchers includes Texas' Hoeflich and Wheeler, as well as Lifan Wang of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Dietrich Baade of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), Koji Kawabata of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, and Ken'ichi Nomoto of the University of Tokyo. They reported their findings in the 20 March 2004 issue of Astrophysical Journal Letters.

 

Casting supernovae to type

Supernovae are labeled according to the elements visible in their spectra: Type I spectra lack hydrogen lines, while Type II spectra have these lines. What makes SN 2002ic unusual is that its spectrum otherwise resembles a typical Type Ia supernova but exhibits a strong hydrogen emission line.

Type II and some other supernovae occur when the cores of very massive stars collapse and explode, leaving behind extremely dense neutron stars or even black holes. Type Ia supernovae, however, explode by a very different mechanism.

"A Type Ia supernova is a metallic fireball," explains Berkeley Lab's
Wang, a pioneer in the field of supernova spectropolarimetry. "A Type Ia has no hydrogen or helium but lots of iron, plus radioactive nickel, cobalt, and titanium, a little silicon, and a bit of carbon and oxygen. So one of its progenitors must be an old star that has evolved to leave behind a carbon-oxygen white dwarf. But carbon and oxygen, as nuclear fuels, do not burn easily. How can a white dwarf explode?"

The most widely accepted Type Ia models assume that the white dwarf -- roughly the size of Earth but packing most of the mass of the Sun -- accretes matter from an orbiting companion until it reaches 1.4 solar masses, known as the Chandrasekhar limit. The now superdense white dwarf ignites in a mighty thermonuclear explosion, leaving behind nothing but stardust.

Other schemes include the merger of two white dwarfs or even a lone white dwarf that re-accretes the matter shed by its younger self. Despite three decades of searching, however, until the discovery and subsequent spectropolarimetric studies of SN 2002ic, there was no firm evidence for any model.

In November of 2002, Michael Wood-Vasey and his colleagues in the Department of Energy's Nearby Supernova Factory based at Berkeley Lab reported the discovery of SN 2002ic, shortly after its explosion was detected almost a billion light-years away in an anonymous galaxy in the constellation Pisces.

In August of 2003, Mario Hamuy from the Carnegie Observatories and his colleagues reported that the source of the copious hydrogen-rich gas in SN 2002ic was most likely a so-called Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) star, a star in the final phases of its life, with three to eight times the mass of the Sun -- just the sort of star that, after it has blown away its outer layers of hydrogen, helium, and dust, leaves behind a white dwarf.

Moreover, this seemingly self-contradictory supernova -- a Type Ia with hydrogen -- was in fact similar to other hydrogen-rich supernovae previously designated Type IIn. This in turn suggested that, while Type Ia supernovae are indeed remarkably similar, there may be wide differences among their progenitors.

Because Type Ia supernovae are so similar and so bright -- as bright or brighter than whole galaxies -- they have become the most important astronomical standard candles for measuring cosmic distances and the expansion of the universe. Early in 1998, after analyzing dozens of observations of distant Type Ia supernovae, members of the Department of Energy's Supernova Cosmology Project based at Berkeley Lab, along with
their rivals in the High-Z Supernova Search Team based in Australia, announced the astonishing discovery that the expansion of the universe is accelerating.

Cosmologists subsequently determined that over two-thirds of the universe consists of a mysterious something dubbed "dark energy," which stretches space and drives the accelerating expansion. But learning more about dark energy will depend on careful study of many more distant Type Ia supernovae, including a better knowledge of what kind of star systems trigger them.

 

Picturing structure with spectropolarimetry

The spectropolarimetry of SN 2002ic has provided the most detailed picture of a Type Ia system yet. Polarimetry measures the orientation of light waves; for example, Polaroid sunglasses "measure" horizontal polarization when they block some of the light reflected from flat surfaces. In an object like a cloud of dust or a stellar explosion, however, light is not reflected from surfaces but scattered from particles or from electrons.

If the dust cloud or explosion is spherical and uniformly smooth, all orientations are equally represented and the net polarization is zero. But if the object is not spherical -- shaped like a disk or a cigar, for example -- more light will oscillate in some directions than in others.

Even for quite noticeable asymmetries, net polarization rarely exceeds one percent. Thus it was a challenge for the ESO spectropolarimetry instrument to measure faint SN 2002ic, even using the powerful Very Large Telescope. It took several hours of observation on four different nights to acquire the necessary high-quality polarimetry and spectroscopy data.

The team's observations came nearly a year after SN 2002ic was first detected. The supernova had grown much fainter, yet its prominent hydrogen emission line was six times brighter. With spectroscopy the astronomers confirmed the observation of Hamuy and his associates, that ejecta expanding outward from the explosion at high velocity had run into surrounding thick, hydrogen-rich matter.

Only the new polarimetric studies, however, could reveal that most of this matter was shaped as a thin disk. The polarization was likely due to the interaction of high-speed ejecta from the explosion with the dust particles and electrons in the slower-moving surrounding matter. Because of the way the hydrogen line had brightened long after the supernova was first observed, the astronomers deduced that the disk included dense clumps and had been in place well before the white dwarf exploded.

"These startling results suggest that the progenitor of SN 2002ic was remarkably similar to objects that are familiar to astronomers in our own Milky Way, namely protoplanetary nebulae," says Wang. Many of these nebulae are the remnants of the blown-away outer shells of Asymptotic Giant Branch stars. Such stars, if rotating rapidly, throw off thin, irregular disks.

 

A matter of timing

For a white dwarf to collect enough material to reach the Chandrasekhar limit takes a million years or so. By contrast, an AGB star loses copious amounts of matter relatively quickly; the protoplanetary-nebula phase is transitory, lasting only a few hundreds or thousands of years before the blown-off matter dissipates. "It's a small window," says Wang, not a long enough time for the leftover core (itself a white dwarf) to re-accrete enough material to explode.

Thus it's more likely that a white dwarf companion in the SN 2002ic
system was already busily collecting matter long before the nebula formed. Because the protoplanetary phase lasts only a few hundred years, and assuming a Type Ia supernova typically takes a million years to evolve, only about a thousandth of all Type Ia supernovae are expected to resemble SN 2002ic. Fewer still will exhibit its specific spectral and polarimetric features, although "it would be extremely interesting to search for other Type Ia supernovae with circumstellar matter," Wang says.

Nevertheless, says Dietrich Baade, principal investigator of the polarimetry project that used the VLT, "it's the assumption that all
Type Ia supernovae are basically the same that permits the observations of SN 2002ic to be explained."

Binary systems with different orbital characteristics and different kinds of companions at different stages of stellar evolution can still
give rise to similar explosions, through the accretion model. Notes
Baade, "The seemingly peculiar case of SN 2002ic provides strong evidence that these objects are in fact very much alike, as the stunning similarity of their light curves suggests."

By showing the distribution of the gas and dust, spectropolarimetry has demonstrated why Type Ia supernovae are so much alike even though the masses, ages, evolutionary states, and orbits of their precursor systems may differ so widely.

— END —

Komatsu Receives Young Astronomer Award from Astronomical Society of Japan Today

Nagoya, JAPAN – Today Eiichiro Komatsu, assistant professor of astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin, will be presented the Young Astronomer Award by the Astronomical Society of Japan (ASJ) at a ceremony at the organization’s annual meeting at Nagoya University.

Komatsu will receive a medal, plaque, and $1000 prize for his work on constraining inflation models of the early universe. He is a member of the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) team.

Komatsu recently received his PhD from Tohoku University in Japan, but did the majority of his research in residence at Princeton University, working with David Spergel. His advisor at Tohoku University was Toshifumi Futamase. Komatsu joined The University of Texas’ astronomy faculty in January.

The ASJ Young Astronomer award is similar to the American Astronomical Society’s Helen B. Warner Prize, Komatsu said. The awardee must be under 36 years old, and must have received his or her doctorate within the previous eight years. The ASJ presents up to three Young Astronomer awards each year. This year Komatsu shares the prize with one other awardee.

— END —

Hobby-Eberly Telescope Witnesses Vaporizing of a Cometlike Body by a Very Young Hot Star

FORT DAVIS, Texas – Evidence that a cometlike body with a diameter of at least 100 kilometers fell into a massive, very young star has been obtained by a team of astronomers at Penn State University using the 9.2-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory.

"This discovery is significant because this is the youngest star ever found with this kind of infall of a cometlike body," says Jian Ge, assistant professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State and the leader of the team. The other scientists involved in the work are Abhijit Chakaborty, a postdoctoral researcher in astronomy, and Suvrath Mahadevan, a graduate student, both at Penn State.

The star, which astronomers identify as LkHalpha 234, is classified as a Herbig Be star, which has a mass about six times the mass of the Sun and an estimated very young age of about 100,000 years. "This detection indicates that solid bodies of 100 km in size can form this early around a star," Ge explains. A report of the work will appear in the 1 May 2004 issue of Astrophysical Journal Letters.

"This is a quite extraordinary event," said Eric Feigelson, Penn State professor of astronomy and astrophysics, who specializes in the study of young stars. "Something happened on a time scale of days or less that created an enormous change in the spectrum of this star while the astronomers were looking." According to Feigelson, evidence for cometary infall has been seen in the spectrum of the nearby star beta Pictoris, which is older and less massive than LkHalpha 234, but not with the dramatic spectral variations seen here.

The evidence of the infall comes from spectral analysis of the young star's light, which has traveled about 3,200 years to reach Earth. Five sets of observations taken at intervals of 5 to 10 days during October and November 2003 indicated that the stellar light was absorbed by clouds of hydrogen and helium surrounding the star as well as by emissions from these clouds.

"The spectacular appearances and disappearances of the neutral-sodium-absorption lines on one particular observation and the absence of its correlation with the hydrogen and helium lines suggests a cometlike body," says Chakraborty. "We know how hot the star is and how close to the star the neutral sodium atoms can survive. From that, and from the motion of the cometlike body during infall onto the star, we calculated how large the body would have to be to get this close to the star--one-tenth of the distance between the Sun and the Earth—before vaporizing."

The infall provides new data for understanding planetary formation and the timescale involved in the evolution of a massive star system. "The main reason we see comets in our solar system is that large snowballs in the outer parts of the solar system are disturbed by Jupiter's gravity," says Ge. "Eventually some of the snowballs fall towards the inner solar system and we see it as a comet."

The observed infall of a cometlike body around LkH_234 may also point to disturbances produced by giant planets in this young star system. The team is now monitoring a number of similar stars and also LkH_234 in order to understand how common and how often this type of cometlike body occurs around these young massive stars.

— END —

CONTACTS

Jian Ge: (+1)814-863-9553

Abhijit Chakraborty: (+1)814-863-6091

Barbara Kennedy (PIO): (+1)814-863-4682

McDonald Observatory Co-Sponsors Lecture on ‘Scientific Development and the Democratic Process in South Africa’

Event: Dr. Khotso Mokhele, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Research Foundation of South Africa (the equivalent of the National Science Foundation in the U.S.), will deliver a public lecture on "Scientific Development and the Democratic Process in South Africa." The event is free and open to the public.

 

When: 7 p.m., Friday, April 23, 2004.

Where: Avaya Auditorium (Room 2.302) of the ACES Building. (Maps of The University of Texas at Austin can be obtained here.)

Background:

Dr. Khotso Mokhele grew up in a poor, rural part of South Africa and with help of an incredibly determined mother and a missionary school, he earned a Fulbright Scholarship to The University of California at Davis from which he earned a Ph.D. degree in microbiology in 1986. Dr Mokhele heads the South African National Research Foundation (NRF — the equivalent of the U.S. National Science Foundation). The NRF funds basic research in South Africa and is a National Government agency.

Dr. Mokhele frequently appears on lists of the "Best and Brightest" members of the South African government. His job is to articulate the need for basic scientific research in a poor country which has incredible social problems an overwhelming AIDS epidemic and at least 40% unemployment. He is eloquent in articulating why South Africa needs scientific research and, through his involvement in the United Nations, he has become an advocate for scientific research in all of the Third World. Mokhele is one of the chief advocates for the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), one of the world’s largest telescopes, currently under construction in South Africa. SALT is modeled after the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory.

Dr. Mokhele’s visit is sponsored by The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory, the Department of Astronomy, and the LBJ School of Public Affairs.

— END —

McDonald Observatory Astronomer to Lead Study of 'Vision Mission' Space Observatory for NASA

AUSTIN, Texas – McDonald Observatory astronomer Dan Lester has received a $325,000 grant from NASA to study a ‘vision mission’ concept for the Single Aperture Far Infrared Observatory. The mission is known as SAFIR (pronounced "sapphire," like the jewel).

This year-long study is the first step toward approval and scheduling of the observatory, which might launch as soon as 2015. "NASA gives this money for ‘vision studies’ to aid them in strategic planning," Lester said. "We’ll be researching SAFIR’s science value and the technological capabilities needed to reach those science goals."

SAFIR is projected to be a large, supercooled space telescope studying the heavens in the far infrared region of the spectrum. Specifically, the observatory will have a 10-meter-class mirror, operate at temperatures close to absolute zero, and make astronomical observations at wavelengths between 20 micrometers and one millimeter.

"This study is a good fit for The University of Texas," Lester said. "We’ve got lots of infrared astronomers here — we do this kind of science."

Lester said SAFIR will be used to study the formation of planetary systems inside our Milky Way, as well as distant primordial galaxies, in revealing wavelengths to which other planned telescopes aren’t sensitive. SAFIR’s "area of expertise" falls in between the spectral regions covered by the future James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA). SAFIR is expected to build on the legacies of the recently launched Spitzer Space Telescope and the upcoming Herschel Telescope, with sensitivity 100 times greater than these.

Lester heads a study team that includes almost two dozen astronomers and engineers from The Universities of Arizona and Maryland, Cornell University, Caltech, as well as NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Goddard, Johnson, and Marshall Spaceflight Centers.

His team also includes industry partners Ball Aerospace, Boeing Corp., Lockheed Martin Corp., and Northrup Grumman Corp. "These companies know how to build big telescopes in space," Lester said. "Having them on this team is really important."

"This is probably a billion-dollar-class project," Lester said. "Like JWST and Hubble, this is not a small mission. It’s a big investment for our nation, but the science returns are going to be phenomenal."

— END —

Students Go Live Online with McDonald Observatory to Search for Planets

Event: Students at Austin’s Lanier High School will be linked live over the internet to astronomers at McDonald Observatory in West Texas, helping in the search for planets around stars other than the Sun.

When: 7:00 p.m., May 14 (weather permitting; bad weather in West Texas will move the event to May 15). Astronomical observing at McDonald will begin at 10:00 p.m.

Where: Sidney Lanier High School, Health Sciences Computer Lab, 1201 Payton Gin Road, Austin, Texas.

Background: A small group (3-9) local high school students are going stay up all night tonight – helping University of Texas astronomers look for planets. All through the night, members of the astronomy club at Sydney Lanier High School in Austin will be logged into a specially created web site that allows them to see what the astronomers are seeing with the Otto Struve Telescope at McDonald Observatory, nearly 500 miles away under the dark skies of West Texas. And they will be able to phone in their questions to astronomers at the telescope in real time.

Dr. Don Winget, astronomy professor and Chair of The University of Texas Astronomy Department, will be on hand at Lanier after 9:00 p.m. to discuss his planet-hunting research and the instrument that makes it possible, called Argos. Fergal Mullally, Don’s graduate student, will be observing at the telescope at McDonald Observatory. And astronomer Mike Montgomery will be in the telescope dome with Mullally, taking telephone calls with questions from the students back in Austin.

Winget and Mullally visited Lanier in January to speak to the students of the school’s new astronomy club about their search for examples of a particular kind of star (called a pulsating white dwarf) and ultimately for planets that may be orbiting them. The astronomers also talked to students about how they can become involved both short-term and long-term in this research.

Chris Cotter (M.S. in Astronomy), longtime math and science teacher and Lanier’s Math Department Supervisor, started the astronomy club at Lanier this school year with co-sponsors and fellow math teachers, Frank Maldonado and Brian Beals. The three teachers all have a keen interest in astronomy and enjoy helping students see how the math (and science) they are learning in school can apply to real and cutting-edge research. One goal of this club is to encourage students to consider astronomy and related fields as a career. Another is to simply to share information about the fascinating field of astronomy.

— END —

Astronomers Probe the Environment of Exploding Stars with HET, Computer Models

DENVER, Colo.— University of Texas at Austin astronomer Chris Gerardy and a host of colleagues are reporting today that they have probed the structure of the environment surrounding type Ia supernovae, exploding stars scientists use as "standard candles" to study the universe’s past, present, and future. Their study provides strong support for the idea that type Ia supernovae originate in close binary star systems, a notion which has long been believed on purely theoretical grounds with little direct observational evidence. Their work combined Gerardy’s observations with the 9.2-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at McDonald Observatory in West Texas with complex computer models of supernova explosions.

Gerardy is reporting their research today at the 204th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Denver. The work was published in the May 20 edition of The Astrophysical Journal.

The upshot, according to Gerardy, is that "if you can detect certain spectral lines from a type Ia, you can constrain the properties of the progenitor system." It’s important for astronomers to completely understand the workings of type Ia supernovae, because their role as "standard candles" allows the calculation of distances to galaxies outside our own Milky Way — information critical to calculations about the universe’s age, size, and fate.

The most widely accepted view of the "progenitor star" of a type Ia supernova is that it is a close binary star system, with one of the pair being a white dwarf. The white dwarf is in end-stages of life. It has already ballooned into a giant star, then released its outer layers of gas into space, with only a dense core about the size of Earth remaining. The companion star is in an orbit so close to the white dwarf that its gas is being sucked away, falling into a disk orbiting the white dwarf. When the white dwarf takes on too much mass, it explodes.

This widely held view hasn’t been backed up by much direct observational evidence, though, and indeed even the type of the companion star is not known, Gerardy said. To prove that this model is correct, astronomers have been looking in spectra of type Ia supernovae for evidence of material either from the disk that surrounded the white dwarf before it exploded, or blown off of the surface of the close companion star by the supernova explosion. However, Gerardy and colleagues’ work shows that previous studies may have been looking for the wrong evidence, and in the wrong place. In most searches for evidence of gas from the donor star in supernova debris, astronomers have for looked for spectral lines of hydrogen or helium, the most abundant elements in the material being transferred to the white dwarf. So far, they’ve come up empty.

But Gerardy’s HET spectrum of supernova 2003du showed a different interesting feature — an extra set of spectral lines of calcium (specifically called the "calcium II infrared triplet") that has only been seen in few other type Ia supernovae. This particular feature shows up at a wavelength around 8,000 angstroms, Gerardy said, which is at a shorter wavelength than the calcium lines that are usually seen in supernovae. This shift is caused by the Doppler Effect where light that is emitted or absorbed from gas moving a large fraction of the speed of light is shifted to shorter or longer wavelengths depending on whether the material is moving toward or away from the observer. In this case, the shift means that the calcium is moving faster than most of the ejected supernova debris.

Successive spectra of SN 2003du made over several days with HET show that the high-velocity calcium lines change rapidly, compared to other features on its spectra. That means the calcium source is likely a thin fast-moving shell which dissipates quickly. Such a shell could be created from the disk surrounding the white dwarf. When the white dwarf explodes as a supernova, gas in the disk surrounding it is pushed outward and swept up into a shell. As the white dwarf’s expanding gas remnant expands rapidly, it quickly overtakes this shell.

The team’s computer models of supernova explosions indicate that this could indeed be the case. They modified the model to include a shell of material around the exploding star, and ran the model. The model produces predictions of what the spectrum of a supernova will look like. In this case, it produced a spectrum remarkably similar to Gerardy’s spectrum of SN 2003du, including the unusual calcium feature. And it did not produce any spectral lines for hydrogen or helium that could come from the circumstellar matter. While most of the gas in the shell is hydrogen and helium, a tiny amount of calcium actually makes a stronger spectral line. "It’s like food coloring," said Gerardy "it doesn’t affect the taste much but it turns your food blue."

Gerardy and collaborators plan to use HET to observe more type Ia supernovae. "The HET is good for this work for a couple of reasons," Gerardy said. "It’s queue-scheduled, which means we can study a supernova right after it’s been discovered elsewhere, meaning we don’t have to wait months to get telescope time. Also, the HET will allow us to see fainter supernovae," he said. "We need to go to fainter objects so that we can get dozens of them. Having access to this is a great resource."

Studying more candidates will help them to figure out if the disk idea for type Ia supernova progenitor is right, Gerardy said. "Statistics on how often you see this calcium feature in type Ia supernovae will tell you about the geometry," he said. "If this material really is coming from a disk, you’ll only see this calcium feature if that disk is oriented edge-on to our line of sight." How often you see the feature then tells you about how much of the star is covered by the surrounding material.

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope is a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), Stanford University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Unversität Göttingen.

— END —

Note to Editors: Poster session 63.08, "SN 2003du: Signatures of the Circumstellar Evironment in a Normal Type-Ia Supernova?," by C. L. Gerardy, et al, will occur at 10:00 a.m. MDT on June 2, 2004, at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Denver.

Stellar Symposium Honors David Lambert's Birthday

AUSTIN — About 100 astronomers will gather at Austin’s Hyatt Regency Hotel on Town Lake tomorrow through Saturday for a scientific symposium on the elements on the surface of stars. Called "Cosmic Abundances as Records of Stellar Evolution and Nucleosynthesis," The University of Texas Astronomy Program is hosting the program in honor of Dr. David Lambert’s 65th birthday.

David Lambert is currently the director of the University’s McDonald Observatory, as well as the holder of the Isabel McCutcheon Harte Centennial Chair in Astronomy.

Featuring a dozen sessions and two dozen speakers, the symposium will focus on many different aspects of the chemistry and evolution of stars. The topic is Lambert’s lifework.

Dr. Frank Bash is one of the symposium organizers, and Lambert’s predecessor as director of McDonald Observatory. "This symposium honors and acknowledges David’s contributions to astronomy — which has been to bring a whole new precision and sensitivity to the analysis of chemical elements in stars," Bash said.

He explained that all of the chemical elements except hydrogen and helium are made in stars, so analysis of the amounts of elements, or "chemical abundance," in stars gives indications about their lifecycles.

Astronomer-instrumentalist Bob Tull built a series of instruments for the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory which Lambert used for his studies, Bash explained. "It was a particularly fruitful collaboration of instrumentalist and astronomer," he said.

"The result of David Lambert’s presence here is that we have become the leading observatory and astronomy department in the world in this particular kind of study," Bash said. "This work is growing in importance in astronomy overall," he said. "Especially with the rise of lots of large new telescopes like the Hobby-Eberly Telescope that allow the study of stars in nearby galaxies."

— END —

Note to Editors: More information on this symposium is available online here.

'Blazar' Illuminates Era When Stars & Galaxies Formed

This news release concerning research with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory was provided by Stanford University.

 

STANFORD, Calif. —In an article posted June 10 to the Astrophysical Journal Letters website, astrophysicists at Stanford report spotting a black hole so massive that it’s more than 10 billion times the mass of our sun. More importantly, this heavyweight is so far away that the scientists think it formed when the universe first began to light up with stars and galaxies, so it may provide a window into our cosmological origins.

"In cosmology, it turns out that ‘a galaxy a long time ago’ and ‘far, far away’ really do go together," says Associate Professor Roger Romani, who with graduate student David Sowards-Emmerd and Professor Peter Michelson, of Stanford, and radio astronomer Lincoln Greenhill, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, spotted one of the oldest supermassive black holes yet found. The scientists collaborate at the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology at Stanford. "In this case, we’re looking at [a black hole] far enough away that it’s within a billion years of the origin of it all, the Big Bang."

The supermassive black hole sits in the center of a galaxy. A disk of stars and gas swirl around the black hole and eventually get sucked in. "That generates enormous amounts of power, enormous amounts of energy," Romani says. "It’s far more efficient even than nuclear fusion. These gravity–powered sources are the most powerful sources in the universe."

As black holes go, this one is a messy eater. It’s Jabba the Hutt, in fact, gobbling up its galaxy so quickly that not everything is making it down its throat past the point of no return – that place, called the "event horizon," where not even light can escape gravity’s strongest pull. The matter that doesn’t make it past the event horizon is spewing back up in the form of accelerated high-energy particles.

If a black hole amid a galaxy shoots out high-energy particles in narrow jets that just happen to be aimed at Earth, astrophysicists give the whole thing a special name – "blazar." Amazingly, these blazars can be detected at nearly all energies, even at the high energy of gamma rays. In fact, distant blazars seem to dominate the gamma-ray sky and can obscure other objects of interest.

Pulsars, spinning neutron stars nearby in our own galaxy, can also emit gamma rays, but far fewer of them are known. Romani, whose main interest is pulsars, wanted to identify and discard blazars so he could concentrate on the neutron stars.

"I got started working on the blazars as a way of culling the wheat from the chaff," Romani says. "But then the chaff proved just as interesting."

In preparation for a mission that is scheduled to launch in 2007, the co-authors have surveyed 200 blazars; eventually they hope to survey 2,000. The mission, led by Michelson, will use the Gamma Ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) to study high-energy sources of radiation in the universe, such as supermassive black holes, merging neutron stars and hot streams of gas moving at nearly the speed of light. It is funded by NASA, the U.S. Department of Energy and government agencies in France, Italy, Japan and Sweden.

"Something really new is waiting to be found in the gamma-ray sky," Romani says. "If we could identify all the blazars, tag the pulsars – the things that are left over, that’s where the really new discoveries will be."

Blazar Hunting
In photographs, blazars look just like stars. So how do scientists spot them? The co-authors first identified gamma rays seen by the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET), a GLAST precursor initiated by Stanford physics Professor Robert Hofstadter in the 1970s and subsequently directed by Michelson.

Greenhill led the effort to obtain radio images of the blazar jet using the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). Funded by the National Science Foundation and operated by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, the VLBA is essentially a radio camera. It consists of 10 dish antennas – 25-meters wide and distributed from Hawaii, across the United States, to St. Croix – slaved together with computers to create a composite image with a resolution Greenhill calls "comparable to what they would get with a single antenna about as large as a continent."

To find out how far away the blazar was, Romani and Sowards-Emmerd used the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET), an optical instrument in a remote part of Texas, to obtain spectral patterns of visible and infrared light. HET is a joint project of the University of Texas at Austin, Penn State, Stanford, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Unversität Göttingen.
Spectroscopy reveals signatures of elements in a galaxy’s gases.

Elements such as hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon and oxygen radiate at specific energies, or equivalently at specific wavelengths. A consequence of cosmic expansion is that those wavelengths get shifted to the red part of the spectrum, or "red-shifted," if an object is extremely far away.

The red shift corresponds to age. "The higher that number, the smaller the universe was when the light was emitted – hence the earlier you’re talking about," Romani explains.

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope told the researchers that the red shift of their blazar was 5.5. This high number told them this was not just some star in our backyard; it was an enormous source of energy shining from way across the universe.

"It’s amazing to find something so interesting and unique in a relatively small survey," says Sowards-Emmerd, who re-analyzed EGRET data to select the targets examined by HET and analyzed the optical data.

"We immediately realized that a high-redshift blazar and gamma-ray source would allow us to test our understanding of relativistic radio jets and their interaction with the cosmic microwave background leftover from the Big Bang," Greenhill says.

"It’s a searchlight that’s set so far away that it illuminates matter and radiation all the way between us, between time one billion years after the Big Bang and now," Romani says. "If you can detect it with a gamma-ray telescope, you have a handle on the birth of stars and galaxies between then and now that you never had before."

Scientists are currently stymied about how a black hole could have gotten so big so fast. How do you take something big enough to hold 1,000 solar systems and as heavy as all of the stars in our Milky Way galaxy put together, and quickly crunch-collapse it?
Scientists think the universe formed 13.7 billion years ago with the Big Bang. The distance of the blazar indicates it formed a billion years after that.

"What’s interesting about a billion years after the Big Bang is that this marks the end of the ‘Dark Age,’" Romani says. "The universe first formed with an enormous flash of light and heat – that’s the Big Bang – and then cooled off. And everything’s dark for about a billion years. And towards the end of that period, the first stars and black holes and galaxies start collapsing and forming and turning on. We talk about that as the end of the Dark Age. So it’s very interesting, and this is one of the big pushes in cosmology, to find objects back in the tail end of the Dark Age, when things are first lighting up, and then to use those to figure out how everything we have in the universe formed."

Extreme Physics
In the next year, the scientists hope to use the VLBA to take a better picture of the jet detected with radio waves and then observe its x-ray spectrum. This will help illuminate the matter between the supermassive black hole and Earth, clarify the black hole’s size and characterize the jet’s material as it moves away from the black hole at nearly the speed of light.

"Studying these things gives us a window into the sort of physical processes that we can’t yet control here on Earth," Romani says. "They’re the extremes of physics."

Those extremes fascinate Romani. "Pulsars are I think the most extreme objects on our universe," he says. These cores of dead stars have collapsed, but not far enough to form an event horizon, so they are just short of turning into black holes. They’re the densest things in the measurable universe. They have the strongest magnetic fields. Their surfaces have extremely high temperatures. They are cosmic accelerators that speed particles to the highest energies known.

So far scientists have only found a handful of gamma-ray pulsars, and Romani is particularly excited about GLAST as a means of hunting down more in the Milky Way.

"I’m particularly interested in ways in which you could find extreme physics out there in the cosmos, and get a handle on physics of the 22nd or 23rd century by seeing what’s going on in the sky."

— END —

Note to Editors:

A photo of the researchers is available here.

CONTACT: Dawn Levy, Stanford News Service: (650) 725-1944,

COMMENT: Roger Romani, Dept. of Physics: (650) 725-7595,

Roger Romani’s web page

The Gamma Ray Large Area Space Telescope

National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Hobby-Eberly Telescope

Texas Astronomer Wins ASP's Muhlmann Award for Infrared Instruments

AUSTIN — Astronomer John Lacy of The University of Texas at Austin has been given the 2004 Maria and Eric Muhlmann Award by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. The award is given for "recent scientific observational results made possible by innovative advances in astronomical instrumentation, software or observational infrastructure." It will be presented at the Society’s annual meeting in Berkeley, California on July 23.

 

Lacy has been building astronomical instruments that allow scientists to study infrared light from the heavens for more than three decades. The ASP Board of Directors said they "recognized the unique science" that can be done with Lacy’s instruments.

"It’s been a progression, a series of instruments that I’ve worked on," Lacy said. "I started when I was a grad student. They’re all infrared spectrographs. Each one was better than the previous one."

A spectrograph is an astronomical instrument attached to a telescope. When a telescope collects light from an astronomical object like a star or galaxy, it feeds it into the spectrograph. The light is passed through a slit and is spread out into its component wavelengths — as when light passes through a prism creating a rainbow. The resulting "spectrum" has features that can be studied in detail to reveal the star or galaxy’s temperature, motions, chemical composition, and distance.

Lacy built his first infrared spectrograph as a graduate student, he says. "It didn’t have a name — that was back before everything had an acronym." The instrument allowed him and fellow researchers to look at ionized gas at the heart of our Milky Way galaxy and provided what Lacy called "the first evidence of a massive black hole there." He added, "It turns out the mass that we calculated was exactly right." The work was done on the 100-inch telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile.

Lacy’s subsequent instruments include Irshell (rhymes with Herschel), TEXES, and EXES. Both Irshell (built 20 years ago, soon after Lacy came to The University of Texas) and TEXES were first used on the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory in West Texas. Each was later shipped to Hawaii’s Mauna Kea for use on NASA’s InfraRed Telescope Facility (IRTF).

Lacy used IRSHELL to further study the black hole at the heart of the Milky Way. Its higher resolution allowed measurements of how gas is moving around the galaxy’s center.

TEXES, the Texas Echelon Cross-Echelle Spectrograph, allowed measurements of molecules never before seen in space — including acetylene and methane, Lacy said. TEXES has also been used to study protoplanetary disks. Lacy said he hopes to use TEXES on the 8-meter Gemini North telescope soon to look at molecular hydrogen in a possible protoplanetary disk around the star T-Tauri.

Meanwhile, he’s building EXES (a copy of TEXES) for SOFIA, NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy. SOFIA is comprised of a 747 Boeing jet with a hole cut in its side where a telescope is mounted. It is the successor to NASA’s Kuiper Airborne Observatory.

"I build instruments that I want to use," Lacy said, rather than so-called "facility instruments" designed to for easy use on a wide variety of observing projects. "I do make them available for other astronomers. I like that way of doing it because we can customize instruments for the exact kind of observing we want to do.

"It’s cheaper than other methods," he added. "TEXES and EXES are both several times cheaper than similar kinds of instruments. We don’t work with a particular team of engineers and software engineers, so you need one us there to use our instruments.

"I learned this style of instrument building at Berkeley as a grad student from Charles Townes," Lacy said. "We were able to do things other people weren’t doing, at low cost. It’s not a style most people use; not everyone likes it. They would rather have facility instruments."

Of the 17 times the Muhlmann Award has been given, John Lacy is the fifth recipient associated with The University of Texas at Austin astronomy program. Previous awardees include John Kormendy, Robert Tull, Edward Nather, and former UT graduate student Steven Vogt.

— END —

Texas Astronomers Find & Confirm Extrasolar Planet in Record Time with Hobby-Eberly Telescope

AUSTIN — McDonald Observatory astronomers Bill Cochran, Michael Endl, and Barbara McArthur have exploited the Hobby-Eberly Telescope’s (HET’s) capabilities to rapidly find and confirm, with great precision, the giant telescope’s first planet outside our solar system. The event serves as proof-of-concept that HET, combined with its High Resolution Spectrograph instrument, is on track to become a major player in the hunt for other worlds. The research has been accepted for publication in an upcoming edition of Astrophysical Journal Letters.

 

With a mass 2.84 times that of Jupiter, the newly discovered planet orbits the star HD 37605 every 54.23 days. HD 37605 is a little smaller and little cooler than the Sun. The star, which is of a type called "K0" or "K-zero," is rich in heavy chemical elements compared to the Sun.

Of the approximately 120 extrasolar planets found to date, this new planet has the third most eccentric orbit – bringing it in close in to its parent star like a "hot Jupiter," and swinging it back out. The planet’s average distance from its star is 0.26 Astronomical Units (AU). One AU is the Earth-Sun distance.

The team used the "radial velocity" technique, a common planet-search method, to find the planet. By measuring changes in the star’s velocity toward and away from Earth — its wobble — they deduced that HD 37605 is orbiting the center of mass of a star-planet system.

"In 100 days of observations — less than two full orbits — we were able to get a very good solution for this planet’s orbit," Cochran said. The quick results were due to HET’s "queue scheduling" system. Astronomers do not travel to the observatory to operate the telescope themselves. Rather, a telescope operator at McDonald Observatory has a list of all HET research projects and selects the ones best suited to any given night’s weather conditions and Moon phase. This way, many targets for different research projects can be observed each night, and any particular target can be observed dozens of night in a row. According to Cochran, "queue scheduling is the ideal way to do planet searching. If the HET had a normal scheduling system, it would have taken us a year or two to confirm this planet."

Endl added that "with the queue scheduling mode, we can put every candidate star BACK into the queue at a high priority to secure follow-up telescope observations immediately."

Cochran added that the high precision of the team’s radial velocity measurements "proves that the HET and the High Resolution Spectrograph have met their design specs." He explained that the total error (called "root-mean-square deviation") in the team’s velocity measurements was 3 meters per second — state of the art for planet searching. Many of the team’s measurements had even lower errors. The High Resolution Spectrograph that made this research possible was built by Phillip MacQueen, Robert Tull, and John Good of The University of Texas at Austin.

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope is a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), Stanford University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Unversität Göttingen.

This planet detection research is supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

— END —

Note to Editors: Further information on this discovery is available online here.

Mitchell Gift to Texas A&M, Support from The University of Texas at Austin Allow Flagship Universities to Join Telescope Consortium

Model of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

Austin, Texas—Texas A&M University and The University of Texas at Austin are joining the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) Consortium to explore the frontiers of our universe as the result of a $1.25 million gift to Texas A&M from George P. Mitchell of Houston and matching funds from The University of Texas at Austin.

The Texas universities will join the Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, Harvard University, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Arizona and the University of Michigan as partners in the Giant Magellan Telescope Consortium.

Mitchell, a 1940 distinguished graduate of Texas A&M's Petroleum Engineering Department, made his career in energy and real estate development. He founded Mitchell Energy & Development Corp. Throughout his successful business career, Mitchell cultivated interests in philanthropy, civics and global issues, ranging from the environment to the implications of science and technology.

He provided the $1.25 million gift to Texas A&M toward the GMT project on behalf of the George P. and Cynthia W. Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics in the Physics Department at Texas A&M University. His gift will be matched with $1.25 million over the next two years by The University of Texas at Austin.

"This project sparked my interest because it will allow Texas A&M and UT to attract young scientists and students to further their interests in the field of physics and cosmology," Mitchell said.

The GMT Consortium plans to construct the Giant Magellan Telescope in Chile. It will consist of six 8.4-meter mirrors surrounding a seventh central mirror, all on a single steerable mounting. The telescope’s light-collecting area equals that of a single 21-meter mirror. Today’s largest telescopes, including The University of Texas at Austin’s Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory in West Texas, have mirrors with effective diameters of about 10 meters. The GMT will collect five times more light than the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. It will collect about 70 times as much light as the Hubble Space Telescope and produce images 10 times sharper.

The GMT will open a path to fundamental discoveries about the origins of the universe, black holes and the genesis of galaxies and planets. It will have the power to detect light from very faint objects, the ability to distinguish fine detail despite the blurring effect of the Earth's atmosphere, and the ultimate sensitivity to infrared heat radiation from the formation of stars and planets.

"This joint project will bring Texas A&M to the front line of astronomy research," said H. Joseph Newton, dean of the College of Science. "We are grateful to Mr. Mitchell for his continued support of the Department of Physics and the College of Science."

"Mr. Mitchell’s enthusiasm for learning more about the cosmos, where we came from, and how we got where we are is one impetus for this generous gift," said Edward Fry, head of the Physics Department. "With his continuing support, the spotlight on astronomy at Texas A&M University can only grow stronger."

"Joining this consortium is a way of keeping the UT astronomy program at the top of U.S. astronomy. I shall be delighted to work with A&M," said David L. Lambert, director of McDonald Observatory.

"The questions astronomers ask are profound and strike a responsive chord in every thinking human— the origin and age of the universe, the existence of extraterrestrial life, the nature of dark matter and black holes, the search for other planets," said Mary Ann Rankin, dean of the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin. "Answers to such questions require extraordinary tools. The GMT is the best plan for a major improvement in Earth-based optical spectroscopy that I have seen, and I want Texas to be a founding partner in that effort."

"I am delighted that Texas A&M and UT Austin are joining the Giant Magellan, and grateful to George Mitchell for the enthusiastic generosity that catalyzed and made this extended partnership possible," said Dr. Wendy Freedman, director of the Carnegie Observatories and chair of the Giant Magellan Telescope Board.

Mitchell and his wife Cynthia are longtime benefactors of Texas A&M. The Mitchells are credited with gifts that include funding to establish both The George P. Mitchell '40 Outdoor Tennis Center and The George P. & Cynthia W. Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics. Continuing his support for the Physics Department, Mitchell has also established several chairs under the auspices of the Mitchell Institute: the Stephen Hawking Chair in Fundamental Physics, the Mitchell/Heep Chair in Theoretical High Energy Physics, the Mitchell/Heep Chair in Experimental High Energy Physics and the Schuessler/Mitchell/Heep Chair in Experimental Optical and Biomedical Physics.

The Mitchells have also provided funding for an endowed chair in Astronomy/Cosmology, a second Chair in Theoretical High Energy Physics and an endowed Career Enhancement Award for a new young faculty member in Astronomy/Cosmology. As evidenced by the chair titles, the Herman F. Heep and Minnie Belle Heep Texas A&M University Foundation has also been a significant contributor and has matches to the latter three Mitchell endowments under consideration.

The Mitchells have also made many gifts to The University of Texas at Austin, including support for the University of Texas Elementary Charter School and unrestricted funds and faculty support for the School of Architecture and the College of Engineering.

— END —

Note to editors: This information is being released simultaneously by The University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, and Dancie Perugini Ware Public Relations.

Image caption: The Giant Magellan Telescope consists of six 8.4-meter mirrors surrounding a seventh central mirror, mounted on single steerable platform. Once completed, the telescope will collect 70 times as much light as the Hubble Space Telescope and produce images 10 times sharper. Graphic by Matt Johns, Carnegie Observatories.

McDonald Observatory Astronomers Discover Neptune-Sized Planet with Hobby-Eberly Telescope

Austin, Texas —A team of astronomers led by Barbara McArthur, and including Michael Endl, William Cochran and Fritz Benedict, of The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory has used the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) and its High Resolution Spectrograph to discover a very small planet orbiting a nearby star known as rho1 Cancri (also called 55 Cancri).

Astronomers already knew that three planets, with periods of 14.6, 44 and 4520 days, orbit rho1 Cancri, a star about the same size as the Sun. This new planet is closer to the star than the other three. Named rho1 Cancri e, it orbits the star every 2.8 days at a distance of only 0.038 Astronomical Units (3,534,000 miles). This makes the system the first known extrasolar four-planet system. The research has been accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letters.

The highlight of the work is the fact that the newly discovered planet, rho1 Cancri e, has a minimum mass of only 14 Earth masses, and a most likely mass of just 18 Earth masses — about the mass of Neptune. It is the lowest mass planet that has been discovered. Most of the 120 or so known extrasolar planets are Jupiter-sized. (At about 300 times the mass of Earth, Jupiter is the most massive planet in our solar system.) This discovery with the HET indicates that with improved instrumentation astronomers are coming closer to finding extrasolar Earths.

McArthur's quest began when she decided to reanalyze archival Hubble Space Telescope (HST) data to look for the motion of the star on the sky as it orbits the center of gravity of the star and its planets — a technique known as "astrometry." Thanks to the exquisite sharpness of HST's Fine Guidance Sensors, the anticipated motion of the star was detected. Thomas Harrison, an astronomer from New Mexico State University, provided supporting observations of stars in the HST field of view.

As she and colleague Benedict have done with other stars, McArthur decided to collect "radial velocities" of rho1 Cancri to complement the Hubble data. Radial velocity observations involve measurements of changes in a star’s velocity toward and away from Earth — its wobble. Astronomers from the California and Carnegie Planet Search  team and Geneva Observatory contributed radial velocity data. McArthur, seeking highly precise, intensive data, then collaborated with McDonald Observatory astronomers Endl and Cochran to make radial velocity observations of rho1 Cancri with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope in West Texas.

"These data were taken very quickly," McArthur said. "In 180 days, we got over 100 observations of the star. This is amazing access to a high precision instrument," she said, referring to the HET's queue-scheduling operation.

Astronomers do not travel to the observatory to operate the telescope themselves. Rather, a resident astronomer at McDonald Observatory has a list of all HET research projects and selects the ones best suited to any given night's weather conditions and Moon phase. This way, many targets for different research projects can be observed each night, and any particular target can be observed dozens of night in a row. McArthur said getting the data over a short period of time helps reduce introduction of errors that can build up over months or years due to changes in a telescope, its instrumentation or even the star system under study.

Combining the new HET data with earlier data from the other planet search teams and with archival data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, McArthur was able to determine the size, shape and orientation of the orbit of the outer planet (rho1 Cancri d). Next, McArthur was able to model the inner planets, revealing a fourth planet in this system. On the assumption that rho1 Cancri's planets all lie in the same plane, as planets do in our solar system, the mass of the newly discovered planet was found to be a mere 18 times that of the Earth, equal to the mass of Neptune. Because of the HST astrometry measurements, the mass of this planet is a true mass, not the lower limit usually reported by radial velocity-alone techniques.

"This discovery is a leap forward into a new domain of extrasolar planets," Endl said. "Finally, we find planets with masses that probably mean that they resemble more our Neptune or Uranus, which consist mostly of a rocky/ice core and a small gaseous envelope.";

"This planet detection demonstrates that the HET is an absolutely wonderful planet-hunting machine," Cochran added. "The combination of the queue-scheduled operation, which allows us to get data when we need it, and the exquisite spectrograph, which gathers outstanding data, makes the HET uniquely suited for this task."

"It's a remarkable discovery," said McDonald Observatory Director David L. Lambert. "It's taking extrasolar planet discoveries to a new dimension. This challenges theoretical understanding of how planets form and evolve around stars like our Sun. I am proud of the team."

The complete list of authors for this paper include: McArthur, Endl, Cochran and Benedict, McDonald Observatory, The University of Texas at Austin; Debra A. Fischer and Geoffrey W.  Marcy, Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley; R. Paul Butler, Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington; D. Naef, M. Mayor, D. Queloz, and S. Udry, Observatoire de Geneve, Sauverny, Switzerland; and Harrison, Department of Astronomy, New Mexico State University.

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope is a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Stanford University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and Georg-August-Unversität Göttingen. The researchers would like to thank the following people with McDonald Observatory who made this discovery possible: Phillip J. MacQueen, Robert G. Tull, John Good, John Booth, Matthew Shetrone, Brian Roman, Stephen Odewahn, Frank Deglman, Michelle Graver, Michael Soukup, Martin L. Villarreal Jr.

###

Notes to editors: Additional graphics are available from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. More information on this discovery is available online at: http://clyde.as.utexas.edu/SpAstNEW/planets.html.

StarDate Teams with Humanities Texas, Brings Native Skies to Nation's Airwaves

AUSTIN — StarDate Radio has partnered with Humanities Texas, the state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, to bring programs on the astronomy of native Texas cultures to the nation’s airwaves. Beginning today and continuing through September 23, StarDate’s approximately 350 affiliates across the United States will broadcast these "Texas Native Skies" programs to a daily audience of two million listeners.

The programs will also air on about 180 affiliates carrying StarDate’s Spanish-language sister program, Universo. The non-profit StarDate and Universo radio programs are produced by The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory.

The programs in this series emphasize the connection between the sky and the diverse indigenous populations of Texas. That connection played an important role in everyday life, including agriculture, politics, religion, architecture, and art. The programs also discuss how today’s archaeologists determine possible connections between the sky and abandoned structures, skywatching sites, rock art, and other sites and artifacts.

"The mission of the Humanities Texas grants program is to support public programs grounded in the humanities," said Humanities Texas Executive Director Michael L. Gillette. "We are pleased to help StarDate and Universo bring this uniquely Texas story to the rest of the nation."

The first set of programs emphasizes the astronomy of far West Texas and the Panhandle. The 800-year-old ruins of a pueblo near El Paso show a possible alignment to the sunrise at the equinoxes. (The autumnal equinox occurs at 11:30 a.m. CDT September 22.) Colorful rock art at Hueco Tanks State Historical Park may show the astronomical influence of Mesoamerica on the cultures of ancient Texas. Archaeological sites in the Panhandle, which were abandoned about 600 years ago, also have possible astronomical alignments.

Additional programs in the Texas Native Skies series will air in December and in 2005. These programs will cover the astronomy and skylore of the Caddo, discuss the rock art of the lower Pecos, and describe possible astronomical alignments in the Davis Mountains.

A web site with more information, including photos of the Texas Native Skies sites, has been created at http://texasnativeskies.org. More information on the StarDate and Universo radio programs is available at http://stardate.org and the Spanish-language web site http://radiouniverso.org.

For more information about the Humanities Texas grants program, please contact Eric Lupfer at (512) 440-1991 ext. 120 or elupfer@humanitiestexas.org. Grant guidelines and applications are available at http://www.humanitiestexas.org.

— END —

McDonald Observatory and Partners Receive Federal Appropriation, Move Forward Plans to Develop New Astronomy Facility

AUSTIN — A $2.8 million federal appropriation to The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory, The University of New Mexico, and the Air Force will bring a new research telescope to McDonald and fund major upgrades to the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET), one of the world's largest optical telescopes. These funds are an addition to an initial appropriation made in September 2003.

The appropriation funds a program called “NESSI” — the Near Earth Space Surveillance Initiative. It involves moving a 1.8-meter telescope from New Mexico to McDonald Observatory. This telescope, the CCD Transit Instrument (CTI), has a special detector array that creates a large-scale image of the sky.

U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla (R-Texas) sponsored the appropriation. Mr. Bonilla represents the 23rd Congressional District, which encompasses much of West Texas, including McDonald Observatory. Bonilla's role as a senior member of the Appropriations Committee and Defense appropriations Subcommittee enabled him to secure funding for the Observatory.

“The value that Mr. Bonilla sees in this initiative for the people of the 23rd District, the State of Texas, as well as the greater science community is gratifying,” said Dr. David Lambert, Director of McDonald Observatory. “The front-line technology that this will develop will be a source of great pride.”

"A seat on the Appropriations Committee is an amazing position to hold," said Bonilla. "I represent one of the largest districts in our nation — that's a lot of people, businesses, and resources to take care of. My role on this committee gives me the opportunity to shepherd and secure funding for my home-district in Texas."

Locating CTI at McDonald rather than creating a new site for it will be a great cost-saver, because it will take advantage of McDonald's infrastructure of skilled personnel, roads, and electricity. At McDonald, the telescope will also benefit from the darkest night skies in the continental U.S. for astronomical research.

The project will foster a productive partnership between two state astronomy institutions. This partnership builds on longstanding scientific cooperation, as the CTI telescope was conceived and built by Dr. John McGraw of The University of New Mexico, who received his Ph.D. in astronomy from The University of Texas in 1977.

"CTI uses a novel detector array to create a large-scale image of one portion of the sky, night after night," McGraw said. "If anything changes or moves, this telescope will catch it. Those things include nearby asteroids, middle-distance supernovae, and distant active galaxies containing huge black holes that eat stars and gas for lunch."

Putting CTI at the same site as HET will provide great opportunities for researchers. "The combination of an imaging survey telescope (CTI) and a dedicated spectroscopic telescope (HET) is really powerful and unique," McGraw said. "Anything that CTI can detect, HET can get a spectrum of."

A spectrum of a star, galaxy, or other astronomical object provides information about its motion, temperature, and chemical content. A spectrum is made when the light from that object is broken into its component wavelengths, like a prism breaks visible light into a rainbow. HET specializes in this type of astronomy, called "spectroscopy."

Proposed upgrades for HET include greatly expanding the useful field-of-view of the telescope, and major improvements to the control system for the telescope. Development will begin on a new instrument for the telescope that will be survey the spectrum of objects in space much more efficiently than ever before. “These efforts will build on what is already a telescope with a novel design that is being used as a model for future large telescopes. The improvements to be made are similarly novel, and will set new standards for astronomy instrumentation,” Lambert said.

The upgrades will dramatically improve the research capabilities of McDonald Observatory. "I'm thrilled to make this announcement. I know the folks in West Texas have been waiting a long time for this funding and I'm honored to provide it," said Bonilla. "I can't wait to hear about the advances made with this great technology. Who knows what the fantastic scientists at the McDonald Observatory will discover next?"

The appropriation will be administered by the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque.

— END —

High School Students Spend Night In Computer Lab, Help McDonald Observatory Search For Planets

EVENT: Austin and Round Rock students attending an overnight lock-in at Austin’s Lanier High School will be linked live over the Internet and videoconferencing to astronomers at The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory in West Texas, helping in the search for planets around stars other than the Sun.

WHEN: 7 p.m., Oct. 15 (weather permitting; inclement weather in West Texas will move the event). Astronomical observing at McDonald will begin at 10 p.m.

WHERE: Sidney Lanier High School, Health Sciences Computer Lab, Room 115, 1201 Payton Gin Road

BACKGROUND: A small group of local high school students are going to stay up all night Friday – to help University of Texas at Austin astronomers look for planets. Students from Austin’s Sidney Lanier High School and Round Rock’s Stony Point High School will be logged into a specially created Web site that will allow them to see what the astronomers are seeing with the Otto Struve Telescope at McDonald Observatory, nearly 500 miles away under the dark skies of West Texas. They also will be linked into the telescope’s dome via videoconferencing, able to talk to astronomers at McDonald in real time.

Don Winget, astronomy professor and Chair of The University of Texas Astronomy Department, will be on hand at Lanier to discuss his planet-hunting research and the instrument that makes it possible, called Argos. Fergal Mullally, Professor Winget’s graduate student, will be observing at the telescope at McDonald Observatory.

Teachers Chris Cotter of Lanier High School and Donna Slaughter and Scott Harding of Stony Point High School have organized the event and will be supervising the students at the lock-in. This is the third lock-in organized at Lanier, and the first to involve students from another local school. It is also the first to incorporate videoconferencing.

Two generous donations by McDonald Observatory supporters are helping to make this event possible. Videoconferencing equipment was donated to McDonald Observatory by Board of Visitors member Richard King of Austin, owner of VideoCall. The Semmes Foundation and San Antonio attorney Tom Semmes, a member of the Friends of McDonald Observatory Orion Circle, donated a T-1 high-speed Internet line to the Observatory.

The Austin Astronomical Society will set up telescopes in the Lanier High School parking lot for the Friday night event, giving the students a chance to look at astronomical objects, weather permitting.

For more information on this planet-search project, please see the McDonald Observatory news release of November 19, 2003, “Astronomers Develop Cheap Method for Solar System Hunt.”

— END —

Additional Media Contacts:

Chris Cotter
Sidney Lanier High School, Austin ISD
phone: 512-680-7184

Donna Slaughter
Stony Point High School, Round Rock ISD
phone: 512-428-7118

Texas Astronomers find Mystery Object in 'Starless Core' with Spitzer Space Telescope

Austin, Texas — University of Texas at Austin astronomers using NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope looked into a supposedly empty cloud of dust and discovered that it’s not empty after all.

 

Professor Neal Evans leads Spitzer’s “Cores to Disks” Legacy Science Team. The team is probing dozens of dusty regions of potential star formation with the infrared space telescope to gain insight into conditions that are needed for stars to form.

In this case, they detected a faint, star-like object in the least expected of places — a “starless core” called L1014, 600 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus. Named for their apparent lack of stars, starless cores are dense knots of gas and dust that should eventually form individual newborn stars.

“Starless cores are fascinating to study because they tell us what conditions exist in the instants before a star forms. Understanding this environment is key to improving our theories of star formation,” Evans said.

The object in L1014 doesn’t have properties predicted by standard models of star formation, Evans said. It is fainter than would be expected for a young star.

Graduate student Chadwick Young authored the research paper on L1014, which appeared in a special supplement to The Astrophysical Journal.

“It’s really bizarre,” Young said. “There are many possibilities about what this object could be. It could be a very low-mass object in the early stages of formation, such as a brown dwarf. It could be a very normal object — a star — in a quiescent stage. Or it could be something more exotic that we don’t understand. But it doesn’t seem rare.

“We picked 50 or so of these to check out,” Young said. “L1014 was the first one we looked at.”

So, if more of these “starless cores” are found to have objects embedded in them, does this study have the potential to change ideas about star formation?

“Absolutely,” Young said.

###

Notes to editors: The Spitzer Space Telescope is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. For more information about Spitzer Space Telescope, visit the Spitzer homepage.

New Site, HET Managers at McDonald Observatory

FORT DAVIS, Texas — Two new managers are taking over the site of The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory. K. Russell Peterman is the Observatory’s superintendent, and Robert Calder is site manager of the 9.2-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET), one of the largest optical telescopes in the world. Both managers report to Dr. David L. Lambert, Director of McDonald Observatory.

 

“I am delighted that we were able to recruit these outstanding individuals to head the McDonald Observatory on Mt. Locke and the Hobby-Eberly Telescope on Mt. Fowlkes,” Lambert said. “I am confident that Russ and Bob will bring a real sense of common purpose to the McDonald Observatory in pursuit of research and public outreach.”

A native of central Texas, Peterman took the helm of the Observatory’s West Texas site on January 3. The superintendent’s job is to “make sure the facilities are properly managed, and that we carry out the mission of the Observatory,” Peterman said.

“I consider it a real privilege to take the job on, and I hope to re-invigorate the mission of the Observatory,” he said. “I look forward to working with David Lambert and Bob Calder.”

Peterman has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physics from The University of Texas at Austin, and worked as a research scientist at its Applied Research Laboratory in Austin for eight years. Following that, he was the vice president and principal scientist at Radian International in Austin for 20 years. More recently, he has worked for the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado. He was previously CEO of Peak Weather Resources, a wholly owned subsidiary of the foundation which manages NCAR.

Robert Calder began his duties as HET site manager in September. The HET site manager is responsible for the day and night operations of the HET, and leads its staff of 18 who operate, maintain, and support the continued development of the telescope.

Calder is a graduate of The University of Texas at El Paso. Most recently, he served as head of the instrumentation division of the SUBARU Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. He has also worked with many large telescopes at several observatories, including the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, the U.S. Naval Observatory, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.

Working at McDonald Observatory “is like coming home in more than one respect,” Calder said. “The operations side is very familiar to me, because of my background. And I’m also returning to West Texas, where I attended high school and college.”

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope is a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Stanford University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and Georg-August-Unversität Göttingen.

— END —

Note to editors: Russ Peterman may be reached by phone at 432-426-3263 or by e-mail at peterman@astro.as.utexas.edu. Bob Calder may be reached by phone at 432-426-3613, or by e-mail at calder@astro.as.utexas.edu.

McDonald Observatory Plans Outdoor 'Parallax Park'

FORT DAVIS, Texas — How far away are the stars? How do astronomers find planets around other stars? How do space telescopes contribute to our understanding of the universe? McDonald Observatory is planning a large outdoor exhibit that will allow its more than 100,000 annual visitors to explore how the concept of astronomical parallax, and its more sophisticated cousin, astrometry, help to answer these questions.

“Everything we know about distances in the universe rests on our knowledge of the distances to nearby stars. Take a walk through Parallax Park and find out how we extend our reach from near to very far,” said McDonald Observatory astronomer Fritz Benedict. “It’s a lovely contrast that our growing ability to measure the very small, say the thickness of a piece of paper a half-mile away, provides the distances to stars over 1,500 light years away,” he said.

The Parallax Park concept is being presented today in a poster session at the 205th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in San Diego, Calif. (session 8, Informal Astronomy).

The design concept of Parallax Park is the result of more than two years of efforts from a team of astronomers, astronomy education specialists, exhibit fabricators, and architects to design an interactive exhibit that will complement the other offerings of McDonald Observatory’s Visitors Center.

The exhibit planning team is headed by McDonald Observatory astronomers Fritz Benedict and Mary Kay Hemenway. Benedict has spearheaded efforts in astrometry with Hubble Space Telescope and is involved with NASA’s SIM PlanetQuest mission. Hemenway is an expert in astronomy education. The exhibit firms of Blue Sky Design of Toronto, as well as Alchemy of Design and One+Two Design, Inc. of Portland, Oregon, are also involved in the project.

Parallax Park will consist of concentric circles of stone wall (designed to match the Visitors Center architecture) with a representation of the Sun at the center. The innermost stone wall is 60 feet wide. As visitors progress through the exhibit, following a path that mimics the Earth’s orbit about the Sun, they will experience parallax through objects representing stars at various distances and in various directions.

The exhibit includes interactive components suitable for children’s use, as well as text labels and printed guides, in English and Spanish, that detail how the Park is used to explore the uses of astrometry in modern science. In addition to parallax, visitors will learn about standard candles and the astronomical distance scale.

The project will have a related K-12 education component aligned with the National Science Education Standards. Possible topics for student activities include measurement, variable stars, and size/scale. Some activities are site-specific, but most will be available on the Internet for those not traveling to McDonald Observatory. Hemenway notes that McDonald Observatory’s Educator Advisory Board is very enthusiastic about the project, especially its connections to the history of astronomy and geometry.

Funding for the design and planning of Parallax Park was made possible through Hubble Space Telescope Cycle 11 and Cycle 12 Education and Public Outreach Grant Programs, and the NASA/JPL SIM PlanetQuest (JPL contract #1227563).

Funding is not yet available for the construction of Parallax Park at McDonald Observatory. Anyone wishing to build Parallax Park at their site may obtain the design once it is finalized.

— END —

Magnetar flare blitzed Earth Dec. 27, could solve cosmic mysteries

This information is co-released with The University of California, Berkeley, and co-incides with a NASA Space Science Update (right).

 

Austin, Texas — Astronomers around the world recorded late last year a powerful explosion of high-energy X-rays and gamma rays — a split-second flash from the other side of our galaxy that was strong enough to affect the Earth's atmosphere. The flash, called a soft gamma repeater flare, reached Earth on Dec. 27 and was detected by at least 15 satellites and spacecraft between Earth and Saturn, swamping most of their detectors.

Thought to be a mighty cataclysm in a super-dense, highly magnetized star called a magnetar, it emitted as much energy in two-tenths of a second as the sun gives off in 250,000 years. Robert C. Duncan of the University of Texas at Austin originally proposed and developed the magnetar theory, along with Christopher Thompson of the Canadian Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics.

"This is a key event for understanding magnetars,” Duncan said. Its intrinsic power was a thousand times greater than the power of all other stars in the galaxy put together, and at least 100 times the power of any previous magnetar outburst in our galaxy. It was ten thousand times brighter than the brightest supernova.

Duncan and Thompson worked with Kevin Hurley, a research physicist at UC Berkeley who leads a major international team studying the event, to understand the immense power of the Dec. 27 flare. “It was the mother of all magnetic flares – a true monster,” Hurley said.

The team's observations and analysis are summarized in a paper that has been submitted for publication in the journal Nature.

“Soft gamma repeater” bursts — pinpoint flashes of highly energetic X-rays and low-energy (soft) gamma rays coming repeatedly from one place in the sky — were first noticed in 1979 and remained a mystery until Duncan and Thompson proposed in 1992 that they originate from magnetically powered neutron stars, or magnetars. Formed by the collapsing core of a star throwing off its outer layers in a supernova explosion, neutron stars are extremely dense, with more mass than in the Sun packed into a ball about 10 miles across. Many neutron stars spin rapidly. These spinning neutron stars, some rotating a thousand times a second, signal their presence by the emission of pulsed radio waves, and are called pulsars.

According to Duncan, magnetars are a special kind of neutron star. They are born rotating very quickly, which causes their magnetic fields to get amplified. But after a few thousand years, their intense magnetic field slows their spin to a more moderate period of one rotation every few seconds. The magnetic fields both inside and outside the star twist, however, and according to the theory these intense fields can stress and move the crust much like shearing along the San Andreas Fault. These magnetic fields are a quadrillion — a million billion — times stronger than the field that deflects compass needles at the Earth’s surface.

The shear moves the crust around and the magnetic fields are tied to the crust, generating twists in the magnetic field that can sometimes break and reconnect in a process that sends trapped positrons and electrons flying out from the star, annihilating each other in a gigantic explosion of hard gamma rays.

The flare observed Dec. 27 originated about 50,000 light years away in the constellation Sagittarius, which means that the magnetar sits directly opposite the center of our galaxy from the Earth in the disk of the Milky Way Galaxy.

As the radiation stormed through our solar system, it blitzed at least 15 spacecraft, knocking their instruments off-scale whether or not they were pointing in the magnetar's direction. One Russian satellite, Coronas-F, detected gamma rays that had bounced off the Moon.

The flare also ripped atoms apart, ionizing them, in much of the Earth’s ionosphere for five minutes, to a deeper level than even the biggest solar flares do, an effect noticed via its effect on long-wavelength radio communications. Such events are unlikely to pose a danger to the Earth because the chances that one would be close enough to the Earth to cause serious disruption are exceedingly small.

Hurley and his team combined information from many spacecraft, including neutron and gamma-ray detectors aboard Mars Odyssey and many near-Earth satellites, in order to localize it to a spot well-known to astronomers: a magnetar known as SGR 1806-20. This position was accurately confirmed by radio astronomers at the Very Large Array in Socorro, N.M., who studied the fading radio afterglow of the event and obtained important information about the explosion.

The tremendous power of the event has suggested a novel solution to a long-standing mystery — the origins of a strange phenomenon known as “Short-Duration Gamma Ray Bursts.” Hundreds of brief, mysterious flashes of high-energy radiation from deepest space, lasting less than two seconds, have been measured and recorded over decades, but nobody knew what they were.

The similarity between the Dec. 27 burst and these short-duration bursts lies in the brief spike of hard gamma rays that arrives first and carries almost all the energy. In the recent burst, for example, the hard spike lasted only two-tenths of a second. This was followed by a “tail” of X-rays that lasted over six minutes. As the tail faded, its brightness oscillated on a 7.56 second cycle, the known rotation period of the magnetar.

According to Duncan and Thompson’s theory, the oscillating X-ray tail that followed was due to a residue of electrons, positrons and gamma-rays trapped in the magnetar’s magnetic field. Such a hot “trapped fireball” shrinks and evaporates over minutes, as electrons and positrons annihilate. The measurements of Hurley’s team corroborate this picture. The tail’s brightness appears to oscillate because the fireball is stuck to the surface of the rotating star by the magnetic field, so it rotates with the star like a lighthouse beacon.

Duncan and his team argue that the hard initial spike of these giant flares is so bright that it can be detected from very far away, meaning that some of the short flares we see are from other galaxies, though the soft X-ray tails are too faint to be seen.

Duncan and his collaborators predict that if a magnetar flares as brightly as the December 27 event within 100 million light-years of Earth, astronomers should be able to detect it. Texas astronomers John Scalo and Sheila Kannappan helped Duncan estimate the rate at which such distant flares might be seen. They estimated that of order 40% of the short bursts previously observed could have been such magnetar bursts. There is a good probability that the newly-launched Swift satellite will see a magnetar burst once a month.

Launched in November 2004 and gathering data only since January, Swift is designed to automatically turn its X-ray telescope toward a burst in order to accurately pin down its position.

Duncan’s team estimates that Swift will spot an abundance of magnetars lurking in other galaxies. In some cases, Swift’s X-ray telescope may even catch the oscillating tail and measure the rotation period of the faraway star.

“Swift will open up a new field of astronomy: the study of extragalactic magnetars,” Duncan said.

Co-authors with Hurley, Boggs, Duncan and Thompson were D. M. Smith of the UC Santa Cruz physics department, RHESSI and Wind principal investigator and Space Sciences Laboratory Director Robert Lin, and teams of U.S., Swiss, Russian, and German scientists.

— END —

Notes to editors: Robert Duncan and Kevin Hurley will be at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Feb. 18, to attend a NASA Science Update about the Dec. 27 giant flare and observations by the recently launched Swift satellite. Duncan's cell phone number is (512) 587-0043. Hurley’s cell phone number is (510) 366-4463.

Duncan normally can be reached at (512) 471-7426 or at duncan@astro.as.utexas.edu. Hurley can be reached at his office, (510) 643-9173, or via e-mail at khurley@ssl.berkeley.edu. Steven Boggs is at (510) 643-4129 or boggs@ssl.berkeley.edu.

Robert Sanders, science press officer for UC Berkeley, can be reached at (510) 643-6998 or rsanders@berkeley.edu.

Texas astronomer J. Craig Wheeler elected President of American Astronomical Society

Austin, Texas — The 6,500 scientist members of the American Astronomical Society have elected University of Texas astronomer J. Craig Wheeler as their next president. Wheeler is the Samuel T. and Fern Yanagisawa Regents Professor of Astronomy at UT-Austin.

Established 1899, the American Astronomical Society (AAS) is the major organization of professional astronomers in North America. The basic objective of the AAS is to promote the advancement of astronomy and closely related branches of science.

“I’m honored and pleased to take on this office and I’m looking forward to leading a very healthy and vibrant Society,” Wheeler said. “Current issues facing the Society are the fate of the Hubble Space Telescope and integrating astronomical research with the goal of sending humans to the Moon and Mars.”

Wheeler will be installed as President-Elect at the Society’s June meeting in Minneapolis. Then in June 2006, he will become President and hold the office for two years. Following that, he will serve another year as Past President.

Wheeler received a BS in physics from MIT in 1965 and a PhD in physics from the University of Colorado in 1969. His research interests include supernovae, black holes, gamma-ray bursts and astrobiology, and he heads the Supernova Research Group at UT-Austin. He has published about 300 papers in refereed journals and conference proceedings, edited five books, and published a popular-level book, Cosmic Catastrophes: Supernovae, Gamma-Ray Bursts and Adventures in Hyperspace (Cambridge University Press 2000).

Wheeler also currently serves on the Space Studies Board of the National Research Council (NRC) and is co-Chair of the NRC Committee on the Origin and Evolution of Life. He is a member of the University of Texas Academy of Distinguished Teachers.

— END —

Notes to editors: Craig Wheeler can be reached by phone at 512-471-6407 or by email at wheel@astro.as.utexas.edu.

Universo radio program celebrates 10 years, brings astronomy & skylore to Spanish-speaking audience

Austin, Texas — On April 1, The University of Texas McDonald Observatory will celebrate 10 years of producing Universo, its daily two-minute, Spanish-language radio program about astronomy. Universo is heard on about 180 U.S. radio stations (including stations in the top 10 markets), as well as in Canada, Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico, and Venezuela. The program has a daily U.S. listenership of about 220,000, plus more than one million international listeners.

 

Universo covers topics in skywatching, the science of astronomy and what astronomers do, the history of astronomy, and skylore. “We try to bring in topics that are culturally specific, like the skylore and observational astronomy of the Maya, Incas, and the Aztecs,” said Damond Benningfield, writer and producer of Universo. “As much as possible, I try to identify and talk about Hispanic astronomers, space scientists, and astronauts — so that people can understand that there are Latinos in the space science field.

“The Spanish-speaking population in the U.S. and Texas is growing,” said Dr. David Lambert, director of McDonald Observatory. “The Spanish-speaking audience is underrepresented in the fields of science and math. Our goal is, by exposing people to bits of science that are accessible, to help people think of science in a different way, to be more interested in science, and to be more willing to support science in general.”

The idea for the program first came in 1993, said Benningfield, who also produces the StarDate radio program. He recalls meeting Arturo Vasquez at a Public Radio Conference in Washington, DC. Then, Vasquez was president of station KXCR in El Paso. The station was producing an internationally distributed news program in Spanish, and wanted to do a science program. The collaboration with StarDate, McDonald Observatory’s long-running astronomy radio program, was a natural. A proposal was submitted to the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the program was funded for an initial three years to the tune of $600,000. NASA’s National Space Grant Consortium provided an additional $100,000 for Universo’s first three years.

Today, stations still receive the program free of charge. McDonald Observatory is actively seeking underwriters and sponsors for Universo production and distribution. Program costs are currently funded by McDonald Observatory, and also funded in part by grants from NASA and NSF. Past Universo sponsors have included NASA, the SBC Foundation, the American Honda Foundation, The Joe and Teresa Lozano Long Foundations, National Instruments, Harcourt General Foundation, the Goodman-Abell Foundation, and the Brown Family Fund.

The program is recorded in El Paso at the studios of the Self Reliance Border Media Project, which purchased the studio after KXCR closed its operations. Teresa Fendi de la Cruz is the voice of Universo. Dr. Antonio Candau is the program translator, and Ignacio “Nacho” Acosta, who has been with the program with its inception, is the audio engineer.

In addition to the radio program, Universo includes an extensive Spanish-language website at http://radiouniverso.org. The site contains tips for skywatching, a guide to the solar system, text of the radio programs, and more, all in Spanish. Later this year, the new Beyond the Solar System Guide will be translated into Spanish and posted at the Universo website. The StarDate Guide to the Solar System will also soon be revised, and translated into Spanish for publication online.

— END —

McDonald Observatory, Terlingua Preservation Foundation Unite to Preserve Dark West Texas Skies

WHO: The Terlingua Preservation Foundation in cooperation with The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis

 

WHAT: An entertaining and educational program on outdoor lighting control presented by Bill Wren, M.Ed., retired public affairs employee of McDonald Observatory. The program is tailored to address the outdoor lighting concerns of the Study Butte-Terlingua microplex.

WHEN: 6:00 p.m. Thursday, May 19, 2005

WHERE: Starlight Theatre in Terlingua Ghost Town (Terlingua, Texas)

WHY: Observatories are concerned about the increased outdoor lighting that comes with development. Light pollution decreases the ability of astronomers to observe objects in the sky like stars and galaxies. Observatories such as Kitt Peak (near Tucson) and Palomar (near Los Angeles) have suffered major light pollution from adjacent metro areas. According to Wren, “Astronomers have long recognized the need to control, not eliminate, night lighting and have pioneered the effort to prevent lights uselessly shining up into the sky.”

Today, that effort has led lighting manufacturers to make full-cutoff fixtures that direct night lights down and to the sides as needed and prevent light from shining up into the night sky. The result is more light where you want it for less electricity cost. “If you've ever seen a satellite photo of Earth at night, the countless lights visible from space are testament to the millions per night in electricity cost wasted,” Wren said.

The mission of the Terlingua Preservation Foundation (TPF) is to promote the preservation and appreciation of the Terlingua area's diverse architectural, cultural, and natural resources through research, restoration, and education.

According to Martha Stafford, president of the TPF board of directors, “The preservation of dark skies in the Terlingua area fits nicely with our mission and one that we enthusiastically support. The program is free, open to the public, and we encourage all interested area residents and business owners to attend to pick up some ideas about keeping our skies dark and maybe saving some electric cost.”

McDonald Observatory has partnered with its West Texas neighbor communities for many years to pursue responsible and safe “light solutions.” The observatory is a Lifetime Organizational Member of the International Dark-Sky Association. For more information on light solutions, visit the association's web site.

— END —

Additional Media Contacts:

K. Russell Peterman
Superintendent, McDonald Observatory
(432) 426-3633

Jim Carrico
Terlingua Preservation Foundation
(432) 424-3316
(719) 580-3716 (mobile)

McDonald Observatory explains 'space weather' to students live via statewide videoconference

Fort Davis, Texas — Today, sixth through eighth-grade students in schools across Texas will be linked live via videoconference with McDonald Observatory in West Texas to learn about space weather. The event is part of the day-long videoconference “Texas Connects: Nature Speaks in Texas,” sponsored by the Texas Education Agency.

“The theme of Texas Connects is the environment. So we're going to talk about the environment around Earth, how it's constantly changing, and how it extends all the way to the Sun,” said Marc Wetzel, education coordinator for McDonald Observatory in West Texas. “We'll also be talking about the Sun itself, and showing live images of the Sun from one of our telescopes.” Wetzel will show students live views of the entire Sun, as well as up-close views of sunspots, prominences, and flares.

The Observatory's Education and Outreach Office is pursuing a growing effort in distance education. Events like Texas Connects allow McDonald Observatory a chance to reach students and teachers around the state who can't make the trip out to West Texas to visit the Observatory in person.

This past spring, the Observatory launched a pilot distance education project called “Live From McDonald Observatory.” Funded by a grant from the Amon Carter Foundation of Fort Worth, the program consisted of a series of nine videoconferences between McDonald Observatory and various schools in the Fort Worth area.

In each case, Marc Wetzel was seen live on-screen in a Forth Worth classroom, videocasting from the Observatory in West Texas. Wetzel described the work of the Observatory, showed pre-prepared video segments about the telescopes, and taught students about the Sun using live telescope images of the Sun. He asked and answered the students' questions.

The content for “Live from McDonald” - as well as the Texas Connects space weather presentation - is aligned with state-wide standards for science education outlined in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills.

“We worked with McDonald Observatory on their 'Live from McDonald' pilot program, and thought they would be a natural match for the Texas Connects program,” said Becky Yarbrough. “We encouraged the Observatory to participate.” Yarbrough is a Science Consultant with the Region XI Education Service Center in Fort Worth, which serves 10 Texas counties, including the Tarrant County area.

The Amon Carter Foundation funded the technology that makes these presentations possible, and sponsored the travel of Yarbrough and three Fort Worth-area teachers to McDonald Observatory. The Foundation also sponsored a stipend for the teachers. While at the Observatory, the group advised on the start-up of the “Live from McDonald” program and evaluated it.

The Bromberg Foundation of Galveston funded necessary upgrades to an existing 14-inch telescope at McDonald, the purchase of two new small telescopes, solar filters, and videocameras.

Videoconferencing equipment, as well as a pair of T1 high-speed Internet lines linking the Observatory and the University of Texas campus in Austin are other essential parts of the Observatory's distance education capability. These were funded by Richard King and Video Call of Austin, and Tom Semmes and The Semmes Foundation of San Antonio, respectively.

Student groups from around the state will give most of the presentations for today's Texas Connects event. Besides McDonald Observatory, other agency presenters include the Fort Worth Nature Center, NASA, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Trinity River Authority along with the River Legacy Science Center.

— END —

Six College Students to Spend Summer at McDonald Observatory

FORT DAVIS, Texas — Six college students from around the nation will spend this summer living and working at McDonald Observatory in West Texas, a major research arm of the University of Texas at Austin. They were chosen from among 60 applicants for the positions.

 

The 10-week program runs from June to August. The students will live at the Observatory in the Astronomer's Lodge and work side-by-side with engineers and astronomers.

The program is run by astronomer Matthew Shetrone, and funded by the National Science Foundation through its Research Experiences for Undergraduates program.

Details about the students:

Amy Westfall is a junior at Texas Tech University majoring in philosophy, physics, and mathematics. Amy will be working with astronomers Brian Roman and Sergey Rostopchin on a project to create a database system to replace and upgrade the Hobby-Eberly Telescope's night operations computer system.

Timothy Hudson is a junior at Sam Houston State University majoring in computer science and mathematics. He will be working with engineer Jim Fowler to create a new user-friendly telescope control system for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope.

Johnny J. Mendias III is a junior at Texas Tech University from Marfa, Texas. He is majoring in mechanical engineering and mathematics. Johnny will be working with engineer Paul Peterson to create a photon-counting system to assist in the Hobby-Eberly Telescope's research programs that look for planets orbiting stars other than the Sun.

Mary Reiman is a junior at the University of Wyoming majoring in astrophysics and mathematics. She will be working with astronomers Carlos Allende Prieto and Matthew Shetrone on a study of giant stars in globular clusters - dense, round clusters of up to tens of thousands of stars.

Tim Weinzirl of Des Moines, Iowa is a junior at Drake University, majoring in physics, astronomy, and mathematics. He will be working with astronomer Steve Odewahn on a study of outer regions of nearby galaxies, and computer modeling the properties of these galaxies.

Steven Warren is a junior at San Diego State University majoring in astronomy and mathematics. He will be working with astronomer Matthew Shetrone on a study of the enigmatic stars called “blue stragglers,” looking for clues to their origins.

— END —

McDonald Observatory receives $750,000 gift from Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation

AUSTIN, Texas — The W.J. McDonald Observatory of The University of Texas at Austin has received a pledge of a $750,000 joint donation from George P. and Cynthia W. Mitchell, The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation, and the George and Cynthia Mitchell Charitable Remainder Unitrust.

The gift will fund cosmology research and public education in astronomy.

Two-thirds of the gift ($500,000) will be used for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX). The project is led by University of Texas at Austin astronomers Karl Gebhardt, Gary Hill, and Phillip MacQueen.

Discovered in the past few years, dark energy is a mysterious force which causes space to push against itself, making the universe expand faster than expected. Dark energy makes up about 70 percent of the matter-energy content of the universe (another 25 percent is dark matter, and only about five percent is normal matter we can see). Though it makes up the largest amount of “stuff” in the universe, no one knows much about dark energy.

The goal of HETDEX is to provide the first fundamental observational constraints on dark energy. It will be the largest galaxy survey ever undertaken. Several other planned studies are targeting dark energy, but the very distant galaxies - and thus, very early age of the universe - that HETDEX will explore provides a probe that no other survey will obtain.

“HETDEX offers Texas the ability to be the most important player in understanding dark energy, a role that could place us as a standard reference in textbooks,” Gebhardt said.

The Mitchell monies will fund the construction of a prototype of an instrument called VIRUS for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, which will measure the positions in space of 10,000 galaxies every night. When built, VIRUS will map out a million galaxies in 100 nights.

“This gift enables us to build the prototype spectrograph for VIRUS,” said David L. Lambert, director of McDonald Observatory. “We are now out of the starting blocks for a most exciting race to define dark energy. May the Hobby-Eberly Telescope win.”

More information on HETDEX is available online here .

The remaining one-third of the Mitchell donation ($250,000) will be used to create the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation Education Endowment. Beneficiaries will be designated “The Mitchell Scholars.” It will help to fund McDonald Observatory's programs for K-12 student field experiences, K-12 teacher professional-development workshops, as well as efforts in the field of distance education.

“School kids are excited by astronomy,” Lambert said. “The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation Education Endowment will help us keep kids and their teachers excited about astronomy, in particular, and science, in general.”

To find out more about these workshops and about the Mitchell Scholars Program, please contact Marc Wetzel by phone at (432) 426-3672 or via e-mail.

Other gifts to The University of Texas at Austin from the Mitchells include support for the College of Engineering, the School of Architecture, the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, the Texas Regional Collaboratives for Excellence in Science Teaching and the University of Texas Elementary Charter School.

George P. Mitchell is the founder of Mitchell Energy & Development Corp., noted for its success in both energy and real estate development. Throughout his business career, Mitchell has cultivated interests in philanthropy, civics and global issues, ranging from the environment and sustainable development to the implications of science and technology.

— END —

Texas flagship universities celebrate milestone in Giant Magellan Telescope partnership

TUCSON, Ariz. — A swirling vat of molten glass is bringing officials and scientists from The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University to Tucson this week. Along with their other five partners, the two flagship universities are celebrating the casting of the first of seven mirrors for the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) on Saturday, July 23.

 

“We're excited to be attending this kick-off event with our partner institutions,” said Mary Ann Rankin, dean of The University of Texas at Austin's College of Natural Sciences.

“This is the beginning of a long journey to construction,” added David Lambert, director of the university's McDonald Observatory. “It's the first very large telescope that's started construction.”

“The casting of the first mirror is critical because everything else depends on getting this one just right,” said Joe Newton, dean of the College of Science at Texas A&M University. “It's such an exciting project. Once finished, this will be the most powerful ground-based telescope in the world.”

Slated for completion in 2016 at a site in northern Chile, the GMT will use its powerful resolution and enormous collecting area to probe the most important questions in astronomy, including the birth of stars and planetary systems in our Milky Way, the mysteries of black holes and the genesis of galaxies.

When complete, the GMT mirrors together “will provide a bigger aperture and better resolution than any telescope now in operation,” Lambert said. The telescope will have four-and-one-half times the collecting area of any current optical telescope and the resolving power of a 25.6-meter (84-foot) diameter telescope - or 10 times the resolution of the Hubble Space Telescope.

The University of Texas at Austin contingent to Tucson will include Rankin and Lambert, as well at Provost Sheldon Ekland-Olson, Astronomy Department Chair Don Winget, several astronomers and a few members of the astronomy program's Board of Visitors.

The Texas A&M contingent includes Dean Newton, Physics Department Chair Ed Fry, Physics Professor George Kattawar, and science development officer Don Birkelbach.

The casting is scheduled for this week. The University of Arizona's Steward Observatory Mirror Lab has inspected and loaded 40,000 pounds of borosilicate glass into its huge spinning furnace. The furnace has been fired, and will reach its maximum temperature of 2,150 degrees Fahrenheit (1,178 Celsius) on Saturday, July 23.

By then, the glass will flow like honey at room temperature. The thick liquid glass will flow between the dividers in the mold to create a “honeycomb” structure. The oven's rotation rate determines the depth of the curve spun into the shape of the mirror. The final honeycomb mirror will weigh about a fifth as much as a solid glass mirror of its size.

The mirror will take about three months to cool. Then, the lab will wash the dividers out of the mirror's glass honeycomb cells, and grind and polish the mirror to an accuracy of plus-or-minus 15 to 20 nanometers (a nanometer is a billionth of a meter). The mirror ultimately will be coated with a layer of reflective aluminum only 100 nanometers thick at the observatory site, before the telescope becomes operational.

The Giant Magellan Telescope consortium includes The University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, the Carnegie Observatories, Harvard University, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, the University of Arizona, the University of Michigan and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Detailed information about the GMT science goals is available online.

— END —

Notes:

Media contacts are Rebeca Johnson at UT-Austin's McDonald Observatory (512-475-6763) or Keith Randall at the Texas A&M Office of University Relations (989-845-4644).

For photos and video from Steward Observatory Mirror Lab: Download high-res images by clicking on ImageBase, under the Services column on the left of the UA News Web page, using search words “gmt” “gmto” “mirror lab” or “steward observatory.” New images will be posted as steps in the casting process occur. New b-roll video of steps in the process will be available from UA News Services after the mirror is cast July 23.

Joint project with Texas Forest Service makes McDonald Observatory safer, brings national recognition

(Texas Forest Service press release)

 

FORT DAVIS, Texas — When dry lightning sparked several wildfires in the Davis Mountains July 1, staff at the University of Texas McDonald Observatory knew, once again, the famous observatory may be threatened by more than smoke. One of the fires, the Three-Points Fire, which burned nearly 8,000-acres, came dangerously close to the observatory. But the staff also knew they had worked diligently with the Texas Forest Service for the past three years to reduce the threat of wildfires destroying not only the valuable telescopes and research equipment, but also the community that surrounds it.

“We encouraged the observatory managers to take a proactive approach, before the observatory was threatened by wildfire, like those occurring in the Davis Mountains in 2000 and 2001,” Texas Forest Service Regional Fire Coordinator Bill Davis said. “In just that one section of land, there are more than $200 million in assets and more than 150 residents. We knew that for not a lot of money, they could add a whole lot of protection.”

Their work has paid off in more than peace of mind. On Saturday, July 30, the McDonald Observatory will receive national recognition as a Firewise Community/USA for their efforts in making the observatory and surrounding community more resistant to wildfires.

McDonald Observatory Superintendent K. Russell Peterman is a firm believer that the project was well worth the time and work committed to it. He said the main focus was reducing fuels-that is high grass, brush and trees-by thinning out trees, cutting low-hanging branches, mowing grass and removing brush, which will be an ongoing effort. Crews also put in firebreaks to stop the spread of an approaching fire.

The Texas Forest Service also constructed a fire escape road because there was only one exit/entrance from the Observatory. “We literally would have had no way off the mountain if a fire would have blocked the main road,” Peterman said. “That problem has now been solved.”

With its tours and stargazing events, McDonald Observatory is also a well-known tourist destination. On any given day, there could be thousands of people visiting the observatory. “This project makes complete sense from a public safety standpoint,” Peterman said.

The observatory is home to the third-largest optical telescope in the world, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET). “Since HET will be used for a major dark energy experiment that will require more than $20 million in new science instruments, it is more important than ever to protect the huge investment that The University of Texas has in this facility,” he added.

Other observatories have also felt the effect of wildfires. In 2003, the Mount Stromlo Observatory in Australia lost five telescopes, workshops, eight staff homes and the observatory's main dome to a wildfire. Just this month, Arizona's Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory was evacuated due to the imminent threat from a 22,500-acre fire. “Stromlo really brought home the fact that we could lose our whole facility in a fire,” Peterman said.

The project has also led to a grant for new equipment for McDonald Observatory Volunteer Fire Department, which received a new brush truck, funded through the Texas Forest Service's Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program. The University of Texas has also approved funding for two paid safety and security positions at the observatory, which are currently being advertised.

“With the assistance of the Texas Forest Service and the State Firemen's and Fire Marshals' Association, we've achieved this Firewise status,” Peterman said. “They've come together with us to make this a safer community.”

— END —

Beautiful images from SALT mark 'first light' for Africa's giant eye

JOHANNESBURG/CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA — Exactly five years after ground-breaking, the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) has released its first images. These images mark “first light” for Africa's giant eye and ensure South Africa's place in the international scientific community.

 

The University of Texas at Austin is a partner in SALT through the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) partnership. SALT was modeled after the HET, which is located at the University's McDonald Observatory in West Texas.

Located near the Karoo town of Sutherland, South Africa, SALT is the largest optical telescope in the southern hemisphere. Astronomers will now be able to study the southern skies and its objects that are critically important to modern astronomy but not easily discernable by telescopes in the northern hemisphere. Together, SALT and HET will give nearly complete coverage of both hemispheres.

“The SALT project represents a leap forward in astronomical technology and has become an iconic symbol for what can be achieved in science and technology in the new South Africa,” said project scientist David Buckley.

The SALT project began about seven years ago as an initiative of South African astronomers with support of the South African government. It has grown into a global engineering project with partners from leading scientific institutions in six countries, on four continents, whose scientists have helped to finance, design and build SALT. SALT will be formally opened by South African president Thabo Mkeki on November 10.

— END —

Notes: Additional media contacts at the South African Astronomical Observatory include David Buckley (dibnob@saao.ac.za), David Laney (cdl@saao.ac.za; phone 2721-447-0025, and Darragh O'Donoghue (dod@saao.ac.za; phone 2721-447-0025).

SALT partners in South Africa include:

  • The South African Astronomical Observatory
  • The Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology
  • The National Research Foundation

International partners include:

  • The Hobby-Eberly Telescope Board (comprising The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Stanford University, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, and Ludwig Maximilians Universität Munchen)
  • Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
  • The University of Wisconsin - Madison
  • University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
  • Dartmouth College
  • Carnegie Mellon University
  • University of Canterbury (New Zealand)
  • Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences (Poland)
  • Georg-August-Universität Göttingen (Germany)
  • The United Kingdom SALT Consortium (comprising the Armagh Observatory, the University of Keele, the University of Central Lancashire, the University of Nottingham, the Open University, and the University of Southampton)

Texas astronomers, others find dead stars collecting dust

MAUNA KEA, Hawaii — Two independent teams of astronomers using telescopes on Mauna Kea, Hawaii have glimpsed dusty debris around an essentially dead star where gravity and radiation should have long ago removed any sign of dust. The discovery might provide insights into our own solar system's demise billions of years from now.

The observations, made with the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) and the Gemini 8-meter Frederick C. Gillett Telescope, reveal a surprisingly high abundance of dust orbiting an ancient stellar ember named GD 362.

GD 362 is a white dwarf star. It represents the end-state of stellar evolution for almost all stars, including the Sun and more massive stars like this one's progenitor, which had an original mass about seven times the Sun's. After undergoing nuclear reactions for millions of years, GD 362's core ran out of fuel and could no longer create enough heat to counterbalance the inward push of gravity. After a short period of instability and mass loss, the star collapsed into a white-hot corpse. The remains will cool slowly over many billions of years as the dying ember makes its final, slow journey into oblivion.

In its former life, GD 362 may have been home to a planetary system. The dust disk may be evidence of that.

According to University of Texas graduate student Mukremin Kilic, who led the team making the IRTF observations, “The best explanation for the disk around GD 362 is that a planet or asteroid-like object was tidally disrupted by the white dwarf and ground up to tiny particles that ended up in a debris disk around the star. It is likely that we are witnessing the destruction of a planetary system and that a similar fate may await our own planetary system in about five billion years.”

These results are exploring new ground in the search for planetary systems. “This is only the second white dwarf star known to be surrounded by a debris disk,” Kilic said. The other is called G29-38.

“Both of these stars' atmospheres are continuously polluted by metals - that is, heavy chemical elements - almost surely accreted from the disk,” Kilic said. “If the accretion from a debris disk can explain the amounts of heavy elements we find in white dwarfs, it would mean that metal-rich white dwarfs - and this is fully 25% of all white dwarfs - may have debris disks, and therefore planetary systems, around them,” he said, concluding, “Planetary systems may be more numerous than we thought.”

The IRTF team also includes Ted von Hippel and Don Winget from The University of Texas and Sandy Leggett of the Joint Astronomy Centre. The Gemini team is led by Eric Becklin of UCLA, and includes researchers from the Carnegie Institution and Gemini Observatory.

The IRTF and Gemini data are “beautifully complementary,” Texas' von Hippel said. “Both data sets support the idea of a dust disk around GD 362, but they do so based on different evidence.”
He explained that the Gemini data provide “measurements at longer wavelengths that are more sensitive to the dust temperature,” while the IRTF results provide higher-resolution spectroscopy in the near-infrared, thus “excluding an orbiting brown dwarf as the source” of the excess infrared light from the white dwarf.

The teams will publish back-to-back papers in an upcoming issue of Astrophysical Journal Letters.

The IRTF is a 3-meter telescope, optimized for infrared observations, operated and managed for NASA by the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy. Gemini is an international partnership managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation.

— END —

NOTE: A related press release and high resolution images are available from Gemini Observatory.

Astronomers find improved evidence for supermassive black hole in Andromeda galaxy, uncover new mystery

AUSTIN, Texas — Astronomers have used the Hubble Space Telescope to see closer to the center in our neighboring Andromeda galaxy than in any other galaxy except our own. In doing so, they dramatically improved the evidence that a supermassive black hole lurks in Andromeda's core. They also found a new mystery — the black hole lives inside a tiny cluster of blue stars whose origin is not understood.

This work was done by a team of astronomers led by Ralf Bender of the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Garching, Germany and John Kormendy of The University of Texas at Austin. It is published in today's issue of The Astrophysical Journal.

The key to both advances is a tiny source of blue light that is only one light-year across and that coincides with the center of the galaxy. Andromeda is more than 200,000 light-years across and about two million light years away from us.

"Only Hubble has the resolution in blue light to observe the blue source. It is so small and so distinct from the surrounding red stars that we can use it to probe into the dynamical heart of Andromeda," says Richard Green of the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory in Tucson. Green adds, "These observations were taken by the members of our team that built the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS). We designed its visible channel to seize just such an opportunity — to measure starlight closer to a black hole than in any other galaxy outside our Milky Way."

The astronomers used this superb resolution to discover that the blue light, first spotted by Hubble in 1995, comes from a disk of hot, young stars. They whiz around an invisible, dark central object like planets in our solar system revolve around the Sun. By measuring the motions of the stars, the astronomers found that the dark object weighs as much as 140 million Suns. It is about three times bigger than previously thought.

The new Hubble observations greatly strengthen the evidence that the dark object is a black hole. In 1988, in independent ground-based studies, John Kormendy and the team of Alan Dressler (Carnegie Observatories) and Douglas Richstone (University of Michigan) discovered the central dark object in Andromeda. This was one of the first of what are now about 40 such detections, most of them made with Hubble.

"Right from the beginning, there were compelling reasons to believe that these are supermassive black holes," says Kormendy, but he cautions that "extreme claims require extremely strong evidence. We have to be sure that these are black holes and not dark clusters of dead stars."

So far, dark clusters have been ruled out in only two galaxies, NGC 4258 and our Milky Way. Kormendy adds, "These two galaxies give us important proof that black holes exist. But both are special cases — NGC 4258 contains a disk of water masers that we observe with radio telescopes, and our Galactic center is so close that we can follow individual stellar orbits. Andromeda is the first galaxy in which we can exclude exotic alternatives to a black hole using Hubble and using the same techniques by which we find most other supermassive black holes."

Kormendy emphasizes, "Looking for black holes always was a primary mission of Hubble. Nailing the black hole in Andromeda is an important part of its legacy. It makes us much more confident that the other central dark objects detected in galaxies are black holes, too."

Ralf Bender adds, "And now we have proved that the black hole is at the center of a tiny disk of blue stars. But this uncovers a new mystery." The new observations by the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph show that the blue light consists of more than 400 stars. Their properties suggest that they formed only 200 million years ago. Bender asks, "How could stars form so close to the powerful gravity of a black hole? Gas that might form stars must spin around the black hole so quickly — and so much more quickly near the black hole than farther out — that star formation looks almost impossible. But the stars are there."

Bender and his colleagues believe that the present disk of blue stars may not be the first to form at Andromeda's center. "The blue stars are so short-lived that it is unlikely, in the 12-billion-year history of the galaxy, that a disk of them would appear just when we are ready to look for it," says team member Tod Lauer of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory. "That's why we think that the mechanism that formed this disk probably formed other stellar disks in the past and will form them again in the future."

The mystery of the blue disk shows why it was important to check that the central dark object is a giant black hole. Kormendy notes, "If we don't understand how the blue stars formed now in the hostile environment around a supermassive black hole, then how can we be sure that a lot more stars didn't form in the benign absence of a black hole?"

Bender explains, "The stars in the blue disk will die in a few hundred million years. They will leave behind a cluster of dark neutron stars and small black holes. If stars formed and died many times in the past, then there is a danger that Andromeda contains 10 or 20 million dead stars at its center and not a supermassive black hole. Now we have shown that this is impossible. Andromeda becomes the third galaxy in which plausible alternatives to a supermassive black hole are excluded."

— END —

Notes to editors: This release is put out concurrently with a release with multiple high-resolution images from the Space Telescope Science Institute, which can be found online at: http://hubblesite.org/news/2005/26

John Kormendy's website contains additional information on his studies of Andromeda: http://chandra.as.utexas.edu/~kormendy/

Science contacts:

Dr. John Kormendy, University of Texas at Austin
512-471-8191; kormendy@astro.as.utexas.edu

Dr. Ralf Bender, Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
+49-89-30000-3702; bender@mpe.mpg.de

Dr. Richard Green, Large Binocular Telescope Observatory
520-626-7088; rgreen@as.arizona.edu

University of Texas at Austin helped build giant African telescope

Texas and South Africa to reap scientific and economic benefits

 

SUTHERLAND, SOUTH AFRICA — Tomorrow, a global group of partners will inaugurate the newly completed 11-meter Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), the largest telescope in the southern hemisphere and, like the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) in Texas, one of the world's largest.

Just over nine years ago, Frank Bash, then director of The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory, traveled to Pretoria, South Africa to visit Khotso Mokhele, president of South Africa's National Research Foundation. Together with Penn State's Larry Ramsey, project scientist for the HET at McDonald, Bash suggested that South Africa build a copy of the HET.

A contingent of about three dozen Texans will travel to Africa for the inauguration, including the university's Vice President for Research Juan Sanchez, Vice Provost Lucia Gilbert and McDonald Observatory Director David Lambert. The rest of the group comprises University of Texas at Austin astronomers and about 20 members of McDonald's Board of Visitors. Former Texas Lieutenant Governor William P. Hobby, namesake of the HET, will attend the event, along with his wife.

After Bash and Ramsey's 1996 African trip, “the seed started to sprout,” Bash says. The South African parliament approved the project and committed half of its funding on condition that they find partners to supply the other half.

“We helped them find partners, and formed a board of directors for SALT,” Bash says. The prospective members joined the board, which met at different locations around the world over several years, including Poland and New Zealand.

Tom Sebring was the project manager for construction of HET. He and Bash traveled to South Africa to choose a project manager for SALT's construction. At the time, Bash recalls, Sebring pointed out that, as a national project, SALT could involve the nation's schools and engineering students.

“So 'collateral benefits' workshops were held,” Bash says. Engineering fellowships were created. “South African industry got really involved, and it became a point of pride for South Africa to do as much of it as they could. They did an amazing job.”

Regarding the construction of the telescope itself, “we helped them avoid some of the pitfalls” we encountered in building HET, Bash said. “I don't think there's any doubt that SALT is an improvement on HET as a result.”

Mokhele visited McDonald Observatory in summer 2000 to speak about SALT to a gathering of McDonald's Board of Visitors.

“Maybe it sounds fantastic for South Africa to want to play in the big leagues of astronomy,” he said. “Does it not have more pressing needs, more pressing problems that it should tackle now and maybe contemplate astronomy sometime else? But unless we start to make the sorts of investments that SALT is, then we never come out of poverty.

“I want to assure you that to us [SALT] has always been and will always be something bigger than just a fancy and expensive toy for a few astronomers with foreign accents to come to South Africa to play around with. It is a project that sits in the gut of our national development agenda. It's a project that sits in the gut of our desire and determination to change the fortunes of South Africa as a country, to change education in mathematics and science, to change the attitudes and confidences of math and science teachers.”

Bash wants Texans to know the role they played in bringing about this project half a world away.

“Texans ought to be proud that it probably wouldn't have happened had we not planted the seed,” he says. “We supported it all along, giving advice and sending plans.”

The HET board contributed the engineering plans for HET, as well as countless hours of time and expertise, though no cash.

“As a result of our contribution, the five-member HET partnership has 10 percent of the observing time on SALT,” Bash says. That computes to six percent for University of Texas at Austin astronomers, or 21 nights per year.

According to McDonald director Lambert, this access to SALT will provide Texas astronomers a window on the southern hemisphere, where they can study skies not accessible from North America. Objects of particular note include the center of the Milky Way galaxy, as well as the two nearest galaxies, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds.

And, he says, SALT is “a beautiful vindication of the effort we put into HET, that the South Africans chose to build a copy of it.”
Preceding the Nov. 10 inauguration events, a symposium on African astronomical history will be held in Cape Town on Nov. 8 and 9. After the SALT inauguration, the International Astronomical Union and the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics will hold a week-long symposium called “The Case for Extremely Large Telescopes” in Sutherland.

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope is a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), Stanford University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Unversität Göttingen.

— END —

Notes

SALT partners in South Africa include:

  • The South African Astronomical Observatory
  • The Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology
  • The National Research Foundation

International partners include:

  • The Hobby-Eberly Telescope Board (comprising The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Stanford University, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, and Ludwig Maximilians Universität Munchen)
  • Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
  • The University of Wisconsin - Madison
  • University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
  • Dartmouth College
  • Carnegie Mellon University
  • University of Canterbury (New Zealand)
  • Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences (Poland)
  • Georg-August-Universität Göttingen (Germany)
  • The United Kingdom SALT Consortium (comprising the Armagh Observatory, the University of Keele, the University of Central Lancashire, the University of Nottingham, the Open University, and the University of Southampton)

Astronomers find most stable optical clock in the heavens

FORT DAVIS , TEXAS — After 31 years of tracking the light-output of a burnt-out star from telescopes at McDonald Observatory, astronomer S.O. Kepler of Brazil’s Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul and a slew of University of Texas colleagues have found the most stable optical clock in the heavens.

The finding has implications for theories of how stars live and die, and places limits on where planets can exist around this white dwarf.

Their results are being published in today’s edition of The Astrophysical Journal in what is being called a “landmark paper” by one of that journal’s editors.

The star in question is a 400 million-year-old white dwarf called G117-B15A, located in Leo Minor. Its pulses of light are so regular that it loses one second in 8.9 million years. This makes the pulses of G117 more accurate and much more stable than the ticks of an atomic clock, Kepler said.

Some may suggest that the so-called “millisecond pulsars” are better timekeepers than G117. Kepler doesn’t think so.  Millisecond pulsars are the spinning remnant cores of massive stars that have exploded as supernovae. Their lighthouse-like beacon of radio waves and X-rays sweep by Earth regularly, acting as extremely accurate clocks. While it is true that a few pulsars are somewhat more accurate than G117, their clocks are not as stable — that is, their accuracy breaks down sooner, Kepler said.

As a white dwarf, G117 is the corpse of a Sun-like star that has exhausted its supply of nuclear fuel, and shed its outer layers of gas so that only the core remains. This dead core slowly cools over billions of years.

If astronomers could measure the rate of cooling, it would be a boon to understanding how stars evolve and die. In fact, this can now be done. “The use of white dwarfs as chronometers is a sport we invented here at McDonald Observatory in 1987,” said white dwarf expert Don Winget of The University of Texas at Austin, one of the co-authors on the paper. “White dwarfs are now a standard chronometer for stellar evolution.”

The key is that some white dwarfs pulsate — that is, give off bursts of light in a regular rhythm. As the white dwarf cools over time, the pulse arrival time slows down. By measuring how the pulses slow over time, astronomers can measure how fast the white dwarf is cooling.

“What we’re measuring is the pulse arrival time of the main pulsation of the star, which is a 215-second pulsation,” Winget said. “We’ve exploited the fact that time is the most accurate physical quantity that human beings can measure. So over the years we’ve accumulated timings of the pulsations of this star, which have turned out to be remarkably stable. And in fact we’ve finally measured a change in the pulsation period.

“This is a direct measure of the evolution of a star,” he said. That feat has only been reached once before. In 1987, Winget and a team of Texas astronomers measured the cooling rate of a pre-white dwarf star called PG1159-035. “Its evolutionary timescale was four orders of magnitude shorter — faster than G117,” Winget said. “So this new result is an extension by a factor of 10,000 over the only previous measure of stellar evolution.”

And because white dwarfs are some of the oldest stars in the galaxy, measuring how long they’ve been cooling is one way to measure the age of the Milky Way itself.

“The other thing that this does is set limits on extrasolar planets that might be present around this star,” Winget said. Kepler explained that both the star and any planets orbiting it would orbit around the entire system’s center of mass. “This will affect the pulse arrival time,” he said, allowing detection of the planet(s).

The decades of data on G117 show no Jupiter-mass planet at Jupiter’s distance or any closer, Kepler said. The orbital distance from the parent star is an important factor, Winget said. “This whole area has never been probed by any other method ever before … we’re sort of plowing a new field here.”

Texas astronomer Rob Robinson and his graduate student John McGraw began timing the pulses from G 117 in 1974, using the 2.1-meter and 0.9-meter telescopes at McDonald Observatory. Kepler joined the work as a graduate student at Texas in 1979. Kepler continued the project after he completed his PhD at Texas and returned home to Brazil.

“No one thought the project could be done,” Winget said. “You’d never get the telescope time. Even 20 years ago, we knew it was going to take another 20 years. This result is a testimony to perseverance,” Winget said. “Kepler has seen this through.”

The reconnaissance of G117 continues. “My students will be observing G117,” Kepler said. He traces the “family tree” from Rob Robinson, to John McGraw, to himself, to his Brazilian graduate student Barbara Castanheira, who is spending a year visiting The University of Texas at Austin.

— END —

NOTE: S.O. Kepler is currently a Senior Resident Astronomer for the SOAR Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile and can be reached via email at kepler@ctio.noao.edu.

Astronomers Use Spitzer Space Telescope to Challenge Brown Dwarf Formation Models

 

The formation process that creates brown dwarfs has long been a mystery. In terms of their mass, “brown dwarfs are found in the ‘no-man’s land’ between stars and planets,” Evans says. “They have masses too small to be a star, but too large to be a planet.”

Two lines of evidence point to a star-like formation process for brown dwarfs: the presence of disks found around brown dwarfs, and the discovery of extremely dim objects forming inside clouds of gas and dust — objects too dim to be protostars.

Both lines of evidence come from Spitzer observations by Evans’ team, a group of about 60 astronomers from various institutions, called the “Cores to Disks” or “c2d” Spitzer Legacy Project.

“None of these objects could have been found without the unprecedented sensitivity of the instruments on the Spitzer Space Telescope,” Evans says.

First, the new c2d Spitzer observations, combined with supporting observations from a number of ground-based telescopes, show that a substantial number of brown dwarfs are surrounded by disks of dusty material, similar to those found around forming stars.

C2d team members Katelyn Allers, Jacqueline Kessler-Silacci, Daniel Jaffe, and Lucas Cieza of The University of Texas at Austin found about a dozen disk-surrounded brown dwarfs in the southern-hemisphere constellations Chamaeleon, Lupus, and Ophiuchus. Some of the brown dwarfs have a mass of five to 10 Jupiters, and are only a few million years old — young, astronomically speaking.

The disk discoveries were made by comparing observations of these objects at different wavelengths. The brown dwarfs were first studied in near-infrared light using the four-meter Blanco Telescope at the National Science Foundation’s Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory in Chile.

Astronomers used the near-infrared information to predict how much mid-infrared light they should give off. The Spitzer observations showed that the objects gave off much more mid-infrared light than expected. This can be explained by the presence of a disk around the brown dwarf. Disks are made up of dust, which absorbs light radiated from the brown dwarf and re-emits it at lower energies — that is, in the particular mid-infrared wavelengths detectable by Spitzer.

The group also found these objects are less massive than the smallest stars. “You can’t weigh these brown dwarfs directly,” Allers says. “We used theoretical models to figure out that they may have masses as low as five to 10 Jupiter masses.”

“The disks around the brown dwarfs are analogous to the disks around very young Sun-like stars,” Allers says, “disks that we believe provide the raw materials for planets.” In fact, Daniel Apai of the University of Arizona and his collaborators announced in October 2005 that they had found evidence that disks around more massive brown dwarfs might form planets.

Allers’ discoveries broaden the original finding of a disk around the more massive brown dwarf OTS 44 by Kevin Luhman of Penn State, announced in February 2005, and his more recent discovery of a less massive disk-surrounded brown dwarf. Today’s c2d announcement shows these are part of a wide-spread phenomenon — not oddballs, but the norm.

The presence of these disks around brown dwarfs challenges one idea for their formation, namely ejection caused by gravitational interactions inside a region of star formation densely packed with stars. These results conflict with that theory in three ways: First, computer models show that it would be difficult for ejected brown dwarfs to keep their disks. Second, one of Allers’ brown dwarfs is in a wide binary system, which is difficult for the ejection model to produce. Finally, neither Lupus nor Chamaeleon are forming stars in the dense clusters the ejection model requires.

The discovery of a substantial number of disks around even very low mass brown dwarfs increases the likelihood that the alternative formation scenario applies: that brown dwarfs form more or less like stars do, by accreting matter from a collapsing cloud of gas and dust — or, in the jargon of star-formation researchers, a “core.”

“These results suggest an origin for brown dwarfs similar to that of stars: a collapsing ‘core’ of gas and dust,” Evans says. “If this is right, we should see evidence for very low mass objects in cores.”

Mass is hard to measure in the very early stages of brown-dwarf formation. But astronomers know that forming objects give off light in amounts related to their mass and the rate at which they are accreting new material onto themselves. So a low mass, accreting object would be very faint.

Evidence for such tiny, dim objects exists. The first discovery of a very dim object (called L1014-IRS) forming inside what was previously thought to be a “starless core” in early Spitzer images was made by c2d team member Chadwick Young of UT-Austin (now at Nicholls State University) and collaborators and announced in November 2004. Now, c2d team members have found about a dozen very faint objects that may be brown dwarfs in this earlier disk phase, embedded in cores of gas and dust. Once again, this shows that L1014-IRS, like OTS 44, is not an oddball, but the norm.

The new examples were found by c2d team members Tyler Bourke, Tracy Huard, and Philip Myers of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics; Michael Dunham of UT-Austin; and Jens Kauffmann of the Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie. These findings suggest a new class of objects is emerging. Dubbed “Very Low Luminosity Objects,” or “VeLLOs,” they have less than one-tenth the Sun’s luminosity.

These are unlikely to be stars in a very early stage of formation. “Accreting protostars are much more luminous than they will be when they become stars,” Evans says. “So finding such a low luminosity in these objects is surprising. It implies that the product of the current mass and the rate at which mass is being added is unusually low.”

These studies show that the VeLLOs embedded in what were thought of as “starless cores” may be earlier stages of the disk-surrounded brown dwarfs found by Katelyn Allers and her c2d collaborators. In fact, further studies by Bourke and Huard show strong evidence for a disk around L1014-IRS, as announced in October 2005.

“Cores to Disks” is one of six Spitzer Legacy Science Projects selected in November 2000 to complete major surveys with Spitzer. The c2d team was awarded 400 hours of Spitzer observations, and produces data freely available to all astronomers.

The Spitzer Space Telescope is managed for NASA by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech, in Pasadena, Calif. Science operations are conducted at the Spitzer Science Center at Caltech, also in Pasadena.

— END —

 

Science Contacts: Neal Evans of UT-Austin may be reached at (512) 471-4396 or nje@astro.as.utexas.edu; Dan Jaffe of UT-Austin may be reached at (512) 471-3425 or dtj@astro.as.utexas.edu, and Philip Myers of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory may be reached at (617) 495-7295 or pmyers@cfa.harvard.edu.

Amateur astronomers make first sighting of '10th planet' through McDonald Observatory telescope

FORT DAVIS, TEXAS — A group of amateur astronomers has used the 2.1-meter (82-inch) Otto Struve Telescope at McDonald Observatory to make the first “through-the-eyepiece” sighting of the so-called tenth planet, an object orbiting the Sun in the Kuiper Belt, far beyond Pluto. The group includes members of the St. Louis and Rockland Astronomical Societies, and a few others.

The object’s official designation is 2003UB313. Its discoverers, led by Dr. Michael Brown of Caltech, have nicknamed it ‘Xena.’ The actual discovery and confirmation of the object were made by mining images taken by sensitive electronic imagers mounted on a telescope, called CCDs (charge-coupled devices).

According to Louis Berman of the St. Louis Astronomical Society, Brown confirmed to the group of amateur astronomers before their attempt that, to his knowledge, they were the only people in the world attempting to see ‘Xena’ through the eyepiece of a telescope.

In terms of brightness, ‘Xena’ is what astronomers would call a 19th magnitude object. That means that it’s about five million times dimmer than Polaris, the North Star, which is sometimes difficult to see with the unaided eye. ‘Xena’ is just at the limit of what can be seen with the human eye through the Struve Telescope.

The sighting took place on October 9, 2005, at 1:08 a.m. CDT. The first sighting was made by Keith Murdock of the Rockland Astronomy Club. Confirmation occurred at 1:15 a.m. when Louis Berman, of the St. Louis Astronomical Society, located the object. Eight more members of the group saw ‘Xena,’ in addition to two McDonald Observatory staffers, Kevin Mace and Frank Cianciolo. The observers followed a strict protocol and kept detailed records to verify their observations.

McDonald Observatory’s Frank Cianciolo recalls the event:

“Since UB313 would not be high enough to observe until roughly 1:30 a.m. or so, the group planned to observe a number of other object prior to the ‘Xena’ attempt. The views of these other objects indicated that while we had reasonable conditions, we didn’t have the excellent conditions the group had thought we may need to acquire UB313, so there was a bit of tension as the viewing window approached.

“At the proper time, the guys worked with Kevin [Mace] to get the telescope pointed to the coordinates where they had calculated UB313 should be at that precise time. Fortunately, there were no bright stars in the field of view that would cause glare and possibly ruin any chance of seeing the object. Due to some confusion about sky orientation in the eyepiece, Keith [Murdock] spent several long minutes not recognizing the field he expected to see. Once that confusion was cleared up and a small correction to the telescope’s point were made, however, it didn’t take long for Keith to announce that he believed he could identify, conclusively, UB313.

“After Keith’s sighting, it took each observer several minutes to properly understand the orientation of the field and then to hop from brighter stars to fainter stars and finally to see ‘Xena.’ At the staggering distance of roughly 90 AU [that is, 90 times the Earth-Sun distance], an object the size of UB313 essentially displays no measurable size. Due to this, it was no easy task to actually identify the incredibly faint fuzzy dot as anything but a star at the very limit of visibility through the 82-inch [Struve Telescope].”

The object, Berman says, “was a very dim, pointlike source that could only be seen through averted vision. If you looked straight at it, you’d never see it.”

McDonald Observatory’s Mace agrees. “It looked like a faint star,” he said. “A little difficult to pick out against the field stars. It’s not visually stunning.”

However, Mace continued, “how many people on the planet have seen this? Pretty much just our group.”

Cianciolo credits the sighting with the group’s early preparations. “Had it not been for the excellent charts and CCD images which the St. Louis group spent weeks preparing, there would have been no way to conclusively identify UB313,” Cianciolo said. “It is a testament to the incredible skill and dedication some amateurs show to their passion of astronomy that the folks on the dome floor that night are, to anyone’s knowledge, the only humans on the planet to have seen UB313 at an eyepiece.

“Truly this has to go down as ‘extreme astronomy,’” he said.

These days, it is unusual for large telescopes at professional observatories to even have eyepieces. The astronomers at McDonald don’t use the eyepieces for their observations — images are recorded onto computers. But the eyepiece capability makes three of McDonald’s research-grade telescopes accessible to the public a few nights each month. The Struve, as well as the 2.7-meter (107-inch)Harlan J. Smith Telescope, may be the largest telescopes in the world available for public observing sessions. McDonald’s smaller 0.9-meter (36-inch) telescope is also used for special public viewing programs.

— END —

Additional contacts:

Frank Cianciolo, Sr. Program Coordinator
McDonald Observatory Visitors Center
The University of Texas at Austin
432-426-3640; frankc@astro.as.utexas.edu

Louis Berman
St. Louis Astronomical Society
lsb@bitmaven.com

International team of astronomers discovers origins of 'extreme helium stars'

AUSTIN, Texas — An international group of astronomers including Dr. David L. Lambert, director of The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory, has used Hubble Space Telescope to determine the origin of a very unusual and rare type of star. The group’s studies indicate that the so-called “extreme helium stars” are formed by the merger of two white dwarf stars. The work has been published in the February 10 issue of The Astrophysical Journal.

 

The team was led by Dr. Gajendra Pandey of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) in Bangalore, and also includes Dr. C. Simon Jeffery of Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland, and Professor N. Kameswara Rao, also of IIA.

“It’s taken more than 60 years after the first discovery at McDonald to get some idea of how these formed,” Rao said. He has been studying these types of stars for more than 30 years. “We are now getting a consistent picture.”

The nature of the first extreme helium star, HD 124448, was discovered at McDonald Observatory in 1942 by Daniel M. Popper of The University of Chicago. Since then, fewer than two dozen of these stars have been identified. They are supergiant stars — less massive than the Sun but many times larger and hotter — and remarkable for their strange compositions. They contain almost no hydrogen, the most abundant chemical element in the universe, and the most basic component of all stars. Instead, they are dominated by helium, with significant amounts of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, and traces of all other stable elements.

The origin of extreme helium stars cannot be traced back to formation in a cloud of helium gas, since no such clouds exist in our Milky Way galaxy. Nuclear reactions in a star like the Sun convert hydrogen to helium to provide sunlight or starlight. Since the helium is confined the hot core of a star, the star must lose vast amounts of gas before the helium is at the star’s surface — and thus detectable by telescopes. No known mechanism inside the star can drive off the overlying layers to expose the helium.

Two decades ago, astronomers Ronald Webbink and Icko Iben of the University of Illinois introduced the theory that extreme helium stars formed from the merger of two white dwarfs.

White dwarfs are the end product of the evolution of stars like the Sun. They don’t contain much hydrogen. Some are rich in helium, and others in carbon and oxygen. A pair of white dwarfs can result from the evolution of a normal binary star (two normal stars in orbit around each other).

Webbink and Iben supposed that, in some cases, one star in the binary may evolve as a helium-rich white dwarf, and the other as a carbon-oxygen-rich white dwarf. Over billions of years of orbiting each other, the two stars lose energy and move steadily closer to each other. Eventually, the helium white dwarf is consumed by the more massive carbon-oxygen white dwarf. The resultant single star swells up to become a helium-rich supergiant star.

To test this theory, astronomers needed to uncover the exact chemical composition of extreme helium stars. This is what Pandey, Lambert, and their colleagues set out to do. They obtained crucial observations with NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, and made supporting observations from the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory and the 2.3-meter Vainu Bappu Telescope in India.

“As an aside,” Lambert said, “it’s interesting to note that the namesakes of these two telescopes, Harlan J. Smith and Vainu Bappu, were the very best of friends in graduate school at Harvard.” Later, Smith served as director of McDonald Observatory from 1963 to 1989. Vainu Bappu founded the Indian Institute of Astrophysics. “Today, with collaborations like this project,” Lambert said, “we’re maintaining the important international and personal ties that astronomy thrives upon.”

The group made detailed studies of the ultraviolet light coming from seven extreme helium stars with Hubble Space Telescope’s STIS instrument (the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph) and of the optical light from the telescopes in Texas and India. This data provided them with the specific amounts of at least two dozen different chemical elements present in each star they studied.

According to Rao, it is the advance in technology of being able to observe the spectra of these stars in ultraviolet light with Hubble that made this breakthrough study possible more than 60 years after extreme helium stars were discovered.

The Hubble results match up well with predicted compositions from models of the composition of a star formed through the merger of two white dwarf stars in which the helium-core white dwarf is torn apart, and forms a thick disk around the carbon-oxygen white dwarf. Then, in a process taking only a few minutes, the disk is gravitationally pulled into the carbon-oxygen white dwarf.

What happens next depends of the mass of the new, resulting star. If it is above a certain mass, called the Chandrasekar limit, it will explode (specifically, it will explode as a Type Ia supernova). However, if the mass is below this limit, the new merged star will balloon up into a supergiant, eventually becoming an extreme helium star.

Pandey, Lambert, Jeffery, and Rao plan to continue their research on extreme helium stars, using both the Smith and Hobby-Eberly Telescopes at McDonald Observatory. They hope to identify more extreme helium stars, and discover even more chemical elements in these stars.

This research was supported by grants from the Robert A. Welch Foundation of Houston,  Texas and the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland.

— END —

New 'MONET/North' telescope to be dedicated at McDonald Observatory tomorrow

FORT DAVIS , Texas — An international partnership between McDonald Observatory, the University of Göttingen in Germany, and the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) will dedicate a new telescope at McDonald Observatory tomorrow. The media are cordially invited to attend; see details at end.

The 1.2-meter robotically controlled telescope, called MONET/North, is the first of two telescopes planned for the “MOnitoring NEtwork of Telescopes.” The other will be located at SAAO’s Sutherland Station, northeast of Cape Town, South Africa.

MONET/North is housed in an unusual clamshell-style enclosure on McDonald Observatory’s Mount Locke, down the mountain from the large white domes of the Otto Struve and Harlan J. Smith telescopes.

“It’s a fine addition to McDonald Observatory,” McDonald director Dr. David L. Lambert said.

Germany’s Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation has funded 90 percent of the MONET project, whose total cost has been about $1.8 million U.S.

The project was initiated by Germany’s University of Göttingen, also a partner in the Hobby-Eberly Telescope located at McDonald. Dr. Frederic Hessman of Göttingen, the MONET project manager, received his doctorate in astronomy from The University of Texas at Austin in 1985.

“The idea for the MONET project started in 1999,” Hessman said. “We originally wanted to put up two small telescopes to monitor the sky for various phenomena. I approached [UT professor] Rob Robinson, who talked to [McDonald director] Frank Bash, at that time.”

Since then, Hessman said, “what started out as a small scientific project has blossomed into a large scientific and educational project.”

When both MONET telescopes are operating, McDonald Observatory astronomers will get 15 percent of the observing time on both telescopes. Göttingen will receive 80 percent for use in both research and education, and SAAO will receive about five percent.

Half of Göttingen’s time will be used by school kids all over the world — including Texas — but with a particular emphasis in Germany’s Ruhr Valley, home of the Krupp Foundation. The time difference of seven hours between Texas and Germany will allow German students participating in the “Astronomie & Internet” project to conduct astronomical observations “live” via the internet during their morning hours of school, while the telescope itself is under a dark Texas sky.

McDonald Observatory also plans to make use of the MONET/North telescope’s educational time for its own educational programs, including professional development workshops for teachers.

Tomorrow’s dedication ceremony will begin at 11:00 a.m. In addition to Hessman and Lambert, other speakers will include Dr. Stefan Dreizler (Director of Göttingen’s Institute for Astrophysics), and Dr. J. Craig Wheeler (UT-Austin astronomy professor and president of the American Astronomical Society).

Lunch at McDonald Observatory’s Firehouse follows the dedication; media are welcome to attend.

At 2:00 p.m., the “First MONET Symposium” will be held at McDonald Observatory’s Visitors Center. More than half a dozen speakers will present talks on using the telescope to search for extrasolar planets, to study galaxies, black holes, and supernovae, and in educational programs for Texas teachers and students.

Tomorrow’s events mark completion of the first third of the MONET project. The next important step is the first public use of MONET/North by German schools, an event that Göttingen and the Krupp Foundation are planning for this fall. Finally, with the planned dedication of MONET/South at SAAO later this year and the connecting of the two telescopes over the internet, Texas astronomers large and small will be able to view the entire sky through MONET’s two telescopic eyes.

— END —

Notes:

Members of the media wishing to attend the dedication should contact Debbie Sproul at McDonald Observatory at 432-426-4186.

Additional Links:

MONET web site
Krupp Foundation
UT-Austin Astronomy Program
South African Astronomical Observatory    

McDonald Observatory introduces new Fire Marshal, more during 'Texas Wildfire Awareness Week'

FORT DAVIS, Texas — This is Wildfire Awareness Week in Texas, and McDonald Observatory is introducing our new Fire Marshal, upgraded safety measures, new equipment, and a partnership with the Fort Davis Fire Department.

In 2004, the Observatory formulated a plan to make upgrades in response to an evaluation from the State Fire Marshal. “We developed a plan to get two new positions and make many improvements that would cover four areas: fire, medical response, security needs, and environmental health and safety,” McDonald Superintendent Dr. Phil Kelton said.

The Texas Forest Service provided a grant of $108,000 toward the cost of a new fire truck, and The University of Texas at Austin administration provided $132,000 to complete the purchase. McDonald and UT-Austin jointly funded other needs, such as emergency vehicles, the redevelopment of McDonald’s old well as a secondary water source, and various fire and safety equipment, supplies, and repairs.

Today, Steve Bramlett is the Safety Officer and Fire Marshal for the Observatory. He comes to McDonald after 27 years with the Marshall, Texas Fire Department. During that time, he went from rookie firefighter to Captain. He spent his last eight years there in the training division, and also worked in inspections and fire investigation. During his last four years, post-9/11, he worked on Homeland Security activities.

Now that Bramlett is on the job, he will hire an Assistant Safety Manager. That will bring McDonald’s fire and safety department up to two full-time employees, plus a small group of volunteers.

Bramlett said he plans to recruit additional volunteers, and to start a rigorous weekly training program. “This will raise the level of training to a level that’s never been possible before at McDonald,” Kelton said.

The partnership with Fort Davis will mean that the Observatory’s fire department will be a substation of the Fort Davis Fire Department. A Memorandum of Understanding is under development.

“Instead of two separate groups, we’ll train together and share equipment,” Bramlett said.

The equipment upgrade includes the Observatory’s new, custom-built orange fire truck. Bramlett and Rex Barrick, head of McDonald’s Physical Plant, flew to Idaho to inspect the truck and drive it back to Texas.

Before, the Observatory had “a little one-ton truck with a 300-gallon tank that could pump 200 gallons per minute,” Bramlett said. “It was limited as a grass fire truck.” The new truck has dual capabilities, he said. It can fight both structure fires and grass fires. It can pump 1,250 gallons of water per minute. The Observatory has also purchased a second vehicle for emergency services.

Last July, the Observatory was nationally recognized as a Firewise Community/USA for its efforts in making the Observatory and surrounding community more resistant to wildfires.

“The McDonald Observatory fire safety project was precedent-setting due to the involvement of several state agencies,” said Garland Waldrop, UT-Austin’s Fire Marshal. “The work of personnel within The University of Texas at Austin, State Fire Marshal’s Office, Texas Forest Service, McDonald Observatory Firefighters, and the Ft. Davis Volunteer Fire Department is to be commended.

“The accomplishments of all personnel involved will significantly reduce the risk of incidental fire for McDonald Observatory and Jeff Davis County residents,” he said. “It has been my privilege to work with the personnel from the different agencies to achieve a common goal for the safety and welfare of potentially hundreds of people.”

— END —

Notes:

To contact Steve Bramlett, call 426-432-4148 or e-mail bramlett@astro.as.utexas.edu.

To read more about Texas Wildfire Awareness Week, visit the online Newsroom of the Texas Forest Service.

McDonald Observatory introduces new Fire Marshal, more during 'Texas Wildfire Awareness Week'

FORT DAVIS, Texas — This is Wildfire Awareness Week in Texas, and McDonald Observatory is introducing our new Fire Marshal, upgraded safety measures, new equipment, and a partnership with the Fort Davis Fire Department.

In 2004, the Observatory formulated a plan to make upgrades in response to an evaluation from the State Fire Marshal. “We developed a plan to get two new positions and make many improvements that would cover four areas: fire, medical response, security needs, and environmental health and safety,” McDonald Superintendent Dr. Phil Kelton said.

The Texas Forest Service provided a grant of $108,000 toward the cost of a new fire truck, and The University of Texas at Austin administration provided $132,000 to complete the purchase. McDonald and UT-Austin jointly funded other needs, such as emergency vehicles, the redevelopment of McDonald’s old well as a secondary water source, and various fire and safety equipment, supplies, and repairs.

Today, Steve Bramlett is the Safety Officer and Fire Marshal for the Observatory. He comes to McDonald after 27 years with the Marshall, Texas Fire Department. During that time, he went from rookie firefighter to Captain. He spent his last eight years there in the training division, and also worked in inspections and fire investigation. During his last four years, post-9/11, he worked on Homeland Security activities.

Now that Bramlett is on the job, he will hire an Assistant Safety Manager. That will bring McDonald’s fire and safety department up to two full-time employees, plus a small group of volunteers.

Bramlett said he plans to recruit additional volunteers, and to start a rigorous weekly training program. “This will raise the level of training to a level that’s never been possible before at McDonald,” Kelton said.

The partnership with Fort Davis will mean that the Observatory’s fire department will be a substation of the Fort Davis Fire Department. A Memorandum of Understanding is under development.

“Instead of two separate groups, we’ll train together and share equipment,” Bramlett said.

The equipment upgrade includes the Observatory’s new, custom-built orange fire truck. Bramlett and Rex Barrick, head of McDonald’s Physical Plant, flew to Idaho to inspect the truck and drive it back to Texas.

Before, the Observatory had “a little one-ton truck with a 300-gallon tank that could pump 200 gallons per minute,” Bramlett said. “It was limited as a grass fire truck.” The new truck has dual capabilities, he said. It can fight both structure fires and grass fires. It can pump 1,250 gallons of water per minute. The Observatory has also purchased a second vehicle for emergency services.

Last July, the Observatory was nationally recognized as a Firewise Community/USA for its efforts in making the Observatory and surrounding community more resistant to wildfires.

“The McDonald Observatory fire safety project was precedent-setting due to the involvement of several state agencies,” said Garland Waldrop, UT-Austin’s Fire Marshal. “The work of personnel within The University of Texas at Austin, State Fire Marshal’s Office, Texas Forest Service, McDonald Observatory Firefighters, and the Ft. Davis Volunteer Fire Department is to be commended.

“The accomplishments of all personnel involved will significantly reduce the risk of incidental fire for McDonald Observatory and Jeff Davis County residents,” he said. “It has been my privilege to work with the personnel from the different agencies to achieve a common goal for the safety and welfare of potentially hundreds of people.”

— END —

Notes:

To contact Steve Bramlett, call 426-432-4148 or e-mail bramlett@astro.as.utexas.edu.

To read more about Texas Wildfire Awareness Week, visit the online Newsroom of the Texas Forest Service.

Giant Magellan Telescope Group Gains Partner Down Under

(News release courtesy Carnegie Institution of Washington.)

 

Pasadena, Calif. —  The Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT), the first extremely large new-generation telescope to begin production has gained a new partner — the Australian National University (ANU) . The announcement made today comes from the Giant Magellan Telescope consortium. Other consortium members include the Carnegie Observatories, Harvard University, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, University of Arizona, University of Michigan, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Texas at Austin, and Texas A&M University.

“The addition of the Australian National University to the GMT consortium is the most recent indication of the momentum that the project is generating,” commented Wendy Freedman, chair of the GMT board and the Crawford H. Greenewalt director of the Carnegie Observatories. “We couldn’t be more pleased with ANU’s participation. We all share a common goal to probe the most important questions in astronomy facing us over the next generation — the mysteries of dark energy, dark matter, and black holes; the birth of stars and planetary systems in our Milky Way; the genesis of galaxies; and much more.”

 “The GMT represents a new epoch for astronomy,” stated Richard Meserve, president of the Carnegie Institution. Now with a group of nine, the consortium is well on its way to accomplish its goals,” he added.

The Giant Magellan Telescope is slated for completion in 2016 at a site in northern Chile. It will be composed of seven 8.4-meter primary mirrors arranged in a hexagonal pattern. One spare off-axis mirror will also be made. The telescope’s primary mirror will have a diameter of 80 foot (24.5 meters) with more than 4.5 times the collecting area of any current optical telescope and ten times the resolution of the Hubble Space Telescope.

The mirrors for the giant telescope are being made using the existing infrastructure at the University of Arizona, Steward Observatory Mirror Laboratory, which made the 6.5-meter Magellan telescope mirrors, at Carnegie’s Las Campanas Observatory, and the 8.4-meter Large Binocular Telescope mirrors on Mt. Graham. The first off-axis mirror for the GMT was successfully cast in July 2005 at Steward. The back surface of the mirror is currently being prepared to support it to the mirror cell and polishing will begin next year. The mirror technology has been proven by the Magellan telescopes, which are the best natural imaging telescopes on the ground.

The GMT is designed to work in tandem with the future generation of planned ground- and space-based telescopes. Site testing at the Las Campanas Observatory is also underway for the GMT along with many other aspects of the project.

— END —

Notes: Images and detailed information about the design of the telescope and the science it will perform are available online at the GMT web site.

Additional contacts:

Wendy Freedman, Director of the Carnegie Observatories and Chair of the GMT Board, at 626-304-0204

Matt Johns, Associate Director of the Observatories and GMT Project Manager, at 626-304-0288

Patrick McCarthy, Staff Astronomer and GMT Science Working Group Chair, at 626-304-0222

McDonald Observatory receives $5 million challenge grant to study elusive dark energy

AUSTIN, Texas — Light might soon be shed on one of the great enigmas of the universe — dark energy — thanks to a $5 million challenge grant from Dallas’ Harold C. Simmons to The University of Texas at Austin. Simmons’ grant will help fund the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) at UT’s McDonald Observatory by matching the next $5 million in private support received.

Discovered in the late 1990s, dark energy is a force causing the universe to expand at an accelerating rate. But scientists are unable to say what the energy is or how it fits with the known laws of physics. “We know that it dominates the universe,” said David Lambert, a UT astronomer and the director of McDonald Observatory. “In fact, it comprises an estimated 73 percent of the universe, while so-called dark matter accounts for 23 percent, and matter of the familiar kind — the stars, galaxies, all known life — comprises only four percent.”

Simmons, the chairman of Contran Corporation, holds BA and MA degrees in economics from UT Austin. He has previously given to UT athletic programs and the McCombs School of Business, as well as to the UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. He said he hopes this gift will help HETDEX make astronomical history. “I find the question of dark energy intriguing and I am glad to help support the innovative research program at McDonald Observatory.”

HETDEX is the best contender for solving the riddle of dark energy, according to Lambert, because it will combine a large telescope, a large amount of observing time, and an innovative instrument that will allow for a three-dimensional map of up to one million galaxies. “Many in the scientific community believe that understanding the nature of dark energy is the number-one question in all of science,” he said. “We cannot observe dark energy in the laboratory because its effects are seen only on enormous scales. So the universe has to be the laboratory.”

“Harold Simmons’ grant is a terrific example of how philanthropists and universities can be partners in the quest for new knowledge,” said UT President William Powers, Jr. “I share Harold’s enthusiasm in this project. The University is extremely grateful for his generosity.”

A team of three UT astronomers — senior research scientists Gary Hill and Phillip MacQueen, and associate professor Karl Gebhardt — is developing HETDEX using the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, which is the third largest in the world. With support from Simmons and other donors, the McDonald Observatory is currently upgrading the telescope’s field of view from 4 arc minutes to 20 arc minutes.

— END —

Notes:

For more information on HETDEX, please see the HETDEX website .

McDonald Observatory brings Astronomy Day to Texas kids, Internet audience on May 4

In this aerial view, the two large domes in the foreground are the 2.1-meter Str

FORT DAVIS, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory will celebrate Astronomy Day on May 4 by bringing an interactive, live program to thousands of students across the state, which anyone can watch at home via the Internet.

The international observance of Astronomy Day will occur two days later, on May 6.

The event is made possible by the Connect2Texas program of the state’s Education Service Center Region XI, based in Fort Worth.

“I am delighted that McDonald Observatory will reach so many students on May 4,” said Dr. David L. Lambert, director of McDonald Observatory. “We are proud of our educational activities and I hope that parents and grandparents will follow along on this special day.”

The presentation will include a tour of the Observatory, a live exploration of the Sun and its features using McDonald telescopes (weather permitting), and a question and answer period between students and the Observatory’s presenter, education coordinator Marc Wetzel. The questions will come from classrooms selected in advance from the more than 180 classrooms across the state that will be connected to the Observatory via live videoconference.

Linda Krouse, director of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History’s Noble Planetarium, will also answer questions from the students.

The presentation is aimed at Texas students in grades 5-8, and is aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for science for each of these grade levels. Teachers can download pre- and post-conference materials for use in their classrooms from http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/astroday06.

The entire presentation will be made three times on May 4, so people wishing to watch it online from home have three opportunities to view it. The hour-long program will begin online live at 9:15 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 1:30 p.m.

To view the presentation on May 4 via Internet:

  1. Visit the web site http://starbak.esc11.net
  2. Find the section called “Today’s Live Programs”
  3. Click on the program title “Astronomy Day” (a new window will open)
  4. Look toward the upper right and click on “View Program” next to the Windows Media icon
  5. The program will begin playing in Windows Media Player

The first Astronomy Day happened in 1973, when the Astronomical Society of Northern California created the day to celebrate astronomy and introduce the hobby of skywatching to those who had never before looked through a telescope. Today, the event is celebrated across the U.S. and other parts of the world. The Astronomical League, along with about a dozen co-sponsoring organizations, helps astronomy clubs and others plan and publicize Astronomy Day events each year.

Some funding for McDonald Observatory’s Astronomy Day program was provided by NASA through a grant from the Space Telescope Science Institute, the Amon G. Carter Foundation of Fort Worth, and the F. B. Doane Foundation of Chicago. Funding for the Observatory's videoconferencing equipment was provided by Richard King and Video Call of Austin.

— END —

Notes:

For more information on Education Service Center Region XI’s Connect2Texas program, visit http://www.Connect2Texas.net.

Astronomers use McDonald Observatory telescopes to confirm extrasolar planet

The closed dome of the Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory. The Ho

(News release courtesy Space Telescope Science Institute.)

 

FORT DAVIS, Texas — An international team of professional and amateur astronomers, using simple off-the-shelf equipment to trawl the skies for planets outside our solar system, has hauled in its first "catch."

The astronomers discovered a Jupiter-sized planet orbiting a Sun-like star 600 light-years from Earth in the constellation Corona Borealis. The team, led by Peter McCullough of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Md., includes four amateur astronomers from North America and Europe.

Using modest telescopes to search for extrasolar planets allows for a productive collaboration between professional and amateur astronomers that could accelerate the planet quest.

"This discovery suggests that a fleet of modest telescopes and the help of amateur astronomers can search for transiting extrasolar planets many times faster than we are now," McCullough said. The finding has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal.

McCullough deployed a relatively inexpensive telescope made from commercial equipment to scan the skies for extrasolar planets. Called the XO telescope, it consists of two 200-millimeter telephoto camera lenses and looks like a pair of binoculars. The telescope is on the summit of the Haleakala volcano, in Hawaii.

"To replicate the XO prototype telescope would cost $60,000," McCullough explained. "We have spent far more than that on software, in particular on designing and operating the system and extracting this planet from the data."

McCullough's team found the planet, dubbed X0-1b, by noticing slight dips in the star's light output when the planet passed in front of the star, called a transit. The light from the star, called XO-1, dips by approximately 2 percent when the planet XO-1b passes in front of it. The observation also revealed that X0-1b is in a tight four-day orbit around its parent star.

Although astronomers have detected more than 180 extrasolar planets, X0-1b is only the tenth planet discovered using the transit method. It is the second planet found using telephoto lenses. The first, dubbed TrES-1, was reported in 2004. The transit method allows astronomers to determine a planet's mass and size. Astronomers use this information to deduce the planet's characteristics, such as its density.

The team confirmed the planet's existence by using the Harlan J. Smith Telescope and the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at the University of Texas's McDonald Observatory to measure the slight wobble induced by the planet on its parent star. This so-called radial-velocity method allowed the team to calculate a precise mass for the planet, which is slightly less than that of Jupiter (about 0.9 Jupiter masses). The planet also is much larger than its mass would suggest. "Of the planets that pass in front of their stars, XO-1b is the most similar to Jupiter yet known, and the star XO-1 is the most similar to the Sun," McCullough said, although he was quick to add, "but XO-1b is much, much closer to its star than Jupiter is to the Sun."

The astronomer's innovative technique of using relatively inexpensive telescopes to look for eclipsing planets favors finding planets orbiting close to their parent stars. The planet also must be large enough to produce a measurable dip in starlight.

The planet is the first discovered in McCullough's three-year search for transiting extrasolar planets. The planet quest is underwritten by a grant from NASA's Origins program.

McCullough's planet-finding technique involves nightly sweeps of the sky using the XO telescope in Hawaii to note the brightness of the stars it encounters. A computer software program sifts through many thousands of stars every two months looking for tiny dips in the stars' light, the signature of a possible planetary transit. The computer comes up with a few hundred possibilities. From those candidates, McCullough and his team select a few dozen promising leads. He passes these stars on to the four amateur astronomers to study the possible transits more carefully.

From September 2003 to September 2005, the XO telescope observed tens of thousands of bright stars. In that time, his team of amateur astronomers studied a few dozen promising candidate stars identified by McCullough and his team. The star X0-1 was pegged as a promising candidate in June 2005. The amateur astronomers observed it in June and July 2005, confirming that a planet-sized object was eclipsing the star. McCullough's team then turned to the McDonald Observatory in Texas to obtain the object's mass and verify it as a planet. He received the news of the telescope's observation at 12:06 a.m. Feb. 16, 2006, from Chris Johns-Krull, a friend and colleague at Rice University.

"It was a wonderful feeling because the team had worked for three years to find this one planet," McCullough explained. "The discovery represents a few bytes out of nearly a terabyte of data: It's like trying to distill gold out of seawater."

The discovery also has special familial significance for the astronomer. "My father's mentor was Harlan J. Smith, the man whose ambition and hard work produced the telescope that we used to acquire the verifying data."

McCullough believes the newly found planet is a perfect candidate for study by the Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes. Hubble can measure precisely the star's distance and the planet's size. Spitzer can actually see the infrared radiation from the planet. By timing the disappearance of the planet behind the star, Spitzer also can measure the "ellipticity," or "out-of-roundness," of the planet's orbit. If the orbit is elliptical, then the varying gravitational force would result in extra heating of the planet, expanding its atmosphere and perhaps explaining why the object's diameter seems especially large for a body of its calculated mass.

"By timing the planet's passages across the star, both amateur and professional astronomers might be lucky enough to detect the presence of another planet in the XO-1 system by its gravitational tugs on XO-1b," McCullough said. "It's even possible that such a planet could be similar to Earth."

— END —

Additional Contacts :

Donna Weaver
Space Telescope science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
(Phone: 410-338-4493)

Peter McCullough
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
(Phone: 410-338-5068)

McDonald Observatory honors local volunteers tonight

FORT DAVIS, Texas —Tonight, McDonald Observatory will honor the many volunteers who help with its public Star Parties and other events throughout the year.

McDonald Director Dr. David L. Lambert will host the event, which will kick off with a reception in the Director’s Residence on Mt. Locke, followed by dinner at the nearby Astronomer’s Lodge. Later in the evening, volunteers will get a behind-the-scenes tour of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope with HET Site Director Bob Calder.

“Our cadre of volunteers are one reason why our thrice-weekly Star Parties have the fine reputation they do,” Lambert said. “I salute them all.”

In the course of the past year, more than two dozen volunteers have helped the Visitors Center staff of McDonald Observatory with its Star Parties at the Visitors Center telescope park, as well as monthly Special Viewing Programs on two of McDonald’s large research telescopes, the 82-inch Otto Struve Telescope and the 107-inch Harlan J. Smith Telescope. Volunteers assist visitors with telescope viewing, and answer their astronomy-related questions.

“We’re always looking for knowledgeable amateur astronomers who would like to assist with our public Star Parties,” said Shannon Rudine, volunteer coordinator for the Observatory. “Our greatest need is with operation of the telescopes.”

He explained that most of the volunteers come from Fort Davis and Alpine. However, Rudine said, some come from as far as Houston.

“Volunteers allow us to offer a wider variety of objects to observe through telescopes at Star Parties,” he said. “They give us the freedom of showing more objects to the public, help us with larger crowds, and help the lines move faster. We try to have at least five or six telescopes in operation at every Star Party.”

Van Robinson has been volunteering for the Observatory since 2000. He moved to West Texas from Dallas after retiring. “I moved out here to enjoy astronomy, which was my main hobby,” Mr. Robinson said. “I heard about the Star Parties at McDonald and asked if they needed help.”

Now Mr. Robinson helps with Star Parties when an Observatory staff member is away on vacation, or at times when the Observatory has especially large crowds of visitors — such as Spring Break. He also helps with the Special Viewing Night program on the Struve Telescope about once a month.

Why does he do it? “For the joy of seeing kids get excited about seeing things in the heavens that they’ve never seen before,” he said.

You don’t have to be an amateur astronomer to help out, though. Current volunteer Russ Ingram had never before looked through a telescope when he accompanied a neighbor to a Star Party at the Observatory two years ago.

“I found it to be interesting, and I’ve been doing it ever since,” he said. Mr. Ingram credits volunteer training for bringing him up to speed on how to use telescopes and understanding the objects seen in the eyepiece. He’s been volunteering for two years now. “I answer questions, and talk a little bit about what we’re seeing in the telescope,” he said.

“The most appealing thing about it to me is that so many people that come here are from the big city and they have no clue about what’s up in the sky.” Mr. Ingram said he enjoys being able to share with kids their first view of Jupiter or Saturn.

“And it beats watching TV!” he enthused.

— END —

Notes:

For more information about volunteering at McDonald Observatory, contact volunteer coordinator Shannon Rudine (phone 432-426-4101). Information on volunteering is also available online here.

Site testing under way at McDonald Observatory for federally funded telescope

FORT DAVIS, Texas — Astronomers are studying two sites at McDonald Observatory to find the prime location for a new federally funded telescope. Called the CCD Transit Instrument II (CTI-II), the 1.8-meter telescope will be part of the federal “NESSI” program — the Near Earth Space Surveillance Initiative.

The NESSI program is being funded by federal appropriations to The University of Texas at Austin, The University of New Mexico, and the Air Force. U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla (R-Texas) sponsored the appropriation. Mr. Bonilla represents the 23rd Congressional District, which encompasses much of West Texas, including McDonald Observatory.

“The important discoveries being made by researchers at the McDonald Observatory are improving the lives of so many here on Earth,” Congressman Bonilla said. “I have been working for many years on obtaining this new technology for the McDonald Observatory which will vastly enhance its research potential and competitiveness, while providing quality jobs for the people of West Texas.”

He continued, “I am proud that my position on the Appropriations Committee has allowed me to secure funding for this project each year. I am also tremendously excited that this Near Earth Space Surveillance Initiative will benefit students who are the future of America’s scientific community.”

The identical site testing stations for the CTI-II telescope have been set up on both Mount Locke, which houses most of telescopes at McDonald Observatory, and Mount Fowlkes, the adjacent peak that houses the Hobby-Eberly Telescope.

Dr. John McGraw of The University of New Mexico is the project manager. He explains that not all sites are the same. “Studies have shown that moving a telescope by as little as the length of a football field can significantly affect its imaging capability,” he said.

Each of the two test sites includes a weather station to record wind speed and direction, humidity, and atmospheric pressure; a 40-foot tower to record tiny variations in atmospheric temperature and air turbulence; and a remotely controlled telescope dome called a RoboDome, which houses an off-the-shelf 10-inch telescope, outfitted with specialized optics and digital cameras to allow measuring image disturbances caused by Earth’s atmosphere 20 times per second.

McDonald Observatory will provide routine maintenance for The University of New Mexico RoboDome telescopes and other equipment at the two test sites.

“The RoboDomes were installed in the first week of May,” McGraw said. He explained that the telescope at each of the two sites will study the same star, at the same time, all night, as University of New Mexico astronomers monitor the telescope operations from their offices in Albuquerque. Then, the observations will be compared.

“The sites have all kinds of wind and weather variations,” McGraw said. “This is a method of making a legitimate choice. Hopefully within a few months, the RoboDome data will tell us a preferred site. We’re on track to make a decision by fall.”

After the site is chosen, a groundbreaking ceremony for the 1.8-meter CTI-II telescope will soon follow.

The telescope is being designed and constructed at The University of New Mexico prior to shipping it to McDonald Observatory, where is will make some of the most precise measurements of the sky ever made. McDonald Observatory’s clear dark skies are ideal for this type of long-term measurement. The data from this telescope will support many additional astronomical projects, including providing training for Texas and New Mexico students.

— END —

Notes:

A 2004 press release with background information is available online here.

McDonald Observatory Visitors Center Named for Former Director Dr. Frank N. Bash

FORT DAVIS, Texas —The McDonald Observatory visitors center is being named “the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory” to honor Dr. Frank N. Bash, who served as Observatory director from 1989 to 2003.

The naming ceremony will take place on July 22, during the semi-annual Board of Visitors meeting to be held at the Observatory. It will be held in the forecourt of the visitors center from 12:45 to 1:15 p.m., and will include the unveiling of the new sign marking the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory.

The media are invited to attend the ceremony and lunch afterward. (RSVPs are required for lunch; see information at end.) In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held inside the dome of the Harlan J. Smith Telescope atop Mount Locke.

Speakers at the naming ceremony will include current Observatory director Dr. David L. Lambert, University President Dr. William Powers, Dean of Natural Sciences Dr. Mary Ann Rankin, and Board of Visitors member Bill Nowlin.

Bill and Bettye Nowlin provided major funding for the visitors center. It was their wish that it be named for Bash. The University of Texas Board of Regents recently agreed to the request.

“When Bill and I donated the money to build the McDonald Observatory visitors center, [it was] immediately suggested that the University name the building for us,” Mrs. Nowlin said. “We expressed a bit of hesitation and mentioned that naming it for Frank Bash would be more appropriate. … This month the official name of the visitors center will become ‘The Frank N. Bash Visitors Center’ at our request because we both feel strongly that a person’s life work and their contribution to the greater good is the most important contribution to be recognized by society,” she said.

“Bettye and I decided to help with the construction of the new Frank N. Bash Visitors Center because we sincerely believe in the educational mission of the Observatory,” Mr. Nowlin said. “Frank was very enthusiastic about the need to reach out to the public, to inspire a new generation of youth to pursue careers in science (but not necessarily careers in astronomy), and to help our K-12 science educators in their efforts to teach science in our public schools. The educational and outreach vision that Frank communicated to us, the skill and efforts of the staff of the Observatory, and the new facilities provided in this new Frank N. Bash Visitors Center will help to ensure the future of scientific research and study in America,” he said.

Since stepping down as director in 2003, Bash continued to serve as professor of astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. In May, he retired from teaching, and is now a Professor Emeritus.

“I’d like to say how honored I feel [about the naming], and how proud I am of McDonald Observatory’s efforts in public outreach and education,” Bash said. He explained the importance of the Observatory’s educational programs, in which the visitors center plays a major role:

“What we’re trying to do is increase the numbers of kids interested in careers in science and technology, by using astronomy in the classroom to pique their interest,” he said. “McDonald has pioneered a re-definition of its role to the society that supports it by taking on this additional obligation to help teachers excite students about science and technology.”

The Frank N. Bash Visitors Center has a staff of 20 and welcomes about 100,000 visitors a year to McDonald Observatory. Inside, visitors learn how astronomers use spectroscopy to uncover the mysteries of the universe in a bilingual (English/Spanish) exhibit called “Decoding Starlight.” The Bash Visitors Center is also used for professional development workshops for teachers (10 are scheduled for this summer) and student field experiences. During the 2005-2006 school year, more than 8,000 students visited the Observatory in person or by videoconference.

The Texas Department of Transportation and The National Science Foundation provided funding for the visitors center through competitive grants.

In addition to Bill and Bettye Nowlin, other major donors to the visitors center include Garland and Molly Lasater, The Convergence Institute, The Cullen Foundation, The Houston Endowment, The Gale Foundation, The Cullen Trust for Higher Education, George A. Finley, The Joan and Herb Kelleher Charitable Foundation, The Sterling-Turner Foundation, Houston and Carolyn Harte, The Cimarron Foundation, The Hillcrest Foundation, Edgar H. Keltner, Jr., Ford and Lindsay Smith, Grant and Sheri Roane, Central and Southwest Corporation, Rhett Butler, The Walnetta Jean Kachelries Estate, The Hobby Family Foundation, Nancy and Herschel Wood, Collins M. Burton, Allan C. King, David R. King, The West Endowment, The Beal Foundation, The Burkitt Foundation, Karen Goetting Skelton, Stratus Properties, Hughes and Betsy Abell Foundation, The Florence Foundation, James W. McCartney, and Joe M. Parsley.

— END —

Note: If you would like to attend the ceremony and lunch afterward, please RSVP to Debbie Sproul at McDonald Observatory by calling 432-426-4186 or via email at etta@astro.as.utexas.edu.

'Science and the Sea' Radio Program Launches This Summer

THE TEXAS COAST — This summer, The University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute (MSI) introduces a new two-minute radio program: Science and the Sea. The program takes listeners on an exploration of the unseen underwater world that covers three-fourths of our planet. Its entertaining stories convey how scientists approach, and ultimately solve, some of the oceans’ mysteries.

 

“There’s a rising interest in environmental issues,” said MSI director Dr. Lee Fuiman, one of the program’s two executive producers. “Hurricanes, climate change, and tsunamis are in the news. They all have to do with the world’s oceans.

“This program gives people a chance to learn more … about marine science, marine biology, the world’s oceans, how they work, and all the interesting bacteria, plants, and animals that live in the sea,” he said. “And we hope to convey how science is conducted.”

Holly Braly is the voice of Science and the Sea. She brings eight years of broadcast experience to the program, and is also a classically trained pianist and an avid surfer.

Don Dunlap, general manager of public radio station KEDT in Corpus Christi, Texas, is the program’s other executive producer. The station is partnering with MSI to produce the show. Stewart Jacoby, the station’s program director, produces the program, and news director Bill Clough handles the sound mixing.

Science and the Sea is written in non-technical language to appeal to a broad audience. Damond Benningfield, writer/producer of the long-running StarDate radio program, writes the scripts. The program is distributed by McDonald Observatory’s StarDate Productions team.

Science and the Sea is available free to public, commercial, and non-commercial radio stations, and is designed to be sponsored and underwritten locally. This summer, stations across the country are receiving CDs containing 13 two-minute programs, as well as a brief teaser for each show. As well, each week a different episode will be available as a podcast from the Science and the Sea website, online at http://ScienceAndTheSea.org.

— END —

Contact Information: For more information, contact Vincent Perez, Marketing Manager for StarDate Productions, at 512-475-6765 or perez@stardate.org.

First Science with SALT: Observations of an Eclipsing Polar Binary Star

The Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), inaugurated in November 2005, is today releasing its first public research results, giving new insight into an exotic pair of stars closely orbiting one another.

The University of Texas at Austin is a partner in SALT through the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) partnership. SALT was modeled after the HET, which is located at the University's McDonald Observatory in West Texas.

This research uses a strength of the SALT design which is rare among large telescopes, the ability to take 'snapshots' of stars in very quick succession, so that we can study the rapidly changing properties of compact stars, especially as they pull in gas from their companions or surroundings.

The gravitational field of a compact star commonly pulls in gas from a companion star — the radiation (especially X-ray) emitted as this happens is one of the indirect ways we use to detect black holes. It's also the way that mass builds up on some compact stars until supernova explosions blow them apart, giving us the 'Type Ia' supernovae recently used to show that the expansion of the universe is speeding up.

The new SALT results are for a 'polar' binary star system, which contains a compact star called a 'white dwarf' — a star which has used up its original store of nuclear energy, then shrunk to about one millionth of the volume of a star like our Sun. In a polar this 'white dwarf' also has a very strong magnetic field, which strongly influences how the hot gases from its relatively ordinary companion reach the white dwarf surface.

Polars are the most readily accessible objects we know for studying gas accretion in strong magnetic fields, and are among the closest orbiting pairs of stars we know: both stars and their orbits would fit inside the Sun!

The polar which SALT has studied takes only one and a half hours to complete an orbit (compared to a month for Earth and the Moon, and a year for Earth and the Sun). Despite being a pair of stars, they are so close you would see them as only one star in a telescope. One of the stars is an ordinary star like the Sun, but cooler, redder and about 1/3 of the Sun's mass and radius. Its 'white dwarf' companion is hundreds of thousands of times as dense of the Earth — a chunk of white dwarf as large as a pair of dice would weigh as much as two small trucks. This gives the white dwarf an intense gravitational field that sucks in material from the larger star. But it is the white dwarf's huge magnetic field (30 million times as strong as Earth's) that forces the gas from the cool star to impact at the white dwarf's magnetic poles.

Figure 1 is an artist's impression of what such a typical such binary system might look like: the cool, red star is in the background with the stream of gas being sucked off by gravity shown in white, finding its way down to the white dwarf along a path shaped by magnetic forces.

Imagine now that you are looking at a binary system like this from "behind" the cool, red star with your viewing angle such that the red star, once an orbit, passes in front of the white dwarf and cuts off your view of it. If you had a telescope like SALT, and a camera on it like SALTICAM, which can make brightness measurements every 100 milliseconds, you would see the brightness of the system dim quite drastically because the light from the gas crashing on to the magnetic poles of the white dwarf completely outshines the light from everything else.

Figure 2 shows a cartoon of your view of the system at the start of eclipse (left) when the red star is just about to block our view of one magnetic pole, labeled Spot 2, and at the end of eclipse (right) when the red star has just uncovered Spot 2.

Figure 3 is a sequence of brightness measurements and the evidence for what has just been described can be seen in the sequence. If you look closely at Figure 3, you will see it has a first sudden brightness drop (Spot 2 disappearing), followed about 25 seconds later by a second sudden brightness drop (Spot 1 disappearing). Towards the end of the sequence there are sudden rises in brightness corresponding to the earlier sudden drops as the spots are uncovered. The gas stream between the stars also gives some light, and this accounts for the rounded shape of the bottom of the eclipse.

This sequence of measurements is better than anything that has been obtained before, and SALT's advantages over all other large telescopes for this type of research should allow SALT astronomers to lead in probing the mysteries of these 'cannibal stars.'

Full scientific details are in the first scientific paper (or report) from SALT, which has been accepted for publication in the peer-reviewed journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. An electronic preprint of the article is available online at
http://xxx.lanl.gov/archive/astro-ph, entry number 0607266.

— END —

Contact Information: For further information, contact Dr. Darragh O'Donoghue by phone at +27 21 447 0025 or via email at dod@saao.ac.za.

StarDate Radio Celebrates 15 Years with Announcer Sandy Wood

SAN ANTONIO — StarDate announcer Sandy Wood of San Antonio will be honored this Thursday, August 31, for 15 years as presenter of the long-running astronomy radio feature. Texas Public Radio is sponsoring the event, called “Hands on the Night Sky,” for members of its radio stations. (The event is not open to the public.)

 

StarDate made its debut on the nation’s airwaves in 1978. Today, it’s the longest-running nationally broadcast science module. Wood became StarDate announcer on September 16, 1991.

“I love it,” she says. “It has been a wonderful experience. … I’m grateful to have a job of any kind for 15 years, one that uses what you think are your natural abilities, and where you can work with people you like and respect.”

Wood has been a radio disc jockey and talk-show host, and a writer and producer in both radio and television. She also is an award-winning voice talent, having received recognition at the New York Festival and Addy Awards. She has recorded for national, regional, and local clients. Additionally, Wood is Chairman of the Board of The Wood Agency, a San Antonio-based marketing and advertising firm.

“A voice talent does a lot of work that can be meaningless,” Wood says. “To do something that has real weight and substance is really rewarding.”

The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory produces the daily, two-minute looks at topics in astronomy and space science. About half of each month’s programs are related to skywatching: eclipses, meteor showers, planetary conjunctions, stars and constellations, and so on. Other topics relate to important anniversaries, recent scientific discoveries, Earth’s place in the cosmos, and related topics that help place astronomy in a broader cultural perspective.

At this Thursday’s event, Wood will give a brief talk on the ancient sky lore of the Egyptians, Persians, Incas, and Inuit. As the night sky is marked by countless star patterns and constellations, she will explain how individual cultures in the ancient world saw these patterns as visual representations of their peoples’ place in the cosmos.

Wood’s presentation will be followed by StarDate producer Damond Benningfield, who will talk about the StarDate radio program. Benningfield is also celebrating 15 years with the show.

Following the two StarDate presentations, Dr. Hunter Waite, a scientist with Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, will talk on recently gathered data from Saturn's largest moon Titan. Waite is the Facility Team Leader for the Ion Neutral Mass Spectrometer, one of the instruments aboard the Cassini spacecraft now studying Saturn, its moons, and rings.

— END —

Notes:

For more information on StarDate radio, contact Marketing Manager Vincent Perez at 512-475-6760 or via e-mail at perez@stardate.org.

University of Texas Astronomers Confirm Planets Form from Disks Around Stars

PASADENA, Calif. — Astronomers at The University of Texas at Austin have gone a long way toward proving that planets are born from disks of dust and gas that swirl around their home stars, confirming a theory posed by philosopher Emmanuel Kant more than two centuries ago.

G. Fritz Benedict and Barbara E. McArthur have used NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, in collaboration with ground-based observatories, to demonstrate that Kant and scientists were correct in predicting the source of planet formation.

The results are being presented today in Pasadena, California at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society’s Division of Planetary Sciences, and will be published in the November issue of the Astronomical Journal.

Benedict and McArthur’s observations show for the first time that a known planet orbiting the nearby sun-like star Epsilon Eridani is aligned with the star’s circumstellar disk of dust and gas. The planet’s orbit is inclined 30 degrees to Earth, the same angle at which the star’s disk is tilted. Epsilon Eridani is 10.5 light-years from Earth in the constellation Eridanus.

The planets in our solar system share a common alignment, evidence that they were created at the same time in the Sun’s disk. But the Sun is a middle-aged star — 4.5 billion years old — and its debris disk dissipated long ago. Epsilon Eridani, however, still retains its disk because it is young, only 800 million years old.

The Hubble observations also helped Benedict’s team determine the planet’s true mass, which they calculate as 1.5 times Jupiter’s mass. Previous estimates measured only the lower limit, at 0.7 the mass of Jupiter. The planet, called Epsilon Eridani b, orbits its star every 6.9 years.

“Because of Hubble, we know for sure that it is a planet and not a failed star,” McArthur explained. “Some astronomers have argued that a few of the known extrasolar planets could be brown dwarfs because their precise masses are not known. If an object is less than 10 Jupiter masses, it is a planet, not a brown dwarf.

McArthur was part of a team at The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory who discovered Epsilon Eridani b in 2000. They detected the planet using the radial velocity method, which measures a star’s subtle motion toward and away from Earth to find unseen companions.

Epsilon Eridani is a young and active star, so some astronomers claimed that what appeared as a planet-induced wobble of the star could have been the actions of the star itself. Turbulence in the atmosphere may have produced apparent velocity changes that were intrinsic to the star and not due to a planet’s influence.

The team calculated the planet’s mass and its orbit by making extremely precise measurements of the star’s location as it wobbled on the sky, a technique called astrometry. The slight wobbles are caused by the gravitational tug of the unseen planet, like a small dog pulling its master on a leash. Benedict’s team studied more than a thousand astrometric observations from Hubble collected over three years. The astronomers combined these data with other astrometric observations made at the University of Pittsburgh’s Allegheny Observatory. They then added those measurements to hundreds of ground-based radial-velocity measurements made over the past 25 years at McDonald Observatory, California’s Lick Observatory, the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope in Hawaii and the European Southern Observatory in Chile. This combination allowed them to accurately determine the planet’s mass by deducing the tilt of its orbit.

If astronomers don’t know how a planet’s orbit is tilted with respect to Earth, they can only estimate a minimum mass for the planet. The planet’s mass could be significantly larger if the orbit were tilted to a nearly face-on orientation to Earth. The star would still move toward and away from Earth slightly, even though it had a massive companion.

“You can’t see the wobble induced by the planet with the naked eye,” Benedict said. “But Hubble’s fine guidance sensors are so precise that they can measure the wobble. We basically watched three years of a nearly seven-year-long dance of the star and its invisible partner, the planet, around their orbits. The fine guidance sensors measured a tiny change in the star’s position, equivalent to the width of a quarter 750 miles away.”

Epsilon Eridani has long captivated the attention of science fiction writers, as well as astronomers. In 1960, years before the first extrasolar planet was detected, astronomer Frank Drake listened for radio transmissions from inhabitants of any possible planets around Epsilon Eridani, as part of Project Ozma’s search for intelligent extraterrestrial life. In the fictional “Star Trek” universe, Epsilon Eridani is considered by some fans to be the parent star for the planet Vulcan, Mr. Spock’s home.

No Vulcan or any other alien could live on this gas giant planet. If moons circled the planet, they would spend part of their orbit close enough to Epsilon Eridani to have surface temperatures like that of the Earth, and possibly water. However, the planet’s looping, “roller-coaster” orbit also would carry the moons far away from the star, a distance equal to Jupiter’s 500-million-mile separation from the Sun, where oceans would freeze. If a moon were massive enough, like Saturn’s giant moon Titan, it could have a sufficiently dense atmosphere that would retain heat. Such an atmosphere would suppress wide swings in surface temperatures, like covering up with a heavy blanket on a cold night. This could make such a moon potentially habitable for life as we know it, Benedict said.

Although Hubble and other telescopes cannot image the gas giant planet now, they may be able to snap pictures of it in 2007, when its orbit is closest to Epsilon Eridani. The planet may be bright enough in reflected sunlight to be imaged by Hubble, other space-based cameras and large ground-based telescopes.

— END —

Additional Contact Information: Donna Weaver, Space Telescope Science Institute, phone 410-338-4493, e-mail dweaver@stsci.edu.

McDonald Observatory Thanks Congressman Henry Bonilla for Vital Funding of NESSI Project

ALPINE, Texas — Representatives of McDonald Observatory will thank Congressman Henry Bonilla for his support of continued funding for the NESSI project in the Department of Defense appropriation recently passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bush on September 9, 2006. They will join Representative Bonilla for an announcement at Sul Ross University in Alpine at 4:30 p.m., Monday, October 23. NESSI, which stands for Near Earth Space Surveillance Initiative, is a collaboration among The University of Texas at Austin, The University of New Mexico, and the U.S. Air Force. The multi-year program involves moving a 1.8-meter telescope, called CTI-II, from New Mexico to McDonald Observatory. In addition, the NESSI project funds significant improvements to the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory. Since the first appropriation in 2003, Congress has provided $9.45 million for the NESSI project, including the most recent appropriation, for fiscal 2007, which totals $1.6 million. David Lambert, Director of McDonald Observatory, says, “Representative Henry Bonilla is a strong advocate for science in his district and throughout Texas. With the funding provided by Congress for the NESSI project, we are working with our New Mexico partners to complete installing CTI at McDonald Observatory. In addition, we’ll make important changes to the Hobby-Eberly Telescope that will keep it performing frontier science in astronomy.” "The McDonald Observatory is making important discoveries that will benefit all of us here on earth. This new telescope will provide capabilities that increase our understanding and ultimately improve our lives," said Congressman Bonilla. "I am proud that my position on the House Appropriations Committee enables me to secure funding for valuable projects such as the Near Earth Space Surveillance Initiative." Changes to the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) funded from the Congressional appropriation for NESSI will include retrofitting the telescope with a new corrector assembly to increase its field of view from approximately 5 arc minutes to approximately 20-25 arc minutes. “Increasing the field of view of the HET by a factor of five is a major undertaking that will greatly strengthen what is already one of the most powerful telescopes in the world,” says David Lambert. The wider field of view will enable Texas astronomers to undertake the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX), which will use the spectroscopic signatures of more than 1 million separate galaxy to understand the history and nature of the mysterious force called “dark energy.” Called the number question facing science today, dark energy constitutes more than 70 percent of the known Universe. It is causing the Universe to accelerate as it expands, and it can’t yet be explained by modern physics. Constructed in 1997, the HET is currently ranked as the third-largest in the world. It has a segmented primary mirror that is 11 meters wide; of that, the maximum usable area is 9.2 meters. Only the two Keck Telescopes in Hawaii, each with an effective aperture of 10 meters, are larger. The HET is owned by a consortium that includes The University of Texas at Austin, Penn State University, Stanford University, and two German universities, in Goettingen and Munich. — END — Additional Media Contacts: Leslie Hopper, Press Officer, Sul Ross State University, at 432-837-8132 or lhopper@sulross.edu. Brittany Eck, Press Secretary to Congressman Bonilla, at 202-225-4511 or Brittany.Eck@mail.house.gov. Dr. Phil Kelton, McDonald Observatory Superintendant, at 432-426-3633 or pwk@astro.as.utexas.edu.

McDonald Observatory, Department of Astronomy Complete $2 Million Director's Chair Endowment

With the help of 141 donors and the Abell-Hanger Foundation of Midland, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory and Department of Astronomy have completed the new $2-million “Frank and Susan Bash Endowed Chair for the Director of McDonald Observatory.”

Fundraising for the endowment began in 2003. In the spring of 2006, with $300,000 to be raised, the Abell-Hanger Foundation provided a challenge grant of $150,000, offering to match new gifts dollar-for-dollar. This enabled McDonald Observatory to complete the endowment by the end of September 2006.

The Bash Chair Endowment will benefit future directors of the Observatory, allowing them to continue their research programs while handling the administrative duties of the directorship. Dean Mary Ann Rankin of the College of Natural Sciences describes this endowment as “the cornerstone of future development of McDonald Observatory.”

Dean Rankin adds: “We are grateful to Bill Nowlin for his leadership of the committee that worked to raise this endowment. We are also grateful to Jeff and Gail Kodosky, Houston and Carolyn Harte, Ford and Lindsay Smith, and Bill and Bettye Nowlin, as they were all principal donors to the endowment.”

“We are particularly thankful to the trustees of the Abell-Hanger Foundation” says Dr. David Lambert, Director of McDonald Observatory,  “for their challenge grant which enabled us to bring in 95 new donations to complete the endowment.”

In 2005, Dean Rankin announced that the endowment would be named in honor of Frank and Susan Bash. “Frank and Susan Bash have been inspiring leaders to the astronomy community of Texas and we are pleased to honor them in this way,” Rankin said. Construction and commissioning of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, the world’s third-largest, were completed during Frank Bash’s 14-year tenure as McDonald Observatory Director. He also began the Observatory’s efforts to reach out to Texas teachers and K-12 students, with the goal of interesting more students in careers in science and technology.

“McDonald Observatory and the Department of Astronomy will benefit for many decades because of the generous spirit of all the people who have given to the Frank and Susan Bash Endowed Chair,” says Department of Astronomy Chair Don Winget. “We are especially happy that this honors our colleague Frank Bash and his wife.”

— END —

Additional Media Contact:

Joel W. Barna, Development Manager
McDonald Observatory and Dept. of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
jwbarna@astro.as.utexas.edu
512-471-6335; 512-567-7036 (mobile)

New Findings Cast Doubt on Leading Theory of our Galaxy's Birth

Studies of nearby small galaxies by an international collaboration of astronomers including McDonald Observatory’s Matthew Shetrone are casting doubt on a widely held theory explaining the Milky Way’s formation. The theory holds that our galaxy and other large galaxies are born from the collisions and mergers of smaller galaxies similar to those we see today around the Milky Way.

The large survey of nearby dwarf galaxies, still in progress, is showing that stars in these supposed building blocks of the Milky Way don’t have the expected chemical composition. The research will be published in tomorrow’s edition of Astrophysical Journal Letters.

The international group of astronomers from nine countries is using telescopes all over the world, including the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory, to probe the smallest galaxies in our Local Group, star by star. These small galaxies are called “dwarf spheroidal galaxies” because of their size and shape. Faint and diffuse, they are a thousand times fainter than our galaxy, making them the dimmest galaxies known.

The astronomers are studying the compositions of thousands of individual stars in these dwarf galaxies, to see if they match up with the compositions of the Milky Way’s oldest stars. It was expected that their compositions would match — but they do not.

The research to be published tomorrow was done by Amina Helmi of The Netherlands’ Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, and colleagues, with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile. Helmi’s team measured the amount of the chemical element iron in about 2,000 giant stars in four southern hemisphere dwarf galaxies. They found that is does not match the amount of iron in the Milky Way’s oldest stars.

“The chemistry we see in the stars in these dwarf galaxies is just not consistent with current cosmological models,” Helmi said.

Shetrone says that studies of giant stars in dwarf galaxies using the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory, studying dwarf galaxies in the northern hemisphere sky, are finding the same result. Those results will be published soon, Shetrone said.

— END —

Science Contacts :

Dr. Matthew Shetrone, McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
Phone: 432-426-4168

Dr. Amina Helmi
University of Groningen, The Netherlands
Phone: +31 50 363 40 45
Mobile : +31 64 304 14 24

University of Texas Astronomer Explores Planet Formation Around Our Galaxy's Smallest, Most Abundant Stars

AUSTIN, Texas — A study published in this week’s edition of Astrophysical Journal Letters, led by University of Texas at Austin graduate student Jacob Bean with research scientists Michael Endl and Fritz Benedict, brings new insight into how planets form around the most populous stars in our Milky Way galaxy. Bean’s work shows that the chemical make-up of these “red dwarf” stars with orbiting planets is different from most of Sun-like stars that harbor planets — and indicates that astronomers must take chemical composition into account in their planet searches around these stars.

 

Red dwarfs have lower mass than any other type of star, ranging from just 8 per cent of the Sun’s mass to as much as 60 per cent. They also give off correspondingly less light, making them more difficult to study. Despite their stature, though, red dwarfs are the most numerous stars in the galaxy. Of the hundreds of billions of stars in our Milky Way, at least 70 per cent are red dwarfs. “This factor alone makes them a crucial sample for determining the fraction of stars that are orbited by planets,” Bean says.

Roughly 200 planets have been found around Sun-like stars. Most of these planets are several times the size of Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system. In contrast, only three red dwarf stars were known to have planets or planet-candidates at the time of Bean’s study: Gliese 876, Gliese 436, and Gliese 581 (a possible fourth was recently announced). Gliese 876 harbors two Jupiter mass planets, with a third lower mass planet suspected.

One interesting trend that has emerged from studies of the Sun-like hosts to Jupiter-mass planets is the larger amount of “metals” — that is, elements heavier than hydrogen and helium — in their atmospheres compared to the Sun’s atmosphere. This property is known as “metallicity.”

The amount of heavy elements in a star’s atmosphere is thought to be a clue to the composition of the cloud of gas and dust from which it — and its planets — formed.

Benedict recounts a bit of project history: “Our original motivation was to determine the metallicity of red dwarfs in binary stars to help disentangle a completely different problem. Jacob early-on recognized the value of applying his techniques to planet-bearing red dwarfs.”

Planets probably grow faster in a proto-stellar cloud with higher metallicity . “Just as rain drops need a speck of dust in the air around which to form, the formation of planets is thought to be assisted by a similar successful first step,” Benedict says. “More dust in the protoplanetary disk might increase the chances for planet formation.”

According to Bean, “the formation of high-mass planets like Jupiter is also a time issue. A rocky core with sufficient mass to gravitationally pull in a lot of gas must form before the star switches on and its strong radiation pressure pushes the remaining gas away.” Apparently Sun-like stars have about a ten percent chance of having a planet. The chance for red dwarfs seems far less.

The purpose of Bean’s study was to find out if the red dwarfs with known planets also have high metallicity values. “It is predicted that high-mass planets should be rarer around red dwarfs because there should have been less material overall to form the star and potential planets in the primordial cloud,” Bean says. “That theory is supported by surveys discovering fewer of these types of planets around red dwarf stars. But, the dependence of high-mass planet formation on metallicity complicates what would otherwise be a straightforward result. If the red dwarfs being surveyed for planets have lower metallicities than the Sun-like stars that are being surveyed, that could also cause the discovery of fewer high-mass planets. The purpose of this work was to try and disentangle the two effects.”

Bean used the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith and 9.2-meter Hobby-Eberly telescopes at The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory in West Texas to study the compositions of the three red dwarfs.

Analyzing the light from these tiny, dim stars is difficult, he says, because of the low temperatures in their atmospheres — the region from which the light to be analyzed is coming. “Molecules form in the star’s atmosphere,” Bean says, which “produce spectra that are very complex — a forest of lines all blended together.”

Bean’s work involves not only telescope observations, but computer modeling as well. He studied and improved computer-generated “low-temperature model atmospheres” for red dwarf stars.

When he analyzed his telescope data with these improved models, he found that these red dwarfs with planets contain significantly fewer metals than Sun-like stars that harbor planets.

Current theory holds that red dwarfs have fewer high-mass planets because the formation rate of high-mass planets depends on the mass of the host star. The low-frequency of planet detections around red dwarfs seems to support this theory. Now, however, Bean’s result shows that the effects of metallicity cannot be ignored when testing planet formation theories around red dwarfs. If planet searches are biased toward lower metallicity red dwarfs, then that could account for the low numbers of high-mass planets found around these stars.

Bean’s result is a preliminary finding from an ongoing project to determine the metallicities of all the red dwarfs included in the McDonald Observatory Planet Search. Because three stars is not a sufficient number upon which to establish a significant trend, Bean will determine many more red dwarf metallicities.

His co-author, Michael Endl, has searched for planets around about 100 red dwarfs to date. “Red dwarf stars represent very interesting targets for planet hunters,” Endl says. “For the red dwarfs with the lowest masses, like Proxima Centauri, we are sensitive to planets down to two Earth masses using the standard radial velocity technique.

“There appears to be a paucity of giant planets detected around red dwarfs, as compared to more Sun-like stars. This could mean that gas giant planet formation is less efficient around low mass stars. But it is possible that the majority of red dwarf giant planets orbit their star at larger separation and still await their discovery.

“Jabob’s result is an important step toward a better understanding of the planet formation history around the most common stars in the galaxy,” Endl says.

— END —

Scientist Contacts:

Jacob Bean
(512) 471-3466
bean@astro.as.utexas.edu

Michael Endl
(512) 471-7336
mike@astro.as.utexas.edu

Fritz Benedict
(512) 471-3448
fritz@astro.as.utexas.edu

University of Texas Astronomer's Studies of Galactic Bulges May Alter Leading Theory of Galaxy Evolution

SEATTLE, Wash. — David Fisher, an astronomy graduate student at The University of Texas at Austin, is making important contributions to the future understanding of galaxy evolution by studying the different types of bulges at the hearts of nearby spiral galaxies. This work is being presented this week at the 207th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Seattle, Washington.

A bulge is a concentration of stars in the center of a spiral galaxy. In recent years, evidence has shown that there are two types of bulges— the so-called “classical bulges” and “pseudobulges.”

Studying these bulges and finding out how many nearby galaxies have the different types is important, Fisher says, because “we believe that the formation of these two types of bulges is dramatically different.” Such findings could be important to theories of galaxy formation.

A classical bulge is a mostly featureless, round ball of stars, he says. A pseudobulge, on the other hand, “looks very much like the [galaxy’s] outer disk, with a spiral structure. It can have a bar, and can be very flat, instead of round.”

Fisher and his colleague Niv Drory (Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik) studied archival images of 40 galaxies within about 150 million light-years from both Hubble Space Telescope and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The archival Hubble images were of the very heart — the bulge — of these galaxies. The Sloan images provided a look at the same galaxies in their entirety — providing information on the context for the bulge.

Fisher and Drory find that the global properties of galaxies are tightly coupled to the type of bulge a galaxy contains, even when the bulge accounts for only a few percent of the galaxy’s mass.

This work is the basis for Fisher’s doctoral dissertation. His goal is to find a much more quantitative way to distinguish between the two bulge types. His work presented at this conference shows that he is well on his way. Once achieved, this would enable astronomers “to count how many of each bulge type there are in the local universe,” he says.

He explains that current theories of galaxy evolution focus on mergers, and typically argue that the vast majority of nearby galaxies were built up through mergers with other galaxies over time. Further, most galaxies are predicted to have experienced a major merger in the past billion years.

Classical bulges are the result of mergers, Fisher says. “We feel comfortable that they form through some kind of merger. You take two sets of stars, you mix them up, and you’re left with a ball that’s essentially featureless.”

But pseudobulges form differently, through so-called “secular evolution.” Essentially, this means that the galaxy evolves on its own, without any mergers. “In secular evolution,” Fisher says, “the galaxy will start to re-arrange itself, do it in an ordered way, rotating very fast. This causes the spiral structure and nuclear bars in the center” that are seen in pseudobulges. Pseudobulges are signposts of a history (since the formation of the disk) that is free of mergers. Current theories of galaxy formation do not predict this to be a common process. “We are trying to find out how right or wrong these theories are,” Fisher says.
An efficient method for counting the number of classical bulges and pseudobulges in local galaxies will reveal which type is more prominent. If there are a lot of pseudobulges, then there were not as many galactic mergers in the past as astronomers think.

“The hints are there” that this is the case, Fisher says. If this turns out to be correct, then “our galaxy formation models need more work.”

— END —

Note to Editors:

David Fisher can be reached this week in Seattle via cell phone at 512-413-1473, and thereafter in Austin at 512-471-1495. He can also be contacted via email at dbfisher@astro.as.utexas.edu.

Texas Supernova Search Finds Exploding Stars Fast, Follows Up Faster with Giant Telescope

SEATTLE, Wash. — Robert Quimby, a post-doctoral researcher at The University of Texas at Austin, is heading up the Texas Supernova Search — an effort to detect exploding stars of all types in the fastest way possible after their explosion, to better understand how they explode and the types of stars they were prior to the explosion. This information will aid scientists using supernovae in cosmology studies, including the study of dark energy.

Quimby is explaining his search technique and results in a talk today at the 207th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Seattle, Washington.

The search program uses ROTSE IIIb, a robotic telescope located at The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory in West Texas. The telescope is one unit of four placed around the world that make up the Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment headquartered at The University of Michigan. Its primary purpose is to quickly track gamma-ray bursts. However, 30 per cent of the telescope’s observing time is also available to The University of Texas for other studies like Quimby’s Texas Supernova Search, which uses most of that allocation.

The project has some advantages over other supernova searches. The telescope has an extremely large field of view — the width of 3.5 full Moons on a side (3.4 square degrees). Second, this project looks at the same patches of sky night after night, Quimby says, explaining that most other search projects don’t work this way. His winter/spring targets include three grids, which cover the Virgo, Ursa Major, and Coma galaxy clusters. Together, these fields include hundreds of nearby bright galaxies, and thousands of nearby dwarf galaxies. Finally, ROTSE IIIb shares mountaintop space with one of the largest optical telescopes in the world, the 9.2-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET). When a supernova is found by ROTSE, it can immediately be followed up in great detail with HET.

Since the fall of 2004, the Texas Supernova Search has found about 30 supernovae.

Quimby explains that while “hundreds of supernovae are found every year” now by various search groups, the idea behind his project is to try to get the earliest look at new supernovae. In other words, he says, “not to find the most supernovae, but to find the best supernovae.”

He explains that “when a supernova explodes, the material expands and thins out. When it fans out, you see deeper into the explosion. Most people studying supernovae are looking fairly deep” into the expanding debris cloud.

In contrast, “we look early,” he says. This enables him to study the exploded star’s outer layers, before the debris cloud has had much time to expand.

The benefit of catching supernovae as soon as possible after they explode, Quimby says, is to get information that is only available by studying the star’s outer layers. This includes information about the progenitor star, and about the explosion itself.

“There are very few examples of supernovae that have been studied in the first few days,” Quimby says — less than a dozen. His survey recently discovered one, known as supernova 2006bp. Quimby says the Texas Supernova Search found 2006bp about two days after it exploded. (It was independently reported earlier by amateur astronomer Koichi Itagaki of Yamagata, Japan.)

This early detection is important, because such studies might reveal differences in supernovae soon after they explode, which at later times look identical. The great value of supernovae (specifically, type Ia supernovae) to cosmology research is their uniformity — astronomers can count on them to have a certain peak luminosity for a given light curve shape, which allows them to calculate distance to the supernova (and its host galaxy) with great confidence. These measurements were integral, for instance, in the calculations that revealed that the expansion of the universe is accelerating, and introduced what many call the greatest enigma in science today — dark energy.

But what if all supernovae aren’t the same? Quimby’s search caught one exploded star that hints of this possibility: supernova 2005hj. Once the search found this supernova, they began following it as it changed day by day using the HET. Spectra taken over a period of time showed that the light output from this supernova changed over time in a way different from the norm.

“At first, the velocity of the ejecta decreased over time as is typical,” Quimby says. “But this was followed by about a two-week period of nearly constant velocities, which is unusual.”

Quimby says there are two possible explanations for 2005hj’s unusual behavior. It could be a merger of two white dwarf stars — the so-called “double degenerate” model. The second possibility is that it could be a white dwarf star that tried to explode, but didn’t release enough energy. So it puffed up a bit, then collapsed back onto the star’s core, triggering a second (much larger) explosion. This case is known as a “pulsating delayed detonation.”

The Texas Supernova Search will continue. Quimby hopes to expand the program to include all four ROTSE telescopes. Besides unit IIIb at McDonald Observatory, there are ROTSE telescopes in Australia, Turkey, and Namibia.

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope is a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Stanford University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and Georg-August-Unversität Göttingen.

— END —

Note to Editors: Robert Quimby can be reached in Seattle this week by cell phone at 512-789-2094 and thereafter in Austin at 512-471-7460. He can also be contacted via email at quimby@astro.as.utexas.edu.

American Astronomical Society Confers Highest Honor on McDonald Observatory Director David Lambert

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Dr. David Lambert, director of The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory, has been awarded the Henry Norris Russell Lectureship, the highest honor that may conferred on an astronomer by the American Astronomical Society (AAS).

The AAS is the major organization of professional astronomers in North America, with about 5,000 scientist members.

Lambert holds the university’s Isabel McCutcheon Harte Centennial Chair in Astronomy.

The American Astronomical Society said the Russell Lectureship is conferred on Lambert “for contributions in the field of stellar spectroscopy and abundances, which have profoundly influenced our knowledge of stellar evolution, nucleosynthesis, and their effects on the chemical evolution of the universe."

The Lectureship is named for the Princeton University astronomer who pioneered the study of stellar evolution.  It is presented, the society said, “on the basis of a lifetime of eminence in astronomical research.”

In four decades of research in astronomical spectroscopy, Lambert has published 450 papers on topics from the composition of the Sun, molecular emission by comets, the chemistry of the diffuse interstellar medium, and stellar nucleosynthesis and evolution. 

In 1987, his work on the quantitative analysis of stellar spectra was recognized with the Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics awarded by the American Institute for Physics and the American Astronomical Society. He has held visiting professorships at the European Southern Observatory in Garching, Germany, the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, and the Indian Institute of Astrophysics in Bangalore, India.

Lambert came to The University of Texas at Austin as a faculty associate in 1969, was appointed associate professor in 1970, professor in 1974 and the Isabel McCutcheon Harte Chair in 1987. He was educated in England, obtaining his bachelor’s and doctor’s degrees from the University of Oxford. Between Oxford and Texas, he was a research fellow of the California Institute of Technology and the Mount Wilson and Palomar observatories. He has been director of McDonald Observatory since 2003.

— END —

AEP Foundation Grants $30K to McDonald Observatory

Bart Rosenquist (left) and Fred Hernandez (center) of American Electric Power pr

Will Fund Training for Elementary & Secondary Teachers

 

FORT DAVIS, Texas — The American Electric Power (AEP) Foundation has granted $30,000 to The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory to provide teacher training in astronomy and Earth science to elementary and secondary teachers in Texas.

McDonald Observatory has been holding professional development workshops for teachers at its remote mountaintop site since 1999. The funds from the AEP Foundation grant will contribute to this program — but with a twist. They will fund development, testing, and implementation of teacher workshops to be given by videoconference. This allows teachers to take advantage of the Observatory’s expertise even if they don’t have the funds or the time to travel to its west Texas home.

Each videoconference workshop will be customized for the specific group of teachers participating. Overall, the science content will address areas of low achievement by Texas students as measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (the TAKS test).

“Our workshops excite teachers about science and provide them with ways to foster this excitement in their students,” said McDonald Observatory director Dr. David L. Lambert. “This grant from AEP is a marvelous opportunity to excite more teachers.”

The Observatory’s K-12 education program takes advantage of students’ natural interest in astronomy. Getting students excited about science is a first step toward creating a technologically trained workforce for the future of Texas.

American Electric Power is one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity to more than five million customers in 11 states. AEP Texas provides electric delivery services to a nearly 100,000-square-mile area in south and west Texas including the cities of Corpus Christi, Victoria, Abilene, San Angelo, McAllen, Harlingen, Mission, Pharr, Hidalgo, Fort Davis, Alpine and Marfa. The American Electric Power Foundation was formed in late 2005 as a private foundation to make contributions and grants to eligible non-profit organizations.

— END —

Additional Media Contact: Larry Jones, Manager of Corporate Communications for AEP Texas, may be reached by phone at 512-391-2970, or via email at lajones@aep.com.

McDonald Observatory Makes Fun, Educational Spring Break Destination

Visitors enjoying a star party at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald

FORT DAVIS, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory invites the public to a week of special events at its West Texas home near Fort Davis, March 10-17. This coincides with Spring Break for many schools around the state. The events include an expanded schedule of star parties, guided tours, and solar viewings.

Star Parties give visitors a chance to view stars, planets, and nebulae through multiple telescopes at the Frank N.  Bash Visitors Center under the darkest skies of any major observatory in the continental United States. In the event of cloudy or rainy skies, alternative programs are offered.

During the day, guided tours of the Observatory include a visit to the 107-inch Harlan J. Smith Telescope. While on the tour, view 100-mile vistas from the summit of Mt. Locke while standing on the highest public road in Texas. (Visitors also can take a self-guided tour to see one of the largest telescopes in the world, daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Hobby-Eberly Telescope, with its 432-inch-wide mirror, is on adjacent Mt. Fowlkes.)

Other daytime activities include the solar viewing program, which allows visitors to enjoy views of the Sun that show details as small as a few thousand miles across on the Sun’s surface. Held in the multimedia theater at the Visitors Center, this program is included with a Daytime Programs ticket.

The schedule of events for March 10-17 is below. Please note that this year, Daylight Saving Time begins on March 11. Visitors traveling from areas in the Mountain Time zone (for example, El Paso) wishing to attend scheduled activities should note that the Observatory is in the Central Time zone.

March 10 ONLY

Guided Tours: 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m.
Solar Viewings: 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m.
Twilight Programs:  4:45 p.m., 6 p.m.
Star Party: 7:30 p.m.

March 11 - 17

Guided Tours: 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m. , 4:30 p.m.
Solar Viewings: 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5 p.m.
Twilight Programs: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday at 6:15 p.m., 6:55 p.m., 7:30 p.m.
Star Parties: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday at 9 p.m.

McDonald Observatory is in the heart of the Davis Mountains of West Texas, and makes a great destination at any time of year. Regular hours of operation for the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day, with additional evening hours on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays when star parties are held. The Visitors Center is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.

Visitors traveling east on Interstate 10 from El Paso take Highway 118 south at Kent for the 34-mile drive to the Observatory. Visitors traveling west on Interstate 10 may take Highway 17 south at Balmorhea to Fort Davis, then Highway 118 north 16 miles to the Observatory. Visitors coming from Big Bend National Park take Highway 118 north through Alpine and Fort Davis to the Observatory.

For recorded information on times and prices, call toll-free at 877-984-7827 or visit online at http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/visitors. For other information, call the Information Desk at 432-426-3640.

For information on lodging near the Observatory, please visit the Fort Davis Chamber of Commerce Web site at http://www.fortdavis.com.

— END —

Texas Astronomers Achieve Major Improvement in Cosmic Distance Scale with Hubble Telescope

AUSTIN, Texas — An international team of astronomers led by Fritz Benedict and Barbara McArthur of The University of Texas at Austin has used Hubble Space Telescope to solve one of biggest problems in measuring the universe’s expansion. The results of their in-depth studies of Cepheid variable stars with HST is published in the April issue of the Astronomical Journal.

 

“We took a classic approach to measuring cosmic distances, made significant improvements, and carried out a successful test,” Benedict said. “The result is a new, improved distance measuring tool.”

The universe’s rate of expansion, “the Hubble constant,” has been hotly debated for decades. To calculate it, astronomers must be able to measure precise distances to galaxies billions of light-years away. That capacity, in turn, is built on a series of measurement techniques in the so-called “cosmic distance ladder” — each of which allow astronomers to measure distances a little farther out into the universe.

One rung in the distance ladder is called a “Cepheid variable star.” Nearly 100 years ago, astronomers noticed that the light output from intrinsically brighter Cepheids varied more slowly than that from intrinsically fainter Cepheids. But that “period-luminosity relationship” was not known exactly. Benedict’s team set out to precisely determine this relationship for Cepheids in our own galaxy.

To accomplish the calibration, they directly measured the distance to 10 Milky Way Cepheids. They followed these stars for two years, measuring their apparent motion on the sky, called “parallax.”

“When we measure a parallax, we’re looking at the little circle that the star makes on the sky because the Earth goes around the Sun,” Benedict said. “ The size of that circle gives the absolute distance to the star.” That circle is so small for these distant stars ( equivalent to a quarter seen from 1,500 miles away) that it takes the Fine Guidance Sensors on HST to make the measurements.

Once a star’s precise distance is known from parallax, its intrinsic brightness can be established. “We established the intrinsic brightnesses of Cepheids whose light varied by different amounts, and came up with an accurate period-luminosity relationship,” said Tom Barnes of The University of Texas, the team’s resident Cepheid expert. “Knowing the period with which the brightness of a Cepheid varies now accurately indicates its intrinsic brightness.”

According to Benedict, “With this calibration, astronomers can deduce the distance to any galaxy in which a Cepheid can be detected.”

McArthur added, “We tested our newly derived Cepheid period-luminosity relations on other galaxies with Cepheids and found our results to be consistent with distances derived from other methods.” (This includes the galaxy NGC 4258, whose absolute distance has been measured by tracking the motion of water masers around its center.)

Applying this relationship to many and more distant galaxies should improve the accuracy of the Hubble constant. “A precise Hubble constant is the top rung in the distance scale ladder. With it you know the distance of any galaxy with a measured velocity,” McArthur said.

Measuring parallaxes sounds simple, but “success is in the details,” Benedict said. McArthur explains that “not only do we take into account the motions of stars near our target Cepheids, but we also look at how the minute motions of the telescope itself can effect our measurements.” She puts these many corrections into the model when she derives the parallaxes. “The journal paper includes the fine print,” she said, “so that our methods will be clear to our colleagues who appreciate the fine art of precise position measurement, or ‘astrometry.’”

The HST Astrometry Team was founded at The University of Texas at Austin long before the telescope launched in 1990, and helped design HST’s Fine Guidance Sensors and ensure they would be useful for this kind of study. “We’ve been cranking on this since 1977,” Benedict said. “and as we tell our children, ‘Practice makes perfect!’ ”

“This result has excited me more than any in my 35-year career,” Benedict said, “and we will have more and better over the next five years.”

In addition to Benedict, McArthur, and Barnes, the international team for this research consisted of Michael E. Feast of The University of Cape Town, Thomas E. Harrison of New Mexico State University, Richard J. Patterson of The University of Virginia, John W. Menzies of the South African Astronomical Observatory, Jacob Bean of The University of Texas at Austin, and Wendy L. Freedman of the Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington.

— END —

McDonald Observatory Holds Open House May 12

FORT DAVIS, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory invites members of the media to an Open House at our West Texas mountaintop site on Saturday, May 12. Admission to the Observatory and all programs that day will be free to the public, with activities planned from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. These events run the gamut from science talks, to telescope demonstrations, to a nighttime star party.

Special events are planned for media attendees. After checking in at the Information Desk at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center for a press kit and lunch voucher, enjoy an 11:45 a.m. lunch in the StarDate Café. This is followed at 12:50 p.m. by a press briefing by McDonald Observatory astronomers. They will describe their plan to tackle the enigma of “dark energy” — that mysterious force causing the universe’s expansion to speed up — with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX). Then take a press tour of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the world’s largest telescopes, at 2 p.m. A 3 p.m. public talk describing the Observatory’s work on “Celestial Dodgeball: Protecting Earth from Asteroids” may also be of interest.

RSVPs from media for May 12 will be greatly appreciated. Contact Rebecca Johnson. A full schedule of Open House events will be available soon, and can be sent in PDF format to members of the media upon request.

For information on lodging, see the Fort Davis Chamber of Commerce Web site at: http://fortdavis.com.

— END —

Notes: For background information on the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX), see: http://www.utexas.edu/features/2007/energy/.

Don Wallace is New Site Superintendent for McDonald Observatory

FORT DAVIS , Texas — The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory welcomes Don Wallace as superintendent at its West Texas site near Fort Davis. Wallace brings a wealth of management experience to the Observatory, both from a career in the U.S. Army and working at The University of Texas main campus in Austin for the past decade.

“I’m delighted that Don has joined the McDonald Observatory,” said Dr. David L. Lambert, the Observatory’s director.

Wallace took up his duties on February 1, just in time to experience Spring Break — the busiest time of year for tourism at McDonald. “The thing that really impressed me during Spring Break was the community spirit,” he said, “everyone pulling together to give all the visitors a lasting impression about McDonald Observatory.”

Wallace’s duties as superintendent are varied. “The superintendent controls all aspects of the operations, facilities, observing support for the 107-inch and 82-inch telescopes, management and administration of the Observatory,” he explained. “Our primary mission is to support the telescopes and observers.”

But he has other projects in mind, too. “I’m looking at taking input from all the residents,” Wallace said. “We are a city within itself and being rather isolated, I want to enhance our employee and resident quality of life.”

Wallace is responsible for maintaining and improving the Observatory’s infrastructure, including the homes on the Observatory, electrical systems, waste water system, water supply, and fire and safety preparedness. “One of our biggest concerns is reducing the fire risk,” he said, citing a collaborative project with the Texas Forest Service.

A Vietnam veteran, Wallace retired a lieutenant colonel from the U.S. Army after a long career in its Finance Corps. He served as comptroller of  Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indiana, as well as with the 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. A native of Cisco, Texas, he received his master’s degree from Central Michigan University and bachelor’s degree from McMurry University in Abilene. He attended the ROTC program at Hardin-Simmons University prior to his commissioning in the U.S. Army.

For the past 14 years he has been with The University of Texas at its main campus in Austin. He served as an Assistant Director for Finance at the General Libraries, as well as Assistant to the Dean in the LBJ School of Public Affairs.

— END —

Free Fun for All at McDonald Observatory Open House This Saturday

Visitors enjoying a star party at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald

FORT DAVIS, Texas — Y’all come to McDonald Observatory’s Open House on Saturday, May 12! Everyone is welcome, and admission and all programs will be free to the public that day. We’ve got a full slate of activities, starting at 10 a.m. and running to 11:30 p.m. We’ll give out free hotdogs and bottled water for lunch, while they last.

In addition to our regular tours and solar viewings, astronomers will be demonstrating our research telescopes multiple times throughout the day. Several science talks are on offer, including McDonald Observatory’s plan to solve the mysteries of “dark energy,” that mysterious force causing the universe’s expansion to speed up. Another talk will illustrate work at McDonald to detect asteroids with the potential to collide with Earth.

Additionally, transportation will be provided for free tours of The Davis Mountain Preserve, to be conducted by The Nature Conservancy.

Things won’t slow down in the evening. We’ll have live music from West Texas’ own Hungry 5 Oompah Band at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center. Visitors will be treated to our popular twilight program, and round out the night with spectacular telescope views of planets, nebulae, and galaxies at one of our famous star parties in our public telescope park (weather permitting).

For more information and a link to the complete schedule of events in PDF format, please see the Open House homepage.

Special media events are planned for the Open House; RSVPs to Rebecca Johnson will be greatly appreciated. Media are requested to check in at the Information Desk at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center to receive a press kit and lunch voucher for an 11:45 a.m. lunch in the StarDate Café. At 12:50 p.m., we’ll have a press briefing by McDonald Observatory astronomers. They will describe their plan to tackle dark energy, arguably the biggest problem in all of science today, with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX). Afterwards, we’ll have a press tour of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope to learn how it’s being modified for the HETDEX project.

END

Texas Astronomer Finds Six 'Cosmic Clocks' in Star Born Soon After Big Bang

AUSTIN — How old are the oldest stars? An international team of astronomers led by Dr. Anna Frebel of The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory recently measured the age of an ancient star in our Milky Way galaxy at an extraordinary 13.2 billion years. This measurement provides a lower limit to the age of the universe and will help to disentangle the chemical history of our galaxy. Frebel’s results are published in today’s edition of The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

The team used radioactive decay dating techniques to date the star, called HE 1523-0901. This is close to the age of the universe of 13.7 billion years. “This guy was born very shortly after the Big Bang,” Frebel said.

“Surprisingly, it is very hard to pin down the age of a star,” she said, “although we can generally infer that chemically primitive stars have to be very old.” Such stars must have been born before many generations of stars had chemically enriched our galaxy.

Astronomers can only accurately measure the ages of very rare old stars that contain huge amounts of certain types of chemical elements, including radioactive elements like thorium and uranium.

Similar to the way archaeologists use carbon-14 and other elements to date Earth relics thousands of years old, astronomers use radioactive elements found in stars to deduce these stars’ ages, which may be millions or billions of years.

“Very few stars display radioactive elements,” Frebel said. “I’m looking at a very rare subgroup of these already rare stars. I’m looking for a needle in a haystack, really.”

Frebel made the extremely difficult measurement of the amount of uranium in the star HE 1523-0901 using the UVES spectrograph on the Kueyen Telescope, one of four 8.2-meter telescopes that comprise The Very Large Telescope at the European Southern Observatory in Chile.

“This star is the best uranium detection so far,” she said, explaining that while uranium has been discovered in two other stars previously, only one could be used to get a good age for the star. HE 1523-0901 also contains thorium, another radioactive element that is useful in age-dating of stars. Uranium, with a half-life of 4.5 billion years, is a better clock than thorium, Frebel says. Thorium’s half-life of 14 billion years is actually longer than the age of the universe.

But astronomers need more than just radioactive elements like uranium and thorium to age-date a star. For each radioactive element, “you have to anchor it to another element within the star,” Frebel said. Because she detected so many of these anchor elements in HE 1523-0901, she can come up with an extremely accurate age. In this case, the anchor elements are europium, osmium, and iridium.

The combination of two radioactive elements with three anchor elements discovered in this one star provided Frebel six so-called “cosmic clocks.”

“So far, for no other star was it possible to employ more than one cosmic clock,” she said. “Now we are suddenly provided with six measurements in just one star!”

How did she find this amazing star? Frebel says it was a case of “informed serendipity.” She was researching a sample of old stars for her PhD thesis while a graduate student at The Australian National University, and recognized the consequences of this star’s extraordinary spectrum after she measured it with ESO’s Very Large Telescope.

“When you do discovery work, you never know what you’re going to find,” Frebel said. “You hope to find interesting objects. Depending on what you find, you then move in that direction.”

The new result will be used by Frebel and her team to gain important clues to the creation and evolution of the chemical elements shortly after the Big Bang. It will also provide theorists with new, important experimental data. “Stars such as HE 1523-0901 are ideal cosmic laboratories to study nucleosynthesis,” she said.

Frebel is now working with her colleagues Chris Sneden, Volker Bromm, Carlos Allende Prieto, Matthew Shetrone, and graduate student Ian Roederer at The University of Texas at Austin to further research extremely old stars with the 9.2-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory.

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope is a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Stanford University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and Georg-August-Unversität Göttingen.

— END —

Additional Contacts:

Dr. Anna Frebel, McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
anna@astro.as.utexas.edu

Dr. Henri Boffin, Deputy Head of Public Affairs
European Southern Observatory
+49-89-3200-6222; hboffin@eso.org

Astronomers Discover Multi-Planet System; May Alter Theories of Planet Formation

FORT DAVIS, Texas — University of Texas at Austin astronomers William Cochran and Michael Endl, working with graduate students Robert Wittenmyer and Jacob Bean, have used the 9.2-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at McDonald Observatory to discover a system of two Jupiter-like planets orbiting a star whose composition might seem to rule out planet formation. This NASA-funded study has implications for theories of planet formation.

Cochran and Endl have been monitoring the star, HD 155358, since 2001 using the High Resolution Spectrograph on HET. Their measurements of its “radial velocity,” or motion toward and away from Earth, show that the star has a wobble in its motion, which is caused by unseen companions tugging on the star.

HD 155358 is slightly hotter than the Sun, but a bit less massive. Most important, it only contains 20 percent as much of the chemical elements called “metals” — elements heavier than hydrogen or helium — as the Sun. Along with one other star (called HD 47536), it contains the fewest metals of any star found to harbor planets.

Bean specializes in studying the metal contents of stars. His in-depth studies of the star’s spectrum revealed its metal-poor nature, and allowed him to deduce the star’s age of roughly10 billion years.

One planet has an orbital period of 195 days and, at a minimum, is 90 percent as massive as Jupiter. It orbits HD 155358 at a distance of 0.6 AU. (An astronomical unit, or AU, is the Earth-Sun distance of 150 million km, or 93 million miles.) The other planet orbits HD 155358 in 530 days, with a minimum mass half that of Jupiter, at a distance of 1.2 AU.

Wittenmyer used the University of Texas at Austin supercomputer “Lonestar” to calculate the two massive planets’ orbits 100 million years into the future. The planets’ orbits are not circular, and they orbit close to each other and thus interact gravitationally — they push each other around.

“It’s like a dance,” Endl said. He explained that “Rob’s calculations show us how the orbits change over time: first more eccentric, then more circular, and back again.” The system is stable, Endl said, and the pattern repeats about every 3,000 years.

According to Wittenmyer, “The planets are trading eccentricity with each other. When one orbit is more circular, the other is more eccentric.”

The combination of massive planets orbiting a metal-poor star has consequences for theories of planet formation.

“There are two competing planet-formation models,” Endl said. Those models are known as the “core accretion model” and the “disk instability model.”

Both models start with a rotating cloud with a star forming at its center. As it rotates, the cloud flattens into a disk. Over time, dust in the disk begins to clump together to form the seeds that will eventually become planets. Where the two models differ is in terms of timescale.

In the core accretion model, a Jupiter-like planet forms in a two-step process. Over about a million years, a proto-planetary “core” several times the mass of Earth forms through gravitational accumulation of solid materials. When it reaches this mass, it has enough gravity to then pull huge amounts of gas onto itself. Over several million more years, it grows into a gas giant planet.

This model relies on large amounts of heavy elements to be present in the disk — and, of course, in the star— to form the cores, Endl said.

“Most of the planets found using the radial velocity technique are found around metal-rich stars,” he said. “That argues for the ‘core accretion’ model. Many astronomers in this field agree that the higher fraction of planets around metal-rich stars is supporting evidence for the core-accretion model.”

”Having this process happen to form not just one, but two, planets around a star that had so little solid material available for planet-building is quite remarkable.” Cochran said.

The competing model of planet formation is called the disk instability model. It argues that the rotating disk of gas and dust around the forming star becomes unstable very soon after the disk forms, causes the disk to break into giant clumps. Gravity within each clump can cause the gas to collapse under its own gravity, forming giant planets in only several hundred years.

“Gas giant planets formed this way might not have any solid core at all,” Endl said.

Cochran and his colleagues argue that HD 155358 could have formed the two planets through either method of planet formation.

“The major result of our discovery is that these planets required a very massive disk to form, several times more massive than we think our solar system disk was,” Endl said. “This demonstrates that disk masses can vary significantly and might even be the most crucial factor in planet formation.”

Cochran and colleagues first began using radial velocity techniques to search for planets from McDonald Observatory in the late 1980s, using the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope. The program continues today on both the Smith Telescope and HET, and Cochran’s team has found planets orbiting several stars.

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope is a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Stanford University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and Georg-August-Unversität Göttingen.

— END —

Note to Editors : More information is available online here.

Astronomers Search for Quasars with a 'Kick'

HONOLULU, Hawaii — A runaway black hole barreling out of a galaxy at more than two million miles per hour? Evidence of a quick getaway in the aftermath of a massive intergalactic collision? That’s just what astronomers Erin Bonning of the Paris Observatory and Gregory Shields and Sarah Salviander of The University of Texas at Austin have been searching for. They are presenting the results of their search for supermassive speed demons today at the 210th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Recent theoretical predictions have shown that when two galaxies collide, their central black holes sink to the center of the resulting galaxy and begin to orbit each other while slowly emitting gravitational radiation. Finally, they get so close that they collapse onto each other, creating one giant black hole. Scientists have found that if the black holes are spinning in a particular way when this happens, the final black hole will get a kick and go flying away from the scene of the crime.

“The gravitational radiation shoots out to one side,” Bonning said. “The ‘kick’ from this causes the black hole to recoil in the opposite direction — like a rocket.”

Bonning, Shields, and Salviander have gone looking for these runaway black holes in quasars — active galaxies in which a glowing disk of hot gas surrounds the black hole. Matter in the disk nearing the black hole is heated by the violent orbital motion, causing it to give off copious amounts of radiation — a tell-tale signature of the omnivorous monster devouring whatever ventures too close.

They have searched the publicly available data of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) for quasars which show some evidence this kind of “kicked” black hole. They looked at the spectra of about 2,600 quasars. If there were a getaway disk moving through the galaxy, it would show up here.

“There are a couple of these quasars whose spectra raise suspicions,” Shields said, though none show definitive evidence of being “kicked-out quasars.” It would be interesting for someone to take these “best cases” and image them with Hubble Space Telescope, he said, to see if the quasar is offset from its host galaxy.

Their results, which have been submitted to the journal Astrophysical Journal Letters for publication,  are important observational data for scientists who simulate black hole mergers, since the strength of the kick is related to the spins of the black holes.

“We didn’t find nearly as many quasars with high velocity shifts as we thought we would, looking at the theoretical predictions,” Bonning said. “And even those quasars that were ‘shifty’ didn’t show any other evidence of being absconding black holes. They were more likely to be stationary black holes in the middle of a slightly more complicated quasar than usual.”

However, Shields said, “It doesn’t mean the calculations are wrong. It tells you that the sequence of events when the galaxies collide and merge, and their black holes spiral together, rarely — if ever — leads to the conditions that give this kind of kick.

“In order to see the ‘kick’ effect, it requires a special alignment of the merging galaxies. That’s statistically rare. Less than one in ten of these might get a kick of at least 1,000 kilometers per second. And if the merger does not occur when the black hole is shining as a quasar, it will not be visible.” The maximum possible kick, he said, is 2,500 km/sec, which could only occur when the two original black holes are of comparable size.

The search goes on. If it turns out that kicked black holes dragging accretion disks cannot be found, that will also be an important result. “Sometimes it’s more exciting when you don’t find something you’re expecting,” Salviander said.

However, continuing to look for kicked black holes could have a huge payoff — the chance to see something spectacular.

The astronomers calculated that a merged black hole kicked out of a newly merged galaxy would drag along a large part of its accretion disk. “This would keep the black hole shining even as it wandered off from the center of the galaxy,” Shields said.

The black hole would drag away the inner part of its accretion disk most strongly, Shields said. But outer parts of the disk would also follow. This sets the stage for a magnificent collision in the future, as the lagging portions of the original disk eventually catch up and crash onto the inner part of the disk. (See illustration.)

“We’re talking about millions of solar masses of matter crashing into the accretion disk,” Shields said. “There would be shock waves, and the disk would be heated to millions of degrees, producing X-rays. It’s a potentially dramatic, but relatively short-lived event. It could be brighter than the quasar itself — one of the brightest X-ray events in the universe.”

The crash would create an X-ray flare that lasts a thousand years, he said, virtually the blink of an eye compared the quasar ’s lifetime, which may be tens of millions of years.

Dr. Bonning’s work was funded by a Marie Curie Fellowship.

— END —

Additional Contacts:

Dr. Greg Shields: 512-471-3000, shields@astro.as.utexas.edu
Dr. Erin Bonning: 603-661-3669, erin.bonning@obspm.fr
Ms Sarah Salviander: 512-471-7460, triples@astro.as.utexas.edu

Hobby-Eberly Telescope Helps Astronomers Learn Secrets of One of Universe's Most Distant Objects

FORT DAVIS, Texas — Astronomers have used the 9.2-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at McDonald Observatory to confirm one of the most distant known objects in the universe. The object is a quasar — an extremely bright galaxy nucleus powered by matter falling into a supermassive black hole at its heart — that is 12.7 billion light-years away. Because light travels at a finite speed, we are seeing this quasar as it appeared 12.7 billion years ago, when the universe was just 7 percent of its present age.

The object was discovered by the Canada-France High-z Quasar Survey, which has been undertaken by an international group using the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. The survey team, headed by Chris Willott of the University of Ottawa, presented their results on four extremely distant quasars, including this one, this week at the annual conference of the Canadian Astronomical Society in Kingston, Ontario.

It is particularly important to find such distant quasars because they can be used to probe a time in cosmic history called the “Era of Re-ionization,” said Gary Hill, a member of the survey team and McDonald Observatory’s Chief Astronomer. During this time, he said, the earliest stars were forming and beginning to turn the universe from mostly neutral atoms to mostly ionized (where they have lost their electrons due to ultraviolet radiation). The era lasted about half a billion years.

He explained that the distant quasars are seen early enough in the history of the universe that they shine through regions of space that were not yet fully ionized. Some of the quasar’s light is absorbed by any clouds of still-neutral hydrogen. So, by studying the quasar’s light today, astronomers can gauge what types of gas clouds the light has passed through on its way to Earth — providing a record of when in time and where in space these gas clouds lived.

Fewer than 10 such distant quasars were previously known, Hill said, so “every one of these counts. Every one you add gives you another line of sight,” — a way to probe a different part of the universe and study the inhomogeneous re-ionization process.

Follow-up observations of this specific quasar (with the somewhat difficult moniker “CFHQS 1641+3755”) were first made in the infrared with the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory to indicate that it is probably a quasar, and not a brown dwarf (both objects are point-like and red in color in photos).

That accomplished, it was then sent to be studied by HET. The large light-gathering power of this telescope, the world’s fourth-largest, combined with its Marcario Low Resolution Spectrograph, allowed astronomers to measure a spectrum of the quasar and calculate its distance of 12.7 billion light-years (in astronomical jargon, this equates to a redshift of z = 6.04).

The difficult HET observation was carried out by Michael Gully-Santiago, a college student astronomer from Boston University spending the summer at McDonald Observatory. Gully-Santiago was taking part in the observatory’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, which is funded by the National Science Foundation.

The group plans to continue following up quasars from the Canada-France survey with HET, Hill said. They have submitted their results to the Astronomical Journal for publication. A copy of this paper is available online at http://arxiv.org/abs/0706.0914.

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope is a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Stanford University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and Georg-August-Unversität Göttingen.

— END —

Note to Editors : For more information contact Gary Hill at 512-471-1477 or hill@astro.as.utexas.edu.

McDonald Observatory Thanks Employees for Dedicated Service

FORT DAVIS, Texas — McDonald Observatory honored long-time employees for their years of service with an Employee Appreciation Dinner on May 23.

Receiving recognition were:

  • Jimmy Salcido (30 years)
  • Marian Frueh (25 years)
  • Mark Blackley (20 years)
  • Barbara Dominguez (20 years)
  • Jerry Martin (20 years)
  • Martin Villarreal (15 years)
  • Angela Davis (10 years)
  • James Fowler (10 years)
  • Carl (Robert) Poenisch (10 years)
  • Gabriel Salcido (10 years)

Additionally, Nancy Davis received The University of Texas at Austin College of Natural Sciences Staff Excellence Award in April.

In February, both Matthew Shetrone and Nancy Davis received Staff Excellence Awards from the McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors.

— END—

University of Texas at Austin Astronomer Shares $500,000 International Cosmology Prize

AUSTIN — University of Texas at Austin post-doctoral fellow Robert Quimby is among a group of scientists to receive this year’s Gruber Prize for Cosmology for the discovery that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate.

The mysterious force behind the acceleration has been dubbed “dark energy.” The $500,000 prize will be divided among 53 scientists, mostly astronomers, composing two research groups.

“I performed the fits to the data that actually showed the mysterious expansion force existed,” Quimby says, “although I was just an undergrad at the time and I didn’t know what it meant or why it was a big deal. I’m sure glad I took that summer job now.”

Quimby was a member of the Supernova Cosmology Project team, headed by Saul Perlmutter of The University of California, Berkeley. Quimby worked on the project while an undergraduate at Berkeley and for two summers afterward (1997 to 2002). The team’s 31 scientists hail from Australia, Chile, France, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.

He will receive his share of the prize, about $4,000, at a ceremony in Cambridge, England, in September.

Quimby completed his Ph.D. in astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin in December 2006. He garnered considerable acclaim for his discovery that fall of a new type of supernova, the brightest yet on record. He will begin a post-doctoral appointment with the California Institute of Technology this September where he will continue his search for brilliant explosions.

The members of the Supernova Cosmology Project are sharing the Gruber Prize with the High-z Supernova Search team, headed by Brian Schmidt of the Australian National University. That team’s 19 members come from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Chile and Australia.

An accelerating universe was a crazy result that was hard to accept. Yet the two teams, racing neck and neck, simultaneously came to the same conclusion. Their discovery led to the idea of an expansion force, now known as dark energy. The two teams expected to find that the universe would either expand for a long while then contract, or it would expand forever but slow over the millennia.

To find out which, they not only needed to be able to measure the speed with which distant objects are traveling away from us, but also how far away they are. To measure the distance, they needed standardized light sources — very bright ones that would be visible to Earth-based telescopes despite being billions of light years away and billions of years old.

The standard light sources they used were exploding stars — in particular Type Ia supernovae. Finding them in the void at huge distances from Earth was not easy and the subsequent analyses turned up surprising results. For both teams it was not what they were expecting. For months they both tried to figure out where they had gone wrong, searching for any tiny source of error. In the end, the data were right. The accepted model of the universe was wrong, with dramatic implications. The acceleration suggests the fate of the universe is to just keep expanding, faster and faster.

The Gruber Prize honors a leading cosmologist, astronomer, astrophysicist, or scientific philosopher for theoretical, analytical or conceptual discoveries leading to fundamental advances in the field. Since 2001, the prize has been awarded in collaboration with the International Astronomical Union, the international umbrella organization for professional astronomers.

— END —

Note to Editors: For more information, please see The Gruber Foundation press web site.

'Astronomy Day from McDonald Observatory' Will Reach Thousands of Texas Middle-School Students

FORT DAVIS, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory will hold three state-wide, interactive videoconferences with Texas students on Friday, Sept. 14, in celebration of Astronomy Day.

The event is called “Astronomy Day from McDonald Observatory.” It aims to teach Texas students in grades 5-8 about the Sun and the solar system in a way not usually possible in a standard classroom setting.

With the help of the Connect2Texas program based at the state’s Region XI Education Service Center in Fort Worth, access to the videoconference will be available to schools around the state, reaching thousands of students.

The program will feature the Observatory’s K-12 education coordinator, Marc Wetzel, guiding students in making their own scale model of the solar system. Weather permitting, he also will show students live views of the Sun using specially equipped telescopes at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory.

Dr. Steve Odewahn, an astronomer who studies the universe with one of the largest telescopes in the world, the 9.2-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory, will take questions from the students.

The event’s content aligns with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and Texas Assessment for Knowledge and Skills (TAKS).

Astronomy Day from McDonald Observatory is funded by a grant from The Meyer Levy Charitable Foundation.

— END —

Notes to Editors: Information about specific grade-level TEKS for the program, as well as pre- and post-videoconference activities for classrooms, are available online from McDonald Observatory at http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/astroday.

Additional information can be found at the Connect2Texas site: http://www.connect2texas.net/.

Consortium Selects Site in Chile for Future Giant Magellan Telescope

The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory and Texas A&M University department of Physics have announced that the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) Consortium has decided to build the GMT at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. Las Campanas is operated by the Carnegie Institution of Washington.

“I’m delighted that astronomers from the state’s two flagship universities are cooperating on this important project,” said McDonald Observatory Director Dr. David L. Lambert. The consortium also includes the Australian National University, The University of Arizona, The Carnegie Institution of Washington, Harvard University and The Smithsonian Institution.

The Giant Magellan Telescope has been under development for several years, and the first of its seven 8.4-meter (27.5-foot) mirrors was cast from molten glass in July 2005 and are being polished at the University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory Mirror Laboratory. When completed, the final surface will be smooth to an accuracy of one millionth of an inch and will follow the precise optical prescription needed to produce the best images theoretically possible.

GMT will be the first of a new generation of ground-based telescopes, and is scheduled for completion in 2016. Its large size will offer exceptional resolving power, producing images up to 10 times sharper than the Hubble Space Telescope, and will open new avenues of scientific exploration. These include understanding the origin and evolution of planetary systems beyond our own, witnessing the formation of stars, galaxies and black holes, and exploring the properties of dark matter and dark energy in the cosmos.

“With this telescope, we’ll probe frontiers of space beyond what even the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) can see,” Lambert said. The 9.2-meter HET at the McDonald Observatory is one of the largest telescopes in the world.

The Las Campanas location was selected for GMT because of its high altitude, dry climate, dark skies and unsurpassed seeing quality, as well as its access to southern hemisphere skies.

“The GMT builds on the partners’ collective experience in constructing and operating world-class telescopes. Locating the telescope at a proven world-class, mountain-top site in Chile will maximize its productivity and cost effectiveness,” said Dr. Nicholas Suntzeff, head of the astronomy program at Texas A&M University.

“This decision represents a critical step towards realizing our goal of building the premier next-generation astronomical observatory,” said Dr. Wendy Freedman, leader of the GMT Board and director of the Observatories of the Carnegie Institution.

“The Giant Magellan Telescope represents the dawn of a new age of astronomical exploration,” said Dr. Charles Alcock, director of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. “As telescopes get larger, we are able to see fainter, farther, and with more clarity than ever before. We can only predict a fraction of the scientific discoveries that will be made using this enormous telescope and the new insights into the universe that we will gain.”

Las Campanas is home to the twin Magellan Telescopes, the predecessors of the new instrument.

“Excellent science has come from Las Campanas for several decades,” Freedman said. “The superb astronomical quality of the site is a significant contributor to this success.”

The Texas flagship universities are able to participate in the GMT project as a result of a $1.25 million gift to Texas A&M from George P. Mitchell of Houston and matching funds from The University of Texas at Austin. Mitchell is a 1940 distinguished graduate of Texas A&M’s Petroleum Engineering Department.

While the GMT’s purpose, design and location have been decided, its construction has not yet been funded. The partner institutions continue to seek funds for this massive undertaking.

— END —

Note to Editors: For detailed information about the design of the GMT and the science it will perform, see the GMT web site.

Most Powerful Supernova Ever: Found with Mini, Monumental McDonald Observatory Telescopes

FORT DAVIS, Texas —Astronomer Robert Quimby has done it again. Found the most luminous supernova ever, that is.

Quimby discovered the current record holder, supernova 2006gy, last year as part of his Texas Supernova Search project. Now he announces that a supernova he discovered earlier in the project is actually twice as luminous. Using follow-up studies to pinpoint its distance, supernova 2005ap peaked at more than 100 billion times the brightness of the Sun. The result has been accepted for publication in the October 20 edition of The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

This supernova is a Type II, Quimby said, because it contains hydrogen. Most Type II supernovae are thought to result when the cores of massive stars, those seven to eight times or more heavy than the Sun, collapse under their own weight and trigger an explosion. This particular Type II is 300 times brighter than average, Quimby said, and lies in a dwarf galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices, well behind the famous Coma cluster of galaxies.

“It’s clearly not the same as 2006gy,” Quimby’s colleague and supernova expert J. Craig Wheeler of The University of Texas at Austin said. “It’s a puzzle.”

Quimby completed his Ph.D. under Wheeler’s supervision at Texas in May, and has just begun a post-doctoral appointment at Caltech. His Texas Supernova Search uses the 18-inch ROTSE-IIIb robotic telescope on McDonald Observatory’s Mount Fowlkes, a tiny neighbor to the giant 10-meter-class Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET).

Quimby studied 2005ap with HET just a few days after its discovery. The results were intriguing, Quimby said. The supernova’s spectrum hinted at the presence of a highly shifted absorption line of oxygen III (an oxygen atom that has lost two of its electrons). Quimby knew that if the feature was oxygen III, then 2005ap was “possibly very far away and thus very luminous.”

Follow-up observations with the Keck Telescope in Hawaii by Quimby’s colleague Greg Aldering of Lawrence Berkeley National Lab not only confirmed Quimby’s HET detection of oxygen III, but added another, equally shifted element to the spectrum: magnesium.

Together, the studies confirmed 2005ap’s distance of 4.7 billion light-years. (In astronomical terms, this equates to a redshift of z = 0.2832.)

It was this distance measurement, combined with measurements of the supernova’s apparent brightness that allowed the calculation of its intrinsic brightness, or “luminosity,” and uncovered 2005ap as the most powerful supernova yet.

“Before 2006gy, I thought this should not be plausible,” Quimby said. “There I was finding my first supernovae — I was just happy to get anything. It turned out to be the most luminous supernova ever found.”

How is that Quimby has found the brightest supernova yet, twice in a row? “I’ve worked too damn hard for this to be luck,” he said.

Quimby explained, “I’m searching a huge volume of space, comparable to all previous nearby supernova surveys combined.” Also, Quimby will find supernovae that other studies ignore: he doesn’t filter out non-Type Ia supernovae, which is what many studies do that are searching for supernovae for cosmology studies, and he does search dwarf galaxies as well as galaxies with active black holes at their centers, which other studies avoid. Others also avoid supernovae near the cores of galaxies.

In fact, 2006gy was found in the core of a galaxy, and that galaxy has a weakly active central black hole, Wheeler said.

“There’s no question that [his results] have gotten everybody’s attention,” Wheeler said. The University of Michigan-run ROTSE collaboration, whose main mission is the search for gamma-ray bursts, has decided to expand the supernova search to its entire network. Its robotic telescopes in Australia, Turkey, and Namibia will soon join the unit at McDonald Observatory in this search. The Sloan Digital Sky Survey Supernova Search, for which the HET provides confirming spectra, is also reconsidering its search filters in response to these discoveries, Wheeler said.

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope is a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Stanford University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen.

— END —

Contact Information:

Dr. Robert Quimby
California Institute of Technology
626-395-5927; quimby@astro.caltech.edu

Dr. J. Craig Wheeler
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-6407; wheel@astro.as.utexas.edu

Astronomers Discover Sun's Twin at McDonald Observatory

FORT DAVIS, Texas — Peruvian astronomers Jorge Melendez of The Australian National University and Ivan Ramirez of The University of Texas at Austin have discovered the best “solar twin” to date, using the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory. Their findings suggest that the Sun’s chemical composition is not unique, as some previously thought.

The star, HIP 56948, is more like the Sun than any yet seen, and is 200 light-years away in the constellation Draco, the dragon. The star may be a billion years older than the Sun.

Only three solar twins were previously known: 18 Scorpius, HD 98618, and HIP 100963. But while they were all like the Sun in many ways, there was one major difference: the amount of lithium they contained. They all had several times more than the Sun. Astronomers wondered if the Sun was unique in its low amount of lithium.

The discovery of this new solar twin puts that question to rest: it has the same low lithium content as the Sun. The study turned up another solar twin, HIP 73815, that contains a similarly low amount of lithium.

The question of chemical peculiarities in the Sun is related to the “anthropic principle” — is there something special about the Sun that has allowed life to spring up in our solar system? Their findings don’t answer that completely, but they do show that when it comes to the Sun’s chemical composition, the answer is an emphatic “no.”

Melendez’ and Ramirez’ findings suggest the opposite, so-called “Copernican” view: It is possible that life is common elsewhere in the universe. They suggest that stars like HIP 56948 would be good targets for SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) researchers.

The star already has been studied by the McDonald Observatory Planet Search led by University of Texas at Austin astronomer Bill Cochran. His team found that, like our Sun, HIP 56948 does not host any “hot Jupiter” planets, those massive, short-period planets orbiting close to their parent stars, so common among the more than 200 stars found to date that host one or more planets.

Searches for “solar twins” are important because astronomers use the Sun as a baseline for many other types of studies. But they cannot study the Sun the same way they do the distant stars. It’s too close, and too bright.

The solar twins discovered at McDonald will be useful for many areas of astrophysics. In particular, they will help astronomers who study the chemical compositions of stars, as well as validate theoretical models of stars’ interiors, and theoretical models of stellar evolution.

— END —

University of Texas at Austin Astronomy Student Wins Rhodes Scholarship

AUSTIN, Texas — Sarah Miller, an astronomy and physics major who will graduate in May from The University of Texas at Austin, was recently selected as a Rhodes Scholar for 2008.

She is one of 32 students in America to be honored with the scholarship.

The Rhodes Scholarship was created in 1902 by British philanthropist Cecil Rhodes to bring outstanding students from all over the world to Oxford University, and it pays for students to study and live at Oxford for two to three years. The value of the award, which depends on the students' academic interests and requirements, and includes stipends for travel, averages roughly $45,000 per year.

Miller, a Dallas native, was cited in the official Rhodes Trust press release not only for her accomplishments in the field of astronomy and physics, but also for her ability as a rock, jazz and classical music composer, performer and instrumentalist.

She has co-authored papers on the evolution of galaxies, was an award winner at the 2007 Undergraduate Research Forum in the College of Natural Sciences, and sent an original rock music composition (for which she did most of the instrumentation) with her Rhodes application.

Miller, who's in the Dean's Scholars Honors Program in the College of Natural Sciences, has also participated in a theology summer program at Oxford for the last four years, has been a member of the university's Student Advisory Council, and is a prize-winning graphic artist and painter.

She plans to pursue a doctorate in astrophysics at Oxford.

— END —

Texas Astronomer Makes First Ground-Based Detection of Extra-Solar Planet Atmosphere with HET

FORT DAVIS, Texas — University of Texas at Austin astronomer and Hubble Fellow Seth Redfield has used the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at McDonald Observatory to make the first ground-based detection of the atmosphere of a planet outside our solar system. This research has been accepted for publication in an upcoming issue of Astrophysical Journal Letters.

“It’s a remarkable pioneering discovery,” said McDonald Observatory Director David L. Lambert.

The work is an incremental step in finding life in the universe, falling between the initial detections of planets around other stars (known as “extra-solar planets” or “exoplanets”), and the anticipated discovery of planets similar to Earth.

“What we all want to find is a planet with an Earth-like atmosphere,” Redfield said.

The planet Redfield studied orbits HD189733, a star about 63 light-years away in the constellation Vulpecula, the little fox. But it’s not like Earth. The planet is 20 percent more massive than Jupiter, and orbits very close to its parent star (more than 10 times closer than Mercury is to our Sun).

From Earth’s line of sight, the planet passes directly in front of the star on each orbit. That means this planet, HD189733b, is what’s known as a “transiting extra-solar planet.” It was this “transit” property that allowed the planet’s discovery in 2004 by Francois Bouchy of France’s Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille, and the detection of its atmosphere in 2007 by Redfield.

Redfield's team for this project included University of Texas at Austin astronomers Michael Endl, William Cochran, and Lars Kosterke.

Astronomers have only once before detected the atmosphere of a planet orbiting another star in such a way, using a now inoperable instrument on Hubble Space Telescope, the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS).

“STIS broke soon after the detection, and there was no capability to do this from space. Ground-based observations are the only option at this time,” Redfield said.

The feat has been tried unsuccessfully several times from the ground in recent years, he said. In most cases, astronomers had studied their target stars through only one transit.

“I knew we had to take it one step further,” Redfield said. “I knew that we would probably have to go for many transits” to detect the atmosphere. He studied 11 transits over the course of a year with HET and its High Resolution Spectrograph.

To obtain the planet’s ‘transmission spectrum,’ and thus the chemical composition of its atmosphere, he used what he called “a very straightforward” technique.

“Take a spectrum of the star when the planet is in front of the star,” he said. “Then take a spectrum of the star when it’s not. Then you divide the two and get the planet’s atmospheric transmission spectrum.”

Straightforward, but not easy. The light blocked by the planet is a mere 2.5 percent of the star’s total light, plus another 0.3 percent for the planet’s atmosphere.

“Each time the planet passes in front of the star,” Redfield said, “the planet blocks some of the star’s light. If the planet has no atmosphere, it will block the same amount of light at all wavelengths. However, if the planet has an atmosphere, gasses in its atmosphere will absorb some additional light.”

It was predicted that sodium atoms should be present in the atmosphere. The atmosphere of the planet will absorb more starlight at those wavelengths that correspond to specific transitions of the sodium atom.

“This causes the planet to appear larger, since we now ‘see’ the planet plus the atmosphere, and we measure more blocked light from the star,” Redfield said.

When studying the planet at the particular wavelength of the sodium transition, the planet appears about 6 percent larger than at other wavelengths. The detection of sodium was possible because there’s a lot of it there, and the atomic transition is strong and falls within the visual range that ground-based telescopes can detect.

“Many other atomic and molecular constituents of the atmosphere may be studied in a similar way, including potassium and hydrogen,” Redfield said.

“I look forward to the detection of other gasses around this planet,” Lambert said. And, “I wish every success for Seth as he chases oxygen, water vapor and other molecules — indicators of life — around planets far more accommodating to life than this one.”

The data analysis involved studying hundreds of observations spread over a year, taken under different conditions. Redfield and his collaborators removed contamination to the data caused by water vapor in Earth’s own atmosphere, modeled how the star itself may have contributed to their measurements, and more, to make sure their detection was sound.

In the end, the extra-solar planet’s "transmission spectrum" from HET was much higher resolution than that previously made with Hubble Space Telescope on a different planet.

“I was actually surprised and encouraged that it was even possible,” Redfield said. “We’ve proved that it’s possible. Let’s start doing this for other transiting planets. Let’s start doing ‘comparative exoplanetology.’”

“It is just breathtaking how fast the progress in the field of exoplanets is,” said Redfield’s collaborator, Michael Endl. “We have arrived at a point where we can study the composition of the atmospheres of ‘hot Jupiters’ in great detail. The HET is not only a planet finder now, but also a great tool to examine the atmospheric features of transiting extrasolar planets with unprecedented resolution. I can’t wait to see how the results for the other planets will compare to our initial findings.”

Redfield said HET can study the atmospheres of many of the brightest transiting planets.

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope is a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Stanford University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen.

— END —

Study of 'GEMS' from Hubble, Spitzer Space Telescopes Reveals Cosmic Fireworks Fizzled Out at Universe Reached Mid-Lif

AUSTIN, Texas — We all start to party less around middle age, and new studies by a team led by University of Texas at Austin astronomer Shardha Jogee now finds that the universe, as a whole, is no exception. Jogee discussed her results today at a news conference at the 211th meeting of the American Astronomical Society.

According to the current models of galaxy formation, dubbed “hierarchical lambda cold dark matter” models, galaxies built up to their current masses, shapes, and sizes through the successive mergers of less massive protogalaxies made of gas, stars, and dark matter. In the first quarter of the universe’s lifespan, the cosmic landscape was dominated by violent galaxy mergers, which could radically transform the shape of a galaxy and convert its gas into stars at an extreme rate. More than half of bright galaxies were indulging in such violent “partying.”

New research is showing that all changed when the universe hit middle age. “Our study finds that over the last 7 billion years, after the universe hit its mid-forties, so to speak, it transitioned from a violent merger-driven mode into a quieter mode,” Jogee said.

She and her team find that over each billion-year interval, only 10% of galaxies are typically involved in strong interactions and mergers.

Jogee’s research team includes University of Texas at Austin students Sarah Miller and Kyle Penner, as well as her colleagues in the international GEMS collaboration, whose principal investigator is Hans-Walter Rix of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy. Jogee’s team has analyzed more than 5,000 galaxies imaged by Hubble Space Telescope as part of GEMS, one of the largest-area surveys conducted with Hubble in two filters.

“With Hubble’s spectacular resolution,” Penner said, “we could discern amazing tell-tale clues of the mergers and interactions — huge tails, warps, ripples, double nuclei — in galaxies billions of light-years away.”

“It’s been exciting to apply different complementary techniques in this large survey,” Miller said, “and to sift through the merger history of the universe during this elusive era.” Miller is the recipient of a 2008 Rhodes scholarship from Oxford University.

In addition to estimating the frequency of mergers, Jogee and her colleagues found that contrary to what is commonly assumed, the average star formation rate in these interacting and merging galaxies is only enhanced by a modest factor of two to three compared to that in normal non-interacting galaxies.

“While extreme bursts of star formation, so-called cosmic fireworks, may happen in some galaxy mergers or interactions, they are not the norm in the vast majority of galaxy interactions taking place over the last 7 billion years,” Jogee said.

The findings of Jogee’s team result from a powerful synergy of data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes. “Mid-infrared observations from the Spitzer Space Telescope, taken by George Rieke of The University of Arizona, were key for tracing hidden star formation, obscured by dust,” Jogee said. “The exquisite resolution of the GEMS Hubble data in turn allowed us to identify strongly interacting and merging galaxies at much earlier cosmological times than conventional ground-based telescopes,” said team member Daniel McIntosh of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Jogee and her team, in fact, find that only 20% of the total cosmic star formation that took place over the last 7 billion years appears to come from strongly interacting and merging galaxies. These results extend the similar trend found for a smaller sample of about 1,500 galaxies over a narrower time interval by fellow team members Christian Wolf from Oxford University and Eric Bell of the Max Planck Institute of Astronomy.

Furthermore, the results reported by Jogee and her team on the modest fraction (about 20%) of merger-induced star formation, and the frequency of galaxy mergers over the last 7 billion years, are in remarkably good agreement with prevailing theoretical cold dark matter models of galaxy evolution.

According to team member Rachel Somerville of the Max Planck Institute of Astronomy, “Mergers are thought to be a crucial process in transforming galaxies, causing bursts of star formation, and perhaps even feeding gas to the supermassive black holes lurking in the galaxy’s nucleus.

“Although the frequency of mergers predicted by the models agrees quite well with the observed frequency,” Somerville said, “these observations can also teach us much more about the effect these violent episodes have on galaxies.”

In fact, Jogee said, “Our results raise many additional questions which can only be addressed with next generation facilities. For example, the cosmic star-formation rate is declining in normal galaxies, but it remains unclear what drives this decline. Are galaxies using up their internal cold gas supply, or is the accretion rate of gas from external filaments declining?”

Next-generation radio facilities, such as ALMA [the Atacama Large Millimeter/Sub-millimeter Array] will be critical for exploring how the cold gas content of galaxies changes over the last seven billion years, she said.

“Another key thing to note is that some of our results starkly disagree with prevailing hierarchical models of galaxy evolution,” Jogee said. According to these models, the frequency of pure disk galaxies or so-called “bulgeless galaxies” is expected to be extremely low, because a past major merger in the life of every galaxy invariably builds a bulge.

Contrary to such predictions, postdoctoral fellow Fabio Barazza, formerly working with Jogee at The University of Texas and now at Geneva Observatory’s Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, found that about 20% of present-day spiral galaxies are bulgeless or disk-dominated, based on the analysis of about 1,000 galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.

“We also see striking super-thin bulgeless galaxies in GEMS, at earlier epochs,” Jogee said. “We yet have to characterize the frequency and origin of these enigmatic bulgeless galaxies at different epochs, but there is no denying their prevalence in the local universe.”

All in all, “We have made important headway in piecing part of the cosmic puzzle of galaxy evolution, but daunting challenges loom ahead for both observers and theorists, “ she said.

— END —

Press Officer Contacts:

Rebecca Johnson (University of Texas at Austin), 512-475-6763, rjohnson@astro.as.utexas.edu

Ray Villard (NASA Space Telescope Science Institute),   410-338-4514, villard@stsci.edu

Whitney Clavin (NASA Jet Propulsion Lab), 818-354-4673, Whitney.Clavin@jpl.nasa.gov

Science Contacts:

Dr. Shardha Jogee (University of Texas at Austin), 512-471-1395, sj@astro.as.utexas.edu

Dr. Hans-Walter Rix (Max Planck Institute of Astronomy, Germany), rix@mpia-hd.mpg.de

Dr. Daniel McIntosh (University of Massachusetts, Amherst), dmac@hamerkop.astro.umass.edu

Dr. Christian Wolf (Oxford University, England), cwolf@astro.ox.ac.uk

Dr. Catherine Heymans (University of British Columbia, Canada), heymans@phas.ubc.ca

Dr. Chien Peng (Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, Canada), cyp@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

New Instrument, Telescope Upgrades Enable Pioneering Dark Energy Experiment at McDonald Observatory

Instrument-building astronomers Gary Hill (left) and Phillip MacQueen pose with

AUSTIN, Texas —An experiment to determine the nature of “dark energy,” that mysterious force that’s causing the universe’s expansion to speed up, is driving telescope upgrades and the creation of new instruments at McDonald Observatory in West Texas. The exciting science results already obtained from this project demonstrate the power of the researchers’ approach.

University of Texas at Austin astronomers Karl Gebhardt and Gary Hill will detail the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) at a news conference at the 211th meeting of the American Astronomical Society today.

Planned upgrades to the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET), one of the largest telescopes in the world, include a new top end to widen the telescope’s field of view, and a new instrument. Called VIRUS (Visible Integral-field Replicable Unit Spectrograph), it will be placed at the telescope’s prime focus.

“This is the Henry Ford approach to doing astronomy,” Hill said, citing the assembly-line nature of building the 145 copies of a simple spectrograph that will make up VIRUS. “It’s a new mode for building big instruments.”Once in place, VIRUS will map the positions of more than a million galaxies in three dimensions over 100 nights. Scientists will then study this map for evidence of “baryonic acoustic oscillations,” a pattern of sound waves imprinted on the universe at a very early time after the Big Bang.

By looking at galaxies at different distances, the survey will map the changes in the pattern of baryonic acoustic oscillations over time, effectively providing us with evidence of how dark energy has changed over the history of the universe.

This approach to studying dark energy employs very simple physics, the team says. Further, because the HETDEX project is designed in phases, it will accommodate changes in scientific understanding along the way. That’s important, the team said, as “our ignorance is so great.”

The mystery of dark energy has been called the greatest problem in all of science today. There are more than a dozen projects preparing to study dark energy, some costing more than $1 billion and planned by federal agencies like NASA, the Department of Energy, and the National Science Foundation, as well as several international institutions.

HETDEX is a small but powerful project based at McDonald Observatory with the cooperation of the HET partner institutions, as well as Germany’s Astrophysikalischen Institut Potsdam. Texas A&M University and Texas Tech University are also involved in the project.

Costing $34 million, two-thirds of which already has been raised, HETDEX is relatively inexpensive when compared to the cost projections for large federal dark energy projects. A small project, HETDEX can move quickly and will have results in the near-term (2010-2013).

The HETDEX team has built a prototype of the VIRUS instrument, consisting of a single spectrograph, and deployed it on the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory to carry out a pilot survey for the HETDEX project. This end-to-end test “mitigates our risk quite extensively,” Gebhardt said.

Not only that, but it’s enabling some other exciting science, too, Gebhardt said. Many of the projects now under way with the VIRUS prototype are being presented at the American Astronomical Society meeting. They show the instrument’s versatility, ranging from topics of dark matter in cluster galaxies (poster 011.22 by Jeremy Murphy), to studies of the extended halo of a radio galaxy (poster 044.02 by Joshua Adams), to studies of a planetary nebula (poster 100.04 by Sehyun Whang).

The VIRUS prototype is a great instrument in its own right, but “when you multiply that by 145 and put it on a 10-meter telescope,” Gebhardt said, referring to HET, “it’s just tremendous what we’re going to be able to do.”

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope is a joint project of the University of Texas at Austin, the Pennsylvania State University, Stanford University, Ludwig-Maximillians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Goettingen.

— END —

Science Contacts:

Dr. Karl Gebhardt
512-471-1473
gebhardt@astro.as.utexas.edu

Dr. Gary Hill
512-471-1477
hill@astro.as.utexas.edu

McDonald Observatory Receives $190,000 NASA Grant; Will Train Texas Elementary, Middle School Teachers in Science Education

AUSTIN, Texas —The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory has been awarded a grant of about $190,000 from NASA to train teachers across the state in science education. The project will develop, test and implement professional development workshops for 500 Texas teachers of grades 3-8 that will be delivered via videoconference.

In Texas, students are tested on science in the fifth, eighth and 10th grades. This training program will specifically address questions that Texas students score low on in the fifth-grade standardized test (the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills).

McDonald Observatory is partnering with the Texas Regional Collaboratives for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching in this project, and that group is contributing funding for the state-wide effort as well. Additional monies will come from McDonald Observatory’s Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation Education Endowment. Altogether, the two-year project will cost about $250,000.

The training program will meet a pressing demand. McDonald Observatory has hosted professional development workshops for teachers at its West Texas mountaintop site since 2002. Today, applications far exceed the number of available spots for teachers. And many more teachers may not apply, due to the Observatory’s remote location. But in a state the size of New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana combined, it’s not always easy for the Observatory to come to them.

In recent years, the Observatory has piloted a teacher training program that solves that problem using videoconferencing. This new NASA grant will enable the Observatory and its partner, the Texas Regional Collaboratives, to make these videoconference training sessions available to teachers across the state.

In the first year, representatives from regions across Texas will attend a three-day, two-night workshop at McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis. They will work with the Observatory’s kindergarten-to-12th grade education team to design a teacher training videoconference for their region. In the second year, the videoconferences will be tested and implemented.

— END —

WMAP Reveals Neutrinos, End of Dark Ages, First Second of Universe

Joint Release with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — NASA released this week five years of data collected by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) team, including University of Texas at Austin astronomer Eiichiro Komatsu, that refines our understanding of the universe and its development. It is a treasure trove of information, including at least three major findings:

  • New evidence that a sea of cosmic neutrinos permeates the universe
  • Clear evidence the first stars took more than a half-billion years to create a cosmic fog
  • Tight new constraints on the burst of expansion in the universe's first trillionth of a second

"We are living in an extraordinary time," said Gary Hinshaw of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "Ours is the first generation in human history to make such detailed and far-reaching measurements of our universe."

WMAP measures a remnant of the early universe — its oldest light. The conditions of the early times are imprinted on this light.  It is the result of what happened earlier, and a backlight for the later development of the universe.  This light lost energy as the universe expanded over 13.7 billion years, so WMAP now sees the light as microwaves.  By making accurate measurements of microwave patterns, WMAP has answered many longstanding questions about the universe's age, composition and development.

The universe is awash in a sea of cosmic neutrinos. These almost weightless sub-atomic particles zip around at nearly the speed of light. Millions of cosmic neutrinos pass through you every second. 

"A block of lead the size of our entire solar system wouldn’t even come close to stopping a cosmic neutrino,” said science team member Eiichiro Komatsu of the University of Texas at Austin.

WMAP has found evidence for this so-called "cosmic neutrino background" from the early universe. Neutrinos made up a much larger part of the early universe than they do today.

Microwave light seen by WMAP from when the universe was only 380,000 years old, shows that, at the time, neutrinos made up 10% of the universe, atoms 12%, dark matter 63%, photons 15%, and dark energy was negligible.  In contrast, estimates from WMAP data show the current universe consists of 4.6% percent atoms, 23% dark matter, 72% dark energy and less than 1 percent neutrinos.

Cosmic neutrinos existed in such huge numbers they affected the universe’s early development. That, in turn, influenced the microwaves that WMAP observes. WMAP data suggest, with greater than 99.5% confidence, the existence of the cosmic neutrino background - the first time this evidence has been gleaned from the cosmic microwaves.

Much of what WMAP reveals about the universe is because of the patterns in its sky maps. The patterns arise from sound waves in the early universe. As with the sound from a plucked guitar string, there is a primary note and a series of harmonics, or overtones.  The third overtone, now clearly captured by WMAP, helps to provide the evidence for the neutrinos.

The hot and dense young universe was a nuclear reactor that produced helium.  Theories based on the amount of helium seen today predict a sea of neutrinos should have been present when helium was made.  The new WMAP data agree with that prediction, along with precise measurements of neutrino properties made by Earth-bound particle colliders.

Another breakthrough derived from WMAP data is clear evidence the first stars took more than a half-billion years to create a cosmic fog. The data provide crucial new insights into the end of the "dark ages," when the first generation of stars began to shine. The glow from these stars created a thin fog of electrons in the surrounding gas that scatters microwaves, in much the same way fog scatters the beams from a car’s headlights.

"We now have evidence that the creation of this fog was a drawn-out process, starting when the universe was about 400 million years old and lasting for half a billion years," said WMAP team member Joanna Dunkley of the University of Oxford in the U.K. and Princeton University in Princeton, N.J. "These measurements are currently possible only with WMAP."

A third major finding arising from the new WMAP data places tight constraints on the astonishing burst of growth in the first trillionth of a second of the universe, called “inflation,” when ripples in the very fabric of space may have been created. Some versions of the inflation theory now are eliminated. Others have picked up new support.

"The new WMAP data rule out many mainstream ideas that seek to describe the growth burst in the early universe," said WMAP principal investigator, Charles Bennett, of The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md. "It is astonishing that bold predictions of events in the first moments of the universe now can be confronted with solid measurements."

The five-year WMAP data were released this week, and results were issued in a set of seven scientific papers submitted to the Astrophysical Journal. For further information, see

http://wmap.gsfc.nasa.gov.

Prior to the release of the new five-year data, WMAP already had made a pair of landmark finds.  In 2003, the probe's determination that there is a large percentage of dark energy in the universe erased remaining doubts about dark energy's very existence.  That same year, WMAP also pinpointed the 13.7 billion year age of the universe.

Additional WMAP science team institutions are: the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, Columbia University, University of British Columbia, ADNET Systems, University of Chicago, Brown University, and UCLA.

For related images to this story, please visit on the Web:
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/universe/features/wmap_five.html

— END —

Science Contact:

Dr. Eiichiro Komatsu
512-471-1483
komatsu@astro.as.utexas.edu

Media Contacts:

Rebecca Johnson, University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763; rjohnson@astro.as.utexas.edu.

J.D. Harrington, NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-5241; j.d.harrington@nasa.gov

Robert Naeye / Rob Gutro
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
301-286-4453 / 301-286-4044
robert.p.naeye@nasa.gov / robert.j.gutro@nasa.gov

Lisa De Nike , Johns Hopkins University
443-287-9960; Lde@jhu.edu

Kitta MacPherson, Princeton University
609-258-5729; kittamac@princeton.edu

Astronomers Find Suspected Medium-Sized Black Hole in Omega Centauri

Joint Release with NASA's Space Telescope Science Institute
and Gemini Observatory

 

AUSTIN — A well-known star cluster that glitters with the light of millions of stars may have a mysterious dark object tugging at its core, according to researchers at The University of Texas at Austin.

Astronomer Karl Gebhardt has teamed up with recent Ph.D. graduate Eva Noyola to find evidence for a medium-size black hole at the core of Omega Centauri, one of the largest and most massive globular star clusters orbiting the Milky Way galaxy. The finding will appear in the April 10 issue of The Astrophysical Journal.

Gebhardt and team leader Noyola discovered the black hole with NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and Gemini Observatory on Cerro Pachon in Chile.

Globular star clusters are ball-shaped, gravitationally bound swarms of typically up to a million stars. More than 200 exist in the Milky Way galaxy. The ancient cluster Omega Centauri is 17,000 light-years from Earth.

The black hole in Omega Centauri is estimated to be about 40,000 times the mass of the Sun, falling in between the masses of supermassive black holes at the hearts of galaxies like the Milky Way and stellar-mass black holes that result when the most massive stars explode as supernovae.

“This result shows that there is a continuous range of masses for black holes, from supermassive, to intermediate, to small, stellar types,” Noyola said.

She and Gebhardt completed their data and analysis of Omega Centauri while Noyala was working on her Ph.D. in Austin under Gebhardt’s supervision. Noyola is now with the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Garching, Germany.

“This finding also is important because the theory formation for supermassive black holes requires seed black holes that are exactly in the mass range of the one we found,” Noyola said. “Such seeds have not been identified so far. If these types of intermediate-mass black holes happen to be common in star clusters, then they can provide numerous seeds for the formation of the supermassive black holes.”

Astronomers have debated the existence of moderately sized black holes because they have not found strong evidence for them, and there is no widely accepted mechanism for how they could form. They have ample evidence that small black holes of a few solar masses are produced when giant stars die. There is similar evidence that supermassive black holes weighing the equivalent of millions to billions of solar masses sit at the heart of many galaxies, including the Milky Way.

“Before this observation, we had only one example of an intermediate-mass black hole in the globular cluster G1, in the nearby Andromeda galaxy,” Gebhardt said. “This study suggests that moderately sized black holes may be common residents in globular clusters.”

Noyola and Gebhardt used Hubble and Gemini to gather evidence for the black hole. Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys showed how the stars are bunching up near the center of Omega Centauri, as seen in the gradual increase in starlight near the center.

Measuring the speed of the stars swirling near the cluster’s center with the Gemini Observatory, the astronomers found that the stars closer to the core are moving faster than the stars farther away. The measurement implies that some unseen matter at the core is tugging on stars near it.

By comparing these results with standard models, the astronomers determined that the most likely cause of this accelerating stellar traffic jam is the gravitational pull of a massive, dense object, the astronomers said. They also used models to calculate the black hole’s mass.

Although the presence of an intermediate-mass black hole is the most likely reason for the stellar speedway near the cluster’s center, the astronomers said they have not ruled out a couple of other possible causes.

Noyola and Gebhardt will use the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Paranal, Chile to conduct follow-up observations of the velocity of the stars near the cluster’s center to confirm the discovery.

— END —

Science Contact:

Dr. Karl Gebhardt
512-471-1473
gebhardt@astro.as.utexas.edu

Additional Media Contacts:

Ray Villard, News Chief
NASA Space Telescope Science Institute (Baltimore, Maryland)
410-338-4514; villard@stsci.edu

Presidents of Texas' Two Flagship Universities Powell and Murano, Philanthropist Mitchell Encourage Texans to Support Telescope Project

HOUSTON —The presidents of Texas’ two flagship universities, William Powers Jr. of The University of Texas at Austin and Elsa A. Murano of Texas A&M University, joined philanthropist George P. Mitchell in Houston Friday to generate state-wide support for the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT), a project that will take Texas to the forefront of astronomy.

“The Giant Magellan Telescope project is a tantalizing dream,” Powers told the crowd at the Houston Club. “When it is completed, we will be able to observe the earliest stars in the universe, planets in other solar systems and supernovae with greater clarity and understanding.”

Mitchell’s previous $3.25 million gift to Texas A&M and matching funds from The University of Texas at Austin made the universities partners in the eight-member, $550 million GMT project. Mitchell said Friday he hopes the two universities can raise at least $55 million between them to receive a 10 percent share in the GMT. He plans to give Texas A&M another $1.5 million per year for five years, providing Texas A&M matches it.

“UT is honored to be a member of this consortium with six other prestigious institutions,” Powers said. “But we are especially proud to join Texas A&M in what is an unprecedented collaboration between Texas’s two major research universities. In fact, this may be our most ambitious partnership to date.

“When the Texas share of this project gives our researchers firsthand access to the images and information produced by the GMT, then Texas scientists from UT and A&M will help to solve the puzzles that have challenged our imaginations for centuries. And their discoveries will open the way for bold new science in the generations to come.”

When operational in northern Chile in 2017, the GMT will be the one of the world’s largest telescopes, producing images up to 10 times sharper than Hubble Space Telescope, and could shed light on the question of life beyond Earth. It will make visual images of distant planets, detect the basis of extra-solar life and peer into the universe’s formation.

“This is an extraordinarily exciting project that’s going to put Texas on the map in terms of astronomy,” said the Carnegie Institution’s Wendy Freedman, director of the GMT Consortium, which also includes the Carnegie Institution, the Smithsonian Institution, Harvard University, the University of Arizona, the Australian National University and Australia Astronomy Limited. South Korea has indicated it will join.

Today’s largest telescopes, including the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory in West Texas, have mirrors with effective diameters of up to 10 meters. McDonald Observatory Director David L. Lambert says the GMT will collect five times more light than the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and about 70 times as much light as Hubble Space Telescope.

“We would not be where we are without Mr. Mitchell’s early help,” Freedman said. “But after working on designs for several years, we now reach the project’s next phase of detailed design and raising funds for construction. And we hope to galvanize Texas to become a full participant.”
 
The GMT Consortium’s sense of urgency comes from two rival big-telescope projects, one planned by the California Institute of Technology and the University of California System, the other by the same 13-nation European consortium which built the world’s first superconducting super collider in Geneva, Switzerland, after such a project was derailed in Texas. All three telescopes are expected to near completion in a decade, about the same time the Hubble Telescope is expected to leave service.
 
“I challenge our top two universities — and all Texans — to meet the tough competition California offers in order to be at the center of high-energy physics,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell’s many gifts to The University of Texas at Austin include support for its Elementary Charter School, the School of Architecture and College of Engineering. His support for the physics program at his alma mater Texas A&M totals more than $51 million over several years.

— END —

Additional Media Contacts:

Shana K. Hutchins
College of Science, Texas A&M University
979-862-1237

Dancie Perugini Ware (for George P. Mitchell)
Dancie Perugini Ware Public Relations
713-224-9115

Award-winning, Solar-powered House Built by University of Texas Students Comes to McDonald Observatory

FORT DAVIS — It’s Earth Day, and McDonald Observatory is preparing to add a new eco-friendly facility: the award-winning, solar-powered “BLOOMhouse.”

Students in The University of Texas at Austin’s School of Architecture designed and built the BLOOMhouse to compete in last year’s Solar Decathlon, a biennial event sponsored by the Department of Energy, BP Solar, the American Institute of Architects, and Sprint. They set the house up on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to compete against solar homes from 19 other colleges and universities from across the world.

The 550-square-foot BLOOMhouse generates all of its own power. In the Solar Decathlon, the house placed first in use of hot water, second in engineering, and did well in several other judged categories. The house also won BP Solar’s design award, for which seven universities submitted design plans that met specific criteria for commercial, economic, technical, and overall efficient design aspects. The prize was state-of-the-art solar panels for the house that were not yet available in the U.S. market.

Next month, students from the BLOOMhouse team will travel to McDonald Observatory to reconstruct the house on the Mount Locke site of the decommissioned Millimeter Wave Telescope. It will be used for staff housing, and faculty from UT’s School of Architecture will continue to study the home’s energy efficiency.

Future plans include an updated display at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center to feature information on the BLOOMhouse and solar energy.

Information about the Sun is on display daily at McDonald Observatory, as visitors both tour the “Our Star, the Sun” exhibit and safely view the Sun live from a theater in the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center. And in the “Live, from McDonald Observatory” program, kids across Texas learn about the Sun through interactive videoconferences between classrooms and the observatory. The installation of the BLOOMhouse forges one more link in the chain connecting McDonald Observatory to the stars.

— END —

Notes:

To learn more about the energy-saving innovations of the BLOOMhouse, visit the School of Architecture's BLOOMhouse website.

For more information on McDonald Observatory's educational videoconferencing program, visit the "Live from McDonald Observatory" website.

McDonald Observatory Astronomers Discover New Type of Pulsating White Dwarf Star

The 2.1-meter (82-inch) Otto Struve Telescope at the University of Texas McDonal

AUSTIN, Texas — University of Texas at Austin astronomers Michael H. Montgomery and Kurtis A. Williams, along with graduate student Steven DeGennaro, have predicted and confirmed the existence of a new type of variable star with the help of the 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope at McDonald Observatory. The discovery will be announced in today’s issue of Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Called a “pulsating carbon white dwarf,” this is the first new class of variable white dwarf star discovered in more than 25 years. Because the overwhelming majority of stars in the universe — including the Sun — will end their lives as white dwarfs, studying the pulsations (i.e., variations in light output) of these newly discovered examples gives astronomers a window on an important endpoint in the lives of most stars.

A white dwarf star is the leftover remnant of a Sun-like star that has burned all of the nuclear fuel in its core. It is extremely dense, packing half to 1.5 times the Sun’s mass into a volume about the size of Earth. Until recently, there have been two main types of white dwarfs known: those that have an outer layer of hydrogen (about 80 percent), and about those with an outer layer of helium (about 20 percent), whose hydrogen shells have somehow been stripped away.

Last year, University of Arizona astronomers Patrick Dufour and James Liebert discovered a third type of white dwarf star, still more rare. For reasons that are not understood, these “hot carbon white dwarfs” have had both their hydrogen and helium shells stripped off, leaving their carbon layer exposed.  Astronomers suspect these could be among the most massive white dwarfs of all, and are the remnants of stars slightly too small to end their lives in a supernova explosion.

After these new carbon white dwarfs were announced, Montgomery calculated that pulsations in these stars were possible. Pulsating stars are of interest to astronomers because the changes in their light output can reveal what goes on in their interiors — similar to the way geologists study seismic waves from earthquakes to understand what goes on in Earth’s interior. In fact, this type of star-study is called “asteroseismology.”

So, Montgomery and Williams’ team began a systematic study of carbon white dwarfs with the Struve Telescope at McDonald Observatory, looking for pulsators. DeGennaro discovered that a star about 800 light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major, called SDSS J142625.71+575218.3, fits the bill. Its light intensity varies regularly by nearly two percent about every eight minutes.

"The discovery that one of these stars is pulsating is remarkably important," said National Science Foundation astronomer Michael Briley. "This will allow us to probe the white dwarf's interior, which in turn should help us solve the riddle of where the carbon white dwarfs come from and what happens to their hydrogen and helium." The research was funded by NSF and the Delaware Asteroseismic Research Center.

The star lies about ten degrees east northeast of Mizar, the middle star in the handle of the Big Dipper. This white dwarf has about the same mass as our Sun, but its diameter is smaller than Earth’s. The star has a temperature of 35,000 degrees Fahrenheit (19,500 C), and is only 1/600th as bright as the Sun.

None of the other stars in their sample were found to pulsate. Given the masses and temperatures of the stars in their sample, SDSS J142625.71+575218.3 is the only one expected to pulsate based on Montgomery’s calculations.

The astronomers speculate that the pulsations are caused by changes in the star’s carbon outer envelope as the star cools down from its formation as a hot white dwarf. The ionized carbon atoms in the star’s outer layers return to a neutral state, triggering the pulsations.

There is a chance that the star’s variations might have another cause. Further study is needed, the astronomers say. Either way, studying these stars will shed light on the unknown process that strips away their surface layers of hydrogen and helium to lay bare their carbon interiors.

— END —

Additional Media Contact:

Diane Benegas
National Science Foundation
703-292-4489

Recent Texas PhD Awarded Prize for Outstanding Dissertation in Astronomy

SAN FRANCISCO —The Astronomical Society of the Pacific has announced that Anjum Mukadam will receive the 2008 Robert J. Trumpler Award. The award is given each year to a recent PhD graduate in North America whose research is considered unusually important to astronomy.

Mukadam completed her PhD in astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin in 2004 under the supervision of Professor Don Winget. She is now a Hubble Postdoctoral Fellow at The University of Washington.

Mukadam helped build and commission Argos, a specialized instrument used with the 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope at The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory. Originally conceived by University of Texas Professor Emeritus Ed Nather,  Argos is a “CCD photometer” — a photon counter that uses a charge-coupled device to record images. It measures the amount of light coming from stars extremely precicely.

“The time-series photometer Argos can be thought of as a science grade digital camera,” Mukadam said. “Images of stellar objects can be recorded every second if needed; this high-speed capability is useful in studying variable stellar objects. The time of image acquisition is obtained very precisely using a GPS clock.”

She elaborated that “Argos is used to gather data on all kinds of variable objects, such as pulsating stars, mass-transferring binary stars, and even extrasolar planets eclipsing in front of their parent stars.” Copies of Argos are now being built at other observatories around the world.

Mukadam’s own research uses the technique of stellar seismology to study the insides of white dwarf stars, similar to scientists who use seismic waves from earthquakes to probe Earth’s interior. Her work doubled the number of known “ZZ Ceti” stars, which have the lowest temperature of all pulsating white dwarf stars.

In conferring the award, the Society said, “the Board recognized your excellent thesis, ‘Ensemble Characteristics of the ZZ Ceti stars.’ The Board particularly noted your work on the … construction of Argos, an efficient, fast CCD time-series photometer, for your discovery of numerous pulsating white dwarfs using Argos, and for your explorations of stellar instability.”

The Trumpler Award consists of a plaque and a check, which will be presented to Mukadam at the society’s Annual Meeting Awards Banquet June 3 in St. Louis.

— END —

Grant Funds Boy Scout Program, More, at McDonald Observatory

FORT DAVIS, Texas —A $15,000 grant from Mr. Harry E. Bovay, Jr. of Houston, Mr. Lowell Lebermann of Austin, and Ms. Virginia Lebermann of Marfa, will help Texas Boy Scouts learn the wonders of the night sky at McDonald Observatory starting next week.

The grant provides for a college student to live and work at McDonald Observatory over the summer to assist with the Observatory’s Scout program, among other duties. The Frank N. Bash Visitors Center has hired University of Texas at Austin student Austin Gatlin, an undergraduate majoring in astronomy, for the job.

Thursdays this June and July, the Observatory will welcome as many as 250 Scouts weekly for its eight Scout Nights. Most of these Scouts will come from the Buffalo Trails Scout Ranch, located about 10 miles northeast of McDonald Observatory.

Scouts complete a combination of activities from the Scout Ranch and McDonald toward their Astronomy Merit Badge. They also receive a souvenir McDonald Observatory Scout Night patch designed by Art Director Tim Jones. Production of the souvenir patches was funded by the Bovay/Lebermann grant.

At McDonald, Scouts will observe the night sky through telescopes. This summer’s wonders include Saturn, Jupiter, the Moon, star clusters, nebulae, and various galaxies. In addition to touring the exhibits, Scouts will also participate a hands-on activity called “Modeling the Night Sky.” In it, they represent the planets in our solar system and constellations, learning how objects move in the sky and why different planets and constellations are visible at certain times of year only.

If your Boy Scout troop will be in West Texas during June or July, you may also attend Scout Nights at McDonald Observatory. For more information, contact Mark Cash at 432-426-3864 or cash@astro.as.utexas.edu.

— END —

Advertising Students Practice Real-Word Campaigning; Compete to Aid UT Astronomy Program

AUSTIN — This summer, the UT Astronomy Program served as a client for undergraduate students taking an advertising class called “Integrated Communications Campaigns” from UT College of Communication Assistant Professor Yongjun Sung. The students were divided into six groups, each forming a fictional advertising agency.

McDonald Observatory personnel met with Dr. Sung’s class on June 10 to describe publicity goals and to answer the students’ questions. Over a period of weeks, the students posed follow-up questions. On July 8, the six groups gave their presentations over a period of two hours to a group of five Observatory representatives.

Each of the groups had good ideas. Some of these ideas include more closely identifying the Observatory as part of The University of Texas at Austin; creating a new logo for the Astronomy Program; using new media such as social networking groups, blogging, and video; improving the search-engine ranking of the Astronomy Program’s online content; and several ways to bolster membership in the Friends of McDonald Observatory.

The clear winner, a group called “Stellar Communications,” went the extra mile by requesting an extra meeting with the Education and Outreach Office in Austin to gather detailed information, and by sending a student on a trip to McDonald Observatory to observe public tours, star parties, and other events to get a complete picture of the Observatory’s outreach activities.

The Stellar Communications group included advertising students Chelsey Northern (Project Manager), Erin Mallory (Promotions Director), Traci Thurmond (PR Director), Stuart Moss (Marketing Director), Luisa Barbaczy (Creative Director), Nicole Maxwell (Account Planner), and Ashley Kaplan (Account Planner).

— END —

Astronomers Discover Key Molecule for Life Floating in Space Between the Stars

A joint news release with the Instituto Astrofísica de Canarias.

 

FORT DAVIS, Texas — A team of scientists led by researchers from the Instituto Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) and including University of Texas at Austin astronomer David L. Lambert has succeeded in detecting naphthalene, one of the most complex molecules yet discovered in the gas floating between stars. Their results are published in a recent issue of Astrophysical Journal Letters.

The detection of this molecule suggests that a large number of the key components in Earth's prebiotic chemistry could have been present in the cloud of gas and dust from which our solar system was formed.

The naphthalene was discovered in a star formation region in the constellation Perseus, in the direction of the star Cernis 52.

“We have detected the presence of the naphthalene cation in a cloud of interstellar matter located 700 light-years from the Earth,” said team member Susana Iglesias Groth of IAC. “We aim to investigate whether other, more complex, hydrocarbons exist in the same region, including amino acids.”

In addition to Lambert and Iglesias Groth, the team of researchers includes Arturo Manchado and Aníbal García of IAC and Jonay González of Paris Observatory. For this work, the team used telescopes at The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory in West Texas as well as in La Palma, Canary Islands.

When subjected to ultraviolet radiation and combined with water and ammonium, both abundant in the space between the stars, naphthalene reacts and is capable of producing a wide variety of amino acids and naphthaloquinones — precursor molecules to vitamins.

All these molecules play a fundamental role in the development of life as we know it on Earth. In fact, naphthalene has been found in meteorites that continue to fall to the surface of Earth, and which fell with much greater intensity in epochs preceding the appearance of life.

The work of these researchers also enables us to understand one of the most intriguing problems in studies of the chemistry of the space between the stars. For the past 80 years, astronomers have recognized hundreds of spectroscopic features (the so-called “diffuse bands”) associated with matter in between stars, but the identification of the agent causing them has remained a mystery.

“Our results show that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons such as naphthalene are responsible for the diffuse bands and should be present throughout the interstellar medium,” Iglesias Groth said.

— END —

Astronomers Quimby, Wheeler Win Hyer Award from American Physical Society's Texas Section

EL PASO , Texas — Recent University of Texas at Austin doctoral graduate Robert Quimby of the California Institute of Technology and his adviser, University of Texas at Austin astronomy professor J. Craig Wheeler, have won the Hyer Award from the Texas Section of the American Physical Society for excellence in physics-related research by a graduate student and adviser at a Texas higher education institution.

The Hyer Award recognized Quimby’s work on his Texas Supernova Search, in which he discovered two of the most intrinsically bright exploding stars, called supernovae, ever detected. The award was presented this past weekend at a meeting of the Texas Section of the American Physical Society in El Paso.

Quimby discovered supernovae 2006gy and 2005ap, among others, with the Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment at the university’s McDonald Observatory in West Texas. He identified them as amazingly powerful explosions after gauging their distance by studying them with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald, one of the world’s largest optical telescopes.

— END —

Notes:

More information on the discovery of these supernovae is available in an Oct. 10, 2007 news release from McDonald Observatory. More information about the Hyer Award is available online here.

Contact Information:

Dr. Robert Quimby
California Institute of Technology
626-395-5927; quimby@astro.caltech.edu

Dr. J. Craig Wheeler
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-6407; wheel@astro.as.utexas.edu

Galactic Luminaries to Converge on University of Texas Tuesday

AUSTIN, Texas — More than 130 astronomers from nearly a dozen countries and more than 30 institutions will meet in Austin next week to brainstorm about the evolution of galaxies — those vast cities of billions of stars that are the “bricks” making up the cosmos — and the mysterious “dark matter” that is their largest component.

The conference, called “Galaxy Evolution: Emerging Insights and Future Challenges,” has been organized by University of Texas assistant professor of astronomy Shardha Jogee, whose expertise lies in the study of galaxy mergers and in particular, spiral galaxies like the Milky Way. The meeting will bring together key astronomical observers and theorists from top institutes in the United States, Canada, Chile, England, France, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, Spain, and other countries.

Media are invited to attend, and film and/or record, the opening remarks of the conference by UT College of Natural Sciences Dean Mary Ann Rankin, Astronomy Department Chair Neal Evans, and conference organizer Jogee on November 11 at 9 a.m. in the Texas Union Building on the UT campus, at the corner of 24th and Guadalupe Streets.

Over the course of four days (November 11-14), the scientists will discuss galaxy formation and mergers, star formation in galaxies, and brainstorm on ways to tackle the challenges facing current paradigms of galaxy evolution.

Some of the speakers from The University of Texas astronomy program include faculty members Jogee, Karl Gebhardt, John Kormendy, Milos Milosavljevic, and Gregory Shields, as well as several graduate students and post-doctoral researchers.

This conference is sponsored by The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory and Department of Astronomy Board of Visitors Excellence Fund.

— END —

Notes: More information is available at the conference web site. You can find information about and images of Jogee, Gebhardt, and Kormendy at McDonald Observatory’s “Astronomy Experts for Media” web page.

Scientists Discover New Planet Orbiting Dangerously Close to Giant Star

This release on science with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory was provided by The Pennsylvania State University.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A team of astronomers from Penn State and Nicolaus Copernicus University in Poland has discovered a new planet that is closely orbiting a red-giant star, HD 102272, which is much more evolved than our own Sun. The planet has a mass that is nearly six times that of Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system. The team includes Alexander Wolszczan, the discoverer of the first planets ever found outside our solar system, who is an Evan Pugh Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics and the director of the Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds at Penn State; and Andrzej Niedzielski, who leads his collaborators in Poland. The team suspects that a second planet may be orbiting HD 102272, as well. The findings, which will be published in a future issue of The Astrophysical Journal, shed light on the ways in which aging stars can influence nearby planets.

Scientists already know that stars expand as they age and that they eventually may gobble up adjacent planets. In fact, scientists expect our own planet to be swallowed up by the Sun in about five billion years. But what scientists don't yet understand fully is how aging stars influence nearby planets before they are destroyed. The team's newly
discovered planet is interesting because it is located closer to a red-giant star than any other known planet. From the distance of 0.6 astronomical units, which is just inside the orbit of Venus around the Sun, the steadily expanding giant appears in the planets' alien skies as a huge, reddish disk that is more than 16 times larger than the face of Earth's full Moon appears to us.

"When red-giant stars expand, they tend to eat up the nearby planets," said Wolszczan. "Although the planet we discovered conceivably could be closer to the star without being harmed by it, there appears to be a zone of avoidance around such stars. Our discovery pushes it back to about 0.6 astronomical units, which is the size of the new planet's orbit. It is important to find out why planets don't want to get any closer to stars, so one of our next steps is to try to figure out why this zone of avoidance exists and whether it occurs around all red-giant stars."

The team used the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory in West Texas to make its discovery. Through the telescope, which is equipped with a precise spectrograph, the scientists observed a pattern of alternating shifts of spectral lines in the light coming from the star, which is located 1,200 light-years from the Earth in the constellation Leo. These tiny, alternating shifts represent the fingerprint of a star that is moving alternately toward and away from Earth as it wobbles in space responding to the gravitational pull of an orbiting planet. Because of the Doppler effect, the light from the star becomes bluer as it moves toward the Earth and then redder as it recedes from it, which is reflected by the measured shifts of the spectral lines. The specific pattern of these shifts, which the research team observed, allowed the scientists to determine that one planet — and possibly two planets — orbit the star. If the second planet exists, the system would become the first multiplanet system discovered around a red giant star.

Wolszczan said that he is particularly interested in applying to our own solar system the knowledge he gains about the effects of aging stars on planets orbiting other stars. "Our own Sun one day will become a red giant and it is interesting to think about what will happen to the outer planets of our solar system as the Sun expands," he said. "For example, Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, is covered by ice, but if it were to exist closer to the Sun, it might become a warm ocean world that could possibly support life."

In 1992, Wolszczan became the first person to discover planets outside our solar system when he used the 1,000-foot Arecibo radio telescope to detect three planets orbiting a rapidly spinning neutron star. The discovery opened the door to the current intense era of planet hunting by suggesting that planet formation could be quite common throughout the universe and that planets can form around different types of stellar objects. The Penn State Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds, which Wolszczan directs, fosters research in the field of extrasolar-planet studies in which the primary goals are to find planets where living organisms exist, or might exist, and to determine their rate of occurrence in the universe. The researchers received support from the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the NASA Astrobiology Program, the Foundation for Polish Science, and the Polish Academy of Sciences.

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope is a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Stanford University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen.

— END —

Penn State Contacts:

Alexander Wolszczan: 814-863-1756

Barbara Kennedy (PIO): 814-863-4682

Universo Radio Program Airs 5,000th Episode, Brings Astronomy & Skylore to Spanish-Speaking Audience

AUSTIN , Texas — On December 7, radio stations across the United States, Mexico, and Central America will broadcast the 5,000th episode of Universo to its 2.22 million listeners nationally and internationally.

 

The daily, two-minute Spanish-language radio program from The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory covers topics in skywatching, the science of astronomy, the contributions of Latino scientists, the history of astronomy, and the skylore of Mesoamerican cultures.

Universo airs on more than 150 U.S. radio stations daily, plus others in Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico, and Venezuela.

“Through these short radio pieces, we’re working to make science accessible to Spanish-speakers, a group that’s growing in population in the U.S., but is underrepresented in the sciences,” said McDonald Observatory Director Dr. David Lambert. “We want to help people become interested in science, certainly in terms of career possibilities for young people, but also simply to be informed about the world around them.”

Universo writer and producer Damond Benningfield agrees. “It’s really important for us to address the Spanish-speaking population, and to show that astronomy is a diverse science that values the contributions of many people,” he said. “As more and more Latinos enter the science and engineering fields, I’m looking forward to presenting their contributions to our growing audience.”

Benningfield also produces StarDate, the longest-running nationally broadcast science program on U.S. airwaves, for McDonald Observatory.

McDonald Observatory is seeking underwriters and sponsors for Universo production and distribution. Program costs are funded by the Friends of McDonald Observatory, and also funded in part by grants from NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The program originated with an NSF grant. Other Universo sponsors have included NASA’s National Space Grant Consortium, the SBC Foundation, the American Honda Foundation, The Joe and Teresa Lozano Long Foundations, National Instruments, Harcourt General Foundation, the Goodman-Abell Foundation, American Electric Power, the Brown Family Fund and the Communities Foundation of Texas.

Universo is recorded in El Paso at Ixtlan Studio.

“Working with our great production team in El Paso has been a blast,” Benningfield said. “They’re talented people who are really committed to the Universo concept, and they’re dedicated to making the show a success. I’m looking forward to working with them on the next 5,000 shows.”

Popular El Paso radio personality Teresa “Fendi” de la Cruz is the voice of Universo. Marco Lara is the program’s associate producer and Ignacio “Nacho” Acosta, who has been with the program since its inception, is the audio engineer. Dr. Antonio Candau translates the scripts into Spanish. They are then edited for technical accuracy by Dr. Jorge Lopez, chairman of The University of Texas-El Paso Physics Department, Dr. Carmen Pentoja and Dr. Gustavo Ponce.

In addition to the radio program, Universo includes an extensive Spanish-language Web site. The site contains tips for skywatching, guides to the solar system and beyond, text of the radio programs and an extensive Black Holes Encyclopedia, all in Spanish.

— END —

Astronomers Discover Links Between Supermassive Black Holes and Galaxy Formation

AUSTIN, Texas — A pair of astronomers from Texas and Germany have used a telescope at The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory together with Hubble Space Telescope and many other telescopes around the world to uncover new evidence that the largest, most massive galaxies in the universe and the supermassive black holes at their hearts grew together over time.

“They evolved in lockstep,” said The University of Texas at Austin’s John Kormendy, who co-authored the research that appears in this week’s issue of Astrophysical Journal Letters with Ralf Bender of Germany’s Max-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics and Ludwig Maximilians University Observatory.

Astronomers know that galaxies, those vast cities of millions or billions of stars, grow larger through collisions and mergers. Kormendy and Bender’s work involves the biggest galaxies in the universe — “elliptical galaxies” that are shaped roughly like footballs and that can be made of as many as a thousand billion stars. Virtually all of these galaxies contain a black hole at their centers, that is, an infinitely dense region that contains the mass of millions or billions of Suns and from which no light can escape.

A current leading theory says that when galaxies collide, their black holes end up revolving around each other. Together, the two black holes act like an egg beater: They violently stir up the galaxy center with their incredibly strong gravity, and they fling stars out of the central regions. As the black hole pair sinks to the center of the new merger remnant, this supergalaxy’s core is depleted of the stars that were flung away. Kormendy and Bender measured the resulting dimming of such galaxies’ cores, their so-called “light deficits.”

Light deficits in galaxy cores are surprising in view of decades of work by many astronomers, including Kormendy and Bender, which showed that the biggest elliptical galaxies contain the most massive black holes at their centers. These are monsters “weighing in” at a billion or more times the mass of our Sun. They attract the stars around them with ferociously strong gravity. Astronomers expected that such big black hole would yank the galaxy’s stars into a tiny, dense cluster at the center. But observations in the 1980s with ground-based telescopes and much better observations in the 1990s with Hubble Space Telescope revealed the opposite. The biggest galaxies have big, fluffy, low-density centers. Why are giant black holes not surrounded by dense cluster of stars? Where did the missing stars go?

The theory that black hole binaries gravitationally slingshot the stars out of galactic centers has been the popular but unproved explanation. No telescope observations provided compelling evidence — until now.

“Our new observations are a strong and direct link between black holes and galaxy central properties,” Kormendy says. “They are a ‘smoking gun’ that connects black holes with the formation of the surprisingly fluffy centers of giant elliptical galaxies.”

Kormendy and Bender made detailed studies of 11 such galaxies in the Virgo Cluster. To get a comprehensive overall picture of each galaxy, they used the wide field of view of the Prime Focus Camera on McDonald Observatory’s 0.8-meter Telescope. They used Hubble Space Telescope to study these same galaxies’ cores in great detail. Many other telescopes were used to connect the central data from Hubble with the outer data from the McDonald telescope. The results on 27 elliptical galaxies in the Virgo Cluster measured by Kormendy, Bender, and their University of Texas colleagues David Fisher and Mark Cornell and supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) are scheduled for publication in a forthcoming issue of the Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series.

Their precision measurements of the brightnesses — that is, the number of stars — at various distances from the centers of elliptical galaxies allowed them to calculate much more accurately than previously the masses of stars that are “missing” in the centers of the biggest ellipticals. This revealed more surprises: The missing mass increases in lockstep with the measured masses of the central black holes. It was known that the two quantities are related, but it was not known that the correlation is so tight as to be within the margin of error. That is, the correlation is virtually perfect.

The missing mass also increases in lockstep with another galaxy property that is known to be tied directly to black holes, namely the speeds at which stars move far out in the galaxy where they cannot feel the black hole’s gravity.

“Astronomers love tight correlations,” Bender says. “They tell us what is connected with what. The new observations give us much stronger evidence that black holes control galaxy formation, at least at their centers.”

According to Linda Sparke, NSF Program Director for Astronomical Sciences, “We’ve long known that black holes are not scattered randomly in galaxies: the most luminous galaxies harbor the most massive black holes. But we haven’t known just how the black hole and the galaxy influence each other. In the centers of huge elliptical galaxies, Kormendy and Bender have seen the footprint of merging pairs of black holes. This lends credence to the theory that the largest galaxies form as smaller systems collide: the black holes in the smaller galaxies then merge, forming a single more massive black hole at the center of the combined galaxy. Thus the black hole grows along with the galaxy.”

Kormendy finally adds, “We have long believed that black holes power quasars in galactic nuclei — they are the brightest objects in the universe. And we have come to suspect that putting giant black holes at the centers of young galaxies and shining so much quasar light on them affects galaxy formation. In other words, we suspect that the study of quasars and the study of galaxies are really one subject. We can’t understand one without understanding the other.

“We think we have helped to merge these subjects by connecting black holes directly to galaxy structure.” he said. “John Muir famously said that everything is hitched to everything else in the world. As we find that different subjects are hitched together, we build a theory of galaxy formation that we confidently believe.”

— END —

Additional Contact Information:

Dr. John Kormendy
University of Texas at Austin
512-619-0126; kormendy@astro.as.utexas.edu

Lisa-Joy Zgorski, Legislative & Public Affairs
U. S. National Science Foundation
703-292-8311; lisajoy@nsf.gov

Texas Cosmology Center Established at The University of Texas at Austin

AUSTIN, Texas — A new interdisciplinary center for the study of the frontiers of the universe, from the tiniest subatomic particle to largest chain of galaxies, has been formed at The University of Texas at Austin.

The Texas Cosmology Center will be a way for the university’s departments of astronomy and physics to collaborate on research that concerns them both. “This center will bring the two departments together in an area where they overlap — in the physics of the very early universe,” said Dr. Neal Evans, astronomy department chair.

Astronomical observations have revealed the presence of dark matter and dark energy, discoveries that challenge our knowledge of fundamental physics. And today’s leading theories in physics involve energies so high that no earth-bound particle accelerator can test them — they need the universe as their laboratory.

Dr. Steven Weinberg, Nobel laureate and professor of physics at the university, called the Center’s advent “a very exciting development” for that department. “Many of us have felt that cosmology, because of the wonderful progress on the observational side, has the kind of excitement we used to find in elementary particle physics,” he said. “Many of us have shifted our work toward cosmology. We intend to participate fully in the Texas Cosmology Center.”

The Center will study the nature of dark matter and dark energy, the origin of cosmic inflation, the origin of matter in the universe, and emergence and evolution of the structures in the universe.

Dr. Eiichiro Komatsu, associate professor of astronomy, will be the Center’s director. He explained that the Center will include faculty from both departments, and the initial funding allocated to the Center will be able to support four post-doctoral researchers, two for each department. He said he intends to seek external funding for more support.

“Our goals are to do great science in both theory and observations. The Center will help make HETDEX a successful experiment,” Komatsu said. “The fastest way to get there is to increase the number of active and enthusiastic researchers, such as post-docs. When we add more people, activity and productivity tend to increase exponentially. You get a critical mass.”

HETDEX is the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment, a project to study the nature of dark energy, that mysterious force that is causing the universe’s expansion to speed up. The experiment will use the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the world’s largest telescopes, located at the university’s McDonald Observatory in West Texas. The project is led by McDonald Observatory, with Texas A&M as one of the four partners.

The new Texas Cosmology Center has funding from several sources within the university: the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, The College of Natural Sciences, McDonald Observatory, the Department of Astronomy, and the Department of Physics.

“The funding will support post-docs and graduate students, and bring in visitors from other institutions to collaborate with us in both physics and astronomy,” Evans said. “There is already a loose network of people that study cosmology at universities in Texas — this center will provide a meeting place for them.”

— END —

Notes: More information about the Texas Cosmology Center is available at http://www.tcc.utexas.edu. More information about HETDEX is available at http://hetdex.org. Dr. Eiichiro Komatsu can be reached at 512-471-1483 or komatsu@astro.as.utexas.edu.

Media Advisory: Legislature's Joint Resolution to Recognize University of Texas at Austin, A&M Astronomy Work

Event: The 81st Legislature of the State of Texas will honor The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University with a joint resolution, recognizing their cutting-edge research and outreach efforts in astronomy in celebration of 2009 as the official International Year of Astronomy (IYA).

 

Representatives of both universities will be recognized on the floor of Texas House and Senate. From The University of Texas at Austin, these include Dr. Mary Ann Rankin, dean of the College of Natural Sciences, and Dr. David L. Lambert, director of McDonald Observatory. Texas A&M University will be represented by Dr. H. Joseph Newton, dean of the College of Science, and Dr. Edward S. Fry, professor and head, Department of Physics. Mr. George Mitchell, Houston businessman and major contributor to both universities’ astronomy programs, will also be recognized.

When: Tuesday, Feb. 24, 10 a.m. to noon

Where: House of Representatives Chamber, Texas State Capitol

Background: This year marks the International Year of Astronomy, the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei’s first astronomical use of the telescope. The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University are working together on several astronomical projects. These include a state-wide speakers series celebrating IYA in more than a dozen Texas cities, as well as research collaboration on the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX). They are also both founding partners in the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT), an international project to build one of the world’s largest new telescopes in the Andes mountains of Chile.

Additional information and images/b-roll: For the text House Concurrent Resolution 55, as well as more information on the speakers series,  HETDEX, GMT, and high-resolution images, please visit our online press kit:

http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/iya/IYApresskit

B-roll is available by request. Stand-up interviews at the Capitol with representatives from both universities may be arranged ahead of time or on-site Feb. 24.

Contacts: Rebecca Johnson, University of Texas at Austin Astronomy Program, 512-475-6763, rjohnson@astro.as.utexas.edu or Shana Hutchins, Texas A&M University, College of Science, 979-862-1237, hutchins@science.tamu.edu

Don Winget Delivers Talk on 'Scale and Contents of the Universe' in Laredo March 7

LAREDO, Texas — In celebration of the International Year of Astronomy, the Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium at Texas A&M International University in Laredo will host a speaker event at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 7, featuring McDonald Observatory astronomer Don Winget. A free star party will follow the talk.

Winget, the Harlan J. Smith Centennial Professor in Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin, will present “The Scale and Contents of the Universe: Old Stars Shed New Light on Dark Matter.” Winget will reveal how he uses the study of white dwarf stars for diverse avenues of research, ranging from the physics of matter at high temperatures and densities to galactic structure and cosmochronology.

Immediately following Winget’s talk, attendees are invited to stay for a star party, where visitors can get personal, telescopic tours of the heavens.

Winget will be the first presenter in a statewide speaker series coordinated by The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University. Astronomers will travel to a number of cities in Texas to deliver free talks on astronomy, IYA, Galileo and astronomical research.

Winget’s research includes his 1981 prediction and discovery of a new class of pulsating variable stars, making the first direct measurement of stellar evolution in 1985, developing a new method for measuring the age of a galaxy and the co-founding of the Whole Earth Telescope.

Organizers of the International Year of Astronomy encourage citizens to explore the skies in celebration of the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first astronomical use of a telescope in 1609. The International Astronomical Union launched 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy (IYA 2009) under the theme “The Universe, Yours to Discover.” IYA 2009 is a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society and culture, with a strong emphasis on education, public engagement and the involvement of young people.

Winget’s presentation is free and open to the public. For more background on Winget and a detailed calendar of the IYA speaker series, please visit: http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/iya/series.

— END —

Media Contacts:

Gerardo A. Pérez, director, Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium, Texas A&M International University, gaperez@tamiu.edu or 956-326-2606.

Rebecca Johnson, Astronomy Program, The University of Texas at Austin, 512-475-6763, rjohnson@astro.as.utexas.edu.

Texas Legislature Honors University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University for Joint Efforts in Astronomy

AUSTIN, Texas —The 81st Legislature of the State of Texas today (Feb. 24) will honor the state’s two flagship universities with a joint resolution, recognizing their cutting-edge research and outreach efforts in astronomy in celebration of 2009 as the official International Year of Astronomy.

The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University will be recognized at 10 a.m. in the House of Representatives Chamber in the State Capitol, and at about 11 a.m. in the Senate Chamber. I n House Concurrent Resolution 55 they will be cited for their commitment to unravel the mysteries of the cosmos through joint research projects such as the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) and their participation in the forthcoming Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT).

T he universities will be acknowledged for their combined efforts to educate and excite the citizens of Texas about the wonders of the universe through diverse outreach programs to teachers, students and the public. This year’s outreach efforts include a year-long speakers’ series in cities across Texas commemorating the International Year of Astronomy, a world-wide celebration of the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first astronomical use of the telescope in 1609.

Leaders of the two universities’ astronomy programs, along with Houston businessman and philanthropist George P. Mitchell, a significant financial contributor to both programs, will be present on the floor of the House and Senate chambers when the resolutions are read.

We’re very glad to be working with Texas A&M on these research projects,” said Dr. David L. Lambert, director of The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory. “These are expensive endeavors that push the frontiers of astronomy. Thus, it’s to the benefit of all that the major public universities in the state, UT and Texas A&M, pool their talents.”

Dr. Edward S. Fry, professor and head of the Department of Physics at Texas A&M, said,  “The astronomy program at Texas A&M was initiated just a couple years ago, and since that time, it has been making extraordinary progress. This collaboration in astronomy between Texas A&M University and The University of Texas at Austin is a striking example of the benefits that will accrue to the state of Texas as a result of such partnerships — and there are many — between these great state institutions.”

Texas A&M has recently joined HETDEX, The University of Texas at Austin-led project to study “dark energy,” the mysterious force causing the universe’s expansion to speed up over time. Dark energy has been called the most important question in science today. The experiment will be carried out at The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope — one of the world’s largest. The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M are collaborating in building the instrumentation that will be mounted on the telescope for this project, which is on track to provide results before any of the major federally funded dark energy projects.

T he universities are also both founding partners in a collaboration to build one of the largest new telescopes of the future, the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). George Mitchell’s $1.75 million gift to Texas A&M in 2004 that was matched by The University of Texas at Austin paved the way for both universities’ partnership in the GMT. The telescope will be able to probe the cosmos more deeply than any telescope in use today, thanks to its seven mirrors that together provide the power of a single 25-meter mirror. GMT will be built in the Andes Mountains of Chile, at Las Campanas Observatory, a site owned by the Carnegie Institution for Science. Other founding partners in GMT include Carnegie, Harvard University, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, The University of Arizona, Australian National University, Astronomy Australia Limited, and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute.

Next month will mark the debut event in a joint endeavor between The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M: the International Year of Astronomy Texas Speakers’ Series. The series will feature astronomers from both universities traveling to cities across the state to present their astronomical research to area audiences. D estinations include Amarillo, Arlington, Austin, Brownsville, College Station, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Davis, Houston, Laredo, Lubbock, Midland and San Antonio.

— END —

Media Contacts: Rebecca Johnson, Astronomy Program, The University of Texas at Austin, 512-475-6763, rjohnson@astro.as.utexas.edu                                               

Shana Hutchins, College of Science, Texas A&M University, 979-862-1237, shutchins@science.tamu.edu

For Additional Information:

Texas House of Representatives Concurrent Resolution 55
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/81R/billtext/html/HC00055I.htm

Online press kit with links to images and information on HETDEX, GMT, and Speakers Series
http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/iya/IYApresskit

University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory
http://mcdonaldobservatory.org

Texas A&M Astronomy
http://astronomy.tamu.edu

University of Texas at Austin Astronomer is Co-Investigator in Search for Earth-like Planets

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — University of Texas at Austin astronomer Bill Cochran is one of the leading scientists involved in searching 100,000 nearby stars in our Milky Way galaxy for planets like Earth as part of NASA’s Kepler mission launching tomorrow (March 6).

The Kepler mission spacecraft is scheduled to blast off aboard a Delta-II rocket at 9:50 p.m. CST (10:50 p.m. EST). The launch will be streamed online live at NASA TV’s Web site.

Results from Kepler’s 3.5-year mission will allow scientists to place our solar system in context with other planetary systems in the Milky Way galaxy.

The Kepler mission is equipped with a scientific instrument called a photometer, or light meter. It will monitor the brightness of its 100,000 target stars within a single field of view steadily for 3.5 years, looking for periodic dips in their brightness. These dips might indicate an orbiting planet passing in front of the star, an event called a “transit.”

Once Kepler finds a probable planet, that’s where Cochran comes in.

“My role is part of the Follow-up Observations Group,” he said. “When it detects a transit of a planet around a star, our job is to use other facilities to find out as much as possible about the planet and the star itself. I’ll go out to HET,” referring to the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at the University’s McDonald Observatory in West Texas.

Cochran will use HET, one of the world’s largest telescopes, to closely monitor the motions of the target star. These observations, combined with the data from Kepler, will determine the planet’s mass, a critical factor in determining how similar the planet is to Earth.

Of the nearly 350 planets found orbiting stars other than the Sun to date, none have been found with masses as low as Earth’s — yet. That’s not necessarily due to a lack of Earth-mass planets in our galaxy. It may be simply due to our technological limitations.

“We’re going to try to push down the mass,” Cochran said. “Finding a planet with the mass of Earth is very, very hard.”

Cochran’s follow-up observations might also detect other planets orbiting these stars. If such planets do not transit in front of the star, they will not be seen by Kepler, but should be detectable through Cochran’s observing technique with HET. Called “radial velocity,” the technique involves monitoring the star’s motion toward and away from Earth to detect any wobbles due to the presence of orbiting planets.

Fellow University of Texas at Austin astronomer Don Winget is also involved in the Kepler mission. He will use Kepler’s measurements of stars’ light output over time as way to “see inside” these stars and measure their internal structure — the same way geologists use sound waves to “see inside” Earth. In geology, the technique is called seismology. In astronomy, it’s referred to as “asteroseismology.”

McDonald Observatory’s long-running StarDate radio program is an official partner in the Kepler mission’s education and public outreach efforts. Two million daily listeners across the United States heard programs on Kepler science this week broadcast by StarDate’s nearly 300 affiliated radio stations. The Kepler episodes are archived online at http://stardate.org and on the Kepler site at http://kepler.nasa.gov.

The Kepler mission’s main goal is to determine the number of Earth-like planets in the Milky Way galaxy, and to understand the characteristics of these planetary systems. With Cochran using McDonald Observatory’s giant Hobby-Eberly Telescope to measure these stars’ orbits, confirm orbiting planets and discover new ones, and Winget and his team studying the deep interiors of the stars to determine their structure, composition, and ages, The University of Texas at Austin will make a major contribution to Kepler’s success.

Kepler is a NASA Discovery mission. NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., is the home organization of the science principal investigator, and is responsible for the ground system development, mission operations and science data analysis. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the Kepler mission development. Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colo., is responsible for developing the Kepler flight system and supporting mission operations. For more information about the Kepler mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/kepler.

— END —

Media Contacts: Rebecca Johnson, McDonald Observatory, 512-475-6763; Whitney Clavin, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 818-354-4673.

McDonald Observatory Holds Open House April 4, Celebrates International Year of Astronomy

FORT DAVIS, Texas —The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory welcomes everyone to enjoy an Open House on Saturday, April 4, from 2 p.m. until 11 p.m. at its West Texas campus near Fort Davis. Admission is free. The event is part of the Observatory’s year-long celebration of the International Year of Astronomy.

The day’s events include tours of the large research telescopes, several science talks, as well as a star party and other telescope viewings. Free hot dogs will be offered, along with outdoor exhibits and family activities.

The telescope tours include introductions to the 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope and 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope on Mount Locke, as well as the 9.2-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope on Mount Fowlkes — one of the world’s largest telescopes. Astronomers will be on hand to describe how they use the telescopes in their research.

Inside the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center, educational programs featuring live telescope views of the Sun will be held in the theater at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Outside, telescopes will show live views of the Moon and Saturn. A star party will take place at 9 p.m.

Astronomy talks begin in the Visitors Center theater at 5 p.m., when McDonald astronomer Matthew Shetrone will discuss “The Secret Life and Future Plans of Hobby-Eberly Telescope.” Geoff Blake of the California Institute of Technology will follow at 5:45 with his talk “From Dust to Us,” describing how our Sun and planetary system came to be. At 6:30, McDonald Observatory Director David Lambert will give a presentation about the Giant Magellan Telescope.

To reach McDonald Observatory, visitors traveling east on Interstate 10 from El Paso take Highway 118 south at Kent for the 34-mile drive to the Observatory. Visitors traveling west on Interstate 10 may take Highway 17 south at Balmorhea to Fort Davis, then Highway 118 north 16 miles to the Observatory. Visitors coming from Big Bend National Park take Highway 118 north through Alpine and Fort Davis to the Observatory.

— END —

Texas-Sized Computer Finds Most Massive Black Hole in Galaxy M87

Karl Gebhardt

Indicates Accepted Masses for Black Holes in Nearby Galaxies Too Low

 

PASADENA, Calif. — Astronomers Karl Gebhardt (The University of Texas at Austin) and Jens Thomas (Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics) have used new computer modeling techniques to discover that the black hole at the heart of M87, one the largest nearby giant galaxies, is two to three times more massive than previously thought. Weighing in at 6.4 billion times the Sun’s mass, it is the most massive black hole yet measured with a robust technique, and suggests that the accepted black hole masses in nearby large galaxies may be off by similar amounts. This has consequences for theories of how galaxies form and grow, and might even solve a long-standing astronomical paradox.

Gebhardt will detail these results in a press conference June 8 at 12 Noon PDT at the 214th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Pasadena, Calif. They will be published later this summer in The Astrophysical Journal, in a paper by Gebhardt and Thomas.

To try to understand how galaxies form and grow, astronomers need to start with basic census information about today’s galaxies. What are they made of? How big are they? How much do they weigh? Astronomers measure this last category, galaxy mass, by clocking the speed of stars orbiting within the galaxy.

Studies of the total mass are important, Thomas said, but “the crucial point is to determine whether the mass is in the black hole, the stars, or the dark halo. You have to run a sophisticated model to be able to discover which is which. The more components you have, the more complicated the model is.”

To model M87, Gebhardt and Thomas used one of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, the Lonestar system at The University of Texas at Austin’s Texas Advanced Computing Center. Lonestar is a Dell Linux cluster with 5,840 processing cores and can perform 62 trillion floating-point operations per second. (Today’s top-of-the-line laptop computer has two cores and can perform up to 10 billion floating-point operations per second.)

Gebhardt and Jens’ model of M87 was more complicated than previous models of the galaxy, because in addition to modeling its stars and black hole, it takes into account the galaxy’s “dark halo,” a spherical region surrounding a galaxy that extends beyond its main visible structure, containing the galaxy’s mysterious “dark matter.”

“In the past, we have always considered the dark halo to be significant, but we did not have the computing resources to explore it as well,” Gebhardt said. “We were only able to use stars and black holes before. Toss in the dark halo, it becomes too computationally expensive, you have to go to supercomputers.”

The Lonestar result was a mass for M87’s black hole several times what previous models have found. “We did not expect it at all,” Gebhardt said. He and Jens simply wanted to test their model on “the most important galaxy out there,” he said.

Extremely massive and conveniently nearby (in astronomical terms), M87 was one of the first galaxies suggested to harbor a central black hole nearly three decades ago. It also has an active jet shooting light out the galaxy’s core as matter swirls closer to the black hole, allowing astronomers to study the process by which black holes attract matter. All of these factors make M87 the “the anchor for supermassive black hole studies,” Gebhardt said.

These new results for M87, together with hints from other recent studies and his own recent telescope observations (publications in preparation), lead him to suspect that all black hole masses for the most massive galaxies are underestimated.

That conclusion “is important for how black holes relate to galaxies,” Thomas said. “If you change the mass of the black hole, you change how the black hole relates to the galaxy.” There is a tight relation between the galaxy and its black hole which had allowed researchers to probe the physics of how galaxies grow over cosmic time. Increasing the black hole masses in the most massive galaxies will cause this relation to be re-evaluated.

Higher masses for black holes in nearby galaxies also could solve a paradox concerning the masses of quasars — active black holes at the centers of extremely distant galaxies, seen at a much earlier cosmic epoch. Quasars shine brightly as the material spiraling in, giving off copious radiation before crossing the event horizon (the region beyond which nothing — not even light — can escape).

“There is a long-standing problem in that quasar black hole masses were very large — 10 billion solar masses,” Gebhardt said. “But in local galaxies, we never saw black holes that massive, not nearly. The suspicion was before that the quasar masses were wrong,” he said. But “if we increase the mass of M87 two or three times, the problem almost goes away.”

Today’s conclusions are model-based, but Gebhardt also has made new telescope observations of M87 and other galaxies using new powerful instruments on the Gemini North Telescope and the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope. He said these data, which will be submitted for publication soon, support the current model-based conclusions about black hole mass.

For future telescope observations of galactic dark haloes, Gebhardt notes that a relatively new instrument at The University of Texas at Austin’s  McDonald Observatory is perfect.  “If you need to study the halo to get the black hole mass, there’s no better instrument than VIRUS-P,” he said. The instrument is a spectrograph. It separates the light from astronomical objects into its component wavelengths, creating a signature that can be read to find out an object’s distance, speed, motion, temperature, and more.

VIRUS-P is good for halo studies because it can take spectra over a very large area of sky, allowing astronomers to reach the very low light levels at large distances from the galaxy center where the dark halo is dominant. It is a prototype, built to test technology going into the larger VIRUS spectrograph for the forthcoming Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX).

— END —

Contacts:

Dr. Karl Gebhardt, The University of Texas at Austin (mobile 512-590-5206). More information about Dr. Gebhardt is available in our Experts Guide.

Dr. Jens Thomas, Max Planck Institute For Extraterrestrial Physics, Germany) (+49-89-30000-3714)

Rebecca Johnson, Press Officer, UT-Austin Astronomy Program (512-475-6763)

Faith Singer-Villalobos, Press Officer, UT-Austin Texas Advanced Computing Center (512-232-5771)

Neal Evans Delivers Talk on 'Time, Space, and Galileo' at San Antonio's Witte Museum June 21

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — In celebration of the International Year of Astronomy (IYA), the Witte Museum in San Antonio will host a speaker event at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 21 featuring University of Texas at Austin astronomer Neal Evans.

 

Evans' talk, titled “Time, Space, & Galileo,” will examine the relationship between astronomy and time and explain advances in astronomy that have allowed us to peer into the past to determine the exact age of the universe, and study events that happened within fractions of a second after its creation. The talk dovetails with the Witte's new exhibit "Playing With Time."

The principle investigator for “Cores to Disks,” a Legacy Science Program study of star formation with NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, Evans is an expert on star formation. He's currently the chairman of the UT-Austin Astronomy Department. In addition to his research, he teaches a popular course on "The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence" for non-science majors at UT.

The lecture at the Witte museum is presented as part of a 2009 statewide speaker series coordinated by The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University. Astronomers are traveling to a number of cities in Texas to deliver free talks on astronomy, IYA, Galileo and astronomical research.

Organizers of the International Year of Astronomy encourage citizens to explore the skies in celebration of the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first astronomical use of a telescope in 1609. The International Astronomical Union launched 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy (IYA 2009) under the theme “The Universe, Yours to Discover.” IYA 2009 is a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society and culture, with a strong emphasis on education, public engagement and the involvement of young people.

Evans’ presentation is included with museum admission. Admission for adults is $8. Members of the Friends of McDonald Observatory may present their membership card for free admission.

For more about this year's IYA speaker series, please visit: http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/iya/series

— END —

Media Contacts:

Shannon H. Standley, Director of Public Relations & Retail Marketing for the Witte Museum, (210) 357-1876.

Rebecca Johnson, Press Officer for The University of Texas at Austin astronomy program, (512) 475-6763.

StarDate Magazine Launches Media Service with Planetary Line-Up in Pre-Dawn Sky June 19-21

Animation and images available

 

AUSTIN, Texas — StarDate magazine, published by The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory, is introducing a new service called “StarDate Media” to help print, Web and broadcast media bring the excitement of skywatching events to their readers and viewers.

It’s starting with a great planetary conjunction coming up in the pre-dawn sky June 19-21, featuring Mercury, Venus, Mars and the Moon.

To download a high-resolution illustration or high-definition video animation, visit StarDate’s Media Center on the Web.

While you’re there, be sure to register for future updates. You’ll receive advanced notice of materials you can use to cover meteor showers, eclipses, conjunctions and more.

Starting June 19, look for Venus blazing as the “morning star” due east around an hour to 45 minutes before sunrise. Fainter Mars will be a little to its lower left, with Mercury a good bit farther to the lower left. Although Mercury looks like a bright star, it will be so low in the sky you may need binoculars to pick it out.

The little Pleiades star cluster will appear to the upper right of Mercury, forming the shoulder of the constellation Taurus, the bull.

The Moon will be well to the upper right of Venus and Mars on the morning of the 18th, and directly above them on the 19th. It moves closer to the Pleiades on the 20th, and a little left of Mercury on the 21st, when it will be the slimmest of crescents.

Published bi-monthly, StarDate magazine provides readers with skywatching tips, skymaps, beautiful astronomical photos, astronomy news and features, and a 32-page Sky Almanac each January.

Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the world’s largest, which will soon be upgraded to begin the HET Dark Energy Experiment. An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

— END —

Tom Barnes Discusses McDonald Observatory History at Austin's Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum July 1

AUSTIN, Texas — In celebration of the International Year of Astronomy, the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin will host a speaker event on Wednesday July 1, from 12:00-1:00 p.m. featuring McDonald Observatory astronomer Tom Barnes. The event is free and open to the public.

The talk, titled, "McDonald Observatory Celebrates 70 Years of History in the International Year of Astronomy" will be presented as part of the museum’s monthly, free High Noon Talks series. Barnes will present the storied history of the observatory, which includes a lawsuit between antagonistic heirs and the University of Texas, a Russian scientist whom the observatory’s neighbors of the 1930s viewed as a welcome alternative to a Yankee, and a slew of first-rate astronomical discoveries made right here in Texas.  The talk will also include images of the mountaintop facility in West Texas, and describe plans for future telescopes and another 70 years of science excellence.

Barnes served as chief operating officer of McDonald Observatory for 21 years, and is currently a senior research scientist there. In the early 1990s, he led planning for the staffing, budgeting, and operation of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (one of the world’s largest) and later served as its commissioning manager.

The lecture is presented as part of The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University's state-wide speaker series celebrating the 2009 International Year of Astronomy. Astronomers are traveling to a number of cities in Texas to deliver free talks on astronomy, IYA, Galileo and astronomical research.

Organizers of the International Year of Astronomy encourage citizens to explore the skies in celebration of the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first astronomical use of a telescope in 1609. The International Astronomical Union launched 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy (IYA 2009) under the theme “The Universe, Yours to Discover.” IYA 2009 is a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society and culture, with a strong emphasis on education, public engagement and the involvement of young people.

For more about this year's IYA speaker series, please visit: http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/iya/series. For more information on the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum and the High Noon Talks series, please visit: http://www.thestoryoftexas.com/

— END —

Media Contacts:

Timothy Dillon, Director of Marketing and Media Relations, Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, (512) 936- 4600

Rebecca Johnson, Press Officer for The University of Texas at Austin astronomy program, (512) 475-6763

New McDonald Observatory Instrument Revolutionizes Galaxy Studies

SARTEANO, ITALY —University of Texas at Austin graduate student Guillermo A. Blanc is talking dissection. But he’s not a biologist — he’s an astronomer. Blanc is using a new instrument at the university’s McDonald Observatory to dissect nearby galaxies to learn how stars form, and in the process, generating a flood of new information that will benefit other scientists’ work. Blanc is presenting his first results this week at an international conference called “SFR@50: Filling the Cosmos with Stars” in Sarteano, Italy.

The conference celebrates the 50th anniversary of a landmark study of the star formation rate (SFR) in galaxies. Blanc’s research will set a new landmark in this arena, with a new way to study star formation in nearby galaxies using the best instrument in the world for these kind of studies.

Blanc is mapping star formation in 30 nearby spiral galaxies in amazing detail using the VIRUS-P instrument on McDonald Observatory’s 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope. His project is called VENGA, the VIRUS-P Exploration of Nearby Galaxies.

“We are going to dissect these galaxies in every possible way,” he says. “The tendency for galaxy studies today is to look at galaxies farther away, and farther back in time. But in order to understand those, you really need to first understand galaxies in detail. The best way to do that is to look at nearby galaxies. It allows you to interpret the data on distant galaxies.”

His first VENGA target is the famous Whirlpool Galaxy, and he’s presenting those results in Italy this week. The study is helping to determine the drivers for star formation in galaxies. Previous studies disagreed about the role played by molecular gas at setting the rate at which stars form. Blanc’s study, done in collaboration with Texas astronomers Amanda Heiderman, Karl Gebhardt, Neal Evans, and Joshua Adams, shows that the amount of molecular gas is the key factor determining how many stars are formed.

“We confirm that the star formation rate correlates very well with the amount of molecular gas present in different regions inside galaxies. These two quantities are expected to be correlated since this is gas in giant molecular clouds, which are the birth places of stars. These new type of observations allow us not only to observe this correlation, but also to measure precisely how these two quantities relate to each other,” he says.

He also found that the efficiency of star formation in this galaxy is very low — only one percent of the available gas is transformed into stars in a characteristic time. Additionally, Blanc’s studies reveal that for a given amount of gas, the rate of star formation can vary by a factor of three, meaning there might be other important drivers of star formation. Blanc plans to investigate these in future studies.

It’s the special design of the VIRUS-P instrument that makes Blanc’s studies of star formation new and exciting. Like all spectrographs, VIRUS-P takes the light from astronomical objects and breaks it down into its component wavelengths, resulting in an information-rich spectrum that astronomers can decode to learn an astronomical object’s motion, composition, temperature, and more.

But this spectrograph is different. Instead of taking the spectrum of a single point on the sky, it takes lots of spectra of lots of areas at one time. It’s what is called an “integral field unit” (IFU) spectrograph. VIRUS-P has the largest field of view of any IFU spectrograph in the world (2.9 square arcminutes), several times larger than the previous record holder.

For each of its 30 galaxies, VENGA will obtain spectra at every point in the galaxy, from the center to the most outlying regions of the galactic disk. With VIRUS-P’s array of 246 optical fibers, the speed and direction of motion of both stars and gas at 246 different points inside the galaxy, as well as many other quantities like the star formation rate, the amount of light extinction due to dust, and the chemical composition of gas and stars, can be measured simultaneously in a single telescope pointing.

The instrument is “ideal for studying nearby galaxies,” Blanc says. “These galaxies are so nearby they are huge on the sky, so this is the most efficient instrument there is to study them, due to its large fibers and large field of view.”

Star formation rates have been studied with spectroscopy before, Blanc says, but “but it wasn’t possible to do it throughout a whole galaxy, much less 30 galaxies, in an efficient way.”

When the survey is completed, the VENGA team will have mapped 30 nearby spiral galaxies with a wide range of shapes. Some have large central bulges of stars, others almost none. Some have a bar running through the center; others don’t. The galaxies also have different levels of star formation activity. All of this data will be of interest to many different astronomers, and they plan to make it freely available.

“When you point a spectrograph at a galaxy and you get every region of the galaxy and at a large wavelength range, you get a lot of information and it can be used for a lot of different science projects,” Blanc says.

The VENGA team is composed of a large group of astronomers from The University of Texas at Austin and Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics. The data will help in astronomers Niv Drory, Maximilian Fabricius, and David Fisher's studies of the different types of galactic bulges and the evolutionary paths galaxies took to form them. It will also be of great use to Texas astronomers Shardha Jogee, Irina Marinova, and Tim Weinzirl in their studies of the chemical compositions of galaxies’ bulges versus that of their disks, and the role that galactic bars have in driving gas toward the centers of galaxies. These latter studies aim to determine the degree to which internal processes and galactic mergers are responsible for building up a galaxy’s central bulge. The VENGA data also will allow Dutch astronomer Remco van den Bosch to study the structure of the dark matter halos in which these galaxies are thought to be embedded.

VIRUS-P is the prototype for a forthcoming larger spectrograph that will be built at The University of Texas to carry out the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment. This larger spectrograph will contain 150 copies of the prototype, each with its 246 optical fibers, for a total of 36,900 optical fibers taking spectra across the sky simultaneously. The instrument’s name, VIRUS, comes from the fact that it contains multiple copies of a single instrument: the Visible Integral-field Replicable Unit Spectrograph.

— END —

Contacts:

Guillermo Blanc, The University of Texas at Austin (512-471-3447)

Rebecca Johnson, Press Officer, UT-Austin Astronomy Program (512-475-6763)

David Lambert Delivers Talk ‘Dark Ages to Dark Energy' in Midland October 9

MIDLAND, Texas — To celebrate its grand re-opening after renovations, the Marian Blakemore Planetarium at Midland’s Museum of the Southwest will host a series of events on Friday, October 9, featuring McDonald Observatory Director Dr. David L. Lambert. The events are free and open to the public.

The festivities begin at 5:15 p.m., with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the main entrance, followed by the planetarium show “Oasis in Space.” Lambert’s talk will follow at about 6:30 p.m. His talk “The International Year of Astronomy: Dark Ages to Dark Energy” will trace the course of astronomical discoveries over many years, highlighting discoveries made in Texas.

Lambert holds the Isabel McCutcheon Harte Centennial Chair in Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. He obtained a B.A. in physics in 1960 and a D. Phil. in solar physics in 1965 from the University of Oxford. In more than 40 years of research, he has published more than 460 research articles and received numerous awards, including the American Astronomical Society’s highest honor, the Henry Norris Russell Lectureship in 2007. His current research involves precise analyses of the chemical compostion of stars, both to determine how they make chemical elements and to better understand the chemical evolution of the Milky Way galaxy.

Lambert’s talk at the Blakemore Planetarium is presented as part of a 2009 statewide speaker series coordinated by The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University. Astronomers are traveling to a number of cities in Texas to deliver free talks on IYA, Galileo, and astronomical research.

Organizers of the International Year of Astronomy encourage citizens to explore the skies in celebration of the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first astronomical use of a telescope in 1609. The International Astronomical Union launched 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy under the theme “The Universe, Yours to Discover.” It is a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society and culture, with a strong emphasis on education, public engagement, and the involvement of young people.

For more about this year's IYA speaker series, please visit: http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/iya/series

— END —

Media Contacts:

Jean Hoelscher, Marketing Director, Museum of the Southwest, (432) 683-2882.

Rebecca Johnson, Press Officer, McDonald Observatory, (512) 475-6763.

Boston University Astronomers Detect Sodium Gas Ejected by Lunar Impact

This press release on work done on a telescope located at McDonald Observatory was provided by Boston University.

FORT DAVIS, Texas — Boston University astronomers announced today observations of a cloud of sodium gas ejected from the Moon’s surface as a result of the NASA impact experiment that was part of its Lunar CRater Observation Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission. Jeffrey Baumgardner and Jody Wilson, senior research associates in the Center for Space Physics (CSP), conducted the observations from BU’s observing facility housed on the grounds of McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis, Texas.

“Sodium near the Moon’s south pole went from zero to blazing just after the impact!” Wilson reported to colleagues back in Boston.

Added Baumgardner: “We took a series of five-minute time exposures before, during and after the event and the detection is unambiguous.”

Sodium is a minor component of the lunar regolith (soil), but it can serve as a tracer of more abundant elements because it scatters (or reflects) sunlight very efficiently. The observing strategy of the BU team was to make their measurements at a point approximately 100 km above the lunar impact point, an altitude sufficient for sodium gas to be in sunlight (and therefore visible) and yet far enough away from the bright glare of the Moon’s surface.

“Sodium is continuously being ejected and lost from the Moon, creating an always present, but very faint and transient lunar atmosphere,” Wilson explained. “The ways that so-called surface-sputtering occurs on primitive bodies, such as the Moon, the planet Mercury and Jupiter’s moon Io, are topics of great interest to astronomers who study how atmospheres can escape from a large celestial body.”

Impacting meteors, the solar wind and sunlight are all agents that can eject sodium atoms from the Moon. While such surface-physics processes can be studied in laboratories here on Earth, this was the first successful attempt to conduct a “laboratory in space” experiment where the characteristics of the impactor were so well known.

“The full implications of these results will, of course, require detailed data analysis and modeling,” commented Michael Mendillo, professor of Astronomy at Boston University. “At this point, all we do know is that the BU team had a better night than the Red Sox.”

Baumgardner added: “The relation between what we saw in sodium and what the main objective of the experiment was --detecting possible signatures of water — will require coordinated analyses of all of the observations made on Earth and on board the NASA spacecraft.”

Research in BU’s Center for Space Physics involves interdisciplinary projects between members of the Astronomy Department in the College of Arts and Sciences and faculty, staff and students in the College of Engineering. Research areas include observational and theoretical studies in atmospheric, ionospheric and magnetospheric physics, planetary and cometary atmospheres, solar and heliospheric physics, and space weather.

Founded in 1839, Boston University is an internationally recognized institution of higher education and research. With more than 30,000 students, it is the fourth largest independent university in the United States. It contains 17 colleges and schools along with a number of multi-disciplinary centers and institutes which are central to the university’s research and teaching mission.

— END —

Media Contact: Jeffrey Baumgardner, Boston University, 617-353-5639

Contacts at Boston University's Center for Space Physics:

Michael Mendillo, (617) 353-2629

John Clarke, (617) 353-0247

Supriya Chakrabarti, (617) 353-5990

Joshua Semeter, director, (617) 358-3498

Mary Kay Hemenway Speaks on 'The Galileo Scandal' in El Paso October 23

EL PASO — In celebration of 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy, The University of Texas at El Paso presents “The Galileo Scandal,” a talk by astronomer Mary Kay Hemenway, a recognized Galileo scholar from The University of Texas at Austin.  The talk will take place Friday, October 23 at 5:00 p.m. on the UT-El Paso campus in room 302 of the Education Building.

Four hundred years ago, in the summer of 1609, Galileo Galilei turned a telescope toward the heavens and changed not only his life but the scientific and cultural world of his time.  The world-wide celebration of 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy celebrates this event. Hemenway will examine Galileo's achievements (and failures) with the telescope, his struggles with the Roman Catholic Church, and the resolution of this conflict.

Hemenway is an internationally recognized expert on creating and implementing innovative science teacher-training programs. In 2003, she was inducted into the Texas Hall of Fame for Science, Mathematics and Technology. She was instrumental in the launch of the UTeach program at The University of Texas at Austin, which has revolutionized the preparation of mathematics and science teachers and is currently being copied by other universities.

Currently, she carries out federally supported programs with state and local secondary school science teachers, and teaches a variety of astronomy classes at UT-Austin. She works with the education team of McDonald Observatory to prepare and present teacher workshops and field trips for students.

McDonald Observatory is proud to co-sponsor this event as part of our joint celebration with Texas A&M of 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy.

For more background on Hemenway and a detailed calendar of the IYA speaker series, please visit: http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/iya/series.

For a map of UT El Paso: http://www.utep.edu/search/campusmaplarge.html

— END —

Media Contacts:

Steven Lazarin, Advancement Services, The University of Texas at El Paso,
(915) 747-6409

Rebecca Johnson, Press Officer for The University of Texas at Austin astronomy program, (512) 475-6763

Kepler Finds Earth-Size Planet Candidates in Habitable Zone, Six Planet System

McDonald Observatory Astronomers Helped Verify Discoveries

WASHINGTON, D.C. —NASA's Kepler mission has discovered its first Earth-size planet candidates and its first candidates in the habitable zone, a region where liquid water could exist on a planet's surface. Five of the potential planets are both near Earth-size and orbit in the habitable zone of their stars. Kepler also found six confirmed planets orbiting a sun-like star, Kepler-11. This is the largest group of transiting planets orbiting a single star yet discovered outside our solar system.

"In one generation we have gone from extraterrestrial planets being a mainstay of science fiction, to the present, where Kepler has helped turn science fiction into today's reality," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "These discoveries underscore the importance of NASA's science missions, which consistently increase understanding of our place in the cosmos."

Candidates require follow-up observations to verify they are actual planets. Some of this is done at The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory. A team led by McDonald astronomer William Cochran, Kepler mission Co-Investigator, does this follow-up using using the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope and the Hobby Eberly Telescope, on of the world's largest.

These data from McDonald Observatory are essential to help determine whether the signal seen by the Kepler spacecraft is due to a true planet transiting the star, or is due to some other sort of astronomical phenomenon.

"Kepler has truly demonstrated its ability to detect Earth-size planets around other stars."
Cochran said. "Kepler is finding an abundance of small planets. Several of the planet candidates that Kepler has found are in the 'habitable zone' of their parent star. "The six-planet system is truly amazing," he continued. "This will really help us understand the
formation and evolution of planetary systems."

Along with Cochran, the Texas Kepler team includes Dr. Michael Endl, Dr. Phillip MacQueen, and graduate students Paul Robertson and Erik Brugamyer.

The discoveries announced today are part of several hundred new planet candidates identified in new Kepler mission science data, released on Tuesday, Feb. 1. The findings increase the number of planet candidates identified by Kepler to-date to 1,235. Of these, 68 are approximately Earthsize; 288 are super-Earth-size; 662 are Neptune-size; 165 are the size of Jupiter and 19 are larger than Jupiter. Of the 54 new planet candidates found in the habitable zone, five are near Earthsized. The remaining 49 habitable zone candidates range from super-Earth size — up to twice the size of Earth — to larger than Jupiter.

The findings are based on the results of observations conducted May 12 to Sept. 17, 2009, of more than 156,000 stars in Kepler's field of view, which covers approximately 1/400 of the sky.

"The fact that we've found so many planet candidates in such a tiny fraction of the sky suggests there are countless planets orbiting sun-like stars in our galaxy," said William Borucki of NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., the mission's science principal investigator. "We went from zero to 68 Earth-sized planet candidates and zero to 54 candidates in the habitable zone, some of which could have moons with liquid water."

Among the stars with planetary candidates, 170 show evidence of multiple planetary candidates. Kepler-11, located approximately 2,000 light years from Earth, is the most tightly packed planetary system yet discovered. All six of its planet candidates have orbits smaller than Venus, and five of the six have orbits smaller than Mercury's. The only other star with more than one confirmed transiting planet is Kepler-9, which has three. The Kepler- 11 findings will be published in the Feb. 3 issue of the journal Nature.


"Kepler-11 is a remarkable system whose architecture and dynamics provide clues about its formation," said Jack Lissauer, a planetary scientist and Kepler science team member at Ames. "These six planets are mixtures of rock and gases, possibly including water. The rocky material accounts for most of the planets' mass, while the gas takes up most of their volume. By measuring the sizes and masses of the five inner planets, we determined they are among the lowest mass confirmed planets beyond our solar system."

All of the planets orbiting Kepler-11 are larger than Earth, with the largest ones being
comparable in size to Uranus and Neptune. The innermost planet, Kepler-11b, is ten times closer to its star than Earth is to the sun. Moving outward, the other planets are Kepler-11c, Kepler-11d, Kepler-11e, Kepler-11f, and the outermost planet, Kepler-11g, which is half as far from its star as Earth is from the sun.

The planets Kepler-11d, Kepler-11e and Kepler-11f have a significant amount of light gas, which indicates that they formed within a few million years of the system's formation.
"The historic milestones Kepler makes with each new discovery will determine the course of every exoplanet mission to follow," said Douglas Hudgins, Kepler program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

Kepler, a space telescope, looks for planet signatures by measuring tiny decreases in the
brightness of stars caused by planets crossing in front of them. This is known as a transit.
Since transits of planets in the habitable zone of sun-like stars occur about once a year and require three transits for verification, it is expected to take three years to locate and verify Earthsize planets orbiting sun-like stars.

The Kepler science team uses ground-based telescopes and the Spitzer Space Telescope to review observations on planetary candidates and other objects of interest the spacecraft finds. The star field that Kepler observes in the constellations Cygnus and Lyra can only be seen from groundbased observatories in spring through early fall. The data from these other observations help determine which candidates can be validated as planets.

Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the world’s largest, which will soon be upgraded to begin the HET Dark Energy Experiment. An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

— END —

Media Contacts: Rebecca Johnson, McDonald Observatory, 512-475-6763; Michael Mewhinney, NASA Ames Research Center, 650-604-3937.

Science Contacts: Dr. William Cochran, 512-471-6474; Dr. Michael Endl, 512-471-5421; Dr. Phillip MacQueen, 512-471-1470.

AEP Texas Funds Scholarships for West Texas Schools to Bring K-12 Students to McDonald Observatory

FORT DAVIS, Texas — AEP Texas has provided $3,000 to fund scholarships to McDonald Observatory by West Texas elementary and secondary schools this school year. The funds will benefit students from the Fort Davis, Alpine, Marfa, Valentine, and Presidio areas.

“We’re grateful to AEP Texas for this scholarship funding,” said McDonald Observatory Director Dr. David L. Lambert. “They have long been a strong supporter of our public outreach and education programs.”

The donation will allow West Texas students to participate in the Observatory’s Student Field Experiences Program at no cost to them or their schools. 

“Students and their educators will be immersed in this modern scientific and astronomical research environment,” said Marc Wetzel, the Observatory’s Education Coordinator. “They will participate in hands-on activities, tours of the large telescopes, and live observations of the Sun. All of these activities are based on state and national science teaching standards.” Those standards are known as the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, and the National Science Education Standards.

“This grant from AEP Texas tackles the growing need that many in Texas, including the students from the underserved rural towns of West Texas, have for improved science education and access to resources that are standards based,” said Sandra Preston, McDonald Observatory’s Assistant Director for Education and Outreach. “These programs inspire enthusiasm for science, mathematics, engineering, and technology.”

From 2006 to 2008, the education staff at McDonald Observatory’s Frank N. Bash Visitors Center welcomed more than 3,700 elementary and secondary students from the rural towns of West Texas surrounding the Observatory.

Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the world’s largest, which will soon be upgraded to begin the HET Dark Energy Experiment. An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

— END —

Schools Contact: Marc Wetzel, McDonald Observatory Education Coordinator, 432-426-3672.

Mary Kay Hemenway Awarded Education Prize by American Astronomical Society

AUSTIN, Texas — Dr. Mary Kay Hemenway has been awarded the 2009 AAS Education Prize by the American Astronomical Society (AAS), the major organization of professional astronomers in North America. Hemenway is a Senior Lecturer and Research Associate at The University of Texas at Austin. She received the award at the 215th meeting of the Society in Washington, DC in January.

The award stated that the prize was presented to Hemenway “for her leadership and dedication to astronomy education and improvement of K-20 science education at the state and national level throughout her career. For her tireless contribution to developing a new generation of astronomy educators at universities, through NASA programs, and in informal settings. For her significant service to the community as Education Officer of the American Astronomical Society from 1991-1997, and especially as Secretary to the Board of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific since 1999. For her unique contributions to K-14 teacher training in astronomy at the McDonald Observatory.”

In receiving the award at the AAS annual banquet last month, Hemenway thanked her family, her own teachers, her colleagues, the many astronomers she has worked with on outreach projects, NASA and the National Science Foundation for funding science education projects, and “the hundreds of K-12 teachers who have provided me with an outstanding education in the best educational practices.”

Hemenway received her Bachelor of Science in Physics degree from Notre Dame College of Ohio in 1965, and Master of Arts (1967) and Ph.D. in astronomy (1971) from The University of Virginia.

Recently, she served on the International Astronomical Union's Working Group for the 2009 International Year of Astronomy, which was celebrated in more than 140 countries last year. For many years, she has worked with the University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory Education and Outreach Office helping design and implement both teacher and student programs for the Observatory’s Visitor Center in Fort Davis, Texas. Additionally, she has served as Director of Educational Services Office the University’s astronomy department almost continuously since 1980.

Hemenway is the recipient of many federal grants for projects in science education. In addition to co-authoring a book and publishing papers in professional journals, she has extensive experience as a science education consultant with school districts and publishers. She frequently presents workshops to teachers at meetings such as Texas’ Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching (CAST) and annual conferences of the National Science Teachers’ Association (NSTA).

— END —

Universo Radio Program Celebrates 15 Years

AUSTIN , Texas —The science radio program Universo will celebrate its 15th anniversary of daily Spanish-language broadcasts on skywatching and astronomy on April 1.

 

The program includes a special focus on the contributions of Latino scientists and the skylore of Mesoamerican cultures.

Produced by The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory, Universo airs on about 100 stations across the United States, Mexico, Colombia, El Salvador and Venezuela, reaching about 2.2 million listeners daily. Recently, the show has become more easily accessible to radio stations through free, production-quality digital downloading of programs.

“It’s hard to believe that we’ve been producing this program for 15 years,” said producer Damond Benningfield. “It’s taken a lot of work to keep it on the air this long, but I think it’s been one of the most important projects that I’ve ever worked on.”

The program is recorded at Ixtlan studios in El Paso, Texas. Teresa “Fendi” de la Cruz has hosted Universo from the beginning. The Universo production team also includes associate producer Marco Lara and audio engineer Ignacio “Nacho” Acosta.

“I really appreciate the hard work and commitment of our production team,” Benningfield said. “Their dedication has kept us going.”

In addition to radio, Universo includes a wide range of Spanish-language media. The Universo Web site provides skywatching tips, guides to the solar system and beyond, and text of the radio programs. The extensive Black Holes Encyclopedia is also available in Spanish. Universo’s Spanish-language Facebook group provides listeners an arena to discuss programs and offer feedback.

Production for Universo is funded by the Friends of McDonald Observatory and an anonymous donor, with additional support from NASA and the National Science Foundation. The program is available for sponsorship.

— END —

Media Advisory Texas Poet Laureate Reads at McDonald Observatory During National Poetry Month

Event: Texas Poet Laureate Karla K. Morton will read her poetry celebrating the heavens.

 

When: Two 30-minute readings Tuesday, April 6, at 7:45 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.

Where: McDonald Observatory Frank N. Bash Visitors Center, near Fort Davis, Texas

Background: Karla K. Morton is a celebrated poet, author and storyteller. She has been described as “one of the more adventurous voices in American poetry.” Her poetry, which spans many subjects and forms, has been widely published in literary journals, including the Concho River Review, the Southwestern American Literature, the Texas Poetry Calendar, Austin International Poetry Anthology and more.

Read an example of Morton's poetry here. To arrange interviews with Morton, contact Kelly Kirkendoll. More information about Morton is available at her Web site.

Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the world’s largest, which will soon be upgraded to begin the HET Dark Energy Experiment. An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

Information on visiting McDonald Observatory here.

— END —

Media Contacts: To arrange interviews with Ms. Morton, contact Kelly Kirkendoll of Shafer Communications, 817-236-6075.

Recent Texas PhD Receives Trumpler Award from Astronomical Society of the Pacific

AUSTIN, Texas — The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) announced today that it is presenting the 2010 Robert J. Trumpler Award to Robert Quimby. The Society presents this award each year to a recent recipient of the PhD degree in North America whose research is considered unusually important to astronomy. Quimby completed his PhD in astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin in December 2006. He is currently a post-doctoral fellow at the California Institute of Technology.

Quimby’s dissertation, The Texas Supernova Search, details his search for the exploding stars known as supernovae using the ROTSE IIIb telescope at The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory.

“There were several supernova searches already under way when I designed my survey, so I tried to do something different,” Quimby said. “I decided to focus on early detection and rapid spectroscopic follow-up. I found fewer supernovae than others, but my unique sample led to some interesting science.”

His finds have opened up a new arena in supernova science. His work was featured in the New York Times, and Time magazine declared his discovery of supernova 2006gy as one of the top 10 scientific discoveries of 2007.

Quimby’s research supervisor at Texas was supernova expert Dr. J. Craig Wheeler, with whom he continues to collaborate.

“Quimby made an impressive mark in our Department of Astronomy for hard work, inventiveness, and productivity,” Wheeler said. “Along with other substantial results, he discovered a whole new category of supernovae, the implications of which may reach back to the end of the cosmological dark ages. He had a spectacular record for a graduate student and well deserves the recognition of the Trumpler Award of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.

“The capstone of Quimby’s work came toward the end of his graduate career. He discovered SN 2006gy that proved to be nearly 100 times brighter than any supernova previously observed. This event rose to maximum light in an unusually long 70 days. It was something completely different.

“Quimby subsequently identified four other ‘brightest supernovae ever,’ establishing the prototypes for this new field. SN 2006gy has many of the characteristics expected of so-called ‘pair instability supernovae’ that are theoretically predicted to occur in very massive stars, several hundred solar masses, that get hot enough to create electron/positron pairs. These stars are theoretically expected to be among the first stars to form at the end of the cosmological dark ages, but Quimby may have found them in relatively nearby, contemporary galaxies.

“These discoveries were not just luck,” Wheeler said. “Quimby made his opportunity, using the special capabilities of ROTSE [the Robotic Optical Transient Source Experiment] coupled with the rapid response of the queue-scheduled HET [Hobby-Eberly Telescope]. It is no coincidence that he discovered the first five examples of this new category of exploding star and hence started an exciting new field of astrophysical research.”

— END —

Science Contacts:

Dr. Robert Quimby
California Institute of Technology
626-395-5927

Dr. J. Craig Wheeler
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-6407

Media Advisory Astronomers Discuss 'Hubble 3D,' Cosmic Research at Bob Bullock Museum

Event: Screening of IMAX film “Hubble 3D,” followed by panel discussion with three University of Texas at Austin astronomers who are frequent users of Hubble Space Telescope

 

When: Saturday, April 24. Film screening at noon; panel discussion follows at about 1 p.m.

Where: Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, 1800 N. Congress Ave., Austin, Texas

Background: Join The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum and The University of Texas at Austin for a unique afternoon of space exploration. First, be awed by “Hubble 3D” in the IMAX Theatre. Journey to distant galaxies, witness the precision work done by astronauts and learn how the Hubble Space Telescope has profoundly affected the way we understand our universe.

After the screening, listen to scientists from The University of Texas at Austin Department of Astronomy and McDonald Observatory speak about their research using the Hubble Space Telescope, their thoughts on its future, and ask your own questions.

Panelists include:  G. Fritz Benedict, McDonald Observatory senior research scientist, an expert on tracking the positions of objects in space;  Karl Gebhardt, professor of astronomy, who researches black holes and dark energy; and Shardha Jogee, associate professor of astronomy, who researches both observational and theoretical aspects of the evolution, structure and activities of galaxies.

Movie tickets are $7 adults, $5 kids. Panel discussion is free with ticket purchase, but you must request panel tickets when buying movie tickets. To purchase, call (512) 936-4649.

Free family activities will also be available from noon to 4 p.m.; no reservation required.

— END —

Media Contacts:

Rebecca Johnson, University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory, (512) 475-6763

Timothy Dillon, The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, (512) 936-4600

'Out of Whack' Planetary System Offers Clues to Disturbing Past

MIAMI —The discovery of a planetary system “out of whack,” where the orbits of two planets are at a steep angle to each other, was reported today (May 24) by a team of astronomers led by Barbara McArthur of The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory.

This surprising finding will affect theories of how multi-planet systems evolve and shows that some violent events can happen to disrupt planets’ orbits after a planetary system forms, say researchers.

“The findings mean that future studies of exoplanetary systems will be more complicated. Astronomers can no longer assume all planets orbit their parent star in a single plane,” McArthur says.

McArthur and her team used data from Hubble Space Telescope (HST), the giant Hobby-Eberly Telescope, and other ground-based telescopes combined with extensive modeling to unearth a landslide of information about the planetary system surrounding the nearby star Upsilon Andromedae.

McArthur reported these findings in a press conference at the 216th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Miami, along with her collaborator Fritz Benedict, also of McDonald Observatory, and team member Rory Barnes of the University of Washington. The work also will be published in the June 1 edition of the Astrophysical Journal.

For just over a decade, astronomers have known that three Jupiter-type planets orbit the yellow-white dwarf star Upsilon Andromedae. Similar to our Sun, Upsilon Andromedae lies about 44 light-years away. It’s a bit younger, a bit more massive, and a bit brighter than the Sun.

Combining fundamentally different, yet complementary, types of data from HST and ground-based telescopes, McArthur’s team has determined the exact masses of two of the three known planets, Ups And c and d. Much more startling, though, is their finding that not all planets orbit this star in the same plane. The orbits of planets c and d are inclined by 30 degrees with respect to each other. This research marks the first time that the “mutual inclination” of two planets orbiting another star has been measured. And, the team has uncovered hints that a fourth planet, e, orbits the star much farther out.

“Most probably Upsilon Andromedae had the same formation process as our own solar system,   although there could have been differences in the late formation that seeded this divergent evolution,” McArthur said. “The premise of planetary evolution so far has been that planetary systems form in the disk and remain relatively co-planar, like our own system, but now we have measured a significant angle between these planets that indicates this isn’t always the case.”

Until now the conventional wisdom has been that a big cloud of gas collapses down to form a star, and planets are a natural byproduct. Left over material forms a disk. In our solar system, there’s a fossil of that creation event because all of the eight major planets orbit in nearly the same plane.

Several different gravitational scenarios could be responsible for the surprisingly inclined orbits in Upsilon Andromadae.

“Possibilities include interactions occurring from the inward migration of planets, the ejection of other planets from the system through planet-planet scattering, or disruption from the parent star’s binary companion star, Upsilon Andromedae B,” McArthur said.

Barnes, an expert in the dynamics of extrasolar planetary systems added, “Our dynamical analysis shows that the inclined orbits probably resulted from the ejection of an original member of the planetary system. However, we don’t know if the distant stellar companion forced that ejection, or if the planetary system itself formed such that some original planets were ejected. Furthermore, we find the revised configuration still lies right on the precipice of stability: The planets pull on each other so strongly that they are almost able to throw each other out of the system.”

The two different types of data combined in this research were “astrometry” from Hubble Space Telescope and “radial velocity” from ground-based telescopes.

Astrometry is the measurement of the positions and motions of celestial bodies. McArthur’s group used one of the Fine Guidance Sensors (FGS) on Hubble Space Telescope for the task. The FGS are so precise that they can measure the width of a quarter in Denver from the vantage point of Miami. It was this precision that was used to trace the star’s motion on sky caused by its surrounding — and unseen — planets.

Radial velocity makes measurements of the star’s motion on the sky toward and away from Earth. These measurements were made over 14 years using ground-based telescopes, including two at McDonald Observatory and others at Lick, Haute-Provence, and Whipple Observatories. The radial velocity provides a long baseline of foundation observations, which enabled the shorter duration, but more precise and complete, HST observations to better define the orbital motions.

The fact that the team determined the orbital inclinations of planets c and d allowed them to calculate the exact masses of the two planets. The new information changed which planet is heavier. Previous minimum masses for the planets given by radial velocity studies put the minimum mass for planet c at 2 Jupiters and for planet d at 4 Jupiters. The new, exact, masses found by astrometry are 14 Jupiters for planet c and 10 Jupiters for planet d.

“The HST data show radial velocity isn’t the whole story,” Benedict said. “The fact that the planets actually flipped in mass was really cute.”

The 14 years of radial velocity information compiled by the team uncovered hints that a fourth, long-period planet may orbit beyond the three now known. There are only hints about that planet because it’s so far out, the signal it creates does not yet reveal the curvature of an orbit. Another missing piece of the puzzle is the inclination of the innermost planet b, which would require precision astrometry 1,000 times greater than Hubble’s, a goal NASA’s planned Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) could attain.

The team’s Hubble data also confirmed Upsilon Andromedae’s status as a binary star. The companion star is a red dwarf less massive and much dimmer than the Sun.

“We don’t have any idea what its orbit is,” Benedict said. “It could be very eccentric. Maybe it comes in very close every once in a while. It may take 10,000 years.”

Such a close pass by the primary star could gravitationally perturb the orbits of its planets.

— END —

Media contacts:

Rebecca Johnson, McDonald Observatory, University of Texas at Austin, 512-475-6763

Ray Villard, Space Telescope Science Institute; Baltimore, Md.; 410-338-4514

Science contacts:

Barbara McArthur, McDonald Observatory, The University of Texas at Austin, 512-471-3411

Fritz Benedict, McDonald Observatory, The University of Texas at Austin, 512-471-3448

Rory Barnes, Department of Astronomy, The University of Washington, Seattle, 206-543-8979

Facilities information: Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the world’s largest. The Hobby-Eberly Telescope is a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Stanford University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen.

The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. in Washington, D.C.

McDonald Astronomers Help Confirm CoRoT Satellite's New Crop of Extrasolar Planets

Today, France's space agency, the Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES), announced that its CoRoT satellite has found seven new extrasolar planets. A significant component of the ground-based confirmation and follow-up research for four of these (CoRoT-11b, 12b, 14b, and 15b) was undertaken by McDonald Observatory astronomers.

 

Michael Endl, Bill Cochran, and Phillip MacQueen used Hawaii's Keck 1 Telescope together with its HIRES spectrograph to confirm the four planets. They used Keck to make radial velocity measurements of extremely faint stars — three of these are about 10,000 times fainter than the human eye can see. This work requires the world's largest telescopes and the best instruments, Endl said.

The team received additional help from professor Chris Sneden of the University of Texas at Austin astronomy department and McDonald Observatory's Stuart Barnes.

For more information on the planets themselves and about the CoRoT mission, see the CNES press release.

— END —

Science contact: Michael Endl, McDonald Observatory Research Scientist, 512-471-8312.

McDonald Observatory Launches Dark Skies Initiative with Video, Radio Programs

FORT DAVIS, Texas —The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory is kicking off a campaign to promote awareness of the causes, effects, and solutions to light pollution — stray light shone into the sky where it’s wasted, rather than down on the ground where it’s useful.

The Observatory will be promoting dark skies awareness through its nationally syndicated StarDate radio program, its Spanish-language radio program Universo, and through online video and summer programs on-site at its home in West Texas.

The radio programs will feature dark skies information daily in the coming week (June 28-July 4). For more information on these programs and to find a station in your area, visit the StarDate site and the Universo site.

The Observatory has produced a three-minute video detailing easy steps that we can all take to preserve the night sky. This video is posted at the Observatory’s Dark Skies Web site, and on its new YouTube channel. The video also will be shown to the 55,000 annual visitors to McDonald Observatory at the Cullen Theater in the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center.

Stray light cast into the sky by poorly designed security and street lights, porch lamps, and neon signs fill the sky with so much light that they obscure the rest of the universe beyond, including the beautiful Milky Way, and hides all but the brightest meteors. Only a handful of bright stars and planets shine through it.

“McDonald Observatory is fortunate to have the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States,” said Dr. Tom Barnes, McDonald Observatory Superintendent. “The sky out here makes this a great place for big telescopes and research. For years, we’ve put on public programs and worked with schools to bring the wonders of the universe to as wide an audience as possible. Now we want to share the message that dark skies are what makes our work possible, and preserving dark skies is worthwhile for everyone.”

Light pollution isn’t only a problem for astronomers and skywatchers. The International Dark-Sky Association estimates Americans lose $10 billion each year paying for light that is wasted — as it’s shone into the sky, instead of down on the ground where it’s needed. This wasted light isn’t making people safer in parking lots and outside their homes. And this unusable light is powered by wasted electricity, unnecessarily adding thousands of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually.

McDonald Observatory’s dark skies efforts are funded by a gift from Premack.com of San Antonio.

“It’s important to us to get the word out about correcting light pollution, about how you can take action to preserve dark skies, and about how you can save money by using responsible lighting,” Ruthie Premack said.

“This is not only a problem for astronomers, but for everyone — for wildlife and for people who live in cities where the dark skies are drowned out by wasted light,” Paul Premack said. “You can make a difference by being wise about the kinds of lighting you use to light the outside of your homes, and by supporting city and county lighting ordinances.”

For many years, McDonald Observatory has worked with nearby communities like Jeff Davis County, Marfa, and Alpine on lighting ordinances to keep skies dark and streets safe.

The Premacks’ donation also helps to fund summer programs for Boy Scout groups at McDonald Observatory. The programs will include a demonstration of best lighting practices, and Scouts will receive red flashlights that preserve dark-adapted vision for skywatching.

As well, the half-dozen workshops for K-12 teachers held at the Observatory this summer will include dark skies information, best-practices lighting demonstrations, and provide red flashlights to about 100 teachers.

— END —

Note: For more information on McDonald Observatory’s dark skies program, visit our Dark Skies site.

Facilities information: Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the world's largest, which will soon be upgraded to begin the HET Dark Energy Experiment. An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

McDonald Observatory Dedicates Wheelchair-Accessible Telescope for Visitors

FORT DAVIS, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory is dedicating a unique telescope tomorrow at its Frank N. Bash Visitors Center. The Wren-Marcario Accessible Telescope, or WMAT, is designed to be 100 percent wheelchair accessible for mobility-impaired visitors to the Observatory. It will provide sharp views of the Moon, planets, and deep-sky objects for visitors under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States.

Situated behind the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center, the telescope sits on a concrete pad and is surrounded by wide wheelchair paths. It is part of the Rebecca Gale Telescope Park used for the Observatory’s popular star parties held every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday night throughout the year. The telescope will be used by non-impaired guests, as well.

The telescope was commissioned earlier this year, and performed well for thousands of visitors during Spring Break in March.

Based on a design by physicist August Pfund, the telescope’s two 18-inch (0.46 m) primary mirrors are aligned north-south, with a steering flat mirror centered between, them to allow quick, easy access to the entire sky. The small movable portion of the design allows the telescope to move rapidly from one target to the next, while the eyepiece stays fixed. This high-speed pointing system will allow mobility-impaired visitors a much greater level of participation in star parties than previously possible.

The telescope was built by the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network (LCOGT) in Santa Barbara, California. LCOGT is a private operating foundation building a global network of telescopes for scientific research and research-based education. LCOGT President Wayne Rosing was the engineer behind the WMAT project. Long-time McDonald Observatory volunteer Mike Jones, an optical engineer with Lockheed Martin, designed the telescope’s optics. Bill Wren donated several parts from the Wren Supernova Search Telescope for use on WMAT.

WMAT is named in honor of George B. Wren II (1917-1993) and Mike Marcario (1954-1998). George B. Wren II was Bill Wren’s father. Mike Marcario was a McDonald Night Assistant during the mid-1990s, an optician who fabricated a key optical element for the Marcario Low-Resolution Spectrograph on the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, and friend of the Observatory.

WMAT was made possible by donations from Wayne Rosing and Dorothy Largay, Mike and Shirley Marcario, Mike I. and Dee Jones, Bill and Becky Wren, and anonymous donors.

Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the world's largest, which will soon be upgraded to begin the HET Dark Energy Experiment. An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

— END —

New Hubble Observations of Supernova 1987a Reveal Composition of 'Star Guts' Pouring Out

News release provided by The University of Colorado - Boulder

 

Observations made with NASA's newly refurbished Hubble Space Telescope of a nearby supernova are allowing astronomers to measure the velocity and composition of "star guts" being ejected into space following the explosion, according to a new study led by the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Led by CU-Boulder's Kevin France of the Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, the research team also included supernova expert J. Craig Wheeler of The University of Texas at Austin.

The team detected significant brightening of the emissions from Supernova 1987A, which were consistent with some theoretical predictions about how supernovae interact with their immediate galactic environment. Discovered in 1987, Supernova 1987A is the closest exploding star to Earth to be detected since 1604 and resides in the nearby Large Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy adjacent to our own Milky Way Galaxy.

The team observed the supernova in optical, ultraviolet and near-infrared light, charting the interplay between the stellar explosion and the famous "String of Pearls," a glowing ring 6 trillion miles in diameter encircling the supernova remnant that has been energized by X-rays. The gas ring likely was shed some 20,000 years before the supernova exploded, and shock waves rushing out from the remnant have been brightening some 30 to 40 pearl-like "hot spots" in the ring — objects that likely will grow and merge together in the coming years to form a continuous, glowing circle.

"The new observations allow us to accurately measure the velocity and composition of the ejected 'star guts,' which tell us about the deposition of energy and heavy elements into the host galaxy," France said. "The new observations not only tell us what elements are being recycled into the Large Magellanic Cloud, but how it changes its environment on human time scales."

A paper on the subject was published in the Sept. 2 issue of Science. The international study involved study co-authors from 15 other universities and institutes and included CU-Boulder astrophysicist Richard McCray, the Science paper's second author.

In addition to ejecting massive amounts of hydrogen, 1987A has spewed helium, oxygen, nitrogen and rarer heavy elements like sulfur, silicon and iron. Supernovae are responsible for a large fraction of biologically important elements, including oxygen, carbon and iron found in plants and animals on Earth today, he said. The iron in a person's blood, for example, is believed to have been made by supernovae explosions.

Hubble is the only observatory in the world that can observe the brightening of the String of Pearls in ultraviolet light, said France. Most of the data for the study was gathered by the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, or STIS, which was installed on Hubble in 1997 and was one of the workhorse instruments before its power supply failed in 2004. A faulty circuit board on STIS was replaced by astronauts on the final Hubble repair mission in May 2009.

The team compared STIS observations in January 2010 with Hubble observations made over the past 15 years on 1987A's evolution. STIS has provided the team with detailed images of the exploding star, as well as spectrographic data — essentially wavelengths of light broken down into colors like a prism that produce unique fingerprints of gaseous matter. The results revealed temperatures, chemical composition, density and motion of 1987A and its surrounding environment, said France.

Since the supernova is roughly 163,000 light-years away, the explosion occurred in roughly 161,000 B.C., said France. One light year is about 6 trillion miles.

"To see a supernova go off in our backyard and to watch its evolution and interactions with the environment in human time scales is unprecedented," he said. "The massive stars that produce explosions like Supernova 1987A are like rock stars — they live fast, flashy lives and die young."

France said the energy input from supernovae regulates the physical state and the long-term evolution of galaxies like the Milky Way. Many astronomers believe a supernova explosion near our forming sun some 4 to 5 billion years ago is responsible for a significant fraction of radioactive elements in our solar system today, he said.

"In the big picture, we are seeing the effect a supernova can have in the surrounding galaxy, including how the energy deposited by these stellar explosions changes the dynamics and chemistry of the environment," said France. "We can use this new data to understand how supernova processes regulate the evolution of galaxies."

Some of the upcoming Hubble observations of Supernova 1987A will be made with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, a $70 million instrument designed by a team at CU-Boulder's Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy that was installed on Hubble during the 2009 servicing mission. The instrument is designed to help scientists better understand the "cosmic web" of material permeating the cosmos by gathering information from UV light from distant objects, allowing scientists to look back in time and space and reconstruct the condition and evolution of the early universe.

France became a member of the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph science team in 2007 and has been using data gathered by instrument to study topics ranging from the chemistry of the early universe about 2.5 billion years after the Big Bang occurred roughly 13.7 billion years ago, to the evaporation of the atmosphere around a planet that is orbiting another star. "COS has been extremely productive in the early phases of its mission and has great scientific breadth," said France.

— END —

Science Contacts: J. Craig Wheeler, UT-Austin, 512-471-6407; Kevin France, CU-Boulder, 303-492-1429

Media Contacts: Rebecca Johnson, UT-Austin, 512-475-6763; Jim Scott, CU-Boulder, 303-492-3114

Tom Barnes Celebrates Six Months as Superintendent of McDonald Observatory

FORT DAVIS, Texas — As Tom Barnes celebrates six months as Superintendent of The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory in September, he lays out several goals for the Observatory.

Barnes, an astronomer who specializes in studying variable stars, took over permanent management of the West Texas site in March after serving as Interim Superintendent for four months. His 40-year history with McDonald includes 21 years as its chief operating officer, based in Austin.

"I supervised the Superintendent for a couple of decades," he says, "so I know the issues from the Austin end. Now I'm learning them from the West Texas end."

Barnes says his goals include community involvement in West Texas, and internally, a focus on improving communications between McDonald Observatory and Austin and on an understanding of University of Texas regulations.

"I want to make sure that McDonald engages well with the local area," Barnes says. It's a reciprocal relationship, he says. The community has been good to the Observatory for many decades.

"This is something that past superintendents have done well. The Observatory and its residents participate in many things locally, for example, some of our employees have been elected to local office in Jeff Davis, Presidio, and Brewster Counties." The Observatory also provides free admission to programs for residents of Fort Davis, Marfa, and Alpine.

One of the main things the community has done for McDonald has been to support light-pollution controls. "We are the darkest professional observatory in the continental United States ... in large measure due to low population and the cooperation of our neighbors in keeping lighting on the ground and not in the sky.

"Light control made possible things like the Hobby-Eberly Telescope," he says, specifying that without this cooperation from the community, the HET consortium might not have chosen McDonald for the giant telescope's home.

Thanks to help from the community, he adds, "we're in great shape relative to other U.S. observatories, with respect to maintaining the quality of our site into the future, and being able to develop our site. We're still attracting telescopes ... both professional and for the Visitors Center." He adds that the Observatory is in talks with several groups to bring more telescopes to McDonald.

Barnes is also tackling new rules and regulations that UT-Austin has instituted. He explains that the changes affect security, purchasing, and a stricter application of University policies on the remote McDonald campus than has historically been the case.

"The fact that UT is now requiring us to implement [certain] policies here has proven to be very hard for the Observatory to deal with," he says. "This has caused a lot of confusion. I want to help the Observatory work within a new framework that has not been our natural way of looking at things.

"There is a new emphasis on McDonald obeying campus rules, and some of it bleeds over in a way that affects the community," he adds. For example, "the Observatory is working closely with the county to allow us to be of assistance in firefighting, both at the Observatory and off, in a way that falls in line with the [University's] rules." To that end, McDonald is currently working on a Memorandum of Understanding with Jeff Davis County.

Finally, Barnes says he is working to improve communications between the Observatory and its parent campus in Austin. "We are a sub-campus of UT-Austin," he says. "That leads to a lot of communication issues. I will continue to work hard to get that communication on a solid foundation."

Barnes received his Ph.D. in 1970 from the University of Toronto. He came to The University of Texas at Austin later that year as the W.J. McDonald Fellow in astronomy, and has held many positions subsequently. In the early 1990s, he led planning for the staffing, budgeting, and operation of the HET, and later served as its Commissioning Manager.

More recently, Barnes took a leave of absence from McDonald to serve as a Program Manager at the National Science Foundation, where from 2006 to 2009 he was responsible for the management of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory and the National Solar Observatory.

Barnes has served by election on the governing commission for variable star research of the International Astronomical Union. He also served as a peer reviewer on the first panel to evaluate proposals to use the Hubble Space Telescope. He has served on review panels for various national agencies including the National Science Foundation and NASA. Since 1991, he has been Technical Editor for McDonald Observatory's nationally syndicated StarDate radio program and StarDate magazine.

Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the world's largest, which will soon be upgraded to begin the HET Dark Energy Experiment. An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

— END —

Contact:

Dr. Tom Barnes, Superintendent, McDonald Observatory: 432-426-3633

Rebecca Johnson, Press Officer, McDonald Observatory: 512-475-6763

Multi-University Project to Study 'Dark Energy' Receives $8 Million from National Science Foundation

A project to discover the nature of dark energy, a mysterious force causing the expansion of the universe to speed up, has received an $8 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The funds will be split among The University of Texas at Austin ($3.6 million), Texas A&M University ($3.9 million) and Penn State University ($.5 million), to support their respective roles in the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment, or HETDEX. The project will be carried out at The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory in west Texas.

“HETDEX is one of our gems within the university,” said William Powers Jr., president of The University of Texas at Austin. “It’s one of the projects being done here today that will still be talked about in a hundred years, the way we now read about discoveries by Newton and Einstein. This NSF grant is strong confirmation of the project’s importance and our commitment to it.”

Both of Texas' flagship universities will play a major role in the project.

“Collaborating on such an important project with our colleagues at The University of Texas at Austin and Penn State University speaks directly to the important role that flagship, tier-one research institutions have in unlocking the mysteries of the universe and developing new knowledge,” said R. Bowen Loftin, president of Texas A&M. “With this grant, we are able to pull together many of the top minds in astronomy and physics for a project that will have a significant, historical impact.”

One form of dark energy was described by Albert Einstein in 1917 in his theory of general relativity, but no one took the idea seriously until 1998. That year, two groups, one of which was co-founded by Texas A&M astronomer Nicholas Suntzeff, made precise measurements of the expansion rate of the universe showing that it was expanding faster than in the past — a total surprise, akin to throwing a ball into the air and realizing it is speeding up as it flies into the sky, rather than slowing down and returning. Scientists have dubbed the unknown cause “dark energy.” Because dark energy makes up 70 percent of the mass and energy of the universe, understanding its nature has been called the number one problem in physics today.

“Removing our ignorance about 70 percent of the universe’s make-up is a challenge that McDonald Observatory is delighted to assume,” said McDonald Observatory Director David Lambert.

HETDEX will upgrade the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET), one of the world’s largest, to use a specially designed instrument, which over three years will make one of the largest maps of the universe to date.

The HETDEX survey will pinpoint the positions of one million star-forming galaxies between 10 billion and 11 billion light-years away.

This enormous map will measure accurately how the universe expands over time. Because acceleration in this expansion is because of dark energy, HETDEX will determine whether or not dark energy is a constant through time — a key element in understanding precisely what it is.

“I am delighted that the HET, and in particular the HETDEX team, has been recognized by the National Science Foundation as one of the leaders in addressing one of the most fundamental scientific questions of our time,” said Daniel Larson, chair of the HET Board of Directors and dean of Penn State’s Eberly College of Science.

The NSF funds will be administered over the next five years.

"The HETDEX project is a critical part of the coordinated, multi-agency response to the 2006 report from the Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee's Dark Energy Task Force, which recommended a multi-pronged approach to the enigma known as dark energy," said Dr. Nigel Sharp, Astronomy Program officer at the National Science Foundation. "NSF's Division of Astronomical Sciences is pleased to support the project, which will have broad impact and value well beyond the focus of dark energy."

“There are two areas the NSF money is going for,” said project scientist Karl Gebhardt of The University of Texas at Austin. “To build the VIRUS spectrograph, which is the heart of the project, and also for the science — analyzing the data, theoretical work, post-docs and graduate students.”

The VIRUS instrument will be assembled and aligned at Texas A&M University. This novel instrument comprises 150 copies of a single spectrograph, an instrument that gathers light from distant galaxies and splits it into its individual wavelengths, known as a spectrum. A spectrum reveals an object’s chemical composition, its temperature and the speed it is moving toward or away from us.

The replication of this single unit makes it possible to build VIRUS faster and cheaper than a single giant spectrograph with the same capabilities. The power of VIRUS is that it simultaneously captures spectra from 33,000 points on the sky simultaneously, using fiber optics developed for the telecommunications industry to transfer the light from the telescope to the huge replicated array of spectrographs.

“VIRUS is unique,” said HETDEX principal investigator Gary Hill of The University of Texas at Austin. “It captures spectra from everything that falls on its fibers so we can survey a large area of sky very quickly. The powerful combination of the HET and VIRUS creates a unique survey facility that will allow us a new window on dark energy, and will also open up the study of dark matter and the formation of the Milky Way.”

Darren DePoy, professor of physics and astronomy and holder of the Rachal-Mitchell-Heep Endowed Professorship in Physics at Texas A&M, said because VIRUS allows spectroscopic observations of a large number of objects simultaneously, it is well suited to measuring the subtle effects that dark energy has on the structure of the universe. The power of the new instrument also will enable a broad range of other astronomy projects.

“We are fortunate at Texas A&M to have both the high-quality lab space and excellent students and staff capable of building such instrumentation,” said DePoy, a member of Texas A&M’s George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy. “Our team includes undergraduate and graduate students from several science and engineering departments and research scientists and engineers in the instrumentation group. All of us are excited to be part of such a groundbreaking project.”

The assembly and testing of the VIRUS instrument will be completed by DePoy, Jennifer Marshall and fellow researchers within Texas A&M’s Charles R. ‘62 and Judith G. Munnerlyn Astronomical Laboratory, which is directed by DePoy.

“The production-line style of constructing 150 spectrographs will be a challenge," said Marshall, lecturer and research scientist in the Texas A&M Department of Physics and Astronomy, "because astronomers generally only build a single instrument for a particular scientific project. We look forward to the challenge and to the scientific results that the instrument will enable.”

In addition to their contribution to the science goals, Penn State’s role in the preparation for the HETDEX project is contributing to the planning of the observations and the commissioning of VIRUS.

“The HETDEX observations, in addition to revealing key information about the expansion history of the universe, will also provide important insights into the formation of galaxies,” said Robin Ciardullo, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State and a member of the HETDEX science team. “We will be obtaining information from a time before our sun was born. We believe that many of the objects HETDEX detects will someday evolve into galaxies similar to the Milky Way, so the experiment will also be providing a glimpse into our galaxy’s infancy.”

German partners in the HETDEX project include Universitäts-Sternwarte München, Astrophysikaliches Institut Potsdam and Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestriche Physik. Each is contributing to hardware, software, or science preparation for the project.

Timeline
Now six years in, “the project is on track,” Gebhardt said. Work includes building a new top end for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. Called the Harold C. Simmons Dark Energy Optical System, it includes four mirrors and other optics. This work is being carried out in Austin at the University of Texas’ Center for Electromechanics and is to be completed by the end of the year.

The top end of the telescope will be taken apart to be upgraded beginning next May. The new top end will be delivered to McDonald Observatory late next summer. After installation and commissioning, the HETDEX survey will begin in January 2012, and reach routine operations by that spring. The survey will take three years, ending in June 2014. Once completed, the survey data will be released to the public.

The World Stage
The quest to understand the nature of dark energy has caught the imagination of astronomers around the world, and many projects have been undertaken to probe its mysteries. HETDEX is a front-runner in this effort, being nearly fully funded and set to probe an epoch of cosmic history no other project will tackle.

Members of the HETDEX team are involved with two other major dark energy projects. Texas A&M is part of the Dark Energy Survey led by Fermilab, and Penn State is involved with the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey that will be carried out as part of the ongoing Sloan Digital Sky Survey.

Through both HETDEX and these other connections, the State of Texas will play a major role in forthcoming breakthroughs expected about dark energy, Gebhardt said.

Outreach
The NSF funding will support the project’s education and outreach. Plans include upgrading the project’s extensive Web site, a new bilingual, family-focused exhibit called “The Dark Energy Experiment: Illuminating the Universe” for McDonald Observatory’s Frank N. Bash Visitors Center (a popular tourist destination that receives about 55,000 visitors annually), and the creation of science and math activities for use in elementary and secondary schools.

Funding
HETDEX is nearly completely funded. Most of its funding has been provided by the donations of individuals and foundations. That money has funded the necessary upgrades to the telescope, enlarging its field of view. Less than 10 percent of the funds remain to be raised.

Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. The Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald is a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, Penn State University, Stanford University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen.

— END —

Media Contacts:

Rebecca Johnson (McDonald Observatory/UT-Austin): 512-475-6763

Shana Hutchins (College of Science/Texas A&M): 979-862-1237

Barbara Kennedy (Eberly College of Science/Penn State): 814-863-4682

Science Contacts:

Dr. Gary Hill, HETDEX and VIRUS Principal Investigator
Chief Astronomer, McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-1477

Dr. Karl Gebhardt, HETDEX Project Scientist
Herman and Joan Suit Professor of Astrophysics
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-1473

Dr. Darren DePoy
Rachal-Mitchell-Heep Endowed Professor in Physics
Texas A&M University
979-862-2082

Dr. Jennifer Marshall
Munnerlyn Astronomical Laboratory
Texas A&M University
979-862-2782

Dr. Robin Ciardullo
Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics
Penn State University
512-471-7336

University of Texas Students, Telescopes Help Discover Planets Around Elderly Binary Star

An international consortium of astronomers, including undergraduate and graduate
students at The University of Texas at Austin, have discovered a planetary system
consisting of at least two massive Jupiter-like planets orbiting the extremely close
binary star system NN Serpentis. The team used a wide variety of observations
taken over two decades from many telescopes, including two at The University of
Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory in West Texas. The results are published
online in the current edition of the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

Because of the disturbing effects of a binary star system’s gravity, astronomers
normally do not expect to find planets in such systems, but the research team was
able to use the eclipses of the stars as a precise clock whose irregularities could be
used to detect planets in orbit around the binary.

The most massive star at the center of the planetary system is a very small (just 2.3
times larger than Earth) and very hot (50,000 degrees Kelvin) white dwarf
— the burnt-out cinder left over when a Sun-like star dies. The other star in the pair
is a modest but larger cool star with a mass only one-tenth that of the Sun. The two
stars are joined in a very tight mutual orbit.

Due to a fortunate accident, Earth lies in the same plane as this binary star system,
so every 3 hours and 7 minutes we can see the eclipse which occurs when the larger
star moves in front of the smaller one.

The resulting dramatic change in the brightness of the system acts like a highly
precise clock. Using the eclipses as tics of this clock, the team of astronomers was
able to detect changes in the timings of the tics, which reveal the presence of two
planets orbiting the pair of stars. The more massive planet is about 5.9 times more
massive than Jupiter. It orbits the binary star every 15.5 years at a distance 6
Astronomical Units. (One AU is the Earth-Sun distance of 93 million miles.) Closer in,
the other planet orbits every 7.75 years and is about 1.6 times more massive than
Jupiter.

The planets may have been born along with their parent stars, but only if they were
able to survive a dramatic event a million years ago: when the original primary star
bloated itself into a red giant, it caused the secondary star to plunge down into the
present very tight orbit, thereby casting off most of the original mass of the primary.
Alternatively, the planets may have formed very recently from the cast off material.

The discovery was made possible by an international consortium of astronomers,
hailing from Germany (Georg-August-Universität in Göttingen, Eberhard-Karls-
Universität in Tübingen), Chile (Universidad de Valparaiso), the United States (University of Texas at Austin), and the United Kingdom (University of Warwick and
the University of Sheffield). Many of the eclipse timing observations were obtained
in West Texas, on the 1.2-meter MONET telescope and the 2.1-meter Otto Struve
Telescope at McDonald Observatory.

Many of these Texas observations were in large part facilitated by George Miller, an
astronomy and Plan II junior at The University of Texas at Austin, who became
involved in the project through UT’s Freshman Research Initiative in Spring 2009.
The Freshman Research Initiative offers first-year undergraduate students a unique
opportunity to engage in cutting-edge research projects. Astronomy professor Don
Winget is the project’s faculty leader. McDonald Observatory research scientist Mike
Montgomery is the project’s research educator. Astronomy graduate student JJ
Hermes is the project’s teaching assistant.

The discovery of planets outside our solar system is becoming more common — to
date, astronomers have confirmed nearly 500 such extrasolar planets. However,
only a tiny fraction of these planets have been found to orbit stars which themselves
are in binary or multiple systems, simply because there is little room between the
stars for planets to form.

The two planets in NN Serpentis are not currently very close to the binary stars, but
the double star system was not always as tight as it is now. Back when the present
white dwarf star was a normal star, twice as massive as the Sun, the two stars were
separated by about 1.5 AU, and eclipses would have happened about once every
two years.

When the more massive star ended its normal life burning hydrogen in its core (as
the Sun does now), it bloated itself into a red giant star, increasing it’s radius from
about twice that of the Sun to more than 300 times larger, thereby engulfing the
other star in its diffuse outer envelope. The friction of the companion star moving
within the red giant made the less massive star plunge deep into the red giant — a
process very like the re-entry of a spacecraft in Earth’s atmosphere, called a
“common envelope phase” by astronomers.

The resulting release of orbital energy and angular momentum within the short
span of a few decades resulted in the loss of 75 percent of the red giant’s mass,
leaving only the intensely hot core of the original star and a relatively unscathed
companion star orbiting extremely close in to this newly created white dwarf.

The dramatic change from a normal double star system to a tight binary containing
a hot white dwarf must have been even more dramatic for any planets present
beforehand: the loss of 75 percent of the original star’s mass meant that 75 percent
of the original star’s gravity was also gone. This could easily result in the release of
the planets, sending them careening off into space, or it may simply have resulted in
a dramatic change in the planet’s orbits.

Given that the dangers for any such “first-generation” planets are so great, one must
also consider a wild and equally dramatic “second-generation” alternative: The
planets now seen around NN Serpentis were created only a million years ago during
the common envelope phase when large amounts of gas and dust were cast off,
forming a more massive version of a proto-planetary disk in which new and very
different planets might have been formed. If so, then it is possible that these massive
planets were in fact born after the death of the star that enabled their creation.

Whatever the origin of the resulting planetary system, one is reminded of the
famous scene in the movie “Star Wars,” where the young Luke Skywalker watches
the setting of a double star system from the circumbinary desert planet Tatooine.
Unfortunately, the two planets discovered in NN Serpentis are giant gas planets and
thus unfit for life as we know it. However, there may be undiscovered planets
orbiting even closer to NN Serpentis, in the so-called “habitable zone” around the
binary star where water could exist in liquid form. If so, it is possible that a real
Tatooine lurks there waiting to be discovered, and a real binary star sunset waiting
to be pondered.

Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near
Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of
astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory
in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby-
Eberly Telescope, one of the world’s largest, which will soon be upgraded to begin
the HET Dark Energy Experiment. An internationally known leader in astronomy
education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next
generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan
Telescope.

MONET, the Monitoring Network of Telescopes, is funded by Astronomie & Internet,
a Program of the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation, Essen.

— END —

Science Contacts:

Dr. Don Winget, University of Texas at Austin: 512-471-3404

Dr. Frederic V. Hessman, Institut für Astrophysik, Georg-August-Universität
Göttingen (Germany): +49-551-395052

Texas Astronomer Wins Japanese Physics Prize

NISHINOMIYA, Japan — Astronomer Eiichiro Komatsu of The University of Texas at Austin has been awarded the 25th annual Nishinomiya-Yukawa Memorial Prize for physics.

Komatsu, director of the Texas Cosmology Center at the university, is being honored for his studies of the early universe as a member of NASA's Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) science team. Using the WMAP satellite, Komatsu and others measured the cosmic microwave background — the radiation left over from the Big Bang — to a high degree of accuracy to help understand conditions in the early universe, and in turn, how those early conditions evolved into the present universe of galaxies, dark matter and dark energy astronomers study today.

Komatsu will travel to Nishinomiya, in Japan's Hyogo prefecture, to receive the prize from the mayor at city hall on Nov. 4.

"This is the 25th time the award has been given, so it has some history," Komatsu said. "From my point of view, many good physicists have gotten this prize. I'm flattered being part of it."

The prize has extra meaning for Komatsu, he said, because he was born in Nishinomiya and grew up nearby.

"It's like a prize from my hometown," he said.

The Nishinomiya-Yukawa Memorial Prize is awarded annually to a Japanese physicist under the age of 40 for contributions in one of four areas of theoretical physics: condensed matter physics, particle physics, nuclear physics and astrophysics.

It was created to honor the late Hideki Yukawa, who formulated the meson theory while living in Nishinomiya. For that work, Yukawa became Japan's first Nobel laureate in physics.

— END —

Science Contact:

Dr. Eiichiro Komatsu, Director, Texas Cosmology Center, University of Texas at Austin: 512-471-1483

Astronomers 'Weigh' Heaviest Known Black Hole in our Cosmic Neighborhood

SEATTLE — Astronomers led by Karl Gebhardt of The University of Texas at Austin have measured the most massive known black hole in our cosmic neighborhood by combining data from a giant telescope in Hawai'i and a smaller telescope in Texas. The result is an ironclad mass of 6.6 billion Suns for the black hole in the giant elliptical galaxy M87. This enormous mass is the largest ever measured for a black hole using a direct technique. Given its massive size, M87 is the best candidate for future studies to actually "see" a black hole for the first time, rather than relying on indirect evidence of their existence as astronomers have for decades.

The results will be presented in a news conference today at the 217th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Seattle, and two papers detailing the results will be published soon in The Astrophysical Journal.

Gebhardt, the Herman and Joan Suit Professor of Astrophysics at the university, led a team of researchers using the 8-meter Gemini North telescope in Hawai'i to probe the motions of stars around the black hole in the center of the massive galaxy M87.

University of Texas graduate student Jeremy Murphy has used the Harlan J. Smith Telescope at the university's McDonald Observatory in West Texas to probe the outer reaches of the galaxy — the so-called "dark halo." The dark halo is a region surrounding the galaxy filled with "dark matter," an unknown type of mass that gives off no light but is detectable by its gravitational effect on other objects.

In order to pin down the black hole's mass conclusively, Gebhardt says, one must account for all the components in the galaxy. Thus, studies of both the central and outermost regions of a galaxy are necessary to "see" the influence of the dark halo, the black hole, and the stars. But when all of these components are considered together, Gebhardt says, the results on the black hole are definitive, meeting what he calls the "gold standard" for accurately sizing up a black hole.

Gebhardt used the Near-Infrared Field Spectrograph (NIFS) on Gemini to measure the speed of the stars as they orbit the black hole. The study was improved by Gemini's use of "adaptive optics," a system which compensates, in real time, for shifts in the atmosphere that can blur details seen by telescopes on the ground.

Together with the telescope's large collecting area, the adaptive optics system allowed Gebhardt and Texas graduate student Joshua Adams to track the stars at M87's heart with 10 times greater resolution than previous studies.

"The result was only possible by combining the advantages of telescope size and spatial resolution at levels usually restricted to ground and space facilities, respectively," Adams says.

Astronomer Tod Lauer of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, also involved in the Gemini observations, says "Our ability to obtain such a robust black hole mass for M87 bodes well for our ongoing efforts to hunt for even larger black holes in galaxies more distant than M87."

Texas graduate student Jeremy Murphy used a very different instrument to track the motions of stars at the outskirts of the galaxy. Studying the stars' movements in these distant regions gives astronomers insight into what the unseen dark matter in the halo is doing. For this work, Murphy employed an innovative instrument called VIRUS-P on McDonald Observatory's Harlan J. Smith Telescope.

Studying the distant edges of a galaxy, far from the bright center, is a tricky business, Gebhardt says.

"That has been an enormous struggle for a long time, trying to get what the dark halo is doing at the edge of the galaxy, simply because, when you look there, the stellar light is faint," he says. "This is where the VIRUS-P data comes in, because it can observe such a huge chunk of sky at once."

This means the instrument can add together the faint light from many dim stars and add them together to create one detailed observation. This kind of instrument is called an "integral field unit spectrograph," and VIRUS-P is the world's largest.

"The ability of VIRUS-P to dig deep into the outer halo of M87 and tell us how the stars are moving is impressive," Murphy says. "It has quickly become the leading instrument for this type of work."

The combined Gemini and McDonald data have allowed the team to pinpoint the mass of M87's black hole at 6.6 billion Suns. But measuring such a massive black hole is only one step toward a greater goal.

"My ultimate goal is to understand how the stars assembled themselves in a galaxy over time," Gebhardt says.

"How do you make a galaxy? These two datasets probe such an enormous range, in terms of what the mass is in the galaxy. That's the first step to answering this question. It's very hard to understand how the mass accumulates unless you know exactly what's the distribution of mass: how much is in the black hole, how much is in the stars, how much is in the dark halo."

Today's conclusions also hint at another tantalizing possibility for the future: the chance to actually "see" a black hole. "There's no direct evidence yet that black holes exist," Gebhardt says, " ... zero, absolutely zero observational evidence. To infer a black hole currently, we choose the 'none of above' option. This is basically because alternative explanations are increasingly being ruled out."

However, he says that the black hole in M87 is so massive that astronomers someday may be able to detect its "event horizon" — the edge of a black hole, beyond which nothing can escape. The event horizon of M87's black hole is about three times larger than the orbit of Pluto — large enough to swallow our solar system whole. (Good thing M87 is 50 million light-years away!)

Though the technology does not yet exist, M87's event horizon covers a patch of sky large enough to be imaged by future telescopes. Gebhardt says future astronomers could use a world-wide network of submillimeter telescopes to look for the shadow of the event horizon on a disk of gas that surrounds M87's black hole.

— END —

Media Contacts

Rebecca Johnson (McDonald Observatory/UT-Austin): 512-475-6763; cell 512-689-0240

Peter Michaud (Gemini Observatory): 808-974-2510; cell in Seattle 808-936-6643

Stephen Pompea (National Optical Astronomy Observatory): 520-318-8285; cell in Seattle 520-907-2493

Science Contacts

Dr. Karl Gebhardt: 512-471-1473; cell in Seattle: 512-590-5206

Dr. Tod Lauer: 520-318-8290; cell in Seattle: 520-861-4618

Jeremy Murphy: 512-471-3462; cell in Seattle: 512-905-0739

Joshua Adams: 512-471-1495

Background Information

Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the world’s largest, which will soon be upgraded to begin the HET Dark Energy Experiment. An internationally known leader in
astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

The Gemini Observatory is an international collaboration with two identical 8-meter telescopes. The Frederick C. Gillett Gemini Telescope is located at Mauna Kea, Hawai’i (Gemini North) and the other telescope at Cerro Pachón in central Chile (Gemini South), and hence provide full coverage of both hemispheres of the sky. Both telescopes incorporate new technologies that allow large, relatively thin mirrors under active control to collect and focus both optical and infrared radiation from space.

The Gemini Observatory provides the astronomical communities in each partner country with state-of-the-art astronomical facilities that allocate observing time in proportion to each country’s contribution. In addition to financial support, each country also contributes significant scientific and technical resources. The national research agencies that form the Gemini partnership include: the US National Science Foundation (NSF), the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), the Canadian National Research Council (NRC), the Chilean Comisión Nacional de Investigación Cientifica y Tecnológica (CONICYT), the Australian Research Council
(ARC), the Argentinean Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) and the Brazilian Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico CNPq). The observatory is managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA) under a cooperative agreement with the NSF. The NSF also serves as the executive agency for the international partnership. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

First Light for VIRUS-W Spectrograph

The new observing instrument VIRUS-W, built by the Max Planck Institute for
Extraterrestrial Physics and the University Observatory Munich, saw “first light”
November 10 on McDonald Observatory's 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope in
West Texas. Its first images of a spiral galaxy about 30 million light-years away were
an impressive confirmation of the capabilities of the instrument, which can
determine the motion of stars in nearby galaxies to a precision of a few kilometers
per second.

 

"When we attached VIRUS-W around midnight on the 10th of November to the 2.7-meter telescope, we were very happy to see that the data delivered by VIRUS-W was of science quality virtually from the first moment on," said Maximilian Fabricius of the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics.

"As the first galaxy to observe we had selected the strongly barred galaxy NGC2903
at a distance of about 30 million light-years — right in front of our doorstep. The
data we collected reveal a centrally increasing velocity dispersion from about 80
km/s to 120 km/s within the field of view of the instrument. This was a very
exciting moment and only possible because of the remarkable teamwork during the
commissioning with a lot of support by the observatory staff!"

As an integral field spectrograph, VIRUS-W can simultaneously produce 267
individual spectra — one for each of its glass fibers. By dispersing the light into its
constituent colors, astronomers thus are able to study properties such as the
velocity distribution of the stars in a galaxy. For this they use the so-called Doppler
shift, which means that the light from stars moving toward or away from us is
shifted to blue or red wavelengths, respectively. This effect can also be observed on
Earth, when a fast vehicle, such as a racing car, is driving past: The sound of the
approaching car is higher, while for the departing car it is lower.

VIRUS-W´s unique feature is the combination of a large field of view (about 1x2
arcminutes) with a relatively high spectral resolution. With the large field of view,
astronomers can study nearby galaxies in just one or a few pointings, while the high
spectral resolution permits a very accurate determination of the velocity dispersion
in these objects. In this way, astronomers obtain the large-scale kinematic structure of nearby spiral galaxies, which will give important insight into their formation history.

Most galaxies are too distant, and the separation between their billions upon billions
of stars too small, to resolve with even the best, cutting-edge instruments.
Astronomers therefore cannot study individual stars in these distant galaxies, but
only the average motion along a specific line of sight.

The measured velocity distributions are characterised by two parameters: The
mean velocity reveals the large-scale motion of the stars along the line of sight. The
velocity dispersion measures how much the velocities of the individual stars differ
from this mean velocity. If the stars have more or less the same velocity, the
dispersion is small, if they have very different velocities, the dispersion is broad. For
spiral galaxies, where the stars travel in fairly regular circular orbits, the velocity
dispersion is mostly small. In elliptical galaxies, however, the stars have rather
disordered orbits and so the dispersion is broad.

With the high spectral resolution of VIRUS-W, astronomers can investigate
relatively small velocity dispersions, down to about 20 km/s. This was impressively
confirmed by the first images taken by VIRUS-W of the nearby spiral galaxy NGC
2903 (see image link at end).

The observing time at the telescope was made available by the VENGA project, to
which VIRUS-W will be contributing from the beginning of 2011 onward. VENGA, the VIRUS-P Exploration of Nearby Galaxies project, is a detailed spectroscopic study of 30 nearby spiral galaxies. The project is run by University of Texas at Austin graduate student Guillermo Blanc.

The VIRUS-P instrument, on which VIRUS-W is based, has probed these 30 galaxies
in a wide range of wavelengths, from ultraviolet light all the way into the red portion
of the visible spectrum. This wide wavelength range allows astronomers to probe a
large number of questions about these galaxies, from their star formation rate to
their ages.

"VIRUS-W is an improved version of VIRUS-P," Blanc said. Astronomers will follow
up the VIRUS-P studies by using VIRUS-W to look into the hearts of the brightest
spiral galaxies in the sample to get what Blanc calls "exquisite measurements" of the motions of stars and gas clouds inside these galaxies. Understanding how stars and gas move will help astronomers better understand how stars form.

VIRUS-P is a prototype of the VIRUS spectrograph being developed for the HETDEX
project led by The University of Texas at Austin. For a study of the large scale
distribution of galaxies, HETDEX will combine about 100 spectrographs at the 9.2-
meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory to form one large
instrument. VIRUS-W (where the W stands for a later mission at the Wendelstein
telescope of the Munich Observatory) is based on the same basic VIRUS design.

— END —

Media Contacts

Rebecca Johnson
McDonald Observatory/University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Dr. Hannelore Hämmerle
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
+49 89 30000-3980

Science Contacts

Guillermo Blanc
University of Texas at Austin
512-471-1495

Maximilian Fabricius
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Garching
+49 89 30000-3694

Prof. Dr. Ralf Bender, Dr. Frank Grupp
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Garching
University Observatory Munich

Dr. Niv Drory, Dr. Robert Saglia
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Garching

Kepler Finds Earth-Size Planet Candidates in Habitable Zone, Six Planet System

McDonald Observatory Astronomers Helped Verify Discoveries

WASHINGTON, D.C. — NASA's Kepler mission has discovered its first Earth-size planet candidates and its first candidates in the habitable zone, a region where liquid water could exist on a planet's surface. Five of the potential planets are both near Earth-size and orbit in the habitable zone of their stars. Kepler also found six confirmed planets orbiting a sun-like star, Kepler-11. This is the largest group of transiting planets orbiting a single star yet discovered outside our solar system.

"In one generation we have gone from extraterrestrial planets being a mainstay of science fiction, to the present, where Kepler has helped turn science fiction into today's reality," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "These discoveries underscore the importance of NASA's science missions, which consistently increase understanding of our place in the cosmos."

Candidates require follow-up observations to verify they are actual planets. Some of this is done at The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory. A team led by McDonald astronomer William Cochran, Kepler mission Co-Investigator, does this follow-up using using the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope and the Hobby Eberly Telescope, one of the world's largest.

These data from McDonald Observatory are essential to help determine whether the signal seen by the Kepler spacecraft is due to a true planet transiting the star, or is due to some other sort of astronomical phenomenon.

"Kepler has truly demonstrated its ability to detect Earth-size planets around other stars," Cochran said. "Kepler is finding an abundance of small planets. Several of the planet candidates that Kepler has found are in the 'habitable zone' of their parent star.

"The six-planet system is truly amazing," he continued. "This will really help us understand the formation and evolution of planetary systems."

Along with Cochran, the Texas Kepler team includes Dr. Michael Endl, Dr. Phillip MacQueen, and graduate students Paul Robertson and Erik Brugamyer.

The discoveries announced today are part of several hundred new planet candidates identified in new Kepler mission science data, released on Tuesday, Feb. 1. The findings increase the number of planet candidates identified by Kepler to-date to 1,235. Of these, 68 are approximately Earthsize; 288 are super-Earth-size; 662 are Neptune-size; 165 are the size of Jupiter and 19 are larger than Jupiter. Of the 54 new planet candidates found in the habitable zone, five are near Earthsized. The remaining 49 habitable zone candidates range from super-Earth size — up to twice the size of Earth — to larger than Jupiter.

The findings are based on the results of observations conducted May 12 to Sept. 17, 2009, of more than 156,000 stars in Kepler's field of view, which covers approximately 1/400 of the sky.

"The fact that we've found so many planet candidates in such a tiny fraction of the sky suggests there are countless planets orbiting sun-like stars in our galaxy," said William Borucki of NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., the mission's science principal investigator. "We went from zero to 68 Earth-sized planet candidates and zero to 54 candidates in the habitable zone, some of which could have moons with liquid water."

Among the stars with planetary candidates, 170 show evidence of multiple planetary candidates. Kepler-11, located approximately 2,000 light years from Earth, is the most tightly packed planetary system yet discovered. All six of its planet candidates have orbits smaller than Venus, and five of the six have orbits smaller than Mercury's. The only other star with more than one confirmed transiting planet is Kepler-9, which has three. The Kepler- 11 findings will be published in the Feb. 3 issue of the journal Nature.

"Kepler-11 is a remarkable system whose architecture and dynamics provide clues about its formation," said Jack Lissauer, a planetary scientist and Kepler science team member at Ames. "These six planets are mixtures of rock and gases, possibly including water. The rocky material accounts for most of the planets' mass, while the gas takes up most of their volume. By measuring the sizes and masses of the five inner planets, we determined they are among the lowest mass confirmed planets beyond our solar system."

All of the planets orbiting Kepler-11 are larger than Earth, with the largest ones being
comparable in size to Uranus and Neptune. The innermost planet, Kepler-11b, is ten times closer to its star than Earth is to the sun. Moving outward, the other planets are Kepler-11c, Kepler-11d, Kepler-11e, Kepler-11f, and the outermost planet, Kepler-11g, which is half as far from its star as Earth is from the sun.

The planets Kepler-11d, Kepler-11e and Kepler-11f have a significant amount of light gas, which indicates that they formed within a few million years of the system's formation.

"The historic milestones Kepler makes with each new discovery will determine the course of every exoplanet mission to follow," said Douglas Hudgins, Kepler program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

Kepler, a space telescope, looks for planet signatures by measuring tiny decreases in the brightness of stars caused by planets crossing in front of them. This is known as a transit. Since transits of planets in the habitable zone of sun-like stars occur about once a year and require three transits for verification, it is expected to take three years to locate and verify Earthsize planets orbiting sun-like stars.

The Kepler science team uses ground-based telescopes and the Spitzer Space Telescope to review observations on planetary candidates and other objects of interest the spacecraft finds. The star field that Kepler observes in the constellations Cygnus and Lyra can only be seen from groundbased observatories in spring through early fall. The data from these other observations help determine which candidates can be validated as planets.

Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the world’s largest, which will soon be upgraded to begin the HET Dark Energy Experiment. An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

— END —

Media Contacts: Rebecca Johnson, McDonald Observatory, 512-475-6763; Michael Mewhinney, NASA Ames Research Center, 650-604-3937.

Science Contacts: Dr. William Cochran, 512-471-6474; Dr. Michael Endl, 512-471-5421; Dr. Phillip MacQueen, 512-471-1470.

First Stars in the Universe Weren't Lonely

The first stars to form in the universe were not as lonely as previously thought. These are the findings of an international collaboration between researchers at the Center of Astronomy at Heidelberg University, the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Garching, and at The University of Texas at Austin. These results are being published today in Science magazine.

 

The astrophysicists used state-of-the-art computer simulations to model the birth of the first stars to form after the Big Bang. The group, led by Dr. Paul Clark in Heidelberg and including Dr. Volker Bromm of The University of Texas at Austin, demonstrated that the disk that surrounds primordial stars during their infancy, can break up to form companion stars. These findings challenge the previously-held wisdom that primordial stars formed in complete isolation, rather than in groups typical for stars in our Milky Way Galaxy.

"This simulation pushes our decade-long quest to understand the formation of the first stars one crucial step ahead," Bromm said. "Utilizing cutting-edge supercomputer technology, such as the RANGER system at the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC), we now know that the first stars typically did not form alone."

From studying the cosmic microwave background, astronomers know that the universe started out very simple. It was almost completely smooth and uniform, with only tiny fluctuations in density and temperature. Today, however, the universe is highly structured and complicated. Cosmic evolution is thus a progression from simplicity to complexity, with the formation of the first stars marking a primary milestone in this transition.

A few million years after the Big Bang, the expansion of the universe shifted the cosmic radiation field far into infrared wavebands, and so to a human observer, the universe at that time would have been completely dark. The first stars lit up this darkness by shining at visible and ultraviolet wavelengths, bringing an end to the so-called "cosmic dark ages.”

Primordial star formation was a very different process from the type of star formation that occurs today. However one central theme is common to both: the fierce competition between gravitational attraction pulling the star-forming gas together, and thermal energy trying to push it apart.

As gravity squeezes, the gas heats up, so for gravity to win, the gas needs to rid itself of the extra heat produced during the collapse. This was more difficult for gas in the early universe than in galaxies like our Milky Way today, because when the universe was first formed, its gas did not contain elements such as carbon or oxygen, which cool the gas and make it easier to collapse.

Because gas in the early universe did not contain these elements, it was thought that
primordial stars were solitary massive objects. The calculations by Clark and his colleagues demonstrate that this simple picture needs considerable revision due to the physics of the disks that build-up around primordial stars as they form.

Just like the disk around the young Sun that fragmented to build up the planets in our solar system, accretion disks that formed around the first stars were also found to be highly susceptible to fragmentation. Therefore, instead of forming in isolation, the first stars almost always occur as members of multiple stellar systems, with separations as small as the distance between Earth an the Sun.

Bromm explains: "At the end of the primordial star formation process, a massive double-star system likely emerges, driving cosmic history through the production of high-energy photons and the first heavy chemical elements. The binary nature of the first stars opens up exciting possibilities for detecting them, such as in hyper-energetic gamma-ray bursts, or through their strong X-ray radiation."

Future space missions, such as EXIST and JANUS, are being planned specifically to detect gamma ray bursts from the very early universe.

There is also a possibility that some of the first stars may have been ejected from their birth group before they had grown into massive stars, due to encounters with their neighbors. This could lead to primordial stars with a broad range of masses: short-lived, high mass stars which produce high-energy photons — capable of ionizing the primordial hydrogen gas, and enriching the cosmic gas with the first heavy chemical elements — and long-lived, low-mass stars which could survive for billions of years.

The behemoths of the early universe, the massive stars that drive cosmic evolution, were thus accompanied by a retinue of smaller stars, more similar to the Sun. Intriguingly, some low-mass primordial stars might even have survived to the present day, allowing us to probe the earliest stages of star and galaxy formation directly in our cosmic backyard.

With today's announcement, Bromm says, "The pursuit to elucidate the end of the cosmic dark ages is heating up, getting us closer to the final goal of solving the mystery of first light in the universe. But many challenges still lie ahead, to be tackled by the ever-more powerful supercomputers at TACC and elsewhere, and finally by NASA's new James Webb Space Telescope."

Dr. Paul Clark, Dr. Simon Glover, and Dr. Rowan Smith are members of the star-formation group lead by Prof. Dr. Ralf Klessen at the Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics at the Center of Astronomy of Heidelberg University. Dr. Thomas Greif is postdoctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Garching.

This work was funded by the Baden-Württemberg Stiftung as part of the program
International Collaboration II (grant P-LS-SPII/18), by a FRONTIER innovation grant of the University of Heidelberg funded by the German Excellence Initiative, the US National Science Foundation (grants AST-0708795 and AST-1009928), and NASA (grant NNX08AL43G). The computations we performed at the Texas Advanced Computing Center and on KOLOB, a GPU-accelerated supercomputer jointly operated by the Center of Astronomy and the Institute for Technical Informatics in Heidelberg.

— END —

Media Contacts

Rebecca Johnson (University of Texas at Austin): 512-475-6763

Mirjam Mohr (University of Heidelberg): +49 6221 5419022

Science Contact

Dr. Volker Bromm (University of Texas at Austin): 512-471-3432

Students Link with McDonald Observatory at Blakemore Planetarium Feb. 24

MIDLAND — Twenty-eight Midland High School students will explore The University ofTexas at Austin's McDonald Observatory and the wonders of the cosmos next Thursday when they visit Blakemore Planetarium at the Museum of the Southwest with their teacher John Jeffries.

The event is part of the "Live from McDonald Observatory" series of distance learning programs that the observatory initiated to bolster science literacy among Texas' elementary and secondary students. The videoconference allows schools who cannot send their students to the observatory an opportunity to experience astronomy.

Thursday's program, "Modeling the Milky Way," will be presented by McDonald Observatory's Education Coordinator Marc Wetzel. It will run from 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.

The program has two parts: Students will see a live view of the Sun (weather permitting) from a telescope at McDonald, and take a tour of the Sun's surface to see sunspots and solar flares. Next, they will build a model of the Milky Way galaxy. These events will be followed by a question and answer session.

The "Live from McDonald Observatory" collaboration with Blakemore Planetarium began in October 2010, when over two days, more than 200 students from Midland's Sam Houston, Crocket, and Parker elementary schools attended.

The McDonald Observatory programs for Midland students at Blakemore Planetarium are funded by a grant from the Helen Greathouse Charitable Trust.

— END —

Note: Media are invited to attend. For more information, please contact Dr. Andrew Kerr at 432-683-2882 or akerr@museumsw.org.

Media Contacts

Marc Wetzel, McDonald Observatory Education Coordinator: 432-426-3672

Dr. Andrew Kerr, Director, Blakemore Planetarium: 432-683-2882

Buckyballs, Largest Known Molecules, More Common in Space Than Thought

Observations made with NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have provided surprises concerning the presence of buckminsterfullerenes, or "buckyballs," the largest known molecules in space. A study of R Coronae Borealis stars by David L. Lambert, Director of The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory, and colleagues shows that buckyballs are more common in space than previously thought. The research will appear in the March 10 issue of The Astrophysical Journal.

 

The team found that "buckyballs do not occur in very rare hydrogen-poor environments as previously thought, but in commonly found hydrogen-rich environments and, therefore, are more common in space than previously believed," Lambert says.

Buckyballs are made of 60 carbon atoms arranged in shape similar to a soccer ball, with patterns of alternating hexagons and pentagons. Their structure is reminiscent of Buckminster Fuller's geodesic domes, for which they are named. These molecules are very stable and difficult to destroy.

Robert Curl, Harold Kroto, and Richard Smalley won the 1996 Nobel Prize in chemistry for synthesizing buckyballs in a laboratory. The consensus based on lab experiments has been that buckyballs do not form in space environments that have hydrogen, because the hydrogen would inhibit their formation. Instead, the idea has been that stars with very little hydrogen but rich in carbon — such as the so-called "R Coronae Borealis stars" — provide an ideal environment for their formation in space.

Lambert, along with N. Kameswara Rao of Indian Institute of Astrophysics and Domingo Anibal García-Hernández of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, put these theories to the test. They used Spitzer Space Telescope to take infrared spectra of R Coronae Borealis stars to look for buckyballs in their chemical make-up.

They found these molecules do not occur in those R Coronae Borealis stars with little or no hydrogen, an observation contrary to expectation. The group also found that buckyballs do exist in the two R Coronae Borealis stars in their sample that contain a fair amount of hydrogen.

Studies published last year, including one by García-Hernández, showed that buckyballs were present in planetary nebulae rich in hydrogen.

Together, these results tell us that fullerenes are much more abundant than previously believed, because they are formed in normal and common "hydrogen-rich" and not rare "hydrogen-poor" environments.

The current observations have changed our understanding of how buckyballs form. It suggests they are created when ultraviolet radiation strikes dust grains (specifically, "hydrogenated amorphous carbon grains") or by collisions of gas. The dust grains are vaporized, producing an interesting chemistry where buckyballs and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are formed. (The latter molecules of a variety of sizes are formed from carbon and hydrogen.)

Buckyballs have been found on Earth and in meteorites, and now in space, and can act as "cages" to capture other atoms and molecules. Some theories suggest that the buckyballs may have carried to the Earth substances that make life possible.

— END —

Science Contact: Dr. David Lambert: 512-471-3300

Visit McDonald Observatory's Open House Saturday, April 9

FORT DAVIS —Come enjoy an Open House at McDonald Observatory on Saturday, April 9. The day of family-friendly events runs from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., and includes tours of large research telescopes, science talks, a star party and other telescope viewings.

All events are free. We recommend visitors make reservations online for all events, as they are likely to fill up. For complete schedules and to make reservations, go to: http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/openhouse

Throughout the afternoon, see live telescope views of the Sun and Moon in our public telescope park outside the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center. Local Boy Scouts will demonstrate a solar oven, and hotdogs, balloons, and face painting will be offered.

Research telescope tours include introductions to the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope and the 9.2-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the world’s largest telescopes.

Astronomy talks begin in the Visitors Center theater at 5 p.m., when Steve Odewahn will discuss “Galaxies Near and Far.” Matthew Shetrone will follow at 5:45 with his talk “A Night in the Life of an Astronomer.” Both Odewahn and Shetrone are Hobby- Eberly Telescope staff astronomers at McDonald. At 6:30, J. Craig Wheeler will discuss "Black Holes, String Theory, and the Holographic Universe." Wheeler is a professor of astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin and an internationally known expert on the exploding stars called supernovae.

At 7:45 p.m., a special Twilight Program will focus on Saturn's rings. At 9 p.m., enjoy a star party in our public telescope park.

To reach McDonald Observatory, visitors traveling east on Interstate 10 from El Paso take Highway 118 south at Kent for the 34-mile drive to the Observatory. Visitors traveling west on Interstate 10 may take Highway 17 south at Balmorhea to Fort Davis, then Highway 118 north 16 miles to the Observatory. Visitors coming from Big Bend National Park take Highway 118 north through Alpine and Fort Davis to the Observatory.

Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the world's largest, which will soon be upgraded to begin the HET Dark Energy Experiment. An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

— END —

Texas Astronomers Find Super-luminous Supernova, Follow up with Fleet of Telescopes in Space, on Earth

AUSTIN, Texas — Astronomers led by graduate student Emmanouil "Manos" Chatzopoulos and Dr. J. Craig Wheeler of The University of Texas at Austin have found another extremely bright, rare supernova to add to the new class of exploding stars that University of Texas astronomers identified a few years ago. Supernova 2008am is one of the most intrinsically bright exploding stars ever observed. The team's research reveals that this supernova is the brightest "self-interacting" supernova yet discovered. In this type of stellar explosion, the extreme brightness is caused by interaction between the explosion shockwave and a shell of material previously expelled from the star. This research is published in the current issue of The Astrophysical Journal.

 

Supernova 2008am is 3.7 billion light-years away. At its peak luminosity, it was over 100 billion times brighter than the Sun. It emitted enough energy in one second to satisfy the power needs of the United States for one million times longer than the universe has existed. In-depth studies of this supernova are helping the team to understand the science behind this new class of exploding stars.

The supernova was discovered by the ROTSE Supernova Verification Project (RSVP, formerly called the Texas Supernova Search), which uses the 18-inch robotic ROTSE IIIb Telescope at The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory. It was followed up by astronomers using some of the world's largest ground-based telescopes, as well as telescopes in space, in a variety of wavelengths. These include the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, the Keck Telescope, PAIRITEL, the Very Large Array, and the Swift satellite.

Chatzopoulos' detailed analysis of the light from SN 2008am revealed that is not a pair-instability supernova, the explosion of a massive star the light from which is powered by radioactive decay. Rather, this supernova's extraordinary luminosity most likely comes from interaction between the debris from the star's explosion running into an envelope of gas around the star that the star had previously ejected. This model is called "circumstellar interaction."

The researchers suspect that the progenitor star for this supernova might have been of the type known as a "luminous blue variable." These massive stars puff off layers of material in episodes. The most famous example is Eta Carinae.

Prior to this discovery, the Texas Supernova Search's found the first two "brightest supernovae ever" in SN 2005ap and 2006gy. The group has found five of the dozen published examples of this new class of stars, which it has dubbed "super-luminous supernovae," or SLSNe.

SLSNe are about 100 times brighter than standard core-collapse supernovae, but extremely rare. Normal supernovae go off at a rate of about one per century in a galaxy; SLSNe may be more than a thousand times more rare.

"We're now in the process of converting our discoveries into real science rather than just a new thing," Wheeler said. "That makes it a little bit less flashy, but of course that's where the science really is, digging deeply into the nature of these very bright events. This new supernova has given us important new clues to their behavior."

Studies of SLSNe have led to new insights, Chatzopoulos said. "For the first time, we're probing high-mass stellar death. The traditional ideas we have about how supernovae are powered, why they are so bright, do not seem to apply for the case of these super-luminous supernovae. There are other mechanisms involved."

Not all SLSNe are the same. "There's a variety of progenitor stars that can give different outcomes," Chatzopoulos said. "It's a zoo." The common factor is their luminosity.

The fate of different stars depends on their mass, Wheeler said. He defines three categories of high-mass stars that explode as supernovae:

In the least massive case, around 10 to 20 solar masses, a star collapses in on itself because its iron core cannot hold out against the crushing gravity of the star's weight. This is the classic "core-collapse supernova" with normal brightness.

The second progenitor category consists of more massive stars, perhaps up to 100 solar masses. This type of star puffs off layers of material before it dies. The interaction between the supernova ejecta and the previously puffed-off material can cause the supernova to brighten to the superluminous range.

The final category includes the most massive progenitor stars, those more than 100 solar masses. In this case, "the current state of the art predicts that they make matter and anti-matter, electronpositron pairs, because they are so hot," Wheeler said. "That process destabilizes the whole star and it contracts, ignites the thermonuclear fuel, and then explodes, blowing the whole star up." These are called "pair-instability" supernovae.

Of the three types of explosions Wheeler describes, the first two would leave behind a stellar remnant in the form of a neutron star or black hole. The third and most massive, though, would explode completely, leaving no remnant.

Though they set a record, the team isn't finished studying super-luminous supernovae. Their work on understanding SN 2008am might explain the origins of half of the known examples, but as Wheeler said, "to a scientist, the interesting thing is, what's the other half? ... We want to understand them all before we're done."

— END —

Science Contacts:

Emmanouil "Manos" Chatzopoulos
The Univeristy of Texas at Austin
512-471-3447; manolis@astro.as.utexas.edu

Dr. J. Craig Wheeler
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-6407; wheel@astro.as.utexas.edu

AAS Division on Dynamical Astronomy Meets in Austin April 11-14

Free registration for journalists; free public events April 11

 

AUSTIN, Texas — Astronomers from around the country and the world are convening in Austin April 11-14 for the American Astronomical Society's Division on Dynamical Astronomy meeting. The meeting will be held at the Sheraton Austin Hotel at the Capitol. Free registration is available
for journalists. Interested journalists should contact Rebecca Johnson at
rjohnson@astro.as.utexas.edu or 512-475-6763.

Highlights of the meeting include sessions on the dynamics of our solar system (planets, Kuiper Belt, asteroid threats to Earth, evolution of moons and rings), presentations on planet formation and understanding multi-planet systems, and the formation of black holes and spiral features in galaxies. Several invited talks are scheduled on a wide array of topics, including the GRACE space mission, planet formation, planetary rings, cosmology, and celestial mechanics.

See the end of this release for highlighted sessions and invited talks, presenter names, and affiliations. A complete schedule, with access to abstracts, is available.

An evening of free, family-friendly astronomy events will be held on April 11 at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. From 7-8 p.m., the Austin Planetarium will conduct shows in its mobile planetarium. At 8 p.m., University of Texas at Austin astronomy professor Jenny Greene will speak on "Black Holes: Tiny but Powerful" in the Spirit Theater. Additionally, astronomers will be on hand from 7 to 9 p.m. to answer questions at an "Ask the Astronomer" booth.

More information on these public events is available from the museum.

— END —

Meeting Highlights

Monday, April 11

02.03 Probing Planetary Interior Structure and Processes With High-Precision Spin Measurements (Jean-Luc Margot, University of California, Los Angeles)

03.01 Invited Talk: GRACE: Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (Srinivas Bettadpur, University of Texas at Austin)

P01.07 A Southern Sky and Galactic Plane Survey for Bright Kuiper Belt Objects (Includes three possible dwarf planet candidates!) (Radoslaw Poleski, University of Warsaw)

Public night. Free astronomy events at Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum 7-9 p.m.

Tuesday, April 12

04.01 Invited Talk: What Every Dynamicist Should Know About Cosmology (Eiichiro Komatsu, Director, Texas Cosmology Center, University of Texas at Austin)

04.03 How a Massive Photon Retards the Universal Expansion Until Galaxies Form (David F. Bartlett, University of Colorado)

06.01 Asteroid Impact Hazard Over Long Time Intervals (Steven R. Chesley, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory)

06.04 Characterizing Multi-planet Systems with Classical Secular Theory (Christa L. Van Laerhoven, University of Arizona)

Wednesday, April 13

07.01 Invited Talk: Galactic Dynamics to Explain outer Disk Features in Spiral Galaxies (Martin Lopez-Corredoira, Insitituo de Astrofisica de Canarias, Spain)

07.05 The Stellar Dynamical Effects of the Growth of Supermassive Black Holes in Barred Galaxies (Monica Valluri, University of Michigan)

8.01 Invited Talk: Dynamics of Planetary Rings (Matthew S. Tiscareno, Cornell University)

Thursday, April 14

09.01 Invited Talk: "Full-contact" Planet Formation (Edward Thommes, University of Guelph, Canada)

09.02 Constraining the Size of the Protostellar Nebula (Katherine A. Kretke, Southwest Research Institute)

09.04 Sedna as a Footprint of the Sun's Migration within the Milky Way (Nathan A. Kaib, Queen's University, Canada)

Cascading Material Pours Onto a Young Star

AUSTIN, Texas — Astronomer Joel Green of The University of Texas at Austin has been following a rare massive flare from a nascent star similar to the early Sun using the European Space Agency's infrared Herschel Space Observatory and a cadre of other telescopes. Green has found that this protostar, called HBC 722, is situated in a tangled web of gas and protostars tightly packed into a small area. Green's research is published in today's issue of The Astrophysical
Journal Letters.

HBC 722 lies 2,000 light-years away in the "Gulf of Mexico" region of the North America Nebula (NGC 7000), in the constellation Cygnus, the swan. In early 2009, it appeared to be an ordinary young star in a cloud of similarly young stars. Like most stars less than a few million years old, HBC 722 is surrounded by a disk of gas and dust, perhaps beginning to form a planetary system.

It began to brighten, slowly at first, increasing dramatically during the summer of 2010. By late September 2010, it was 20 times brighter than it had been the year before. Since that time, it has slowly begun to settle back down.

The event provided astronomers a unique opportunity to observe the evolution of a flaring young star, an event observed on average only once per decade. These objects are called FU Orionis (FUor) objects, after the prototype found in the constellation Orion in 1936. FU Orionis-type stars are natural laboratories to test the effects of heating on the chemistry and physics of disks and their surrounding envelopes.

The HBC 722 flare is the first such event discovered in more than 30 years, and likely the only one that will occur during the lifetime of the Herschel Space Observatory. Green received permission to view HBC 722 with Herschel as a "target of opportunity" quickly after it was discovered. Herschel turned its PACS, SPIRE, and HIFI instruments on this eruption of light from a young star in the midst of a volatile stellar nursery to help astronomers piece together the chemistry of this active stellar region.

The quick reaction of Herschel and other observatories has allowed astronomers to observe its behavior from early stages, within a few months of its brightening episode. It has been dimming faster than other FUor objects, which are still bright decades after their eruption.

What happened to HBC 722 to cause this flare? It is likely that a large amount of material built up in its surrounding disk, and suddenly reached a critical point where it overflowed and poured onto the star at a rate twenty times greater than usual, releasing vast amounts of heat and ejecting excess material and momentum into the surrounding cloud. The consequences of this
event have yet to manifest fully.

“With Herschel we could see the effect the outburst has on the nearby gas and dust,” Green said. "We want to see if the sudden change in the star's brightness affects its environment and compare it to older flares that have had longer to decay from their outbursts. We also want to compare to stars that are not currently in outburst."

Flares of this magnitude are rare because they are short-lived compared to the relatively quiet states that characterize most young stars. Outbursts are often considered to be an important part of the process by which a young star acquires its final mass, through a small trickle of material punctuated by short, repeated floods.

Herschel revealed the busy environment of HBC 722, comprised of large amounts of molecular material such as carbon monoxide and water, thought to be heated by ultraviolet light from the evolving stars in the vicinity. In Herschel's infrared view, the flare of HBC 722 may highlight vast flows of material from nearby colder and even younger stars. In the future the increased radiation from HBC 722 may further heat the gas in the vicinity as it flows past.

Coordinating with observations by numerous ground-based telescopes, astronomers are looking for signs of the shockwaves that should have been launched from HBC 722. Green will view HBC 722 with Herschel again in June and expects by that time he might observe evidence of the jet that has likely been building since the flare began, but so far has been too small to detect.

A wealth of data on HBC 722 existed before the flare. Green's current data from Herschel and several other ground and space-based telescopes, together with planned follow-up, will make this will be the most-observed FUor object yet. This data timeline will help astronomers better understand the cause of such flares, which are currently thought to originate when large amounts of gas fall from the circumstellar disk onto the protostar.

Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA.

— END —

Science Contacts:

Dr. Joel Green
The Univeristy of Texas at Austin
512-471-3447; joel@astro.as.utexas.edu

The New York Times Knowledge Network, Texas Education Agency, and McDonald Observatory Add Astronomy Content to Project Share Online Teachers Community

NEW YORK — The New York Times Knowledge Network and The Texas Education Agency (TEA), in collaboration with the University of Texas McDonald Observatory, announced today the addition of astronomy content to the Project Share online teaching community.

 

StarDate, the public education and outreach arm of The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory, will contribute high quality video, podcasts, scripts and photos of astronomy and space exploration from its vast content library, to the Project Share environment.

StarDate’s information will supplement the existing content repository available on Project Share, which features more than 150 years of articles, video, and interactive features from The New York Times Knowledge Network Content Repository (NYTKN Repository), as well as content from Texas Education on iTunes U and the PBS Digital Learning Library.

Project Share utilizes Epsilen, an online learning environment with global networking, learning management tools and ePortfolios which offers educators a suite of tools for teaching, interacting, collaborating and assessment. Since Project Share’s launch in August 2010, more than 300,000 Texas educators have had access to professional development resources available from The New
York Times Knowledge Network.

“With Project Share’s extensive reach and Epsilen’s cutting-edge technology, we can provide unlimited resources to Texas teachers,” said Felice Nudelman, executive director, education, The New York Times Company. “Project Share exposes them to high-quality, valuable content and courses, and this relationship with the McDonald Observatory just broadens our offerings. And with Epsilen, teachers can collaborate, share best practices and build lessons together with fellow teachers throughout the state and across the globe.”

"We're glad to be a part of the New York Times Knowledge Network," said Sandra Preston, Assistant Director for Education and Outreach at McDonald Observatory. "We began broadcasting StarDate 34 years ago to fulfill one of our core missions, improving science literacy. Now the New York Times and the Texas Education Agency are helping us bring that content to Texas teachers in a new and exciting way. We know Texas teachers will find lots of creative ways to use our material in their classrooms."

The New York Times Knowledge Network, which uses the EpsilenTM platform, was launched in September 2007 to deliver lifelong learning programs on timely subjects. Through The New York Times Knowledge Network, extensive resources from The Times and other participating universities and institutions are readily available to students online, whether they are enrolled in an on-campus course or continuing their education through a distance learning program.

— END —

Contacts:

Linda Zebian (The New York Times Company): 212-556-7153

Rebecca Johnson (StarDate/McDonald Observatory): 512-475-6763

Universo Radio Program to Cease Regular Production

This text is also available in Spanish.

 

AUSTIN, Texas — The Spanish-language astronomy radio program Universo which has brought the heavens closer to millions of listeners for more than 15 years will cease regular production this month due to funding constraints.

Produced by The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory, its programs have included topics in skywatching and the science and history of astronomy, with a special focus on the contributions of Latino scientists and the skylore of Mesoamerican cultures. McDonald Observatory will continue to produce special Universo programs on a sporadic basis.

At its height, Universo aired on about 200 stations across the United States, Mexico, Canada, Argentina, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Venezuela, reaching about four million listeners daily. From April 1, 1995 to October 31, 2010, the program racked up 5,697 broadcasts. From November 2010 to August 2011, the show switched format to a monthly five-minute program.

"I want to acknowledge the great work that this crew has done," said executive producer Damond Benningfield. "I want to thank everyone who has been involved in this program and helped to make it a success for many years. I look forward to working with them on future special projects."

El Paso radio personality Teresa "Fendi" de la Cruz is the voice of Universo. Marco Lara is the program's associate producer, and Arturo Vasquez is a consulting producer. Ignacio "Nacho" Acosta was the program's audio engineer for most of its run. Dr. Antonio Candau is the show's Spanish translator. Technical editors include Dr. Jorge Lopez, Dr. Carmen Pantoja, and Dr. Gustavo Ponce.

"McDonald Observatory is especially grateful to the dedicated Universo team, all the stations that aired the program, and the Universo funders," said Sandra Preston, Assistant Director for Education and Outreach. Past funders include the National Science Foundation; NASA; the American Astronomical Society; American Electric Power; The American Honda Foundation; The Brown Foundation; the Communities Foundation of Texas; David and Julie King; the Friends of McDonald Observatory; The Gale Foundation; The Goodman-Abell Foundation; Harcourt General Foundation; The Long Foundation; National Instruments; The Samuel H. Fredericks, Jr. Trust; the SBC Foundation; and an anonymous donor.

"The Spanish-speaking population in the U.S. is continuing to grow," Benningfield said. "We're committed to producing as much Spanish-language content as funding will allow, whether it be for radio, online, or print."

Universo's Spanish-language website will continue to operate and offer daily skywatching tips. The Agujeros Negros (Black Holes Encyclopedia) website will continue to be updated periodically. The Universo Facebook page will remain active.

— END —

Contact: Vincent Perez, Marketing Manager: 512-475-6760

Astronomers Discover Stars Locked in Fatalistic Dance

FORT DAVIS, Texas —Astronomers at The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory have discovered a pair of burnt-out stars spiraling into one another at breakneck speeds. Orbiting each other in just 13 minutes, they will merge and possibly explode as a supernova in about 900,000 years. By watching them over time, scientists will test both Einstein’s theory of general relativity and the origin of some peculiar supernovae. This research will be published soon in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

The two white dwarfs are circling at a bracing speed of 370 miles per second (600 km/s), or 180 times faster than the fastest jet on Earth.

“These stars are whipping around each other so fast they are literally distorting the fabric of space,” said University of Texas at Austin graduate student J. J. Hermes, a member of research team led by Warren Brown of the Smithsonian Institution.

“As J. J. and I watched the first data come in, seeing the eclipses and light variations easily in the raw data, we were elated,” said University of Texas astronomer Don Winget, another team member. “The importance of this object was immediately clear to us.

“This system will give us a chance to test the theory of general relativity in two ways: by detecting the gravitational radiation from this system directly using space missions like LISA and by measuring the rate of the decay of the orbital period as the two objects spiral together."

The brighter white dwarf contains about a quarter of the Sun’s mass compacted into a Neptune-sized ball, while its companion has more than half the mass of the Sun and is Earth-sized. A penny made of this white dwarf’s material would weigh about 1,000 pounds on Earth.

Their mutual gravitational pull is so strong that it deforms the lower-mass star by three percent. If the Earth bulged by the same amount, we would have tides 120 miles high.

The discovery team has been hunting for pairs of white dwarfs using the MMT telescope at Whipple Observatory on Mt. Hopkins, Arizona, and following up with the Otto Struve Telescope at McDonald Observatory. These star pairs are too close together to distinguish photographically. By looking at the spectra, however, they were able to differentiate the two stars and measure their relative motions. These stars are also oriented such that they eclipse each other every 6 minutes.

“If there were aliens living on a planet around this star system, they would see one of their two suns disappear every 6 minutes — a fantastic light show,” said Smithsonian astronomer and team member Mukremin Kilic, who recieved his PhD in astronomy from The University of Texas at Austin several years ago.

These eclipses provide a very accurate clock, which is extremely useful for
measuring any changes in the system.

General relativity predicts that moving objects will create ripples in the fabric of space-time, called gravitational waves. These waves carry away energy, causing the stars to inch closer together and orbit each other faster and faster.

“Though we have not yet directly measured gravitational waves with modern instruments, we can test their existence by measuring the change in the separation of these two stars,” Hermes said. “Because they don’t seem to be exchanging mass, this system is an exceptionally clean laboratory to perform such a test.”

The team expects to conduct this test in a few months, when the star pair emerges from behind the Sun as seen from Earth.

Some models predict merging white dwarf pairs such as these are the source of a rare class of unusually faint stellar explosions called underluminous supernovae.

“If these systems are responsible for underluminous supernovae, we will detect these binary white dwarf systems with the same frequency that we see the supernovae. Our survey isn’t complete, but so far, the numbers agree,” Brown said.

This work will provide an important observational test on theories of white dwarf mergers, which are thought to produce many kinds of supernovae.

Brown’s co-authors are Mukremin Kilic (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for
Astrophysics (CfA)), J. J. Hermes (University of Texas at Austin), Carlos Allende Prieto (Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, Spain), Scott J. Kenyon (CfA) and Don Winget (University of Texas at Austin).

Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the world's largest, which will soon be upgraded to begin the HET Dark Energy Experiment. An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

— END —

Science Contacts:

J. J. Hermes: 512-471-3466

Dr. Don Winget: 512-471-3404

University of Texas-led Team Discovers Unusual Multi-Planet System with NASA's Kepler Spacecraft

NANTES, France — A team of researchers led by Bill Cochran of The University of Texas at Austin has used NASA’s Kepler spacecraft to discover an unusual multiple-planet system containing a super-Earth and two Neptune-sized planets orbiting in resonance with each other. They will announce the find today in Nantes, France at a joint meeting of the American Astronomical Society’s Division of Planetary Science and the European Planetary Science Conference. The research will be published in a special Kepler issue of The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series in November.

Cochran’s team is announcing three planets orbiting Kepler-18, a star similar to the Sun. Kepler-18 is just 10 percent larger than the Sun and contains 97 percent of the Sun’s mass. It may host more planets than the three announced today.

The planets are designated b, c, and d. All three planets orbit much closer to Kepler-18 than Mercury does to the Sun. Orbiting closest to Kepler-18 with a 3.5-day period, planet b weighs in at about 6.9 times the mass of Earth, and twice Earth’s size. Planet b is considered a “super-Earth.” Planet c has a mass of about 17 Earths, is about 5.5 times Earth’s size, and orbits Kepler-18 in 7.6 days. Planet d weighs in at 16 Earths, at 7 times Earth’s size, and has a 14.9-day orbit. The masses and sizes of c and d qualify them as low-density “Neptune-class” planets.

Planet c orbits the star twice for every one orbit d makes. But the times that each of these planets transit the face of Kepler-18 “are not staying exactly on that orbital period,” Cochran says. “One is slightly early when the other one is slightly late, [then] both are on time at the same time, and then vice-versa.”

Scientifically speaking, c and d are orbiting in a 2:1 resonance. “It means they’re interacting with each other,” Cochran explains. “When they are close to each other ... they exchange energy, pull and tug on each other.”

Kepler uses the “transit method” to look for planets. It monitors a star’s brightness over time, looking for periodic dips that could indicate a planet passing in front of the star. A large part of the Kepler science team’s work is
proving that potential planets they find aren’t something else that mimics the transit signature (such as a perfectly aligned background star, specifically either an eclipsing binary star or a single star orbited by a giant planet). That follow-up work to Kepler is done by scores of scientists using ground-based telescopes the world over (including several at The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory) as well as Spitzer Space Telescope.

Kepler-18's planets c and d did astronomers a favor by proving their planet credentials up front via their orbital resonance; they had to be in the same planetary system as each other for the resonance to occur.

Confirming the planetary bona fides of planet b, the super-Earth, was much more complicated, Cochran says. His team used a technique called “validation,” instead of verification. They set out to figure out the probability that it could be something other than a planet.

First, they used the Palomar 5-meter (200-inch) Hale Telescope with adaptive optics to take an extremely high-resolution look at the space around Kepler-18. They wanted to see if anything close to the star could be positively identified as a background object that would cause the transit signal they had attributed to a super-Earth.

“We successively went through every possible type of object that could be there,” Cochran says. “There are limits on the sort of objects that can be there at different distances from the star.” Astronomers know how many of different types of objects (various kinds of stars, background galaxies, and more) are seen on average in the sky. They didn’t find anything in the Palomar image.

“There’s a small possibility that [planet b] is due to a background object, but we’re very confident that it’s probably a planet,” Cochran says. His team calculated that the likelihood the object is a planet is 700 times more
likely than the likelihood that it’s a background object.The process is called “planet validation,” rather than the usual “planet verification.” Cochran says it’s important to understand the difference — not just for this system, but for future discoveries from Kepler and other missions.

“We’re trying to prepare the astronomical community and the public for the concept of validation,” he says. “The goal of Kepler is to find an Earth-sized planet in the habitable zone [where life could arise], with a one-year orbit.
Proving that such an object really is a planet is very difficult [with current technology]. When we find what looks to be a habitable Earth, we’ll have to use a validation process, rather than a confirmation process. We’re going to
have to make statistical arguments.”

Kepler was selected as the tenth NASA Discovery mission. NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., is the home organization of the science principal investigator, and is responsible for the ground system development, mission operations and science data analysis. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., managed the Kepler mission development. Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colo., developed the Kepler flight system and supports mission operations with the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder. The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore archives, hosts, and distributes the Kepler science data. For more information about the Kepler mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kepler.

— END —

Media Contacts:

Rebecca Johnson, McDonald Observatory Press Officer, 512-475-6763

Michele Johnson, Kepler Press Officer, NASA Ames Research Center, 650-604-4789

Vishnu Reddy, AAS Division of Planetary Sciences Press Officer, +49 555-15787579623

Anita Heward, European Planerary Science Congress Press Officer, +44 (0) 7756 034243

Science Contact: Dr. William Cochran, 512-471-6474

University of Texas at Austin Astronomer Sally Dodson-Robinson Receives Prestigious Career Grant from National Science Foundation

Dr. Sally Dodson-Robinson is an assistant professor of astronomy at The Universi

AUSTIN, Texas — University of Texas at Austin Assistant Professor Sally Dodson-Robinson has received a Faculty Early Career Development award of $363,000 from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

These prestigious NSF awards, called CAREER grants, recognize promising young faculty members and support their research and education missions with five years of funding. Dodson-Robinson has so far been awarded $363,000 in support of her research program called "Giant Planets in Dusty Disks."

"I am excited to receive the CAREER grant because I now have the resources to answer so many questions about how planets grow," said Dodson-Robinson. "To me, the most compelling part of astronomy has always been the existence of other worlds. Now my job is to investigate the fundamental question of how such worlds come to exist. To spend my time the way I do is an incredible privilege."

Dodson-Robinson will investigate how tiny, micrometer-size dust grains in planet nurseries affect the growth and development of gas giants — the largest planets our galaxy can build. Although current theories of planet growth see dust grains as beneficial seed material for planet growth, Dodson-Robinson's research indicates that too high a concentration of dust grains can stop planet growth in its tracks. Dust grains of a particular chemical composition can even switch the planet growth process from a slow buildup of material that takes several million years to an instantaneous gravitational collapse of the entire planet nursery.

The CAREER grant also includes funding for the New Orbits educational program, in which Dodson-Robinson will build a learning community centered on planetary science for a group of 20 first-year college students. The program is designed to help incoming students feel confident in their ability to pursue careers in science. The capstone of the program will be a yearly field trip to the university's McDonald Observatory to learn about historic and ongoing planetary research there.

Dodson-Robinson came to the university in 2009 and teaches courses in planetary science and general astronomy. She received her doctorate from the University of California, Santa Cruz, in 2008, and a bachelor's degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2002. She has held the Spitzer Space Telescope Postdoctoral Fellowship and the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.

— END —

Science Contact: Dr. Sally Dodson-Robinson, 512-471-7774

Media Contact: Rebecca Johnson, 512-475-6763

Cosmic Explosion Explained Just in Time for Christmas; Texas-Korea Astronomical Partnership Contributes

FORT DAVIS, Texas — An explosion far across the universe rattled astronomers last year on Christmas Day. Called a gamma-ray burst (GRB), it incited a flurry of activity from telescopes in space and on the ground, including the 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope at The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory. This year, just in time for Christmas, astronomers say they now know what happened — and it requires a new model for the origin of at least some GRBs.

Their research, led by Christina Thöne of Spain's Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia, appears in tomorrow's issue of the journal Nature.

GRBs are brief and intense flashes of gamma rays that can occur randomly from any direction of the sky. They are so energetic that astronomers can detect them even at distances of thousands of millions of light years. The bursts can last from a few milliseconds to more than half an hour.

Gamma rays cannot penetrate Earth's atmosphere, so GRBs are detected by satellites in orbit. The December 25, 2010, event — nicknamed the "Christmas Burst" — was detected by NASA's Swift satellite, which pinpointed its location and distributed its coordinates to astronomers all over the world. They immediately began to follow up the burst at optical and infrared wavelengths from ground-based telescopes, to study the phase called "afterglow."

"The news of the burst reached our team during a Christmas party at McDonald Observatory," says astronomer Myungshin Im of Seoul National University. Im and Soojong Pak of Kyung Hee University had left McDonald a few days prior and returned to Korea, but several of their students remained to carry on their studies of quasars with their instrument CQUEAN (Camera for Quasars in the Early Universe). When Im heard about the burst back in Seoul, he contacted his team at McDonald. They broke from their planned observations to follow up the GRB. "The 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope observed the burst with CQUEAN about seven hours after Swift discovered it," Im said.

Astronomers theorize that GRBs shorter than two seconds are created by the merger of two neutron stars in a binary star system, and bursts longer than two seconds result from the collapse of a single massive star. The Christmas Burst was peculiar. It lasted more than half an hour, much longer than most GRBs detected so far. And the amount of radiation it put out at various wavelengths was different from what astronomers had seen in GRBs before. The distribution of radiation seen in the Christmas Burst challenges the long-standing paradigm that GRB afterglows are produced by charged particles moving in magnetic fields at more than 99% of the speed of light (known as "synchrotron radiation").

"The data taken at McDonald Observatory played an important role in determining the emission mechanism of the GRB afterglow in its early phase by providing data at optical and near-infrared wavelengths," said Soojong Pak. "These data helped reveal the very interesting nature of the Christmas burst."

Based on a multitude of space and ground-based observations, Thöne's research team proposes a new scenario to explain the origin of the Christmas Burst. They propose that it was the result of a neutron star merging with the helium core of an evolved giant star, at a distance from Earth of about 5.5 thousand million light-years. This somewhat exotic binary system underwent a phase when the neutron star entered the atmosphere of the giant star, during which the giant star expelled most of its surrounding envelope of hydrogen. The final explosion created a GRB-like jet. This ejected material was cooling down progressively from 1 million K immediately after the burst, to about 5,000K 20 days after the event.

Finally, about 10 days after the explosion a faint light source that looked like an exploding star (called a supernova) started to emerge, reaching its maximum brightness 40 days after the GRB. The best fit for this scenario is a Type Ic supernova at a distance of 5.5 thousand million light-years. Thöne's proposed helium-neutron star scenario predicts that such a weak supernova will emerge after the GRB.

“Even after many years of research, GRBs still have new surprises waiting for us," Thöne said. "Similar to the increasing diversification of supernova classes, the classification of GRBs might have to be revisited. Stars seem to find many different ways of how to die.”

The installation of CQUEAN on the Otto Struve Telescope at McDonald is the result of a long-standing collaboration between The University of Texas astronomy program and the Korean astronomical community. Soojong Pak received his PhD at Texas, and is working with the university on another forthcoming instrument called IGRINS. The university and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute are also both partners in the planned Giant Magellan Telescope

Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby- Eberly Telescope, one of the world's largest, which will soon be upgraded to begin the HET Dark Energy Experiment. An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

— END —

 

NASA Mission, Texas Astronomers Collaborate to Find 'Goldilocks' Planet, Others

The top graphic shows the orbits of the three known planets orbiting Kepler-18 a

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. —This morning NASA announced the discovery of the first planet located in the "habitable zone" around a star — the "just-right" orbit that's not too hot, nor too cold for water to exist in liquid form, making life as we know it possible. Astronomers from The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory involved in this and other Kepler research will present their findings at the first Kepler Science Conference this week at NASA's Ames Research Center.

Kepler is a space mission that looks for minute dips in the light from a star that might indicate a planet is passing in front of the star, an event called a "transit." Because other types of phenomena can mimic such a signal, all stars pegged as possible planet hosts by Kepler must be investigated by ground-based telescopes.

To date, 400 candidate stars have been vetted by astronomers at McDonald Observatory — including the 'star' of today's announcement, Kepler-22. Observations by University of Texas at Austin graduate student Paul Robertson and research scientist Michael Endl eliminated other possible causes of the transit signal using the Harlan J. Smith Telescope. Later, other astronomers found that the planet, called Kepler-22b, is just 2.4 times the size of Earth and may be as much as 20 times Earth's mass.

"As planet hunters we have speculated for decades that our observations reveal only the tip of the iceberg, the giant planets that are easy to find," Endl said. "Kepler shows us now the rest of the iceberg with its large population of smaller planets. And Kepler is not done yet. The most exciting discoveries are still to come."

The Kepler team at McDonald Observatory includes Bill Cochran (a Co-Investigator of the Kepler mission), collaborators Michael Endl and Phillip MacQueen, graduate students Paul Robertson and Eric Brugamyer, and undergraduate Caroline Caldwell.

At the conference, Cochran will give a talk on Kepler-18, the multi-planet system he studied that was found to have at least three planets orbiting very close, with the outer two, Neptune-mass planets, orbiting near resonance with each other.

Endl will be announcing the first planet confirmed by the 9.2-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at McDonald Observatory. The giant telescope is one of several that Kepler targets are referred to for in-depth study once they've been vetted by more modest-sized telescopes like the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope or similar ones.

The subject of Endl's announcement is Kepler-15b, a "hot Jupiter." That's a massive planet orbiting extremely close its parent star. Endl's findings suggest the planet is unusually rich in heavy chemical elements — 30 or 40 times more than Earth. The researchers figured this out by combining the planet's radius (known from the transit observations by Kepler) with the planet's mass (found using HET observations). Kepler-15b's mass and radius combined reveal that the planet is small for its mass. Brugamyer also studied the planet's parent star with HET and found it to have an extremely high concentration of heavy chemical elements, which may explain why the planet is enriched in heavy elements.

The team has also used HET to confirm the planet Kepler-17b and four additional Kepler planets, including a double-planet system, that will be published soon.

In the future, HET will be an even more powerful tool for Kepler follow-up. HET will undergo a major upgrade beginning in March 2012.

"We will gain a very large improvement in efficiency of the instrument," Endl said. Once the upgrade is complete, "we will charge ahead into the field of very low mass planets, Neptunes or super-Earths," he said.

HET isn't the only telescope working to extend and improve itself. The Kepler team is hoping to extend the spacecraft's mission for several more years, Cochran said. Launched in 2009, Kepler's nominal 3.5-year mission is set to end in October 2012.

"We're putting in an extended mission proposal to NASA," Cochran said of the Kepler mission team. "The goal is to get four more years so we will then be able to find a habitable, Earth-sized planet around a Sun-like star."

Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby- Eberly Telescope (a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen). An internationally known leader in astronomy education
and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

NASA Ames Research Center manages Kepler's ground system development, mission operations and science data analysis. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., managed Kepler mission development. Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. in Boulder, Colo., developed the Kepler flight system and supports mission operations with JPL for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado in Boulder. The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore archives, hosts and distributes the Kepler science data. Kepler is NASA's 10th Discovery Mission and is funded by NASA's Science Mission Directorate at the agency's headquarters.

— END —

Media Contacts

Rebecca Johnson, McDonald Observatory Press Officer, 512-475-6763

Michele Johnson, Kepler Press Officer, NASA Ames Research Center, 650-604-4789

Science Contacts:

Bill Cochran, 512-471-6474

Michael Endl: 512-471-8312

Pair of Black Holes 'Weigh In' at 10 Billion Suns; Most Massive Yet

An artist's conception of stars moving in the central regions of a giant ellipti

AUSTIN — A team of astronomers including Karl Gebhardt and graduate student Jeremy Murphy of The University of Texas at Austin have discovered the most massive black holes to date — two monsters weighing as much as 10 billion suns and threatening to consume anything, even light, within a region five times the size of our solar system.

The research is published in the December 8 issue of the journal Nature, in a paper headlined by graduate student Nicholas McConnell and professor Chung-Pei Ma of The University of California, Berkeley.

The team measured the black holes' masses by combining observations of the fast-moving stars at their hearts made with the giant Gemini and Keck telescopes in Hawaii with observations of their diffuse outer regions using the George and Cynthia Mitchell Spectrograph on the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope at The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory.

Gebhardt and Murphy have been leading an effort to exploit the powerful Mitchell Spectrograph to study these galaxies. Earlier this year, they announced the previous record-holder black hole mass in the galaxy M87, at 6.7 billion suns.

"They just keep getting bigger," Gebhardt said. "Our measured black hole in M87 is now dwarfed by about a factor of two by both of these. It's all very exciting, since it tells us something fundamental about how galaxies form."

Putting together the Gemini and Keck observations of the smallest, innermost parts of these galaxies with the McDonald observations of their largest, outmost regions to deduce the masses of their central black holes was a big challenge.

"We needed computer simulations that can accommodate such huge changes in scale," Gebhardt said. "This can only be done on a supercomputer." The team used the supercomputers at the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) of The University of Texas at Austin.

The black holes in question are at the centers of two galaxies more than 300 million light years from Earth, and may be the dark remnants of some of the very bright galaxies, called quasars, that populated the early universe.

“In the early universe there were lots of quasars or active galactic nuclei, and some were expected to be powered by black holes as big as 10 billion solar masses or more. But if they were so massive in their youth, where are they today?” Ma said. “These two new supermassive black holes are similar in mass to young quasars, and may be the missing link between quasars and the supermassive black holes we see today.”

Black holes are dense concentrations of matter that produce such strong gravitational fields that even light cannot escape. While exploding stars, called supernovae, can leave behind black holes the mass of a single star, supermassive black holes have presumably grown from the merger of other black holes or by capturing huge numbers of stars and massive amounts of gas.

“These black holes may shed light on how black holes and their surrounding galaxies have nurtured each other since the early universe,” McConnell said.

One of the newly discovered black holes is 9.7 billion solar masses and is located in the elliptical galaxy NGC 3842, which is the brightest galaxy in the Leo cluster of galaxies that sits 320 million light years away in the direction of the constellation Leo. The second is as large or larger and sits in the elliptical galaxy NGC 4889, which is the brightest galaxy in the Coma cluster about 336 million light years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Coma Berenices.

According to McConnell, these black holes have an event horizon — the “abandon all hope” edge from which not even light can escape — 200 times the orbit of Earth, or five times the orbit of Pluto. Beyond the event horizon, each black hole has a gravitational influence that would extend over a sphere 4,000 light years across.

“For comparison, these black holes are 2,500 times as massive as the black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, whose event horizon is one fifth the orbit of Mercury,” McConnell said.

These 10 billion solar mass black holes have remained hidden until now presumably because they are living in quiet retirement, Ma said. During their active quasar days some 10 billion years ago they cleared out the neighborhood by swallowing vast quantities of gas and dust. The surviving gas became stars that have since orbited peacefully. According to Ma, these monster black holes and their equally monster galaxies containing probably a trillion stars settled into obscurity at the center of galaxy clusters.

Astronomers believe that many if not all galaxies have a massive black hole at the center, with the larger galaxies harboring larger black holes. The largest black holes are found in elliptical galaxies, thought to result from the merger of two spiral galaxies. Ma found, however, that mergers of elliptical galaxies themselves could produce the largest elliptical galaxies and supermassive black holes approaching 10 billion solar masses. These black holes can grow even larger by consuming gas left over after a merger.

“Multiple mergers are one way to build up these behemoths,” she said.

“For an astronomer, finding these insatiable black holes is like finally encountering people nine feet tall, whose great height had only been inferred from fossilized bones. How did they grow so large?” Ma said. “This rare find will help us understand whether these black holes had very tall parents or ate a lot of spinach.

Other coauthors of the Nature paper are James Graham, a professor of astronomy at UC Berkeley and The University of Toronto, postdoctoral fellow Shelley A. Wright at UC Berkeley, Tod R. Lauer of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, and Douglas O. Richstone of the University of Michigan.

The research was supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and UC Berkeley’s Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science.

— END —

Science contacts

Karl Gebhardt
Herman and Joan Suit Professor of Astrophysics
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-1473

Jeremy Murphy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-3462

Additional Resource

The Black Holes Encyclopedia is an extension of Gebhardt's research and public outreach, in cooperation with McDonald Observatory's StarDate Productions. It provides an overview of the best-known individual black holes, from stellar mass to supermassive, as well as articles on black-hole basics, the latest black-hole research news, and information on black holes in popular culture.  

Mirror Casting Event for the Giant Magellan Telescope on January 14

TUCSON — On Jan. 14, the second 8.4-meter (27.6 ft) diameter mirror for the Giant Magellan Telescope, or GMT, will be cast inside a rotating furnace at the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory Mirror Lab underneath the campus football stadium. The mirror lab will host a special event to highlight this milestone in the creation of the optics for the Giant Magellan Telescope.

Members of the media are invited to visit the mirror lab on Jan. 14 between 9-11 a.m. MST to see the liquid glass as it is spun cast in a rotating oven at a temperature of 1170 degrees C (2140 F). This casting marks another major step in the construction of the Giant Magellan Telescope. There will be opportunities to interview leading scientists and engineers involved in the project.

The GMT features an innovative design utilizing seven mirrors, each 8.4 meters in diameter, arranged as segments of a single mirror 24.5 meters (80 feet) in diameter, to bring starlight to a common focus via a set of adaptive secondary mirrors configured in a similar seven-fold pattern.

"In this design the outer six mirrors are off-axis paraboloids and represent the greatest optics challenge ever undertaken in astronomical optics by a large factor," said Roger Angel, director of the Steward Observatory Mirror Lab, or SOML.

The GMT will allow astronomers to answer some of the most pressing questions about the cosmos including the detection, imaging and characterization of planets orbiting other stars, the nature of dark matter and dark energy, the physics of black holes, and how stars and galaxies evolved during the earliest phases of the universe.

"The GMT will allow astronomers to observe for the first time the first stars formed after the Big Bang," said Steve Finkelstein, Hubble Fellow at The
University of Texas at Austin. "I cannot wait to make these observations."

"Astronomical discovery has always been paced by the power of available telescopes and imaging technology," said Peter Strittmatter, director of Steward Observatory. "The GMT allows another major step forward in both sensitivity and image sharpness. In fact the GMT will be able to acquire images 10 times sharper than the Hubble Space Telescope and will provide a powerful complement not only to NASA's 6.5-meter James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST, but also to the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, or ALMA, and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, or LSST, both located in the southern hemisphere."

Patrick McCarthy, GMT project director, added, "This second GMT casting is going forward now because the primary optics are on the critical path for the project, and because the polishing of the first off-axis 8.4-meter GMT mirror is very close to completion, with an optical surface accuracy within about 25 nanometers, or about one-thousandth the thickness of a human hair."

Like other mirrors produced by the SOML, the GMT mirrors are designed to be spun cast, thereby achieving the basic front surface in the shape of a paraboloid. A paraboloid is the shape taken on by water in a bucket when the bucket is spun around its axis; the water rises up the walls of the bucket while a depression forms in the center.

Some 21 tons of borosilicate glass, made by the Ohara Corporation, flow into a pre-assembled mold to create a lightweight honeycomb glass structure that is very stiff and quickly adjusts to changes in nighttime air temperature, each resulting in sharper images. The mirror lab has already produced the world's four largest astronomical mirrors, each 8.4 meters in diameter. Two are in operation in the Large Binocular Telescope, or LBT - currently the largest telescope in the world; one is for the LSST, and the fourth is the first off-axis mirror for GMT. The UA's Mirror Lab has also produced five 6.5-meter mirrors, two of which are in the twin Magellan telescopes at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile.

"The novel technology developed at the mirror lab is creating a whole new generation of large telescopes with unsurpassed image sharpness and light collecting power," said Wendy Freedman, director of the Carnegie Observatories and chair of the GMTO Board. "The SOML mirrors in the twin
Magellan Telescopes at our Las Campanas Observatory site are performing superbly and led to our adoption of this technology for the GMT."

The GMT is set to begin science operations in 2020 at the Las Campanas Observatory, exploiting the clear dark skies of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile.

"With funding commitments in hand for close to half of the $700 million required to complete the project, with one mirror essentially finished and the second about to be cast, and with the planned groundbreaking at Las Campanas in February of this year, the project is on track to meet this schedule goal," said Matthew Colless, Director of the Australian Astronomical Observatory.

"The giant mirrors being spun cast for the GMT at the Steward Observatory Mirror Lab are like the sails of the great ships of exploration ca. 1500, except here the discoveries are not lands across the ocean, but rather the nature of whole new worlds and island universes, spanning all of space and time," said Joaquin Ruiz, dean of the College of Science, University of Arizona. "We are proud to participate in such an exciting international scientific project as the GMT."

The event is supported by the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory and College of Science and by the GMTO Corp., a nonprofit entity with project offices based in Pasadena, Calif. The GMTO manages the GMT Project on behalf of its international partners, namely Astronomy Australia Ltd., the Australian National University, the Carnegie Institution for Science, Harvard University, the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, the Smithsonian Institution, Texas A&M University, the University of Arizona, the University of Chicago and the University of Texas at Austin.

— END —

Science contacts:

Roger Angel, director, Steward Observatory Mirror Lab: 520-621-654

Patrick McCarthy, director, GMT Observatory: 626-304-0222

Wendy Freedman, chair, GMT Board of Directors: 626-304-0204

Hubble Study Challenges 'Cosmic Fireworks' as Largest Driver of Galaxy Evolution

The most massive galaxies present two to three billion years after the Big Bang

AUSTIN — A Hubble Space Telescope study of massive galaxies two to three billion years after the Big Bang has uncovered two remarkable results that
challenge the common lore that major mergers play a dominant role in growing galaxies over a wide range of cosmic epochs.

Astronomers led by University of Texas at Austin graduate student Tim Weinzirl and associate professor Shardha Jogee will present their findings, recently published in The Astrophysical Journal, today at the 219th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Austin.

Weinzirl and Jogee studied 166 of the most massive galaxies present only a few billion years after the Big Bang , selected from the GOODS NICMOS survey headed by professor Christopher Conselice of the University of Nottingham in the U.K.

“This is one of the largest near-infrared surveys of massive galaxies in the early universe conducted with the Hubble Space Telescope,” Conselice said.

The 166 selected galaxies contain between 50 billion to half a trillion solar masses worth of stars. Even at such early epochs, many of these young massive galaxies already harbor more stars than our own Milky Way, a spiral galaxy containing about 80 billion stars today.

Weinzirl led an extensive, sophisticated analysis that found that a remarkably high fraction (60%) of these massive young galaxies present two to three billion years after the Big Bang have a disk component, making them look like a thick pancake.

In contrast, today’s most massive galaxies (their descendents) typically have large bulges. They are shaped like watermelons, and are called elliptical galaxies (which contain just a bulge) and lenticular galaxies (which have both a bulge and a disk.)

“These massive galaxies of the past are five times more likely to be disk-shaped than their descendents,” Weinzirl said.

Another difference, Jogee said, is that “many of these disky massive galaxies are prodigious star factories: They are churning new young stars over 100 times faster than present-day massive galaxies.”

Finding such a large fraction of massive galaxies with disk-like properties two to three billion years after the Big Bang has far-reaching implications. “It challenges models of galaxy growth, particularly the popular idea that galaxies grow in mass primarily via the violent major merger of galaxies,” Jogee said.

A “major merger” is the violent merger of two galaxies of similar mass, and it can radically transform two merging spiral galaxies into a new system that is no longer a disk-dominated galaxy, but instead has a prominent bulge. If major mergers dominated galaxy growth at early cosmic epochs, one would expect to find most galaxies to be dominated by bulges rather than by disks.

“Even considering the latest theoretical simulations of more extreme, very gas-rich major mergers does not solve the problem,” Weinzirl said. Instead, the results suggest that another process, called “cold mode accretion” plays a key role in growing massive galaxies at early cosmic epochs. In that process, galaxies grow in mass by accreting cold gas from large-scale cosmological filaments.

Weinzirl and Jogee’s study raises a second baffling challenge. Just like toddlers growing up, these massive young galaxies are expected to increase their mass over time. They have to turn into the most massive galaxies present in today’s universe, the elliptical and lenticular galaxies. This transformation is nothing short of dramatic, since the progenitors and descendants are radically different in size, shape, and structure!

Their study showed that as many as 40% of the young massive galaxies are ultracompact: half of their light and mass are jam-packed into a small amount of space (less than 65,000 light-years in radius), Weinzirl said. In contrast, less than 1% of their descendants, today’s massive elliptical and lenticular galaxies, are ultra-compact. Most are much larger and more spread out.

Furthermore, while many of the massive young galaxies are disky galaxies (shaped likethick pancakes), massive ellipticals and lenticulars tend to be dominated by bulges (shaped like watermelons).

“While major mergers can morph some disky galaxies into bulgy ones, and produce part of observed growth in size, there simply does not seem to be enough major mergers to produce the full blow-up in size needed,” Jogee said.

Instead, some of the latest theoretical simulations suggest that minor mergers — in which a large galaxy swallows a smaller galaxy — might hold the key.

“Minor mergers are much more common than major ones, because there are more lower-mass galaxies than there are very massive galaxies,” Weinzirl explained, and they “likely drive the growth of ultra-compact galaxies into more extended galaxies.”

“The bottom line is that our study, and a rising body of evidence from other lines of enquiry, now suggest that violent major mergers have been overrated. They are spectacular cosmic fireworks, but they do not necessarily drive galaxy growth at all epochs,” Jogee said.

There’s plenty more work to be done in understanding the evolution of massive galaxies. On the theoretical front, “simulations have yet to reproduce the widely diverse massive young galaxies, running the gamut from utlra-compact to extended disky systems, and from quiescent to widely star-forming,” Weinzirl said.

On the observational frontier, “we are thrilled that the next generation 25-meter Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT), in which UT-Austin is a major partner, will provide unparalleled insights into massive young galaxies and the physics of major mergers at early cosmic epochs,” Jogee said.

— END —

Media contacts:

Rebecca Johnson
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Ray Villard
Space Telescope Science Institute
410-338-4514

Science contacts:

Tim Weinzirl
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-3415

Dr. Shardha Jogee
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-1395

Dr. Christopher Conselice
The University of Nottingham
0-11-44-115-951-5137

Karl Gebhardt Honored by The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas

Karl Gebhardt

AUSTIN — In recognition of his discoveries regarding the formation of black holes and galaxies, astronomer Karl Gebhardt will receive the 2012 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Science from The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas (TAMEST).

The O’Donnell Award honors outstanding young Texas researchers in medicine, engineering, science and technology innovation. TAMEST will present the awards during its ninth annual conference, “Energy for Life — from Human Metabolism to Powering the Planet,” Jan. 12-13 in Houston.

Gebhardt is the Herman and Joan Suit Professor of Astrophysics in the Department of Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. Most of his career has focused on understanding the role that black holes play in the formation of a galaxy. He has measured more black hole masses than anyone in the world and is actively targeting many more galaxies.

His recent work focuses on understanding dark energy as part of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX). Gebhardt and his colleagues have outlined a unique approach to study dark energy using the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at the McDonald Observatory, and they expect they will make the most accurate measurements of dark energy for many years into the future.

Gebhardt has won numerous awards, including a Hubble Fellowship from NASA, teaching excellence awards from The University of Texas at Austin and the McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors, and a National Science Foundation Career Award.

The Edith and Peter O’Donnell Awards were established to recognize and promote outstanding scientific achievements of the state’s most promising researchers. The awards were named in honor of Edith and Peter O’Donnell for their steadfast support of TAMEST, and include a $25,000 honorarium, a citation and an inscribed statue.

— END —

Contact information

Karl Gebhardt
Herman and Joan Suit Professor of Astrophysics
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-1473

Additional Resource

The Black Holes Encyclopedia is an extension of Gebhardt's research and public outreach, in cooperation with McDonald Observatory's StarDate Productions. It provides an overview of the best-known individual black holes, from stellar mass to supermassive, as well as articles on black-hole basics, the latest black-hole research news, and information on black holes in popular culture. 

 

 

Mountaintop Blast for Giant Magellan Telescope; Video Available

The detonation of a mountain peak at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile today initiated site preparation for the construction of the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). The blasting will create a level foundation for the construction of the telescope.

The event was streamed live online courtesy of the US Embassy in Chile, and the video now is available at the Carnegie Institution's YouTube channel.

The Giant Magellan Telescope will be the world’s largest telescope and promises to revolutionize scientists’ view and understanding of the universe.  It will be built collaboratively by The University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, Carnegie Institution for Science, Smithsonian Institution, Harvard University, The University of Arizona, The University of Chicago, Astronomy Australia Ltd., The Australian National University, and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute

 More information about GMT is available at http://www.gmto.org.

Las Cumbres Telescope Sees First Light at McDonald Observatory

LCO First-light Team

FORT DAVIS, Texas — The first of a planned suite of telescopes of the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope (LCOGT) Network achieved first light recently at The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory.

 “We're thrilled,” said LCOGT Scientific Director Tim Brown, “to have our first telescope in such a well-supported site, with superbly dark skies.”

 The 1-meter (40-inch) telescope will be used for both research and outreach to K-12 schools. It is part of a large planned network of LCOGT telescopes to be installed around the world, and the first of five (two 1-meter and three 0.4-meter) and possibly more LCOGT telescopes to be installed at McDonald Observatory over the next few years.

 "This is the first telescope to be installed in a ring of facilities around the Earth that will give researchers and educators 24/7 access to astronomical objects," said McDonald Superintendent Tom Barnes. "As the Earth turns and daylight arrives at one facility, telescopes farther to the west will continue to monitor the research target.

 "Researchers at McDonald Observatory will have share in access to all the world-wide telescopes in exchange for hosting one of the facilities," Barnes said.

 The LCOGT network of telescopes will be fully operated and scheduled remotely and robotically. They will be used to search for extrasolar planets, track the exploding stars known as "supernovae," and observe near-Earth objects.

 “Network users will concentrate on objects that change quickly,” Brown said. “If they orbit, or pulsate, or blow up, they're our stuff.”

 Working together, McDonald staff and the team from LCOGT headed by manager Annie Hjelstrom went from an initial agreement to site the telescope at McDonald in February 2011 all the way to installation and first light in just over one year.

 "That must be some kind of record," Barnes said.

 The telescope will be tested and calibrated on-site over the next few days, then the LCOGT team will return to Goleta, California. They will continue to exercise and test the telescope remotely, and expect it to be available for scientific use later this spring.

LCOGT plans to complete the southern ring of 1-meter telescopes in the next year. Three telescopes are in final assembly in California now and will ship to Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile in approximately two months. Three more will ship to South Africa two months later, and two will go to Siding Spring, Australia.

 In the Northern Hemisphere, two more 1-meter LCOGT telescopes will ship to McDonald Observatory in 2013. A site in Tenerife in the Canary Islands will receive three telescopes, and a site yet to be finalized in the Asia-Pacific region will also receive two or more telescopes.

 Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby- Eberly Telescope, one of the world's largest, which will soon be upgraded to begin the HET Dark Energy Experiment. An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

 — END —

 Note: For more information about Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, see: http://lcogt.net

Media Contacts:

Rebecca Johnson, McDonald Observatory

David Petry, Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network

 

University of Texas at Austin names McDonald Observatory science instrument for philanthropists George and Cynthia Mitchell

GALVESTON — The University of Texas at Austin is naming an innovative astronomical instrument doing groundbreaking work at McDonald Observatory after pioneering energy producer, real estate developer, and philanthropist George P. Mitchell and his late wife Cynthia Mitchell. University representatives including McDonald Observatory Director David L. Lambert and Chief Astronomer Gary Hill, along with members of the UT-Austin Astronomy Program Board of Visitors, will celebrate the event with Mr. Mitchell and his family at a private event in Galveston today.

 They event will celebrate the naming of "The George and Cynthia Mitchell Spectrograph." A spectrograph is an instrument that takes light coming into a telescope and breaks it up into its component wavelengths to reveal a plethora of information about the star or galaxy under study. It can reveal an object's chemical make-up, speed and direction of motion on the sky, and distance.

 The Mitchell Spectrograph “is simply the world’s best instrument for studying the structure and kinematics of galaxies, along with the enormous dark-matter halos that surround them," said McDonald Director David Lambert. “It also makes unique contributions to studies of the last stages of Sun-like stars, star formation in colliding galaxies, and other astronomical questions.

 “We are proud and honored that this excellent instrument has been named for these extraordinary benefactors," Lambert said.

 More than 20 major scientific papers based on data from the spectrograph have been published (with scores of citations) and others are in press. At today's luncheon, university representatives will present Mr. Mitchell with a bound volume of these papers. Mr. Mitchell's daughters Sheridan Lorenz and Meredith Dreiss, as well as granddaughter Katherine Lorenz (president of the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation), will be in attendance.

 Previously known as VIRUS-P, the Mitchell Spectrograph was built as a prototype for a forthcoming instrument called VIRUS (Visible Integral-field Replicable Unit Spectrograph) needed for a major international study of one of the greatest mysteries in science today — dark energy. The $36-million Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) will be carried out at McDonald Observatory, and the prep work done with the Mitchell Spectrograph is crucial to its success. After going into service on the observatory's 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope in 2007, it proved the concept for VIRUS and then was used for a pilot survey that showed the abundance of faint, distant star-forming galaxies required for the enormous HETDEX survey.

 However, the Mitchell Spectrograph has become an important scientific instrument in its own right and is much sought after by both Texas astronomers and others from around the world who come to McDonald Observatory to carry out their studies. It will continue to be used well into the future. It could not have been built without funding from George P. Mitchell and the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation, who provided $750,000 for its construction.

 Support to the observatory from Mr. Mitchell and the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation extends beyond their support for this instrument.

 In 2005, Mr. Mitchell and his Foundation also created a $250,000 endowment for the observatory’s Education and Outreach office, which provides funding for programs that benefit Texas K-12 teachers and students.

 In addition, in 2009 Mr. Mitchell provided $1 million to match University of Texas at Austin funds for the casting of the second mirror for the planned Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). The University of Texas at Austin is one of GMT’s 10 founding partners, as is Mr. Mitchell’s alma mater, Texas A&M University.

 In May 2010, Mr. Mitchell announced a $25-million gift to the GMT project, split between Texas A&M University and the Carnegie Institution for Science.

 “George Mitchell’s innovations in oil and gas exploration have led to developments that will make the United States a net energy exporter in the next decade — that’s revolutionary," Lambert said. "His philanthropy has strengthened scientific research and engineering at The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University in ways that will also shape the future. We hope that future research undertaken using the George and Cynthia Mitchell Spectrograph at McDonald Observatory will be worthy additions to that legacy."

 Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby- Eberly Telescope, one of the world's largest, which will soon be upgraded to begin the HET Dark Energy Experiment. An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

Miller Wins $20K Grand Prize for Undergraduate Research from University Co-Op

News release provided by University Co-Op

The George H. Mitchell Awards for Academic Excellence are awarded each year to students who have made an uncommon contribution to their fields of study by way of research project, literary work, musical composition, humanitarian project or similar undertaking. Awards range from $2,000 to a top prize of $20,000. Students with exemplary academic records are nominated by UT faculty members and winners are chosen by a selection committee. These award-winning students have embraced the opportunities around them with a passion and intellectual creativity.

Winners of the undergraduate student awards were announced on Wednesday, May 2nd at the Thirteenth Annual George H. Mitchell Awards for Academic Excellence presented by the University Co-operative Society at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin. Chairman of the University Co-op's Board of Directors and Ernst & Young Professor of Accounting, Dr. Michael Granof hosted the event. Attendees included the Provost, Deans, and Vice Presidents of the University, as well as past grand prize winners of the award.

The $20,000 Grand Prize winner of the Undergraduate Student Awards for Academic Excellence was George F. Miller, who was nominated by professor Don E. Winget, for his contribution to an article titled "The Discovery of Two Planets Orbiting the Post-Common Envelope Eclipsing Binary NN Serpentis." According to Dr. Winget, George stood out from the very beginning among an extraordinary group of Dean's Scholars and high achievers hand selected for the astronomy stream. As a freshman, he went to the McDonald Observatory and learned how to take his own data on the Otto Struve telescope and to analyze and interpret the data. This spring, George became the local University of Texas expert on the robotic MONET telescope. Several groups of teachers have actively started using MONET under George's tutelage.

George led participation with a group from the University of Goettingen in an exciting new series of observations on NN Serpentis, a close binary star with circumbinary planets. The discoveries of these long-period planets were the first of their kind, dynamically similar to outer planets in our solar system; they demonstrated that the process of planet formation is far more forgiving than previously realized. This work resulted in a world-wide press release, featuring George's contribution. George will be graduating this month, and will be starting his Ph.D. at Harvard in the fall.

Three other undergraduate students, Seth Whitsitt, a Physics major; Ramu Kharel, an Asian Studies major; and Ryan Truby, a Biomedical Engineering major, won the second prize and received $5,000 each.

The three winners of the $2,000 awards were James W. Salazar, a Biomedical Engineering major; Jillian Owens, a Religious Studies and Plan II major; and Jean Nava, a Sociology, Mathematics, and Economics major.

###

For more information, please contact Hulan Swain at (512) 322.7071 or hswain@universitycoop.com

New Instrument Peers Through the Heart of the Milky Way

News release provided by SDSSIII collaboration.

AUSTIN — Astronomy has a powerful new tool to probe the structure of our galaxy. The Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) spectrograph is the newest instrument deployed by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III (SDSS-III). McDonald Observatory astronomer Matthew Shetrone is the project's architect.

The revolutionary capabilities of this high-resolution infrared spectrograph were presented today by Steven Majewski and John Wilson of the University of Virginia at the 219th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Austin, TX.

 Over the next three years APOGEE's initial census of the chemical constitution and motions of more than 100,000 stars spread all over the Milky Way will bring together data on stars with ages spanning nearly the full age of the universe, including some of the earliest ever created. These fossils of earlier times will help astronomers piece together how the Milky Way grew by devouring smaller galaxies, whose stellar entrails may still be identified through their particular chemical compositions and motions within the Galaxy.

 In just the first half year of operation, the APOGEE project has observed with exquisite spectral resolution 32,000 stars throughout the Milky Way — more than four times as many stars as have ever previously been observed in such detail at near-infrared wavelengths by all of the world's telescopes combined. Observations in the near infrared are especially critical for penetrating the veil of dust that obscures most of the stars in our galaxy from view, while high spectral resolution allows for precise measurements of the chemical composition and motions of different types of stars throughout our galaxy.

 "APOGEE is enabled by several novel technologies, including a sophisticated fiber optic system capable of simultaneously channeling the light of hundreds of individual stars from the telescope, one of the largest-ever deployed holographic dispersing elements to spread the light from each star into an infrared rainbow, and a 250-pound (110 kg), six-element camera with pure silicon lenses 16 inches (400 mm) in diameter used to record the vast number of stellar rainbows being created at once," said Wilson, who led the hardware team in the development of the state-of-the-art instrument.

 By the end of its first three-year general survey of the Milky Way in mid-2014, SDSS-III scientists will have used the APOGEE spectrograph to derive precise Doppler motions for stars distributed throughout the Milky Way, and will, for each of these stars, measure the abundances of fifteen chemical elements, including carbon, nitrogen and oxygen — key building-blocks for life. One of the biggest advances of APOGEE over previous infrared spectrographs is its ability to gather these precise data on as many as 300 stars at once.

 "The combination of infrared sensitivity and a 300-target multiplexing capability will make it possible for APOGEE to create the first-ever systematic and comprehensive probe of stars in every part of our galaxy. From this census of our Milky Way we expect many new findings about its structure, dynamics and constituent stellar populations ... and to do it hundreds of times faster than would be possible with conventional, one-star-at-a-time instruments," said Majewski, the principal investigator for the APOGEE project.

 Our galaxy has three major components: the disk, where our Sun lies, a much larger but more diffusely populated spherical "halo" surrounding the disk, and a central bulge, densely populated with stars and elongated into a bar-like shape. Observing the bulge and much of our Milky Way's disk beyond the Sun's local neighborhood is challenging because huge swathes of intervening dust block much of the light at the traditional, visual wavelengths used for this type of work. Previous Milky Way surveys (like SEGUE, APOGEE's sister survey in SDSS-III, which operates at optical wavelengths) have typically avoided these dustier regions of the galaxy.

 But APOGEE's near-infrared view already is punching through the dust to reveal previously unseen phenomena in the heart of the Milky Way and beyond — to the normally hidden, far-side of the disk.

"This capability has already enabled us to discover a previously unseen pattern of stellar motions likely influenced by the Milky Way's central bar," said David Nidever, who will present some of the first scientific results from the APOGEE survey at the meeting. "I can't wait to dig into the full set of APOGEE data, which will allow us to determine the properties of the bar and the far side of the galaxy in significantly more detail than has been possible before."

 By spreading the infrared light from stars into infrared rainbows, APOGEE's spectroscopic observations allow SDSS-III astronomers to sense stellar motions through the Doppler effect, which shifts a star's spectral features by an amount corresponding to how quickly the star is moving toward or away from us. Because of the high degree with which APOGEE can spread starlight, the instrument can detect relatively small differences in motion. WIth such sensitivity APOGEE astronomers can identify groups of stars having highly correlated motions, a phenomenon that is often an indication of a common origin. Such data make it possible to discriminate stars born and traveling together in clusters, or that were pulled out of the same star system cannibalized by the Milky Way. 

The APOGEE instrument was assembled at the University of Virginia and delivered to the Sloan Telescope in New Mexico last April. Within weeks it had recorded its "first-light" observations of a field of star clusters in the direction of the constellation Cygnus (the Swan, or Northern Cross). Star clusters are particularly valuable targets for Galactic astronomers because the distances and ages of these star systems can be estimated with much greater reliability than those of individual stars. Unfortunately, the vast majority of star clusters are commingled with the dust and myriad other, loosely distributed stars in our galaxy's disk. This mingling makes the clusters not just difficult to study but also a challenge to identify reliably. With its first observations, APOGEE proved that it could not only efficiently identify those stars that are members of clusters but in addition provide rich amounts of other information about the motions, chemical compositions, and ages of these star systems. 

"These first dozen or so clusters in the 'first-light' field are just the tip of the iceberg for APOGEE. The full APOGEE survey will contain data on many hundreds of clusters, vital tools for exploring the chemical and dynamical history of our Galaxy," remarked Peter Frinchaboy (Texas Christian University), who is demonstrating findings from the APOGEE "first-light" spectra at the meeting. 

Because each chemical element or molecule absorbs a characteristic set of wavelengths of light, the lines observed in a stellar spectrum reveal the chemical composition of a star. Some of the most anticipated results from APOGEE will come from exploring how the chemical compositions of stars change with their ages and locations in the galaxy. These variations in composition come about because stars use nuclear fusion in their cores to join lighter atoms into heavier atoms. In the process of living and dying, some stars deposit those heavier atoms back into the interstellar gas clouds used to create subsequent generations of stars in the Galaxy. APOGEE's huge chemical database on so many stars will yield vital clues to how our galaxy formed in an early universe of primarily hydrogen and helium and subsequently evolved through many generations of stars to its present level of heavy element enrichment — a level sufficient to allow solar systems like our own to form with all of the necessary ingredients to produce Earth-like planets and, ultimately, life.

— END —

Science contacts: 

Matthew Shetrone, University of Texas at Austin: 432-426-4168 

Steve Majewski, University of Virginia: 434-924-4893 

John Wilson, University of Virginia: 434-924-4907 

David Nidever, University of Virginia: 434-249-6845 

Peter Frinchaboy, Texas Christian University: 817-257-6387 

Michael Wood-Vasey, SDSS-III Spokesperson, U. of Pittsburgh: 412-624-2751 

Jordan Raddick, SDSS-III Public Information Officer: 410-516-8889

Astronomers Probe 'Evaporating' Planet Around Nearby Star with Hobby-Eberly Telescope

FORT DAVIS, Texas — Astronomers from The University of Texas at Austin and Wesleyan University have used the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at UT Austin’s McDonald Observatory to confirm that a Jupiter-size planet in a nearby solar system is dissolving, albeit excruciatingly slowly, because of interactions with its parent star. Their findings could help astronomers better understand star-planet interactions in other star systems that might involve life.

 The work was funded by the National Science Foundation and will be published in the June 1 edition of The Astrophysical Journal in a paper led by Wesleyan University postdoctoral researcher Adam Jensen. The team includes University of Texas astronomers Michael Endl and Bill Cochran, as well as Wesleyan professor Seth Redfield.

 The star, HD 189733, lies about 63 light-years away in the constellation Vulpecula, the little fox.

 In 2010 another team studied this star in ultraviolet light with the Hubble Space Telescope and discovered that its planet (called HD 189733b) is discharging hydrogen into space.

 The Texas-Wesleyan study finds that this streaming hydrogen gas — studied in a different wavelength range by one of the world's largest ground-based telescopes — is much hotter than anyone knew. This temperature is important: It indicates that the violent flares this star is throwing out are interacting with the planet's atmosphere.

 While this planet is not thought to be a home for life, such studies could help astronomers understand how interactions between "parent" stars and their "children" planets might affect life that could arise in other star systems.

 "One day we will use similar techniques to probe the atmosphere of smaller, Earth-like planets," The University of Texas' Endl said. "I think the pace of progress is stunning, to say the least. Twenty years ago we didn't really know of any exoplanets, and now we probe and study their atmospheres."

 The planet HD 189733b is not like Earth — it's a gas giant 20 percent heavier than Jupiter that orbits 10 times as close to its parent star as Mercury does to our sun, an exotic type of planet astronomers have dubbed a "hot Jupiter."

 To date, astronomers have discovered nearly 700 planets orbiting stars in our galaxy (with billions suspected), but they have probed the atmospheres of only a handful,using space telescopes and the largest ground-based telescopes such as the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET).

 Studies of this planet's atmosphere are possible because it passes in front of its parent star as seen from Earth.

 “Each time the planet passes in front of the star,” Redfield said, “the planet blocks some of the star’s light. If the planet has no atmosphere, it will block the same amount of light at all wavelengths. However, if the planet has an atmosphere, gasses in its atmosphere will absorb some additional light.” The passages are called transits.

 In 2007 as a postdoctoral researcher at the McDonald Observatory, Redfield announced he had found sodium in this planet's atmosphere. That announcement was based on hundreds of HET observations spread out over a year, taken both with the planet in front of the star ("in-transit") and when the planet was not. Subtracting the latter from the former provided the planet's "transmission spectrum."

 Astronomers determine the spectrum of a star or planet when spreading out the telescope-collected light into its component wavelengths — a more sophisticated version of passing light through a prism to produce a rainbow. The spectrum is like a bar code that astronomers can read to determine the object's chemical composition, temperature, speed and direction of motion.

 Today, Redfield's postdoctoral fellow, Adam Jensen, is studying that same set of telescope observations and many more added by Endl in the intervening years.

 Just determining the spectrum of a transiting planet, let alone being able to decode it, is a difficult feat. As this planet passes in front of its parent star, it blocks only 2.5 percent of the star’s total light, plus another 0.3 percent for the planet’s atmosphere. Teasing out that 0.3 percent and decoding it is the goal.

 Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis in West Texas hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to one of the world's largest telescopes, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. HET is a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, Pennsylvania State University, Ludwig Maximilians Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen. Stanford University was a founding partner of the consortium.

— END —

Science Contacts:

 

Michael Endl, The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-8312

Bill Cochran, The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-6474

Adam Jensen, Wesleyan University
860-685-3675

Seth Redfield, Wesleyan University
860-685-3669

 

 

High School Students Explore Astronomical Research, Social Media at McDonald Observatory

Students at HET

FORT DAVIS — Ten high school students are spending the week at McDonald Observatory learning to use telescopes to support a study of one of the biggest mysteries in science today: dark energy. They are also sharing their experiences using social media.

University of Texas at Austin post-doctoral researcher Keely Finkelstein is running the project, along with astronomer Irina Marinova and teachers Sherre Boothman of Lehman High School in Kyle and Wade Green of Stony Point High School in Round Rock. The students hail from those schools, as well as Austin's Anderson High School, Khabele School, and St. Stephen's Episcopal School.

"This workshop is a unique experience for these students," Finkelstein said. "They are getting a first-hand look and hands-on experience of what it's like to be a research astronomer."

Student participant Eric Wan agrees. "This HETDEX Student Research program has been one of the best experiences of my life," he said. "The astronomers are enthusiastic about their work and incredibly knowledgeable. This is a forefront of modern science and I'm thrilled to be involved."

The group is spending seven days and six nights at the observatory. By day, the students are learning how telescopes work, learning how to collect data, attending talks on various topics in astronomy, and sharing their experiences to their peers through social media outlets. Each night, they are learning to use research-grade telescopes under the darkest night skies of any observatory in the continental United States.

"The students are taking real data using the MONET telescope at McDonald, and are learning the full process of astronomical research, including taking observations, and data analysis," Finkelstein said. "They get to experience all aspects of observing, both the exciting parts, and the not-so-glamorous parts."

Equally important, says Marinova, "is that the students are able to interact in an informal setting with the scientists and engineers doing research and maintaining the observatory. They are able to talk to them one-on-one about what their jobs entail and the science that they do."

Student Samuel Ervin said he really enjoyed that part. "Just the idea of being able to live and talk with real astronomers is mind-blowing," he said. "I know that when this week is over I shall be looking into a career that could hopefully end in being an astronomer."

This week's student research experience is a pilot program for a larger one still in the planning stages. The aim is to involve high school students in one of McDonald Observatory's largest, most important research efforts: the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX). The project seeks to understand why the universe is expanding faster all the time, a fact discovered by two teams of astronomers in 1998 which recently garnered them the Nobel Prize in physics.

University of Texas at Austin astronomy professor Karl Gebhardt is the project scientist for HETDEX.

"There are two aspects to this student project," Gebhardt said. "One is to eventually upgrade the McDonald visitors center with a whole new exhibit [on dark energy] and we want to bring high school students in on the Facebook and YouTube stuff — they know how to make an online presence."

The second aspect is getting students involved in actual HETDEX research. "What we want is for them to take images of fields we're observing at the same time on HET [the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the world's largest]. We'll use the students' imaging data to calibrate the HET data."

To get those simultaneous images, he says, is going to take "a lot of nights and a lot of time — that's where the high school students come in. And we hope to excite them about science at the same time."

It certainly worked for student Alyssa Epstein. "This has been a truly amazing experience for me because while I've always had an interest in astronomy, the program has made it possible for me to observe the universe first-hand and draw conclusions about these new scientific concepts — dark energy and dark matter — for myself," she said. "I now have a better idea about being an astronomer, operating a telescope, and the scientific world in general."

Additional Austin-area teachers involved in planning this week's events include Cate Fox-Lent of Anderson High School, Kelley Janes of Khabele School, and Frank Mikan of St. Stephens Episcopal School.

The workshop was funded by the university's Texas Cosmology Center. McDonald Observatory is seeking funding for future workshops.

— END —

More information on the HETDEX project is available at http://hetdex.org. A video explaining the concept of dark energy and the HETDEX project is available from our YouTube channel.

 

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

New York, N.Y. — The Gruber Foundation and the International Astronomical Union recently announced that the members of the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) team, including University of Texas at Austin professor Eiichiro Komatsu, are the recipients of the 2012 Gruber Cosmology Prize. Komatsu is the director of the university's Texas Cosmology Center.

"I am so humbled and honored to share the Gruber prize with the members of the WMAP team, with whom I have had the pleasure of working over the past decade," Komastu said. "It has been an incredible experience to be a part of such a successful experiment which has uncovered the basic properties of the universe. I feel very fortunate to have had an opportunity to be a part of it."

WMAP is a NASA satellite launched in 2001 to take measurements of the cosmic microwave background radiation, the three-Kelvin background radiation left over from the Big Bang. The satellite operated through 2010, and has released multiple datasets over the years.

According to the Gruber Foundation, WMAP's "observations and analyses of ancient light have provided the unprecedentedly rigorous measurements of the age, content, geometry, and origin of the universe that now comprise the Standard Cosmological Model."

The Prize citation recognizes that the exquisite specificity of these results has helped transform cosmology itself from “appealing scenario into precise science.”

The team will receive a $500,000 award, and team leader Charles Bennett of The Johns Hopkins University will receive a gold medal, at the International Astronomical Union meeting in Beijing on August 21.

The team's most recent data release came in 2011, and answered many long-held questions about the nature of the universe, including:

1. The age of the universe: 13.75 billion years (with a margin of error of 1 percent).

2. The make-up of the universe: 22.7 percent dark matter, 72.8 percent dark energy, and only 4.6 percent “ordinary” matter.

3. Early evolution of the universe: seems to have undergone a period of “inflation” in the first trillionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a second of its existence, as many theorists have been predicted.

4. The geometry of the universe: flat, to within less than 1 percent error.

Science magazine awarded WMAP its “Breakthrough of the Year” honor in 2003: “All the arguments of the last few decades about the basic properties of the universe — its age, its expansion rate, its composition, its density — have been settled in one fell swoop.”

The Gruber International Prize Program honors individuals in the fields of Cosmology, Genetics and Neuroscience, whose groundbreaking work provides new models that inspire and enable fundamental shifts in knowledge and culture. The Selection Advisory Boards choose individuals whose contributions in their respective fields advance our knowledge and potentially have a profound impact on our lives.

The Cosmology Prize honors a leading cosmologist, astronomer, astrophysicist or scientific philosopher for theoretical, analytical, conceptual or observational discoveries leading to fundamental advances in our understanding of the universe.

Members of the WMAP team are Chris Barnes, Rachel Bean, Olivier Doré, Joanna Dunkley, Benjamin M. Gold, Michael Greason, Mark Halpern, Robert Hill, Gary F. Hinshaw, Norman Jarosik, Alan Kogut, Eiichiro Komatsu, David Larson, Michele Limon, Stephan S. Meyer, Michael R. Nolta, Nils Odegard, Lyman Page, Hiranya V. Peiris, Kendrick Smith, David N. Spergel, Greg S. Tucker, Licia Verde, Janet L. Weiland, Edward Wollack, and Edward L. (Ned) Wright.

 

Astronomers Test Einstein in a New Regime Using Pair of Burnt-Out Stars

Evidence for gravitational waves

AUSTIN, Texas — A team of astronomers led by researchers from The University of Texas at Austin has confirmed the emission of gravitational waves from the second-strongest known source in our galaxy by studying the shrinking orbital period of a unique pair of burnt-out stars. Their observations tested Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity in a new regime. The results will be published soon in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

 Last year, the same team discovered that the two white dwarf stars are so close together that they make a complete orbit in less than 13 minutes, and they should be gradually slipping closer. The system, called SDSS J065133.338+284423.37 (J0651 for short), contains two white dwarf stars, which are the remnant cores of stars like our sun.

 Einstein’s theory of general relativity predicts that moving objects create subtle ripples in the fabric of space-time, called gravitational waves. Though not yet directly observed, gravitational waves should carry away energy, causing the stars to inch closer together and orbit each other faster and faster.

 "Every six minutes the stars in J0651 eclipse each other as seen from Earth, which makes for an unparalleled and accurate clock some 3,000 light-years away," said study lead author J.J. Hermes, a graduate student working with Professor Don Winget at The University of Texas at Austin.

 Einstein's theory predicts that the orbital period of this binary system loses about 0.25 milliseconds every year, less than one-thousandth of a second.

 The team has just tested that prediction using more than 200 hours of observations from the 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope at the university’s McDonald Observatory in West Texas, the Frederick C. Gillett Gemini North telescope in Hawai‘i, the 10.4-meter Gran Telescopio Canarias in the Canary Islands of Spain, and the 3.5-meter Apache Point telescope in New Mexico.

 "Compared to April 2011, when we discovered this object, the eclipses now happen six seconds sooner than expected," said team member Mukremin Kilic of The University of Oklahoma.

 This confirms that the two stars are getting closer and that the orbital period is shrinking at nearly 0.25 milliseconds each year. By April 2013, the eclipses should happen roughly 20 seconds sooner than they did relative to the group's first observations in April 2011.

 "These compact stars are orbiting each other so closely that we have been able to observe the usually negligible influence of gravitational waves using a relatively simple camera on a 75-year-old telescope in just 13 months," added Hermes. The Struve Telescope, which came into service in the late 1930s, was the first at McDonald Observatory.

 Astronomers know of just four other binary systems with orbits under 15 minutes, and all of those systems are transferring mass from one star to the other, which complicates observations of orbital decay and the interpretation of these changes in terms of gravitational waves.

 "This result marks one of the cleanest and strongest detection of the effect of gravitational waves," said team member Warren Brown of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.

 The direct detection of gravitational waves is notoriously hard. Gravitational waves from J0651 are predicted to change two points in space an inch apart by less than a billionth of a trillionth of an inch. To detect such a tiny effect requires satellites that shoot lasers at each other from millions of miles apart. No such mission is currently funded by NASA or the European Space Agency.

 "Here we have an easier way to detect the effects of gravitational waves, though indirectly," added team member Carlos Allende Prieto of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias.

 J0651 will provide an opportunity to compare future direct, space-based detection of gravitational waves with those inferred from the orbital decay, providing important benchmark tests of our understanding of the workings of gravity.

 The team expects that the period will shrink each year, with eclipses happening more than 20 seconds sooner than expected by May 2013. The stars will eventually merge. Future observations will continue to measure the orbital decay of this system, and attempt to understand how tides affect the mergers of such stars.

 "It's exciting to confirm predictions Einstein made nearly a century ago by watching two stars bobbing in the wake caused by their sheer mass," Hermes said. The two stars in this system are both less massive than our sun; one has half the sun's mass and the other a quarter.

 — END —

 

 Science contacts:

J.J. Hermes, University of Texas at Austin: 512-471-3462

Don Winget, University of Texas at Austin: 512-471-3404

Mukremin Kilic, University of Oklahoma: 405-325-3961, ext. 36331

 

Media contacts:

Rebecca Johnson, The University of Texas at Austin: 512-475-6763

Jana Smith, University of Oklahoma: 405-325-1322

Peter Michaud, Gemini Observatory: 808-974-2510

 

 

NASA, Texas astronomers find first multi-planet system around a binary star

HET with star trails

FORT DAVIS, Texas — NASA's Kepler mission has found the first multi-planet solar system orbiting a binary star, characterized in large part by University of Texas at Austin astronomers using two telescopes at the university's McDonald Observatory in West Texas. The finding, which proves that whole planetary systems can form in a disk around a binary star, is published in today's issue of the journal Science.

 "It's Tatooine, right?" said McDonald Observatory astronomer Michael Endl. "But this was not shown in Star Wars," he said, referring to the periodic changes in the amount of daylight falling on a planet with two suns. Measurements of the star's orbits showed that daylight on the planets would vary by a large margin over the 7.4-Earth-day period as the two stars completed their mutual orbits, each moving closer to, then farther from, the planets (which are themselves moving).

 The binary star in question is called Kepler-47. The primary star is about the same mass as the Sun, and its companion is an M-dwarf star one-third its size. The inner planet is three times the size of Earth and orbits the binary star every 49.5 days, while the outer planet is 4.6 times the size of Earth with an orbit of 303.2 days.

 The outer planet is the first planet found to orbit a binary star within the "habitable zone," where liquid water could exist and thus create a home for life. However, the planet's size (about the same as Uranus) means that it is an icy giant, and not an abode for life. It's a tantalizing taste of discoveries waiting to be made.

 The combination of observations from the NASA mission and McDonald Observatory allowed astronomers to understand the characteristics of Kepler-47's two stars and two planets.

 The Kepler mission looks for minute dips in the amount of light coming from a star that might indicate a planet is passing in front of it, an event called a "transit." The space telescope is also adept at identifying eclipsing binary stars, in which two stars pass in front of each other as they orbit each other. In the case of Kepler-47, they found both stellar eclipses and planet transits in one system.

 So Kepler astronomers Jerome Orosz (lead author on the study) and William Welsh of San Diego State University flagged the Kepler-47 system as worthy of follow up from the ground. They asked the McDonald Observatory Kepler team to work with them.

 Endl studied the binary star with the 9.2-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET, one of the world's largest telescopes), as well as the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald.

 "The challenging thing is that this is a very faint star," Endl said, "about 6,000 times dimmer than can be seen with the naked eye."

 He was taking spectra of the system — looking for characteristics in its light to indicate the motions of the primary star. (The secondary star is too faint to measure.) The McDonald observations enabled astronomers to calculate the mass of the primary star.

 These values, along with the Kepler eclipse and transit timings, were plugged into a model that calculated the relative sizes of all the bodies involved, Endl said.

 The Kepler team at McDonald Observatory also includes Bill Cochran (a co-Investigator of the Kepler mission), research scientist Phillip MacQueen, graduate students Paul Robertson and Eric Brugamyer, and recent graduate Caroline Caldwell.

 "This is the type of research where McDonald Observatory really excels," Cochran said. "We have excellent scientific instruments on our telescopes, and the queue-scheduled operation of the HET allows us to obtain spectra at the optimal times when they will give us the best information about the stars."

 Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby- Eberly Telescope (a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen). An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

 NASA Ames Research Center manages Kepler's ground system development, mission operations and science data analysis. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., managed Kepler mission development. Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. in Boulder, Colo., developed the Kepler flight system and supports mission operations with JPL for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado in Boulder. The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore archives, hosts and distributes the Kepler science data. Kepler is NASA's 10th Discovery Mission and is funded by NASA's Science Mission Directorate at the agency's headquarters.

 Science contacts:

Michael Endl: 512-471-8312

William Cochran: 512-471-6474

Astronomers measure largest-ever magnetic field around massive star, time its slow rotation as it drags around giant cloak of trapped particles

FORT DAVIS, Texas — A group of astronomers led by Gregg Wade of the Royal Military College of Canada have used the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory and the Canada-France Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) on Hawaii's Mauna Kea to measure the most magnetic massive star yet. Their work is published in today's issue of the research journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

The star's magnetic field is 20,000 times stronger than the Sun's, and almost 10 times stronger than that detected around any other high-mass star. At about 35 times the Sun's mass, the O-type star NGC 1624-2 lies in the open star cluster NGC 1624, about 20,000 light-years away in the constellation Perseus. 

This star is an extreme case study to help astronomers better understand all massive stars, which play an important role in the evolution of galaxies. 

"Understanding the evolution of massive stars, those that explode as core-collapse supernovae, is really important," said team member Anne Pellerin of Canada's Mount Allison University. (Formerly a researcher at Texas A&M University, Pellerin used the Hobby-Eberly Telescope via an agreement between The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M.) 

When the stars explode, the heavy chemical elements born in the cores are scattered into space, she explained. "In the big picture, the Sun is born from the debris of a supernova that exploded — that's how we get iron." 

Additionally, despite their short lives (NGC 1624-2 will live only about five million years, or one-tenth of one percent of the Sun's current age at midlife), massive stars shape the galaxies in which they live. "Their strong winds, intense radiation fields, and dramatic supernova explosions make them the primary sculptors of the structure, chemistry, and evolution of galaxies," Wade said. 

But "massive stars are rare," Pellerin said. "Anything we can do to get to know them is good." She explained that the extreme magnetic fields of massive stars aren't well understood. 

"The most important consequence of the strong magnetic field is that it binds and controls the stellar wind of NGC 1624-2 to a very large distance from the star — 11.4 times the star's radius," Wade said. "The huge volume of this magnetosphere is remarkable. It's more than four times wider than that of any other comparable massive star, and in terms of volume it is around 80 times larger." The star's magnetic field also influences the internal structure of NGC 1624-2, he said. 

Thus the magnetic field can strongly influence a massive star's life, from birth to supernova death. But because these magnetic fields are poorly understood, models of stellar evolution are incomplete. 

"We need observations of stars like NGC 1624-2 to teach us what's really going on," Wade said. 

The team wanted to better understand the nature of this monster star, but it is so distant, and surrounded by dust, that they needed a large telescope with immense light-gathering power to study its light in detail. 

"This star is hard to observe because it's highly extinguished by dust," Pellerin said. "That makes it fainter, so it takes a bigger telescope mirror." They used the 9.2-meter HET coupled with its High Resolution Spectrograph instrument. 

They teased out the star's rotation by studying repeating patterns in the star's spectrum from HET. The patterns in the spectra are caused by winds coming off of the star. 

"The winds of massive stars are very dense, especially compared to the Sun's," which is called the solar wind, Pellerin said. "These stars are losing a lot of mass through their winds — up to 30 percent over their entire lives. The wind is a plasma, made up of charged particles that follow the lines of the magnetic field," she explained. "It creates some weird features in the spectra." 

The repetition of such "weird features" in the star's light allowed the team to figure out that the star is rotating quite slowly: It takes this star about 160 Earth days to rotate once on its axis. (For comparison, it takes the Sun about 25 days to rotate on its axis.) 

"We think that the star is slowed down because it has to drag its wind around — because the wind is bound to the magnetic field," Wade said. "This is something that has to be tested, but it looks very likely." 

To measure the strength of star's magnetic field, the team used the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) coupled with an instrument called ESPaDOnS. Specifically, they measured small biases in the direction of rotation of the electromagnetic waves absorbed or emitted by atoms located in the field. 

"An excess of clockwise-rotating waves indicates a magnetic field pointing towards us, while an excess of counterclockwise-rotating waves indicates a magnetic field pointing away from us," Wade said. "The larger the excess, the larger the magnetic field. These excesses are usually very tiny, requiring many observations or careful processing of the data to tease out the signal. But in the case of NGC 1624-2, it was obvious from our very first observations that a remarkably strong magnetic field was present." 

ESPaDOnS is the most powerful instrument in the world for this kind of work, Wade said. 

Founded in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory hosts a multiple telescopes undertaking a variety of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to one of the world's largest telescopes, the 9.2-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope, a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, Pennsylvania State University, Ludwig Maximilians Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen. An international leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a partner in the Giant Magellan Telescope. 

— END — 

 

Science Contacts:

Dr. Gregg Wade, Royal Military College of Canada: 613-541-1300 (ext. 6140)

Dr. Anne Pellerin, Mount Allison University: 506-364-2582

Media Contacts: 

Rebecca Johnson, Press Officer, McDonald Observatory, Univ. of Texas at Austin: 512-475-6763

Dr. Daniel Devost, Director of Science Operations, Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Corporation: 808-885-3163

Captain Yvette Gregoryev, Public Affairs Officer, Royal Military College of Canada: 613-541-6000 (ext. 6484)

 

CANDELS team discovers dusty galaxies at ancient epoch with Hubble Space Telescope; tracks build-up of star- and planet-forming material

AUSTIN — Dust is an annoyance in everyday life, but an important building block of stars and planets. As such, astronomers need to understand how cosmic dust forms over time — it's an integral step in figuring out the evolution of galaxies, and the stars and planets within them.

 To better understand cosmic dust, University of Texas at Austin assistant professor Steven Finkelstein and colleagues are pursuing one of the largest Hubble Space Telescope projects to date, studying dust in thousands of galaxies over a wide range of cosmic time. They published some early results in a paper lead by Finkelstein in a recent issue of The Astrophysical Journal.

 "We don't yet understand how galaxies build up their dust reservoirs," Finkelstein said. "We know that dust builds up through time, but exactly when the formation of dust begins is unknown."

 Finkelstein is part of a large team of astronomers working to rectify that knowledge gap. They are studying nearly 3,000 galaxies seen 500 million to 1,500 million years after the Big Bang — only a moment after the initial event, when compared to the 13.7-billion-year age of the universe. The project is called CANDELS: the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey.

 Some of the galaxies came from the team's own ongoing Hubble observations: more than 900 orbits studying distant galaxies with the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). They also include data from several other large Hubble galaxy surveys (including Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS) and the Hubble Ultra-Deep Field survey).

 Finkelstein said that previous studies with smaller surveys, including some of his own, appeared to indicate that ancient galaxies were dust free. But CANDELS has found that even at a very early epoch, massive galaxies already contain a lot of dust, in the form of grains of carbon and silicon (in astronomical jargon, "heavy metals").

 "We found something we wouldn't expect," Finkelstein said. "Although dust can form quickly, I don't think many people expected galaxies at only 800 million years after the Big Bang to have a lot of dust. These observations caused us to change our thinking."

 Studying such ancient, and thus faint, galaxies is tricky even for Hubble. Only a miniscule amount of information comes through in the tiny stream of photons they send our way, but their color can be determined. This was the team's quarry. Galaxy colors are a clue to the amount of dust a galaxy contains: The redder a galaxy appears, the more dust it contains. The bluer it appears, the less dust it contains.

 And finding a significant amount of "heavy metal" dust in these early massive galaxies means they must have been forming stars for a while, Finkelstein said. That's because heavy elements were not created in the Big Bang itself. They are built up over time inside stars, as they fuse lighter elements into heavier ones through nuclear fusion at their cores. When a massive star runs through all of this nuclear fuel, it explodes as a spectacular supernova, spewing these heavy elements into the galaxy. These heavy elements are the building blocks for the dust for which CANDELS was looking.

 "These results are very interesting because they tell us that dust does form at early times," he said. "This is important because the same elements that compose the dust grains are necessary for the formation of planets. Also, we think that dust is a key component in allowing hydrogen gas to form molecules, which is necessary for star formation."

 Additionally, the team found that in between 800 million and 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang, "all galaxies — not just massive ones — get dusty," Finkelstein said.

 This work has him excited about the future, Finkelstein said. "The presence of dust means that a previous generation of stars has lived and died. So, when we can peer back to even farther later this decade with JWST [the James Webb Space Telescope], there should be a lot for us to see!"

 — END —


Notes: The CANDELS team maintains a blog about this project.

 

Science contact:

Dr. Steven Finkelstein
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-1483

 

Orionid Meteor Shower to Peak Oct. 20-21

As it does each year, early fall brings crisper air, turning leaves, and the Orionid meteor shower. This year’s best viewing will be in the several hours around midnight Oct. 20 and before dawn on Oct. 21, according to the editors of StarDate magazine.

At its late-night peak, this year’s shower is expected to produce about 25 meteors per hour. The first-quarter moon will set around midnight, so its light will not interfere with the celestial show.

High-resolution images are available online at StarDate’s Media Center. There, you can also sign up to receive advanced e-mail notices of future skywatching events.

Orionid meteors appear to fall from above the star Betelgeuse, the bright orange star marking the shoulder of the constellation Orion. They are not associated with this star or constellation, but instead are leftover debris from Halley’s comet. The Orionid meteors recur each year when Earth passes through the comet’s debris trail.

For the best view, get away from city lights. Look for state or city parks or other safe, dark sites. Lie on a blanket or reclining chair to get a full-sky view. If you can see all of the stars in the Little Dipper, you have good dark-adapted vision. 

Published bi-monthly by The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory, StarDate magazine provides readers with skywatching tips, skymaps, beautiful astronomical photos, astronomy news and features, and each January a 32-page Sky Almanac. The magazine is available in print and digital formats. 

Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the world's largest, which will soon be upgraded to begin the HET Dark Energy Experiment. An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

Production and distribution of StarDate Media are made possible by a grant from AEP Texas.

— END —

 

World's Most Advanced Mirror for Giant Telescope Completed

GMT

The first mirror for the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT), a major next-generation telescope in which The University of Texas at Austin is a founding partner, is now completed. 

Becoming operational in the next decade under dark southern-hemisphere skies, GMT will lead a new generation of giant telescopes that will explore planets around other stars and the formation of stars, galaxies and black holes in the early universe. 

"Our partnership in the GMT will help UT retain its status as one of the top astronomy programs in the United States," said McDonald Observatory director David L. Lambert. "It will give our faculty, researchers, and students access to the world's largest telescope and technology well into the future." 

The telescope's seven mirrors are being built by optical scientists and engineers at the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory Mirror Laboratory. 

This first 8.4-meter (27.5-foot) GMT mirror is the most challenging large astronomical mirror ever made. By the standards used by optical scientists, its “degree of difficulty” is 10 times that of any previous large telescope mirror. The mirror's surface is so smooth that if it were the size of the continental U.S., the highest mountains would be little more than a half-inch high. The second mirror was cast in January, and the third will be cast in August 2013. 

Engineers have polished the mirror into an unusual, highly asymmetric shape that ultimately will fit into a single 25-meter (82-foot) optical surface composed of seven circular segments. Altogether, the seven mirrors working together will provide more than 380 square meters, or 4,000 square feet, of light-collecting area for the telescope.

Other partners in the GMT organization include Texas A&M University, the Carnegie Institution for Science, the Smithsonian Institution, Harvard University, the University of Arizona, the University of Chicago, Astronomy Australia Ltd., the Australian National University, and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute.

 

Contacts:

Dr. David Lambert
Director, McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-3300

Dr. Dan Jaffe
Chair, Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-3302

 

The White Widow Model: A New Scenario for the Birth of Type Ia Supernovae

AUSTIN, Texas — J. Craig Wheeler has studied the exploding stars called supernovae for more than four decades. Now he has a new idea on the identity of the "parents" of one of the most important types of supernovae — the Type Ia, those used as "standard candles" in cosmology studies that led to the discovery of dark energy, the mysterious force causing the universe's expansion to speed up. 

Wheeler lays out his case for supernova parentage in the current issue of The Astrophysical Journal. He explains why he thinks the parents of Type Ia could be a binary star made up of white dwarf star (the burnt-out remnant of a Sun-like star) and a particular type of small star called an “M dwarf.” 

In the paper, he explains that current theories for Type Ia parents don't correctly match up with telescope data on actual supernovae. 

There are two main models today that attempt to explain how Type Ia supernovae are born. One is called a “single-degenerate model,” in which a binary star is made up of a degenerate, or dead star, called a white dwarf paired with a younger star. Over time, as the stars orbit each other, the white dwarf’s gravity siphons gas from the atmosphere of its partner star until the white dwarf becomes so massive and dense that it ignites, triggering an immense thermonuclear explosion. 

Wheeler wrote the first scientific paper invoking this idea in 1971. Astronomers have been trying to identify what type of star the partner must be ever since. 

The other, more recent, theory for building a Type Ia supernova is known as the “double-degenerate model.” Here, it takes two white dwarfs in a binary system spiraling together and colliding to create a Type Ia supernova. 

The telescope data support neither completely, Wheeler says. 

Astronomers have carefully observed supernovae for decades. In the best-case scenario, a supernova is watched from the time it is discovered and becomes extremely bright, until its fades from view. Its light signature, or spectrum, changes over that time. Any models of supernova parents must reproduce an evolving spectrum that matches that of actual supernovae. 

"I believe that the spectra have to be respected,” Wheeler said. "The really high-order constraint [on a supernova model] is to get the spectral evolution correct. That is, you've got to get all the bumps and wiggles, and they've got to be in the right place at the right times." 

Telescope observations in the last few years have considerably narrowed the possibilities on which models work, he said, "putting tighter and tighter constraints on whether any companion star exists and what kind of star it can be." 

Now, Wheeler thinks maybe a new twist on the single-degenerate model can fill the bill. He says pairing the white dwarf with an M dwarf could do the trick. 

"M dwarfs are the most common star in the galaxy, and white dwarfs are the second-most common star in the galaxy,” he said. “And there's lots of M dwarf-white dwarf binary systems. Do they make Type Ia supernovas? That's another question." 

In the paper, he lays out evidence why he thinks the M dwarf is a good candidate: 

First, M dwarfs are dim. In recent years, astronomers using large telescopes have looked hard at the gaseous remnants left behind by Type Ia supernovae for the partner star that would be left behind after the white dwarf detonated. “One thing blows up as a supernova, the other thing's got to be left behind,” Wheeler said. “Where is it? We don't see it.” 

Small, red M dwarfs are dim enough to work — even the most massive M dwarf would not show up on Hubble Space Telescope observations. And it’s even possible, Wheeler said, that the white dwarf could have devoured the entire M dwarf before the white dwarf exploded. M dwarfs don’t have heavy cores to leave behind. 

Wheeler calls this scenario a "white widow system," a play on words referencing the stellar binaries known as "black widow systems," in which a neutron star eats its stellar companion. In the "white widow" case, the predator is a white dwarf. 

The second reason the M dwarf is likely the white dwarf's co-parent in producing Type Ia supernovae is that M dwarfs are magnetic. “They flare, they do all sorts of crazy things,” Wheeler said. His thought experiment supposes that the white dwarf is magnetic as well. “That's the thrust of the paper, to think about what happens if both stars are magnetic,” he said. 

Though astronomers studying other types of stars have included magnetic fields in their theories, "it's just a completely different part of parameter space to bring in the role of magnetic fields in the supernova game,” Wheeler said. But “it is the way nature works. Things are magnetic. The Sun is magnetic; the Earth is magnetic. The magnetic fields are there. Are they big enough to do something?" 

If a magnetic white dwarf and a magnetic M dwarf are in a binary star pair, Wheeler said, their opposite magnetic poles would attract, and they would become tidally and magnetically locked into a rotation in which the same side of each always faces the other and the magnetic poles point directly at one another. In this case, the white dwarf still pulls material off of the M dwarf, but the material would build up on a single spot on the white dwarf that pointed right back at the M dwarf, irradiating it and driving off even more mass, consuming the M dwarf and leading to an eventual explosion. 

Wheeler, the Samuel T. and Fern Yanagisawa Regents Professor in Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin, is the author of the popular-level book "Cosmic Catastrophes: Exploding Stars, Black Holes and Mapping the Universe." He served as president of the American Astronomical Society from 2006 to 2008.

— END —

Media Contact: Rebecca Johnson
Astronomy Program Press Officer
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763 

Science Contact: Dr. J. Craig Wheeler
Samuel T. and Fern Yanagisawa Regents Professor in Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-6407

 

Texas Astronomers Measure Most Massive, Most Unusual Black Hole Using Hobby-Eberly Telescope

NGC 1277

Fort Davis, Texas — Astronomers have used the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory to measure the mass of what may be the most massive black hole yet — 17 billion Suns — in galaxy NGC 1277. The unusual black hole makes up 14 percent of its galaxy's mass, rather than the usual 0.1 percent. This galaxy and several more in the same study could change theories of how black holes and galaxies form and evolve. The work will appear in the journal Nature on Nov. 29.

NGC 1277 lies 220 million light-years away in the constellation Perseus. The galaxy is only ten percent the size and mass of our own Milky Way. Despite NGC 1277's diminutive size, the black hole at its heart is more than 11 times as wide as Neptune's orbit around the Sun.

"This is a really oddball galaxy," said team member Karl Gebhardt of The University of Texas at Austin. "It's almost all black hole. This could be the first object in a new class of galaxy-black hole systems." Furthermore, the most massive black holes have been seen in giant blobby galaxies called "ellipticals," but this one is seen in a relatively small lens-shaped galaxy (in astronomical jargon, a "lenticular galaxy").

The find comes out of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Massive Galaxy Survey (MGS). The study's endgame is to better understand how black holes and galaxies form and grow together, a process that isn't well understood.

"At the moment there are three completely different mechanisms that all claim to explain the link between black hole mass and host galaxies' properties. We do not understand yet which of these theories is best," said Nature lead author Remco van den Bosch, who began this work while holding the W.J. McDonald postdoctoral fellowship at The University of Texas at Austin. He is now at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany.

The problem is lack of data. Astronomers know the mass of fewer than 100 black holes in galaxies. But measuring black hole masses is difficult and time-consuming. So the team developed the HET Massive Galaxy Survey to winnow down the number of galaxies that would be interesting to follow up on.

"When trying to understand anything, you always look at the extremes: the most massive and the least massive," Gebhardt said. "We chose a very large sample of the most massive galaxies in the nearby universe," to learn more about the relationship between black holes and their host galaxies.

Though still ongoing, the team has studied 700 of their 800 galaxies with HET. "This study is only possible with HET," Gebhardt said. "The telescope works best when the galaxies are spread all across the sky. This is exactly what HET was designed for."

In the current paper, the team zeroes in on the top six most massive galaxies. They found that one of those, NGC 1277, had already been photographed by Hubble Space Telescope. This provided measurements of the galaxy’s brightness at different distances from its center. When combined with HET data and various models run via supercomputer, the result was a mass for the black hole of 17 billion Suns (give or take 3 billion).

"The mass of this black hole is much higher than expected," Gebhardt said, "it leads us to think that very massive galaxies have a different physical process in how their black holes grow."

Founded in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory hosts a multiple telescopes undertaking a variety of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to one of the world's largest telescopes, the 9.2-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope, a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, Pennsylvania State University, Ludwig Maximilians Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen. An international leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a partner in the Giant Magellan Telescope.

— END —

Note: More information about black holes, including articles, videos, and images, is available from StarDate's Black Hole Encyclopedia.

Science Contact:

 Dr. Karl Gebhardt
Herman and Joan Suit Professor of Astrophysics
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-1473

 

Neal Evans Named Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

AUSTIN, Texas — Seven faculty members at The University of Texas at Austin, including Dr. Neal Evans II of the Astronomy Department, have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Fellows are chosen annually by their peers to recognize their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.

Evans is the Edward Randall, Jr. M.D. Centennial Professor in Astronomy. AAAS recognized Evans for his major contributions to our knowledge of star and planet formation and meritorious service to the field of astronomy. He led a team of 60 astronomers in a Spitzer Space Telescope Legacy Science Program focused on star formation, one of six major Spitzer surveys that have generated a huge amount of open-access data for astronomers and led to more than 50 scientific papers.

Evans will be honored during the AAAS Fellows Forum at the 2013 AAAS Annual Meeting in Boston on Feb. 16.

Exocomets May be as Common as Exoplanets

The 2.1-meter (82-inch) Otto Struve Telescope at the University of Texas McDonal

News release courtesy UC Berkeley

Comets trailing wispy tails across the night sky are a beautiful byproduct of our solar system’s formation, icy leftovers from 4.6 billion years ago when the planets coalesced from rocky rubble.

The discovery by astronomers at the University of California, Berkeley, and Clarion University in Pennsylvania of six likely comets around distant stars suggests that comets — dubbed “exocomets” — are just as common in other stellar systems with planets. 

Though only one of the 10 stars now thought to harbor comets is known to harbor planets, the fact that all these stars have massive surrounding disks of gas and dust ‑ a signature of exoplanets – makes it highly likely they all do, said Barry Welsh, a research astronomer at UC Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory.

“This is sort of the missing link in current planetary formation studies,” Welsh said. “We see dust disks – presumably the primordial planet-forming material – around a whole load of stars, and we see planets, but we don’t see much of the stuff in between: the asteroid-like planetesimals and the comets. Now, I think we have nailed it. These exocomets are more common and easier to detect than people previously thought.”

Welsh will present the findings on Monday, Jan. 7, during a meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Long Beach, Calif. Three of the new exocomets were reported in the Oct. 2012 issue of the journal Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific by Welsh and colleague Sharon L. Montgomery of the Department of Physics at Clarion University.

Welsh also will participate in a media briefing on Tuesday, Jan. 8, at 2:30 p.m. PST in Room 204 on Level 2 of the Long Beach Convention Center.

Welsh summarized the current theory of planet formation as “interstellar dust under the influence of gravity becomes blobs, and the blobs grow into rocks, the rocks coalesce and become bigger things – planetesimals and comets – and finally, you get planets.”

Many stars are known to be surrounded by disks of gas and dust, and one of the closest, beta-Pictoris (β-Pic), was reported to have comets in 1987. In 2009, astronomers found a large planet around β-Pic about 10 times larger than Jupiter. Three other stars – one discovered by Welsh in 1998 – were subsequently found to have comets.

“But then, people just lost interest. They decided that exocomets were a done deal, and everybody switched to the more exciting thing, exoplanets,” Welsh said. “But I came back to it last year and thought, ‘Four exocomets is not all that many compared to the couple of thousand exoplanets known – perhaps I can improve on that.’”

Detecting comets may sound difficult – after all, the snowballs are typically only 5-20 kilometers (3-13 miles) in diameter. But Welsh said that once comets are knocked out of their parking orbit in the outer reaches of a stellar system and fall toward a star, they heat up and evaporate. The evaporating comet, which is what we see with comets such as Halley and next year’s highly anticipated Comet ISON, creates a brief, telltale absorption line in the spectrum of a star.

The six new exocomet systems were discovered during three five-night-long observing runs between May 2010 and November 2012 using the 2.1-meter telescope of the McDonald Observatory in Texas. The telescope’s high resolution spectrograph revealed weak absorption features that were found to vary from night to night, an outcome that Welsh and Montgomery attributed to large clouds of gas emanating from the nuclei of comets as they neared their central stars.

All of the newly discovered exocomets – 49 Ceti (HD 9672), 5 Vulpeculae (HD 182919), 2 Andromedae, HD 21620, HD 42111 and HD 110411 — are around very young type A stars, which are about 5 million years old, because Welsh’s detection technique works best with them. With a higher resolution spectrograph, he might be able to detect comets around the older and yellower G and F stars around which most exoplanets have been found.

Nevertheless, all evidence suggests that these dusty A stars should have planets, and planets are the only thing that could knock a comet out of its orbit and make it fall toward its star.

“If it quacks, waddles and has feathers, then it’s probably a duck,” he said.

The work was supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

— END —

Media Contact: Robert Sanders, UC Berkeley, 510-643-6998

Sally Dodson-Robinson Wins Annie Jump Cannon Award

Dr. Sally Dodson-Robinson is an assistant professor of astronomy at The Universi

LONG BEACH, Calif. — The American Astronomical Society has awarded Sally Dodson-Robinson, assistant professor of astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin, its Annie Jump Cannon Award for outstanding research and promise for future research by a woman. The prize was awarded at the society's 221st semiannual meeting in Long Beach, California.

Dodson-Robinson was cited for her contributions to the study of the formation of planetary systems, the society said. The award noted her "insights into giant planet formation in our own solar system and in exoplanetary systems arise from combining theoretical modeling with observations of stars and circumstellar disks. She showed that both core accretion and gravitational instability may operate in different regions around stars of different masses to form giant planets."

The American Astronomical Society (AAS), established in 1899 and based in Washington, DC, is the major organization of professional astronomers in North America. Its membership of about 7,500 individuals also includes physicists, mathematicians, geologists, engineers, and others whose research and educational interests lie within the broad spectrum of subjects now comprising contemporary astronomy. The mission of the AAS is to enhance and share humanity’s scientific understanding of the universe.

More information about AAS grants and prizes, including lists of past recipients, can be found at http://aas.org/grants.

— END —

Texas House, Senate Honor McDonald Observatory for 75 Years of Excellence

AUSTIN — Today, the Texas House of Representatives and Senate will honor The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory for 75 years of discovery. The observatory’s 75th anniversary is coming up in May 2014.

 A proclamation sponsored by State Representative Poncho Nevárez (District 74, which includes Jeff Davis and surrounding counties in west Texas) will be read in the House Chamber at approximately 10 a.m.

 At approximately 11 a.m., a resolution sponsored by State Senator José Rodríguez of El Paso will be read in the Senate Chamber.

 Representatives from the university will be on hand in both chambers to receive the proclamation and resolution. They include Dr. Linda Hicke (Dean of the College Natural Sciences), Dr. David L. Lambert (Director of McDonald Observatory), Ms. Sandra Preston (Assistant Director of McDonald Observatory for Education and Outreach), and Dr. Gary Hill (McDonald Observatory Chief Astronomer). Additionally, Mr. Randolph Henry, Chair of the McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors, will attend.

 The observatory plans a full year of activities around the state to celebrate the anniversary. The events will run from September 1, 2013 through August 31, 2014. Plans include a speakers series in multiple cities, an Open House at the observatory, a dedicated website, and more.

 — END —

 

Paul Shapiro Elected to Chair the American Physical Society Division of Astrophysics

Paul R. Shapiro, the Frank N. Edmonds, Jr., Regents Professor in Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin, has been elected to a four-year term to the Chair line of the Division of Astrophysics of the American Physical Society.

The American Physical Society (APS) is the principal professional society in physics in North America. Its Division of Astrophysics represents more than 2,400 scientists working in many fields of astrophysics and cosmology.

APS division chairs are chosen through votes of all division members. Members elected to the Chair line progress through the top offices in the division. Shapiro will serve as Vice Chair in 2013-2014, Chair-Elect in 2014-2015, Chair in 2015-2016, and Chair Emeritus in 2016-2017.

Shapiro was elected a Fellow of the APS in 2011. His citation reads:

“For outstanding contributions to astrophysics and cosmology which advanced our understanding of cosmic reionization, structure formation, gas dynamics, dark matter and dark energy, the interstellar and intergalactic media, and topics from supernova polarization to relativistic shocks."

Shapiro graduated from Harvard with an Astronomy A.B. (Summa Cum Laude, 1974) and Ph.D. (1979). He held a post-doctoral appointment at Princeton’s Institute for Advanced Study (1978 - 1980) before joining The University of Texas at Austin’s astronomy faculty in 1981. At UT, he is also a member of the Physics Department’s Graduate Studies Committee and a founding member of the Texas Cosmology Center.

With about 200 published papers in theoretical astrophysics, Shapiro has served as principal investigator on numerous NASA, National Science Foundation (NSF), and Department of Energy grants.

He has received numerous awards, including an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship in Physics (1984-1988), UT’s Astronomy Teaching Excellence Award (1988), the National Chair of Excellence from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (1997), UT’s John W. Cox Fellowship for Advanced Study in Astronomy (2004-2006), and the NSF TeraGrid '08 Award for pioneering massively-paralleled supercomputer simulation of cosmic reionization.

Shapiro says his latest research focuses on three major questions: How did the first stars and galaxies reionize the universe in the first billion years after the Big Bang? What can observable consequences of this "epoch of reionization" tell us about cosmology? What is the nature of cosmic dark matter?

— END —

Science and Music Under the Stars Saturday in Marfa

Event: McDonald Observatory astronomer Matthew Shetrone and Artistic Director Keith Knopp of Yellow Barn offer insight into the science and art behind popular and classical music in an afternoon presentation followed by a discussion. In the late evening, Yellow Barn percussionists perform Le Noir de l'Etoile, a work celebrating the discovery of pulsars.

When/Where: Saturday, June 1. Presentation and discussion will be at 2 p.m. in the Crowley Theater Annex in Marfa. The performance will be at 9:45 p.m. at Ranch 2810 (gates open at 9 p.m. and close at 9:30 p.m.).

Cost: Both events are free and reservations are not required.

Background:

In 1967, a young astronomer detected in the heavens a rapidly varying radio signal, in the form of periodic impulses 1.3 seconds apart. The discovery caused a sensation. The impulses were so regular that for a while they were taken to be signals coming from extraterrestrial civilizations. — Astrophysicist Jean-Pierre Luminet

In May 2013 Music From Yellow Barn takes Gérard Grisey’s 1981 masterpiece based on the discovery and sounds of pulsars and staged for six percussionists surrounding an audience, to Dallas for sunset and midnight performances at the Nasher Sculpture Center, and then to a remote ranch in Marfa, Texas for its first performance out-of-doors.

On the occasion of an earlier performance of Grisey's Le Noir de l'Etoile at Yellow Barn in Putney, VT Jeremy Eichler wrote for The Boston Globe: "Is there music in the night sky? Of course thinkers from Pythagoras to Johannes Kepler have pondered 'the music of the spheres,' and composers from Gustav Holst to Mark-Anthony Turnage have on occasion waxed astronomical in their own works. But none have addressed the question quite as literally as the French spectralist Gérard Grisey, whose hourlong percussion work of 1989-90, Le Noir de l’Etoile, would seem to settle the matter once and for all. Conceived for six percussionists, tape, and live electronics, the piece takes as its inspiration and musical DNA the captured sounds of two actual pulsars, rhythmically beating from distant corners of the universe."

“There are a few pieces out there that go beyond drumming,” said Eduardo Leandro, a percussionist who has served on the Yellow Barn faculty and first proposed doing the Grisey outdoors. Leandro regards Le Noir de l’Etoile as a landmark 20th-century percussion score on par with iconic works by Varese, Xenakis, and Reich. “These pieces have an artistic and aesthetic core that remind you of the reason why percussion exists.” Each player in the Grisey performs on some 30 noisemaking instruments, from standard gongs to spring coils of the sort used in the shock absorbers of trucks.

In 1986, Grisey began to focus on unpredictability and volatility in music, and the organization of his works became less readily apparent, fractured as they were by abrupt changes and outbursts. In this work he turned to the nature of recently discovered entities in space, pulsars, which exist far outside our solar system, following processes alien to the regularity of the cycles we have come to depend on for life on our planet.

Grisey first heard the rhythmic beating of pulsars in California in 1985 and, in his words, “immediately wondered, like Picasso picking up an old bicycle saddle, what in the world could I do with this?” He chose to build a complex rhythmic world around them, erecting dense structures that set off two prerecorded interludes featuring the noise of the actual pulsars, as captured by radio telescopes. The Vela pulsar, the first of the two, makes a cameo appearance some 20 minutes into the piece.

The first outdoor performance of Le Noir de l'Etoile in Marfa would be a tremendously moving event. “If a performance is convincing, if it is striving for something, if that sense of exploration and that sense of wonder are present, I think an audience will be open to it,” said Seth Knopp, Yellow Barn's Artistic Director. “We don’t play this music out of duty, really, but out of a desire for everyone — the musicians, the audience — to have a full experience of what’s around us, and to try to understand where it came from.”

More information about Yellow Barn and Le Noir de l'Etoile, including images and audio clips, can be found on Yellow Barn's website.

Yellow Barn, an international center for chamber music, encourages discovery in the studio, classroom, and concert hall; explores the craft of musical interpretation; and illuminates our world through the unique experience of music. Through its annual summer educational programs, and its ongoing series of Artist Residencies, outreach workshops and presentations, and collaborative performances, each year Yellow Barn welcomes over 100 musicians from all over the world to Vermont, and reaches more than 4,000 audience members from the local community and across the nation.

 

Texas Astronomers Discover Pulsations in Crystalized, Dying Star

The 2.1-meter (82-inch) Otto Struve Telescope at the University of Texas McDonal

AUSTIN — Astronomers from The University of Texas at Austin and colleagues have used the 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope at the university’s McDonald Observatory to discover pulsations from the crystalized remnant of a burnt-out star. The finding will allow astronomers to see below the star’s atmosphere and into its interior, much like earthquakes allow geologists to study compositions below Earth’s surface. The findings appear in the current issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

 The Texas astronomers made their discovery in collaboration with astronomers from Brazil’s Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, the University of Oklahoma, and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.

 The star, GD 518, is roughly 170 light years from Earth in the constellation Draco, but far too faint to be seen without a telescope. It is a white dwarf, a star at the end of its life cycle that is essentially just a burnt-out core, the ashy byproduct of previous epochs of nuclear fusion.

 The star is unique in that much of it is likely suspended in a state more akin to a solid than a liquid or gas. The interiors of dying stars can become crystalized similar to the way in which frigid water freezes into ice, like the slow formation of glaciers in cooling ocean water.

 "GD 518 is special because it is a very massive white dwarf: It has about 1.2 times the mass of the Sun, packed into a volume smaller than Earth," said lead author J.J. Hermes, a graduate student at The University of Texas at Austin. "Few white dwarfs are endowed with so much mass, and this is by far the most massive white dwarf discovered to pulsate."

 The star also likely has an interior composed of heavier elements than those found in typical burnt-out stars.

 Our Sun will only get hot enough in its center for nuclear fusion to burn hydrogen into helium, and in turn the helium to carbon and oxygen. The Sun will end its life in more than five billion years as a white dwarf with its central regions composed mostly of the nuclei of carbon and oxygen atoms.

 But unlike the Sun, the star that died to become the white dwarf GD 518 was so massive —probably more than seven times the Sun’s mass — that it burned elements heavier than carbon and oxygen, and is now likely a white dwarf composed of oxygen and neon nuclei.

 The discovery of pulsations —periodic brightness changes on the surface of a star that, in this case, keep a regular tune every 400-600 seconds — will allow astronomers an unprecedented opportunity to understand what makes up this highly evolved star’s interior.

 Team member Barbara Castanheira is a postdoctoral researcher with McDonald Observatory. "Like a child at a museum, astronomers are only allowed to look, not touch, when they perform experiments," Castanheira said. "This means we usually can only understand the surface of a star. Pulsations, like the sound of a bell, tell us more of the story, since they can unravel secrets about the much deeper interior of a star."

 White dwarf stars no longer fuse elements in their interior to generate energy; they simply cool, like coal embers removed from a fire. But at a certain point the atomic nuclei in the star's interior get cool enough to begin to settle into a lattice structure and crystalize, just like water freezing into ice. This happens sooner in the interiors of more massive white dwarfs, and in the case of GD 518, it has likely started before the star had the right conditions to excite pulsations. The transition to a solid-like star should also affect the way the white dwarf vibrates from these pulsations.

 Astronomers now face the difficult task of matching the pulsation periods observed in the star with those predicted by different models of the structure of its interior. The discovery observations show promise in this direction, Hermes said.

 "We see evidence that the strength of pulsations in this star are very inconsistent; some nights the star is as still as a whisper," he said. "This could be because the white dwarf is highly crystalized, and the pulsations are only allowed to propagate in a tiny bit of the outermost parts of the star. They thus have little inertia, and are more susceptible to changes than the pulsations in a typical pulsating white dwarf."

 University of Texas astronomers will continue watching GD 518 from McDonald Observatory, listening closely for any new notes that can unravel the song being sung by light from this ultramassive dying star.

This research has been supported by the Norman Hackerman Advanced Research Program and by the National Science Foundation. Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the contintental United States. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the world's largest, which will soon be upgraded to begin the HET Dark Energy Experiment. An internationally known leader in astronomy eduction and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

 — END —

 

Media contact: Rebecca Johnson, 512-475-6763 

Science contacts: 

J.J. Hermes, University of Texas at Austin: 512-517-2442

Dr. Barbara Castanheira, University of Texas at Austin: 512-471-3452 

Dr. Don Winget, University of Texas at Austin: 512-471-3404

 

Mary Kay Hemenway Receives National Award for Outstanding Contributions to Public Understanding of Astronomy

San Francisco — The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) is bestowing its 2013 Klumpke-Roberts Award for outstanding contributions to the public understanding and appreciation of astronomy to Dr. Mary Kay Hemenway of The University of Texas at Austin. Past awardees include Carl Sagan and Isaac Asimov. The award will be presented at the society’s annual meeting in San Francisco on July 23. 

“I’m so pleased to receive this award from a society for which I have great respect, having served as their Board Secretary for eleven and a half years,” Hemenway said. “I’m aware of their great influence on education and outreach not only in North America, but around the world.” 

Hemenway has made contributions to astronomy education and outreach far and wide, beginning in Texas the late 1970s and expanding to the world level in recent years. She currently serves as President of the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU’s) division on Education, Outreach, and Heritage, and was a member of the global planning committee for the IAU’s 2009 International Year of Astronomy. 

Hemenway served as Education Officer for the American Astronomical Society (AAS) for eight years, and on the as Secretary to Board of Directors of the ASP for almost a dozen. For the AAS she directed a national program to involve undergraduates in astronomy research, a teacher professional development program, and a program to bring visiting lecturers to small colleges. 

She began her career at The University of Texas at Austin in 1974, where she has instructed thousands of undergraduates, graduate students, and K-12 teachers. For 30 years, Hemenway headed the astronomy department’s Educational Services Office. She has been a senior lecturer in that department, as well as a research associate at the university’s McDonald Observatory. 

At McDonald Observatory, Hemenway led education programs for K-12 teachers and students. She ran more than 30 summer teacher professional development workshops, developed exhibits for the observatory, writing curriculum for K-12 and undergraduate education, and worked directly with schools and science teacher organizations. 

More information about this award, and a listing of past awardees, is available here.

— END —

 

Media Contacts:

Rebecca Johnson
Astronomy Program PIO
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Kathryn Harper
Director of Development & Communications
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
415-715-1406

Northrop Grumman to Sponsor StarDate

AUSTIN — Northrop Grumman, a leading global security company and NASA’s partner building the James Webb Space Telescope, will become official sponsor of the nationally syndicated StarDate radio program starting Sept. 1. StarDate is produced by The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory.

The sponsorship brings together the builder of some of NASA’s greatest space missions with the longest running national radio science feature in the United States, produced by one of the country’s top-ranked academic astronomy programs.

“We are delighted that Northrop Grumman is partnering with McDonald Observatory as official sponsor of StarDate,” said observatory director Dr. David L. Lambert. “This support will provide a major boost for our programs designed to strengthen science education in Texas and throughout the country.”

StarDate is a daily two-minute radio program heard by 2 million listeners on more than 300 radio stations across the United States. Programs tell listeners what to look for in the night sky and explain astronomical science, history and skylore, while keeping listeners up to date on the latest research findings and space missions. StarDate Online draws more than 4 million annual unique visitors with continually updated skywatching tips, graphics and a plethora of information from black holes to extrasolar planets to the fate of the universe.

Northrop Grumman has partnered with NASA for decades, including on the Chandra X-ray Observatory, the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) and currently the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), successor to the Hubble Space Telescope.

“The public has been transfixed by the repeated wonders that Hubble has beamed down to Earth,” said University of Texas at Austin astronomer Steven Finkelstein. “JWST will simultaneously peer to the distant reaches of the universe, while also directly imaging planets around other stars in our galaxy. These two topics are intense areas of research at The University of Texas, and we expect to be at the forefront of these major discoveries.”

StarDate will continue to cover those discoveries and much more.

Founded in 1939, The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a variety of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to one of the world's largest telescopes, the consortium-run 9.2-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope, and is pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a partner in the Giant Magellan Telescope. The observatory is an international leader in astronomy education and outreach, with “StarDate” radio as its flagship outreach vehicle.

— END —

Sponsorship Contacts:

Sandra Preston, Asst. Dir. for Education and Outreach
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6765 

Joel Barna, Development Manager
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-6335

 

Alan Y. Chow Telescope Dedicated at McDonald Observatory's Frank N. Bash Visitors Center

Chow Telescope

This six-minute video describes the journey the telescope took from Dr. Chow on its way to McDonald. Video by Jeff Chow — www.jeffchowonline.com

FORT DAVIS — The new Alan Y. Chow Telescope was dedicated July 27 at McDonald Observatory during the semi-annual meeting of the University of Texas at Austin Astronomy Program’s Board of Visitors. (A 45-minute video of the entire dedication ceremony is available here.)

 Rather than break a bottle of champagne over the telescope, the ceremony included the stomping of a jalapeno.

 The Chow Telescope will be used during Star Parties and other public programs. It will also give elementary and secondary teachers and students access to a professional instrument for research, and be used to train those teachers at the observatory’s summer teacher workshops.

 Housed in a new dome within the Rebecca Gale Telescope Park behind the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center, the Chow Telescope is a 24-inch Ritchey-Chrétien-type manufactured by RCOS. Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope (LCOGT), a global science and education astrophysics program operating more than a dozen robotic telescopes around the world, provided the dome and integrated the telescope into their global system.

 Dr. Alan Chow of Glen Ellyn, Illinois donated the telescope. A physician, inventor, teacher, and dedicated amateur astronomer, Dr. Chow is interested in getting the public and students excited about astronomy. He hopes the placement of the Chow Telescope at McDonald will allow them to experience the wonders of the night sky through it with their own eyes.

 LCOGT director and founder Wayne Rosing noted that, "Doctor Chow's generous donation, and his wish to make astronomy available to students and enthusiasts who cannot necessarily visit McDonald, gave us the opportunity to make it possible to run the telescope either manually or remotely whenever it is clear and dark in West Texas."

 In addition to Dr. Chow, other major supporters of this project include Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope, Wayne Rosing and Dorothy Largay, the estate of Leopold Tedesco, and the Frank & Susan Bash Endowed Chair for the Director of the McDonald Observatory.

 Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the world's largest, which will soon be upgraded to begin the HET Dark Energy Experiment. An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

— END —

Anne and Howard Adkins Re-Elected to McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors

Anne Adkins

FORT DAVIS — Anne and Howard Adkins of Fort Davis have been re-elected to a three-year term as Members of The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory and Department of Astronomy Board of Visitors.

 ”As an amateur astronomer in Texas, I have long been interested in the leading edge science being conducted at McDonald Observatory, and Howard shares my interests in both astronomy and science,” says Mrs. Adkins.

 Mr. and Mrs. Adkins joined the Board of Visitors in 2005.

 The Board of Visitors is a supporter’s group for the Texas Astronomy Program. It has accomplished great things, from funding chairs, professorships, and fellowships at the University, to developing private contributions for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory. The Board’s Planned Giving Committee raises funds for the Observatory’s future, and the Lighting Ordinance Committee ensures that McDonald enjoys the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States.

 Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby- Eberly Telescope (a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen). An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

 — END —

 

Wayne and Barbara Alexander Re-Elected to McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors

Wayne Alexander

FORT DAVIS — Wayne and Barbara Alexander of San Antonio have been re-elected to a three-year term as Members of The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory and Department of Astronomy Board of Visitors.

 ”We became interested in 2000 when we were invited to attend a meeting of the Board of Visitors at Ft. Davis by dear friends Phyllis and Curtis Vaughan,” Wayne Alexander said. “Both of us have a fascination about our universe and its mysteries and while there that weekend we discovered the amazing scientific research and educational outreach going on with McDonald and the Department of Astronomy. We were immediately hooked. We have loved every aspect of our continuing involvement with the BOV ever since.”

 Mr. and Mrs. Alexander joined the Board of Visitors in 2000. Wayne Alexander was also elected Chair of Board of Visitors at the July 27, 2013, meeting. In other civic service, he is Chairman of the Board for the Port Authority of San Antonio.

 The Board of Visitors is a supporter’s group for the Texas Astronomy Program. It has accomplished great things, from funding chairs, professorships, and fellowships at the University, to developing private contributions for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory. The Board’s Planned Giving Committee raises funds for the Observatory’s future, and the Lighting Ordinance Committee ensures that McDonald enjoys the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States.

 Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby- Eberly Telescope (a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen). An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

 — END —

 

Dr. John Anderson Gerling Re-Elected to McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors

John Gerling

FORT DAVIS — Dr. John Anderson Gerling of McAllen has been re-elected to a three-year term as a Member of The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory and Department of Astronomy Board of Visitors. Dr. Gerling is an orthodontist practicing in McAllen.

 ”I am involved with McDonald Observatory because of its dedication to the scientific endeavor both in research and education,” Dr. Gerling said.

 Dr. Gerling joined the Board of Visitors in 2003. He maintains multiple board memberships and is the current board president for Quinta Mazatlan. He says that his main purpose in board service is to promote scientific literacy in the community, and he believes the McDonald Observatory serves in the forefront of this effort and is one of the most important research centers in astronomy.

 The Board of Visitors is a supporter’s group for the Texas Astronomy Program. It has accomplished great things, from funding chairs, professorships, and fellowships at the University, to developing private contributions for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory. The Board’s Planned Giving Committee raises funds for the Observatory’s future, and the Lighting Ordinance Committee ensures that McDonald enjoys the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States.

 Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby- Eberly Telescope (a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen). An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

 — END —

 

Mr. and Mrs. Mike Gibson Re-Elected to McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors

Mike Gibson

FORT DAVIS — Mr. and Mrs. Mike Gibson of Houston have been re-elected to a three-year term as Members of The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory and Department of Astronomy Board of Visitors.

 ”My interest in astronomy was started in my childhood by accompanying my father on visits to Chicago's Hayden Planetarium and Museum of Science and Industry,” Mr. Gibson said. “Later, this was stimulated by my work as an Army Corps of Engineers officer assigned to NASA during the Apollo, Skylab, and early shuttle programs and highlighted by my participation in the Apollo 13 rescue. The small business I co-founded worked with NASA and Japanese construction company Shimizu on lunar oxygen process research. Another BOV and fellow Explorers Club member, Paul Teten, was also very helpful in encouraging me to join the BOV.”

 Mr. and Mrs. Gibson joined the Board of Visitors in 2010.

 The Board of Visitors is a supporter’s group for the Texas Astronomy Program. It has accomplished great things, from funding chairs, professorships, and fellowships at the University, to developing private contributions for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory. The Board’s Planned Giving Committee raises funds for the Observatory’s future, and the Lighting Ordinance Committee ensures that McDonald enjoys the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States.

 Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby- Eberly Telescope (a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen). An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

 — END —

 

Mr. Ted Gray, Jr., Elected to McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors

Ted Gray

FORT DAVIS — Mr. Ted Gray, Jr., of Austin has been elected to a three-year term as a Member of The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory and Department of Astronomy Board of Visitors. Mr. Gray is Senior Vice President, Wealth Management, with UBS Financial Services in Austin.

 ”My roots are in West Texas, and I hope to facilitate goodwill among the locals and the scientific community there. I find science in general fascinating, and astronomy is the first among equals,” Mr. Gray said.

 Mr. Gray is also active with the organization Austin Groups for the Elderly.

 The Board of Visitors is a supporter’s group for the Texas Astronomy Program. It has accomplished great things, from funding chairs, professorships, and fellowships at the University, to developing private contributions for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory. The Board’s Planned Giving Committee raises funds for the Observatory’s future, and the Lighting Ordinance Committee ensures that McDonald enjoys the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States.

 Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby- Eberly Telescope (a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen). An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

 — END —

 

Mr. John M. Heasley Re-Elected to McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors

John Heasley

FORT DAVIS — Mr. John M. Heasley of Austin has been re-elected to a three-year term as a Member of The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory and Department of Astronomy Board of Visitors. Mr. Heasley is Executive Vice President and General Counsel of the Texas Bankers Association.

 Mr. Heasley has headed the Board of Visitors Legislative Affairs Committee since he joined in 2001. He served as the Board of Visitors Chair in 2008 and 2009.

 The Board of Visitors is a supporter’s group for the Texas Astronomy Program. It has accomplished great things, from funding chairs, professorships, and fellowships at the University, to developing private contributions for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory. The Board’s Planned Giving Committee raises funds for the Observatory’s future, and the Lighting Ordinance Committee ensures that McDonald enjoys the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States.

 Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby- Eberly Telescope (a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen). An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

 — END —

 

David R. King Re-Elected to McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors

David King

FORT DAVIS — David R. King of Austin has been re-elected to a three-year term as a Member of The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory and Department of Astronomy Board of Visitors.

 ”My father was one of the early Board of Visitor members and brought me along to the summer meetings when I was a kid because of my love for astronomy. I eventually became an entrepreneur in Austin and decided to join as a member myself,” Mr. King said. “I love the work that Observatory does with its education and outreach programs which benefits thousands of students each year by providing onsite teacher workshops and web-based astronomy programs. They also produce the StarDate radio program, which reaches millions of listeners each week.”

 Mr. King joined the Board of Visitors in 1997.

 The Board of Visitors is a supporter’s group for the Texas Astronomy Program. It has accomplished great things, from funding chairs, professorships, and fellowships at the University, to developing private contributions for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory. The Board’s Planned Giving Committee raises funds for the Observatory’s future, and the Lighting Ordinance Committee ensures that McDonald enjoys the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States.

 Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby- Eberly Telescope (a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen). An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

 — END —

 

Mr. Robert B. Neblett, III Re-Elected to McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors

Robert Neblett

FORT DAVIS — Mr. Robert B. Neblett, III of Austin has been re-elected to a three-year term as a Member of The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory and Department of Astronomy Board of Visitors. Mr. Neblett is a partner in the Austin office of Jackson Walker, L.L.P. He heads Jackson Walker's Eminent Domain section firmwide and the Litigation section in Austin.

”I support McDonald Observatory because my personal interest in astronomy blends nicely with the outstanding work being done by UT astronomers at the McDonald Observatory, and it is a privilege to support such a worthy cause,” Mr. Neblett said.

Mr. Neblett joined the Board of Visitors in 2010.

The Board of Visitors is a supporter’s group for the Texas Astronomy Program. It has accomplished great things, from funding chairs, professorships, and fellowships at the University, to developing private contributions for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory. The Board’s Planned Giving Committee raises funds for the Observatory’s future, and the Lighting Ordinance Committee ensures that McDonald enjoys the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States.

Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby- Eberly Telescope (a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen). An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

— END —

Mr. David Rose Elected to McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors

David Rose

FORT DAVIS — Mr. David Rose of Houston has been elected to a three-year term as a Member of The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory and Department of Astronomy Board of Visitors. Mr. Rose is a space industry systems engineer and manager whose career has spanned both NASA and commercial human space flight programs.

 ”As both a University of Texas at Austin graduate and a space-industry insider, I have closely followed the Texas Astronomy program, and can be found looking 'up' whenever eclipses, comets, orbiting satellites or other celestial events grace the skies overhead,” Mr. Rose said.

 Mr. Rose and his wife, Kelly, are both originally from Miami, Florida but have lived in Houston since attending college. Kelly is an attorney with a Houston law firm. Active in the Houston arts community, Kelly and David are patrons of the Houston Grand Opera. Kelly currently serves on the board of the Houston Area Women's Center, an organization that provides shelter, counseling and advocacy for victims of domestic and sexual violence. David is Vice President of Lanier Friends of Music Education, a parent group that raises funds to support Lanier Middle School music programs. David and Kelly are also generous contributors to United Way and several other organizations working to cure disease and assist people in need around the world.

 The Board of Visitors is a supporter’s group for the Texas Astronomy Program. It has accomplished great things, from funding chairs, professorships, and fellowships at the University, to developing private contributions for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory. The Board’s Planned Giving Committee raises funds for the Observatory’s future, and the Lighting Ordinance Committee ensures that McDonald enjoys the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States.

 Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby- Eberly Telescope (a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen). An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

 — END —

 

Mr. Eugene Sepulveda Re-Elected to McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors

Eugene Sepulveda

FORT DAVIS — Mr. Eugene Sepulveda of Austin and Marfa, Texas, has been re-elected to a three-year term as a Member of The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory and Department of Astronomy Board of Visitors. Mr. Sepulveda is CEO of the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Central Texas in Austin.

 ”It doesn’t take too many visits to become an evangelist for the McDonald Observatory,” Mr Sepulveda said. “Joining the Board of Visitors was just the next step.”

 Mr. Sepulveda joined the Board of Visitors in 2010. He has also been active with the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Central Texas, the McCombs School of Business, The University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre & Dance, and Marfa Public Radio.

 The Board of Visitors is a supporter’s group for the Texas Astronomy Program. It has accomplished great things, from funding chairs, professorships, and fellowships at the University, to developing private contributions for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory. The Board’s Planned Giving Committee raises funds for the Observatory’s future, and the Lighting Ordinance Committee ensures that McDonald enjoys the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States.

 Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby- Eberly Telescope (a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen). An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

 — END —

 

Klaus and Charla Weiswurm Re-Elected to McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors

Klaus Weiswurm

FORT DAVIS — Klaus and Charla Weiswurm of Comal County have been re-elected to a three-year term as Members of The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory and Department of Astronomy Board of Visitors.

 ”As the CEO of ITM, Inc., of Schertz, an engineering firm that specializes in high-tech R&D, science and space exploration have always been of interest to me,” Mr. Weiswurm said. “Getting to meet with like-minded folks and discuss cutting-edge discoveries with recognized experts is a great pleasure. ”

 Mr. and Mrs. Weiswurm joined the Board of Visitors in 2005. Mr. Weiswurm is a member of the Advisory Council for the College of Engineering of the University of Texas at San Antonio. He served until last January as the Chair of the Alamo Area Academies, and he was previously on the Curriculum Committee of The University of Texas at Austin's Cockrell School of Engineering.

 The Board of Visitors is a supporter’s group for the Texas Astronomy Program. It has accomplished great things, from funding chairs, professorships, and fellowships at the University, to developing private contributions for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory. The Board’s Planned Giving Committee raises funds for the Observatory’s future, and the Lighting Ordinance Committee ensures that McDonald enjoys the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States.

 Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby- Eberly Telescope (a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen). An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

 — END —

 

Don Winget Receives Regents' Outstanding Teaching Award

The Board of Regents of The University of Texas System has chosen Dr. Don Winget from The University of Texas at Austin to receive a 2013 Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award, its highest teaching honor. The award was presented August 21 in a ceremony at the Etter-Harbin Alumni Center on the UT Austin campus. 

Winget is the Harlan J. Smith Centennial Professor in Astronomy at the university, and a University Distinguished Teaching Professor. He has also received teaching accolades from the College of Natural Sciences, the McDonald Observatory and Department of Astronomy Board of Visitors, and the university’s Dad’s Association.

The Regents’ awards program honors outstanding performance in the classroom and dedication to innovation in undergraduate instruction.

“Undergraduate teaching is critical to the mission of our university,” said Steven Leslie, executive vice president and provost of UT Austin. “During their years on campus, students are inspired to learn, think critically and solve society’s issues. These outstanding faculty members are shaping our next generation of leaders and problem-solvers. This recognition from the Board of Regents is well-deserved.”

Established in 2008, the Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Awards program recognizes educators who deliver the highest quality of undergraduate instruction through demonstrated excellence in teaching and sustained excellence in all aspects of instruction. Faculty members undergo a series of rigorous evaluations by students, peer faculty members and external reviewers. The review panels consider a range of activities and criteria in their evaluations including classroom expertise, curricula quality, innovative course development and student learning outcomes.

— END —

Texas Astronomers Unravel 20-Year Dark Matter Mystery with New Computer Models

The Lonestar supercomputer is a resource of the Texas Advanced Computing Center

AUSTIN — Astronomers at The University of Texas at Austin believe they have discovered the answer to a 20-year debate over how the mysterious cosmic “dark matter” is distributed in small galaxies. Graduate student John Jardel and his advisor Karl Gebhardt found that the distribution, on average, follows a simple law of decreasing density from the galaxy’s center, although the exact distribution often varies from galaxy to galaxy. The findings are published today in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Dark matter is matter that gives off no light, but that astronomers detect by seeing its gravitational tug on other objects (like stars). Theories abound on what dark matter might be made of — unseen particles, dead stars, and more — but nobody knows for sure. Though mysterious, understanding the nature of dark matter is important, because it makes up most of the matter in the universe. The only way to understand how the cosmos evolved to its present state is to decode dark matter’s role.

For that reason, astronomers study the distribution of dark matter within galaxies and on even larger scales. Dwarf galaxies, in particular, make great laboratories to study dark matter, Jardel says, because they contain up to 1,000 times more dark matter than normal matter. Normal galaxies like the Milky Way, on the other hand, contain only 10 times more dark matter than normal matter.

For the past 20 years, observational astronomers and theorists have debated how dark matter is distributed in galaxies. Observational astronomers, through their studies of telescope data, have argued that galaxies have a fairly uniform distribution of dark matter throughout. Theorists, backed by computer simulations from the 1990s, have argued that dark matter density decreases steadily from a galaxy’s core to its hinterlands. The disagreement is known as the “core/cusp debate.”

Jardel’s work set out to study the question using both data from telescopes and newly developed computer modeling. The project started out “not assuming core or cusp theory is right,” he says, “but just asking ‘what is it?.’ These new models allowed us to take this approach.”

Jardel used telescope observations of several of the satellite galaxies orbiting the Milky Way, including the Carina, Draco, Fornax, Sculptor, and Sextans dwarf galaxies. The work involved running many supercomputer models for each galaxy to determine the distribution of dark matter within it, using the university’s Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC).

He found that in some of the galaxies, the dark matter density decreased steadily from the center. In others, the density held constant. And some galaxies fell in between. However, when all the galaxies’ distributions were analyzed together, the results showed that on average, the theorists were right.

“When you look at individual galaxies,” Jardel says, “some of them look wildly different from expectations. However, when you average several galaxies together, these differences tend to cancel each other out.” This seems to suggest that the theory behind dark matter in galaxies is correct on the whole, but that “each galaxy develops slightly differently.”

The results do “pose more questions — questions about dark matter itself, and how normal matter interacted with dark matter” to form the types of galaxies seen today, Jardel says.

Possible next steps in this research include getting more telescope observations of these galaxies, both their centers and their extreme outlying regions, to understand the distribution of dark matter within them even better. More theory is also needed to explain the details of why certain galaxies’ dark matter halos deviate from the norm.

This work was partially funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

— END —

Science contacts:

John Jardel
Graduate student, Dept. of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-1495

Dr. Karl Gebhardt
Herman and Joan Suit Professor in Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-1473

 

Texas Astronomers Use ALMA to Reveal Luminous Starbirth in the Milky Way

Release text courtesy of the Joint ALMA Observatory

Thanks to data detected with the ALMA radio telescope, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, University of Texas at Austin astronomers and others were able to detect a star in formation — a protostar — that appears to be one of the brightest and massive found in our galaxy. 

Massive stars evolve rapidly, with a lifetime of just a few million years until they explode in a supernova. Their lives are short in comparison to stars such as the Sun, with a lifetime of 9 billion years. Because of this, massive stars are rare in our galaxy and little is known about their formation. However, they play a key role in the evolution of galaxies.

"They are the main source of heavy elements and ultraviolet radiation, affecting the formation process of stars and planets, as well as the physical, chemical and morphological structure of galaxies," said the principal author of the study, Manuel Merello, a doctoral student at The University of Texas who holds a master's degree from the University of Chile. However, Merello added, "It's difficult to observe the 'birth' and early phases of this type of star, so being able to do this with ALMA helps us better understand the interaction between the radiation and wind generated by these kinds of objects with the interstellar medium that surrounds them in the very early stages." 

The study focused on the observation of a giant molecular cloud known as G331.5-0.1, which is located in the Norma spiral arm, in the Milky Way, some 24,000 light years from Earth. "In the center of the molecular cloud we had discovered carbon emissions of speeds up to 100 km/s (360,000 km/h), but we didn't know how it was created" said Guido Garay, an academic with the University of Chile and member of the research team. "Today ALMA, with its extremely high sensitivity and fine angular resolution, allows us to study the physical processes occurring in these types of objects and find surprising things." 

Using a tracer (to track the emission of silicon monoxide, SiO), the astronomers were able to observe collisions between the jet of gas ejected between the object and its environment, revealing the existence of a very massive, bright star in formation, which ejected jets of gas that were highly collimated (that is, in a very narrow cone). 

The astronomers also found a second, lower-speed molecular structure with spherical symmetry. "It's like a shell," said Garay. The results of this study show that two types of stellar wind appear in the formation process of this star: a highly collimated one that generates the jet and another spherically symmetrical one that produces the shell, which is something never been seen before. 

"Thanks to the high sensitivity and angular resolution of ALMA, scientists are now able to study the characteristics of formation of high mass protostars in a detail that could never have been done before," said Lars Nyman, ALMA Head of Science Operations and member of the research team. 

More information 

The research findings are presented in the article "ALMA observations of the massive molecular outflow G331.512−0.103," published in the Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 774, of September 1, 2013. 

The research team members are: M. Merello (University of Chile, University of Texas), L. Bronfman (University of Chile), G. Garay (University of Chile), N. Lo (Universidad de Chile), N. J. Evans (University of Texas), L. Nyman (Joint ALMA Observatory), J. Cortés (Joint ALMA Observatory), and M. R. Cunningham (University of New South Wales, UNSW). 

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of Europe, North America and East Asia in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA is funded in Europe by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), in North America by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) in cooperation with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the National Science Council of Taiwan (NSC) and in East Asia by the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) of Japan in cooperation with the Academia Sinica (AS) in Taiwan. ALMA construction and operations are led on behalf of Europe by ESO, on behalf of North America by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), which is managed by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI) and on behalf of East Asia by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). The Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) provides the unified leadership and management of the construction, commissioning and operation of ALMA.

 

Additional media contacts:

Valeria Foncea, Education and Public Outreach Officer, Joint ALMA Observatory: +56 2 467 6258; Cell: +56 9 75871963

Charles E. Blue, Public Information Officer, National Radio Astronomy Observatory: 1 434 296 0314; 1 434.242.9559

Lars Lindberg Christensen, Head, ESO education and Public Outreach Department: +49 173 38 72 621

Masaaki Hiramatsu, Education and Public Outreach Officer, NAOJ: Tel: +81 422 34 3630

 

McDonald Observatory Celebrates 75 Years of Discovery

A yearlong celebration is underway to celebrate the 75th anniversary of The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory. Located in West Texas near Fort Davis, the observatory was dedicated May 5, 1939, and has supported some of the most important astronomical discoveries of recent decades about everything from extrasolar planets to exotic stars to black holes.

Celebration plans include a speaker series featuring University of Texas astronomers in multiple cities across the state. The series will kick off in Austin on Saturday, Oct. 19, when former McDonald director Frank Bash will speak on “McDonald Observatory and the Frontier” at 7 p.m. in the Blanton Museum’s Edgar A. Smith building. The event is free and open to the public.

Other speaker events are planned for Abilene, Alpine, Dallas, Fort Davis, Fort Worth, Houston, Laredo, Midland, Paris (birthplace of observatory benefactor William J. McDonald), and San Antonio. In addition:

• Next summer, the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum will feature an exhibit on the observatory’s 75-year Texas story. 

• Free telescope viewings for local residents began this summer at the observatory and continue into fall, honoring the contributions of the West Texas communities to the observatory’s success. An Open House is planned for next spring.

• The observatory has offered free educational videoconferences for schools in Texas and across the nation in recent weeks in honor of its anniversary.

Event information is posted on the anniversary page of the observatory’s website, which will be updated frequently in the coming months.

Visitors to the anniversary Web pages also may share their memories and photos of McDonald on a new interactive blog called “Share Your Story,” peruse a timeline of observatory history and watch several historical videos

Texas Monthly is the official media sponsor of the observatory’s 75th anniversary year. Other sponsors include Making Texas History sponsor Joseph Orr; Galaxy sponsor Carol Whitcraft Fredericks; Supernova sponsors Grant and Sherri Roane, and Ralph and Bette Thomas; and Star sponsors Ted Gray Jr., Frances and Genie Wright, and Rick Herman and Margaret O'Donnell. Additional support has been provided by Humanities Texas, Hillcrest Foundation, The Whitley Group and Whole Earth Provision Co. 

The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET), one of the world's largest, which is now being upgraded to begin the HET Dark Energy Experiment. An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

— END —

 

Sky Survey Captures Key Details of Cosmic Explosions

A pair of recently published studies shed light on the study of the exploding stars known as supernovae. One of these teams includes University of Texas at Austin supernova expert and professor J. Craig Wheeler.

“We are in a new world of identifying supernova progenitor stars and the explosions very early, allowing more thorough study,” Wheeler said. “The event iPTF13bvn allowed both,” he added, referring to the study published September 20 in The Astrophysical Journal.

The following text explaining both supernova studies is provided courtesy of Caltech.

Developed to help scientists learn more about the complex nature of celestial objects in the universe, astronomical surveys have been cataloguing the night sky since the beginning of the 20th century. The intermediate Palomar Transient Factory (iPTF)—led by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech)—started searching the skies for certain types of stars and related phenomena in February. Since its inception, iPTF has been extremely successful in the early discovery and rapid follow-up studies of transients—astronomical objects whose brightness changes over timescales ranging from hours to days—and two recent papers by iPTF astronomers describe first-time detections: one, the progenitor of a rare type of supernova in a nearby galaxy; the other, the afterglow of a gamma-ray burst in July.

The iPTF builds on the legacy of the Caltech-led Palomar Transient Factory (PTF), designed in 2008 to systematically chart the transient sky by using a robotic observing system mounted on the 48-inch Samuel Oschin Telescope on Palomar Mountain near San Diego, California. This state-of-the-art, robotic telescope scans the sky rapidly over a thousand square degrees each night to search for transients.

Supernovae—massive exploding stars at the end of their life span—make up one important type of transient. Since PTF's commissioning four years ago, its scorecard stands at over 2,000 spectroscopically classified supernovae. The unique feature of iPTF is brand-new technology that is geared toward fully automated, rapid response and follow-up within hours of discovery of a new supernova.

The first paper, "Discovery, Progenitor and Early Evolution of a Stripped Envelope Supernova iPTF13bvn," appears in the September 20 issue of Astrophysical Journal Letters and describes the detection of a so-called Type Ib supernova. Type Ib supernovae are rare explosions where the progenitor star lacks an outer layer of hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, hence the "stripped envelope" moniker. It has proven difficult to pin down which kinds of stars give rise to Type Ib supernovae. One of the most promising ideas, says graduate student and lead author Yi Cao, is that they originate from Wolf-Rayet stars. These objects are 10 times more massive and thousands of times brighter than the sun and have lost their hydrogen envelope by means of very strong stellar winds. Until recently, no solid evidence existed to support this theory. Cao and colleagues believe that a young supernova that they discovered, iPTF13bvn, occurred at a location formerly occupied by a likely Wolf-Rayet star.

Supernova iPTF13bvn was spotted on June 16, less than a day after the onset of its explosion. With the aid of the adaptive optics system used by the 10-meter Keck telescopes in Hawaii—which reduces the blurring effects of Earth's atmosphere—the team obtained a high-resolution image of this supernova to determine its precise position. Then they compared the Keck image to a series of pictures of the same galaxy (NGC 5806) taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2005, and found one starlike source spatially coincident to the supernova. Its intrinsic brightness, color, and size—as well as its mass-loss history, inferred from supernova radio emissions—were characteristic of a Wolf-Rayet star. 

"All evidence is consistent with the theoretical expectation that the progenitor of this Type Ib supernova is a Wolf-Rayet star," says Cao. "Our next step is to check for the disappearance of this progenitor star after the supernova fades away. We expect that it will have been destroyed in the supernova explosion."

Though Wolf-Rayet progenitors have long been predicted for Type Ib supernova, the new work represents the first time researchers have been able to fill the gap between theory and observation, according to study coauthor and Caltech alumna Mansi Kasliwal (PhD '11). "This is a big step in our understanding of the evolution of massive stars and their relation to supernovae," she says.

The second paper, "Discovery and Redshift of an Optical Afterglow in 71 degrees squared: iPTF13bxl and GRB 130702A," appears in the October 20 issue of Astrophysical Journal Letters. Lead author Leo Singer, a Caltech grad student, describes finding and characterizing the afterglow of a long gamma-ray burst (GRB) as being similar to digging a needle out of a haystack. 

Long GRBs, which are the brightest known electromagnetic events in the universe, are also connected with the deaths of rapidly spinning, massive stars. Although such GRBs initially are detected by their high-energy radiation—GRB 130702A, for example, was first located by NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope—an X-ray or visible-light afterglow must also be found to narrow down a GRB's position enough so that its location can be pinpointed to one particular galaxy and to determine if it is associated with a supernova.

After Fermi's initial detection of GRB 130702A, iPTF was able to narrow down the GRB's location by scanning an area of the sky over 360 times larger than the face of the moon and sifting through hundreds of images using sophisticated machine-learning software; it also revealed the visible-light counterpart of the burst, designated iPTF13bxl. This is the first time that a GRB's position has been determined precisely using optical telescopes alone.

After making the initial correlation between the GRB and the afterglow, Singer and colleagues corroborated their results and gained additional information using a host of other instruments, including optical, X-ray, and radio telescopes. In addition, ground-based telescopes around the world monitored the afterglow for days as it faded away, and recorded the emergence of a supernova five days later.

According to Singer, GRB130702A / iPTF13bxl turned out to be special in many ways.

"First, by measuring its redshift, we learned that it was pretty nearby as far as GRBs go," he says. "It was pretty wimpy compared to most GRBs, liberating only about a thousandth as much energy as the most energetic ones. But we did see it eventually turn into a supernova. Typically we only detect supernovae in connection with nearby, subluminous GRBs, so we can't be certain that cosmologically distant GRBs are caused by the same kinds of explosions."

"The first results from iPTF bode well for the discovery of many more supernovae in their infancy and many more afterglows from the Fermi satellite", says Shrinivas Kulkarni, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Professor of Astronomy and Planetary Science at Caltech and principal investigator for both the PTF and iPTF.

The iPTF project is a scientific collaboration between Caltech; Los Alamos National Laboratory; the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; the Oskar Klein Centre in Sweden; the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel; the TANGO Program of the University System of Taiwan; and the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe in Japan.

— END —

Science contact:

Dr. J. Craig Wheeler
Samuel T. and Fern Yanagisawa Regents Professor in Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471- 6407

Texas Astronomer Discovers Most Distant Known Galaxy

Artist concept

AUSTIN, Texas — University of Texas at Austin astronomer Steven Finkelstein has led a team that has discovered and measured the distance to the most distant galaxy ever found. The galaxy is seen as it was at a time just 700 million years after the Big Bang.

Although observations with NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have identified many other candidates for galaxies in the early universe, including some that might perhaps be even more distant, this galaxy is the farthest and earliest whose distance can be definitively confirmed with follow-up observations from the Keck I telescope, one of a pair of the world’s largest Earth-bound telescopes.

The result will be published in the Oct. 24 issue of the journal Nature.

“We want to study very distant galaxies to learn how galaxies change with time, which helps us understand how the Milky Way came to be,” Finkelstein said.

That’s what makes this confirmed galaxy distance so exciting, because “we get a glimpse of conditions when the universe was only about 5 percent of its current age of 13.8 billion years,” said Casey Papovich of Texas A&M University, second author of the study.

Astronomers can study how galaxies evolve because light travels at a certain speed, about 186,000 miles per second. Thus, when we look at distant objects, we see them as they appeared in the past. The more distant astronomers can push their observations, the farther into the past they can see.

The devil is in the details, however, when it comes to making conclusions about galaxy evolution, Finkelstein points out. “Before you can make strong conclusions about how galaxies evolved, you’ve got to be sure you’re looking at the right galaxies.”

This means that astronomers must employ the most rigorous methods to measure the distance to these galaxies, to understand at what epoch of the universe they are seen.

Finkelstein’s team selected this galaxy, and dozens of others, for follow-up from the approximately 100,000 galaxies discovered in the Hubble Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS), of which Finkelstein is a team member. The largest project in the history of Hubble, CANDELS used more than one month of Hubble observing time.

The team looked for CANDELS galaxies that might be extremely distant, based on their colors from the Hubble images. This method is good but not foolproof, Finkelstein said. Using colors to sort galaxies is tricky because closer objects can masquerade as distant galaxies.

So to measure the distance to these potentially early-universe galaxies in a definitive way, astronomers use spectroscopy — specifically, looking at how much a galaxy’s light wavelengths have shifted toward the red end of the spectrum during their travels from the galaxy to Earth because of the expansion of the universe. This phenomenon is called “redshift.”

The team used Keck Observatory’s Keck I telescope in Hawaii, one of the largest optical/infrared telescopes in the world, to measure the redshift of the CANDELS galaxy designated z8_GND_5296 at 7.51, the highest galaxy redshift ever confirmed. The redshift means this galaxy hails from a time only 700 million years after the Big Bang.

Keck I was fitted with the new MOSFIRE instrument, which made the measurement possible, Finkelstein said. “The instrument is great. Not only is it sensitive, it can look at multiple objects at a time.” He explained that it was the latter feature that allowed his team to observe 43 CANDELS galaxies in only two nights at Keck and obtain higher quality observations than are possible anywhere else.

Researchers are able to accurately gauge the distances of galaxies by measuring a feature from the ubiquitous element hydrogen called the Lyman alpha transition, which emits brightly in distant galaxies. It is detected in nearly all galaxies that are seen from a time more than 1 billion years from the Big Bang, but getting closer than that, the hydrogen emission line, for some reason, becomes increasingly difficult to see.

Of the 43 galaxies observed with MOSFIRE, Finkelstein’s team detected this Lyman alpha feature from only one. “We were thrilled to see this galaxy,” Finkelstein said. “And then our next thought was, ‘Why did we not see anything else? We’re using the best instrument on the best telescope with the best galaxy sample. We had the best weather — it was gorgeous. And still, we only saw this emission line from one out of our sample of 43 observed galaxies, when we expected to see around six. What’s going on?’ ”

The researchers suspect they may have zeroed in on the era when the universe made its transition from an opaque state in which most of the hydrogen gas between galaxies is neutral to a translucent state in which most of the hydrogen is ionized (called the Era of Re-ionization). So it’s not necessarily that the distant galaxies aren’t there. It could be that they’re hidden from detection behind a wall of neutral hydrogen, which blocks the Lyman alpha signal the team was looking for.

Though the astronomers detected only one galaxy from their CANDELS sample, it turned out to be extraordinary. In addition to its great distance, the team’s observations showed that the galaxy z8_GND_5296 is forming stars extremely rapidly — producing stars at a rate 150 times as fast as our own Milky Way galaxy. This new distance record-holder lies in the same part of sky as the previous record-holder (redshift 7.2), which also happens to have a very high rate of star formation.

“So we’re learning something about the distant universe,” Finkelstein said. “There are way more regions of very high star formation than we previously thought. … There must be a decent number of them if we happen to find two in the same area of the sky.”

In addition to their studies with Keck, the team also observed z8_GND_5296 in the infrared with NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope. Spitzer measured the amount of ionized oxygen the galaxy contains, which helps pin down the rate of star formation. The Spitzer observations also helped rule out other types of objects that could masquerade as an extremely distant galaxy, such as a more nearby galaxy that is particularly dusty.

The team is hopeful about its future prospects in this area. The University of Texas at Austin is a founding partner of the 25-meter-diameter Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT), soon to begin construction in the mountains of Chile. This telescope will have nearly five times the light-gathering power of Keck and will be sensitive to much fainter emission lines, as well as even more distant galaxies. Although the current observations are beginning to pin down when re-ionization occurred, more work is needed.

“The process of re-ionization is unlikely to be very sudden,” Finkelstein said. “With the GMT, we will detect many more galaxies, pushing our study of the distant universe even closer to the Big Bang.”

Other team members include Bahram Mobasher of the University of California, Riverside; Mark Dickinson of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory; Vithal Tilvi of Texas A&M; and Keely Finkelstein and Mimi Song of UT Austin.

— END —

 

Science Contacts:

Dr. Steven Finkelstein, Asst. Prof. of Astronomy, Univ. of Texas at Austin: 512-471-1483; mobile 512-571-6122

Dr. Casey Papovich, Assoc. Prof. of Astronomy, Texas A&M University: 979-862-2704

Dr. Mark Dickinson, National Optical Astronomy Observatory: 520-318-8531

Dr. Bahram Mobasher, Prof. of Astronomy, Univ. of California, Riverside: 951-827-7190

 

Media contacts:

Rebecca Johnson, Astronomy Program PIO, The University of Texas at Austin: 512-475-6763

Shana Hutchins, Communications Coordinator, College of Science, Texas A&M University: 979-862-1237 

Iqbal Pittalwala, PIO, University of California-Riverside: 951-827-6050

Steve Jefferson, Communications Officer, W.M. Keck Observatory: 808-881-3827

Katy Garmany, PIO, National Optical Astronomy Observatory: 520-318-8526 

Whitney Clavin, Spitzer PIO, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory: 818-354-4673

 

Giant Magellan Telescope’s Third Mirror Unveiled

Text courtesy of the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization

Pasadena, Calif. —The Giant Magellan Telescope’s third primary mirror will be unveiled at the University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory Mirror Lab on December 6, 2013. The combined surface area of the three mirrors created to date surpasses that of any existing telescope and will help enable astronomers to peer more deeply into space than ever before once the telescope is completed. The University of Texas at Austin is a partner in the project to build the GMT, along with several other universities and institutions in the U.S. and around the world.

Primary mirrors are the heart of the modern day reflecting telescope. They capture and focus photons coming from space to help construct images of the universe and collect complex spectra. Generally, the larger the surface area of the primary mirrors, the more photons they can capture, leading to better images and improved data. The Giant Magellan Telescope will offer the best image resolution ever seen to explore deep space. 

"The Giant Magellan Telescope will be one of the most powerful tools for approaching some of society’s most profound questions: where did we come from, where are we going, and are we alone in the Universe?” said Patrick McCarthy, Giant Magellan Telescope Project Director. “The technology used to design and construct the telescope is breathtaking, but the answers it may provide as to the beginnings of time itself will be staggering." 

The first of a new generation of "extremely large telescopes," or "ELTs," the Giant Magellan Telescope will have a mirror array consisting of seven 27-foot- (8.4-meter-) diameter mirror segments. The telescope is anticipated to begin operation in 2020 with four mirror segments completed, making it the largest telescope in the world. When its final stages of construction are complete, it will have ten times the resolution of the Hubble Space Telescope. 

Each of the Giant Magellan Telescope’s mirrors is the product of cutting edge technology and processing. Cast in a custom-built rotating furnace that reaches approximately 2,100°F, they each weigh about 20 tons, yet their internal architecture features an intricate honeycomb pattern that allows them to regulate temperature quickly while remaining extremely rigid. Additionally, each mirror is meticulously polished and evaluated to create a surface that is so smooth that no imperfection is taller or deeper than a twentieth of a wavelength of light—one millionth of an inch. Details of the mirror making process can be seen here. 

"The mirror surface is so smooth that if we took one 27 foot mirror and spread it out from coast to coast across the U.S., the height of the tallest mountain on that mirror would be only half an inch – an engineering masterpiece," said Wendy Freedman, Director of the Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science and Chair of the Board of Directors for the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization. 

The third mirror — dubbed "GMT3" — was cast in August at the Steward Observatory Mirror Lab, the only facility in the world capable of creating mirrors of this size. The University of Arizona is one of ten international partners who are collaborating to build the Giant Magellan Telescope. Collectively, the partners represent more than 1,000 years of astronomy experience. Their accomplishments include the construction of past record-breaking telescopes and the cultivation of some of astronomy’s most brilliant minds. 

"Once fully operational, this telescope will provide discoveries for the next 50 years," added Freedman. "These huge mirrors are critical steps along the path to deployment, and then we can open the floodgates of research." 

The Giant Magellan Telescope will be constructed at the Las Campanas Observatory in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, where it will be able to work synergistically with other astronomical instruments and surveys. The program to fund and build the Giant Magellan Telescope is a global first, targeting a total of $1 billion from mostly private, philanthropic donors, with some contributions coming from government agencies around the world. 

The Giant Magellan Telescope will be the first of its kind and the largest privately led telescope initiative in history, igniting a new era of discovery and unlocking answers to some of the most fundamental questions of humanity, including whether or not life exists on other planets and how the universe began. Astronomers will also use it to better understand how planets and galaxies form and to help find answers to the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy. 

The event is supported by the University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory and College of Science. The Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) manages the GMT project on behalf of its international partners: Astronomy Australia Ltd., The Australian National University, the Carnegie Institution for Science, Harvard University, the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, the Smithsonian Institution, Texas A&M University, the University of Arizona, the University of Chicago, and The University of Texas at Austin. For more information about the Giant Magellan Telescope, please visit www.gmto.org.

— END —

Media Contacts:

Rebecca Johnson, UT-Austin McDonald Observatory PIO: 512-475-6763

Jacqueline Efron, Zeno Group for GMTO: 650-801-0942; mobile 650-600-2448

Leading Astronomer Taft Armandroff Appointed New Director of McDonald Observatory

Taft Armandroff

Astronomer Taft Armandroff has been appointed the new director of The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis, Texas. 

Armandroff, who is currently director of the W.M. Keck Observatory in Mauna Kea, Hawai’i, will join the university in June 2014. 

He succeeds David Lambert, who, as the observatory’s third director, propelled the observatory to national prominence. Lambert will resume his position as a full-time faculty member in the Department of Astronomy. 

“The McDonald Observatory is one of the most significant astronomical research facilities in the world, and Taft is well-suited to provide innovative leadership at the observatory and continue to strengthen its role as a key center for discoveries about our universe,” said Linda Hicke, dean of the College of Natural Sciences. “I am delighted that he will be joining our community.” 

"I'm tremendously excited to be joining the Texas astronomy program, and to develop the McDonald Observatory further with new instrumentation and research programs, and to continue the observatory's stellar efforts to communicate astronomy discoveries to the public,” said Armandroff. “There are very few places like UT Austin that can boast such a strong astronomy faculty, total access to a facility like the McDonald Observatory, and participation in a next generation telescope such as the Giant Magellan Telescope.” 

Armandroff is a widely recognized research astronomer with a specialty in dwarf spheroidal galaxies, stellar populations in the galaxy and nearby galaxies, and globular clusters. 

Prior to joining Keck Observatory in 2006, he worked for nineteen years at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) in Tucson, Arizona. During his last five years at NOAO, he held the positions of associate director of NOAO and director of the NOAO Gemini Science Center. Armandroff is a 1982 graduate of Wesleyan University, holding a B.A. in astronomy with high honors. He then continued his studies at Yale University, earning an M.S., M. Phil., and Ph.D. in astronomy.

The McDonald Observatory is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. The observatory is home to multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States.

It is home to the consortium-run Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET), one of the world's largest, which is now being upgraded to begin the HET Dark Energy Experiment. An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

Giant Magellan Telescope Poised to Enter Construction Phase, Texas Astronomy Program Announces

GMT

AUSTIN — The upcoming world’s largest telescope has passed two critical milestones, according to founding partner The University of Texas at Austin. The Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) has passed major reviews on its design and cost estimates and is ready to proceed to construction.

“We’re delighted — but unsurprised — to hear that GMT has passed these critical tests and can move ahead,” said Dr. David L. Lambert, director of the university’s McDonald Observatory and member of the GMT Board of Directors. “UT’s partnership in the GMT will give our faculty, scientists, and graduate students access to a major telescope at one of the world’s best observing sites far into the future, and enable our astronomy program to maintain its standing as one of the best in the world.”

During a week-long review in January, an international panel of experts examined the design of the giant telescope’s complex optical systems and precision scientific instruments. Immediately following, a team of construction experts scrutinized the project’s cost estimate and management plan. Both review panels endorsed the GMT Organization’s plans.

“These reviews are critical milestones required by the GMTO Board to proceed with the construction phase,” says Dr. Wendy Freedman, Chair of the GMTO Board of Directors and Director of the Carnegie Observatories. “Along with the successful casting of the first three 8.4-meter primary mirrors and the leveling of the mountaintop in Chile, each step brings us closer to construction.”

When completed in about 2020 in the Chilean Andes, GMT’s mirrors will have more than six times the collecting area of today’s largest telescopes and 10 times the resolution of Hubble Space Telescope. Scientists will use GMT to explore distant and potentially habitable planets around other stars, to explore the universe in the first billion years after the big bang, and to probe the mysteries of dark matter, dark energy, and massive black holes.

Board members representing the partner research institutions that make up the GMT consortium will meet in mid-2014 to review the construction plan.

The Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) manages the GMT project on behalf of its international partners: Astronomy Australia Ltd., The Australian National University, the Carnegie Institution for Science, Harvard University, the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, the Smithsonian Institution, Texas A&M University, the University of Arizona, the University of Chicago, and The University of Texas at Austin.

— END —

Note to editors: For more information about GMT, as well as high-resolution images and animation, please visit: http://gmto.org

Media contacts:
Rebecca Johnson, Press Officer, UT-Austin McDonald Observatory: 512-475-6763
Davin Malasarn, Dir. of External Affairs, GMT Organization: 626-204-0529

Science contacts:
Dr. David L. Lambert, Director, UT-Austin McDonald Observatory: 512-471-3300
Dr. Patrick McCarthy, Director, GMT Organization: 626-204-0501

Texas Regents Authorize $50 Million for UT Austin Share in Giant Magellan Telescope

GMT

Joint news release with the University of Texas System

The University of Texas System Board of Regents Friday authorized UT Austin to spend $50 million to participate in building the Giant Magellan Telescope project, which will be the world’s largest telescope when it’s completed in 2020. The project will give students, researchers and faculty the opportunity to make groundbreaking discoveries in astronomy. 

The Giant Magellan Telescope, or GMT, will be built in Chile, in the foothills of the Andes, because the extremely dry climate is optimal for providing the sharpest images. 

The telescope’s seven mirrors will comprise about 3,900 square feet, which is about the size of a basketball court. Compared to the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at the UT Austin’s McDonald Observatory in west Texas, the GMT will have six times the light-gathering power and the ability to produce images 10 times sharper. 

The total cost of the telescope is expected to be about $1.05 billion. UT Austin has set a goal to contribute 10 percent of the construction costs, or roughly $100 million. 

In addition to UT Austin, founding partners in the telescope project include Astronomy Australia Ltd., the Australian National University, the Carnegie Institution for Science, Harvard University, the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, the Smithsonian Institution, Texas A&M University, the University of Arizona and the University of Chicago. 

“Being a charter investor in this remarkable scientific tool will benefit our students, our faculty, and the whole university,” UT Austin President Bill Powers said. “Not only will we be helping to answer the most basic questions about our universe, but our involvement will underscore our status as a top world university. This is the leading edge of science, and it is where Texas must be.” 

UT System Chancellor Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D., said UT Austin will be one of few U.S. universities with access to the world’s largest telescope. 

“This will help position UT Austin to become the top public research university in the country,” Cigarroa said. “In the 1500s, Ferdinand Magellan organized the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe. Now, UT Austin and the Giant Magellan Telescope project are continuing that journey to better understand the world we live in.” 

For example, the Giant Magellan Telescope will be able to take images of previously undiscovered planets and determine if they are habitable, said David Lambert, director of the McDonald Observatory. 

“If we succeed, I think the discovery of a series of habitable planets would be a landmark in human history,” he said. 

UT Austin’s financial contribution guarantees annual access to the telescope. The university is hoping to raise the additional $50 million through fundraising. 

"Not only does this funding put us over half of the way toward our goal, it shows the university's vital commitment to the astronomy program,” Lambert said. “It also sends a strong signal to the young researchers and faculty that we'd like to recruit over the next few years that the University of Texas at Austin intends to continue being a major player in optical astronomy far into the future." 

Contacts: 

Jenny LaCoste-Caputo, UT System
512-499-4363 or 512-574-5777

Rebecca Johnson, McDonald Observatory, UT Austin
512-475-6763

 

John P. Dennis, III Elected to McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors

John P. Dennis, III

HOUSTON — John P. Dennis, III of Houston has been elected to a three-year term as a Member of The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory and Department of Astronomy Board of Visitors.

“We are fortunate to have such an important scientific research asset like the McDonald Observatory in our backyard,” Mr. Dennis said. “I am delighted to support its critical and ongoing research on behalf of our state and nation.

“My family have been long-time, but quiet, supporters of The University of Texas at Austin for three generations. My wife and I are pleased to continue our families’ support this way through the McDonald Observatory.”

The Board of Visitors is a supporter’s group for the Texas Astronomy Program. It has accomplished great things, from funding chairs, professorships, and fellowships at the University, to developing private contributions for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory. The Board’s Planned Giving Committee raises funds for the Observatory’s future, and the Lighting Ordinance Committee ensures that McDonald enjoys the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States.

Established in 1932, The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby- Eberly Telescope (a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen). An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

— END —

 

Texas, California Astronomers Release New Game 'Super Planet Crash'

Super Planet Crash screen cap

A new game and online educational resources are offshoots of the open-source software package astronomers use to find planets beyond our solar system

AUSTIN — Super Planet Crash is a pretty simple game: players build their own planetary system, putting planets into orbit around a star and racking up points until they add a planet that destabilizes the whole system. Beneath the surface, however, this addictive little game (available online at http://www.stefanom.org/spc) is driven by highly sophisticated software code that astronomers use to find planets beyond our solar system (called exoplanets).

University of Texas at Austin astronomer Stefano Meschiari did the bulk of the programming for the game while a graduate student at The University of California, Santa Cruz. He currently holds the W.J. McDonald postdoctoral fellowship at Texas, where he studies the evolution and characteristics of exoplanets.

Super Planet Crash is based on the latest version of Systemic Console, a scientific software package used to pull planet discoveries out of the reams of data acquired by automatic telescope surveys of the stars. Systemic was developed at UC Santa Cruz by professor Greg Laughlin and his students.

Meschiari used the Systemic code as a foundation to create not only Super Planet Crash but also an online web application (Systemic Live) for educational use.

"Systemic Console is open-source software that we've made available for other scientists to use. But we also wanted to create a portal for students and teachers so that anyone can use it," Laughlin said. "For the online version, Stefano tuned the software to make it more accessible, and then he went even further with Super Planet Crash, which makes the ideas behind planetary systems accessible at the most visceral level."

Meschiari said he's seen people quickly get hooked on playing the game. "It doesn't take long for them to understand what's going on with the orbital dynamics," he said.

The educational program, Systemic Live, provides simplified tools that students can use to analyze real data. "Students get a taste of what the real process of exoplanet discovery is like, using the same tools scientists use," Meschiari said.

The previous version of Systemic was already being used in physics and astronomy classes at UCSC, Columbia University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and elsewhere, and it was the basis for an MIT Educational Studies program for high school teachers. The new online version has earned raves from professors who are using it.

"The online Systemic Console is a real gift to the community," said Debra Fischer, professor of astronomy at Yale University. "I use this site to train both undergraduate and graduate students — they love the power of this program."

Planet hunters use several kinds of data to find planets around other stars. Very few exoplanets have been detected by direct imaging because planets don't produce their own light and are usually hidden in the glare of a bright star. A widely used method for exoplanet discovery, known as the radial velocity method, measures the tiny wobble induced in a star by the gravitational tug of an orbiting planet. Scientists can derive a planet's mass and orbit from radial velocity data.

Another method detects planets that pass in front of their parent star, causing a slight dip in the brightness of the star. Known as the transit method, this approach can determine the size and orbit of the planet.

Both of these methods rely on repeated observations of periodic variations in starlight. When multiple planets orbit the same star, the variations in brightness or radial velocity are very complex. Systemic Console is designed to help scientists explore and analyze this type of data. It can combine data from different telescopes, and even different types of data if both radial velocity and transit data are available for the same star. Systemic includes a large array of tools for deriving the orbital properties of planetary systems, evaluating the stability of planetary orbits, generating animations of planetary systems, and performing a variety of technical analyses.

"Systemic Console aggregates data from the full range of resources being brought to bear on extrasolar planets and provides an interface between these subtle measurements and the planetary systems we're trying to find and describe," Laughlin said.

Laughlin said he was struck by the fact that, while the techniques used to find exoplanets are extremely subtle and difficult, the planet discoveries that emerge from these obscure techniques have generated enormous public interest. "These planet discoveries have done a lot to create public awareness of what's out there in our galaxy, and that's one reason why we wanted to make this work more accessible," he said.

— END —

Science contacts:
Dr. Stefano Meschiari, University of Texas at Austin: 512-471-3574
Dr. Greg Laughlin, University of Calif., Santa Cruz: 831-459-2844

Media contacts:
Rebecca Johnson, University of Texas at Austin: 512-475-6763
Tim Stephens, University of Calif., Santa Cruz: 831-459-2495

 

Winners of McDonald Observatory’s 75th Anniversary Art Contest Announced

FORT DAVIS — McDonald Observatory announced the winners of its art contest for school kids in Jeff Davis, Presidio, and Brewster counties at its Open House on April 26. The contest, part the observatory’s year-long celebration of its 75th anniversary, received 127 entries in two categories (junior high-high school and elementary school). They were judged on creativity and representation of the spirit of the anniversary celebration.

Rafael Riegel won Best of Show in the junior high-high school category. Rafael is a sophomore at Fort Davis High School. He submitted a pencil drawing of the Otto Struve Telescope.

Charlotte Browning was the Best of Show winner in elementary school category. Charlotte is in kindergarten at Marfa Montessori School. She submitted a mixed-media collage featuring the Otto Struve Telescope, crayon, and pencil.

The artwork by the two Best of Show winners will be published in the July/August issue of McDonald Observatory’s StarDate magazine. All of the artworks were displayed in the visitors center gallery during the Open House.

Each category awarded three additional prizes. In the junior high-high school category, these are: First Place, Kylie Glidewell (Fort Davis High School); Second Place, Cristian Zubia (Fort Davis Junior High); and Third Place, Troy Hernandez (Fort Davis Junior High).

In the elementary category, the winners all attend Dirks-Anderson Elementary School. They are: First Place, Bowen Corbin; Second Place, Anita Bailon; and Third Place, Haden Wetzel.

McDonald Observatory would like to thank all of the judges who volunteered their expertise. They include: Wayne and Ellen Baize (Wayne Baise is a well-known western artist and a member of the Cowboy Artist Association); Cyndee Barnes (local artist and wife of McDonald Observatory Superintendent Dr. Tom Barnes); Marge Millsap (local artist and retired high school art teacher); and Lindy Cook Severns and Jim Severns (Lindy Cook Severns is a well-known landscape artist).

The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET), one of the world's largest, which is now being upgraded to begin the HET Dark Energy Experiment. An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

— END —

 

Astronomers Find Sun’s ‘Long-Lost Brother,’ Pave Way for Family Reunion

AUSTIN — A team of researchers led by University of Texas at Austin astronomer Ivan Ramirez has identified the first “sibling” of the Sun — a star that was almost certainly born from the same cloud of gas and dust as our star. Ramirez’ methods will help other astronomers find other “solar siblings,” work that could lead to an understanding of how and where our Sun formed, and how our solar system became hospitable for life. The work will be published in the June 1 issue of The Astrophysical Journal.

“We want to know where we were born,” Ramirez said. “If we can figure out in what part of the galaxy the Sun formed, we can constrain conditions on the early solar system. That could help us understand why we are here.”

Additionally, there is a chance, “small, but not zero,” Ramirez said, that these solar sibling stars could host planets that harbor life. In their earliest days within their birth cluster, he explains, collisions could have knocked chunks off of planets, and these fragments could have travelled between solar systems, and perhaps even may have been responsible for bringing primitive life to Earth. Or, fragments from Earth could have transported life to planets orbiting solar siblings. “So it could be argued that solar siblings are key candidates in the search for extraterrestrial life,” Ramirez said.

The solar sibling his team identified is a star called HD 162826, a star 15 percent more massive than the Sun, located 110 light-years away in the constellation Hercules. The star is not visible to the unaided eye, but easily can be seen with low-power binoculars, not far from the bright star Vega.

The team identified HD 162826 as the Sun’s sibling by following up on 30 possible candidates found by several groups around the world looking for solar siblings. Ramirez’ team studied 23 of these stars in depth with the Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory, and the remaining stars (visible only from the southern hemisphere) with the Clay Magellan Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. All of these observations used high-resolution spectroscopy to get a deep understanding of the stars’ chemical make-up. 

But several factors are needed to really pin down a solar sibling, Ramirez said. In addition to chemical analysis, his team also included information about the stars’ orbits — where they had been and where they are going in their paths around the center of the Milky Way galaxy. The team’s experts in this field, which is called “dynamics,” are A. T. Bajkova of the Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory in St. Petersburg, Russia, and V. V. Bobylev of St. Petersburg State University.

Combining information on both chemical make-up and dynamics of the candidates narrowed the field down to one: HD 162826.

By “lucky coincidence,” Ramirez said, this star has been studied by the McDonald Observatory Planet Search team. “They have been observing it for more than 15 years,” he said. Those studies, by The University of Texas’ Michael Endl and William Cochran, together with calculations by Rob Wittenmyer of the University of New South Wales, have ruled out any “hot Jupiters” — massive planets orbiting close to the star. The studies indicate that it’s unlikely that a Jupiter analog orbits the star, either, but they do not rule out the presence of smaller terrestrial planets.

While the finding of a single solar sibling is intriguing, Ramirez points out that the project has a larger purpose: to create a road map for how to identify solar siblings, in preparation for the flood of data expected soon from surveys like Gaia.

“The idea is that the Sun was born in a cluster with a thousand or a hundred thousand stars. This cluster, which formed more than 4.5 billion years ago, has since broken up,” he says. “A lot of things can happen in that amount of time.” The member stars have broken off into their own orbits around the galactic center, taking them to different parts of the Milky Way today. A few, like HD 162826, are still nearby. Others are much farther afield.

The data coming soon from Gaia is “not going to be limited to the solar neighborhood,” Ramirez said, noting that Gaia will provide accurate distances and proper motions for a billion stars, allowing astronomers to search for solar siblings all the way to the center of our galaxy. “The number of stars that we can study will increase by a factor of 10,000,” Ramirez said.

But even with information on more stars to work with, it’s not like “we’re going to throw this data into a machine and it’s going to spit out the answer,” Ramirez said. “It’s not that simple. You have to be careful, do things the old way: star-by-star analysis.”

He says his team’s road map, however, will speed up the process.

“Don’t invest a lot of time in analyzing every detail in every star,” he said. “You can concentrate on certain key chemical elements that are going to be very useful.” These elements are ones that vary greatly among stars which otherwise have very similar chemical compositions. These highly variable chemical elements are largely dependent on where in the galaxy the star formed. Ramirez’ team has identified the elements barium and yttrium as particularly useful. 

Once many more solar siblings have been identified, astronomers will be one step closer to knowing where and how the Sun formed. To reach that goal, the dynamics specialists will make models that run the orbits of all known solar siblings backward in time, to find where they intersect: their birthplace.

The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET), one of the world's largest, which is now being upgraded to begin the HET Dark Energy Experiment. An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope. 

— END —

Note to editors: The research article is available on Ramirez' website at http://www.as.utexas.edu/~ivan/sun_siblings.pdf

Science contact: Dr. Ivan Ramirez, The University of Texas at Austin; 512-471-7216

 

Globular Clusters Rotate at Heart

The 2.7-meter (107-inch) Harlan J. Smith Telescope at the University of Texas Mc

AUSTIN, Texas — Astronomers from The University of Texas at Austin and Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) recently found a surprise when studying some of the oldest star clusters in our galaxy. The stars at the centers of these clusters are rotating around a common axis. It was previously thought any central rotation would have been long erased, leaving the central stars to random orbits. The work has been accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

These “globular clusters” are ancient collections of up to a million old stars with simple chemical compositions, tightly bound together by gravity. Globular clusters orbit most galaxies, including our own Milky Way. Due to these clusters’ old age and fairly spherical shape, with a strong concentration of stars towards the center, they have historically been viewed as simple systems. However, new observations keep revealing surprising results.

The team, led by MPE’s Maximilian Fabricius and including Texas’ Eva Noyola, observed 11 globular clusters from The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory with the Harlan J. Smith Telescope. They found that all of the clusters show this central rotation.

This result is “astonishing,” Fabricius says. “We did not expect this; originally we observed these globular clusters to measure their central velocity dispersions” — that is, the random motions of stars within a cluster.

Noyola adds that “Theory and numerical simulations of globular clusters indicate that any central rotation should be erased on relatively short timescales. Because these globular clusters were formed billions of years ago, we would expect that any rotation signature would have been eradicated by now. Even though previous measurements showed some rotation in a handful of systems, they only probed the motion of stars in the outer regions.”

The astronomers are about halfway through their project of studying 27 of the Milky Way’s approximately 150 globular clusters. Their findings raise interesting questions about the formation history and evolution of globular clusters. None of the current theo-retical models predict such a ubiquitous and strong rotation.

However, it is important to note that the 11 globular clusters studied so far do not in-clude any so-called “core-collapsed” globular clusters. Core-collapse is a process that might eradicate rotation. Future observations of the remaining 16 clusters the team plans to study will shed light on this and other question, such as a possible correlation between rotation and the position of a globular cluster inside our galaxy.

The new measurements of these globular cluster cores were only possible with the help of the MPE-built instrument VIRUS-W, which was used in conjunction with the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope for this research. VIRUS-W allows the scientists to simultaneously measure more than 260 spectra in their field of view, determining the motion of stars to an accuracy of a few kilometers per second. That means that for a given globular cluster, one night at the Smith Telescope with an observing time of a few hours is enough to determine the velocity field at the core of a cluster.

The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET), one of the world's largest, which is now being upgraded to begin the HET Dark Energy Experiment. An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

 — END —

Note to editors: The paper is available: http://arxiv.org/abs/1405.1722

Science Contacts:

Dr. Eva Noyola
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-1348

Dr. Maximilian Fabricius
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
+49 (89) 30 000 3779

Media Contacts:

Rebecca Johnson
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763 

Dr. Hannalore Hämmerle
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
+49 (89) 30 000 3980

 

 

Giant Magellan Telescope Organization and McDonald Observatory Partner to Inspire the Next Generation of Astronomers

The Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) Organization is partnering with The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory to present a new teacher workshop curriculum that will educate teachers about how the GMT, the world’s largest telescope, will dramatically advance the field of astronomy when it begins operations in 2020.

“The teacher workshops at McDonald Observatory have impacted hundreds of teachers and their students over their lifetime, and now we’re excited to launch the first of the Giant Magellan Telescope teacher workshops,” said Sandra Preston, McDonald Observatory’s Assistant Director for Education and Outreach.

Starting on June 29, 8th-12th grade teachers from Arizona, California, Colorado, Oklahoma, Massachusetts, Texas, and Utah will converge on McDonald Observatory to perform hands-on activities exploring basic physics and learn about the science topics GMT will help to investigate. During the three-day program, the teachers will also tour the world-renowned observatory and participate in nighttime telescope observing to learn how astronomers make discoveries about the universe.

“The Giant Magellan Telescope is designed to operate over the next 50 years and beyond,” said Patrick McCarthy, Project Director at the GMT Organization. “That means the telescope we build today will be used by the astronomers of tomorrow. We want future generations of teachers and students to learn about the GMT so that they can grow with it and be a part of its community of users.”

The goal of the workshop is to prepare these teachers to bring lessons about the GMT to future generations of students and inspire them to choose STEM-related career fields such as astronomy.

"I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to participate in the Giant Magellan Telescope teacher workshop hosted by the McDonald Observatory,” said Steve Biles, a high school teacher from McKinney, Texas.

“This workshop presents a unique opportunity to discover first-hand how the GMT will come to life over the next decade, as well as learn what the GMT astronomers will be studying once it's operational. The ability to bring first-hand knowledge back to my students in the classroom I believe is invaluable. It's also a great opportunity to gain experience with relevant hands-on, minds-on activities that my students really enjoy. I'm looking forward to a stellar workshop!"

Anticipated to be the first of a new class of extremely large telescopes, or ELTs, the Giant Magellan Telescope will be the largest telescope ever built when it begins operations in 2020. GMT astronomers not only hope to answer some of humanity’s greatest questions — like “Are we alone?” — but to uncover new mysteries for the next generation of scientists to solve.

— END—

 

Contacts:

Dr. Keely Finkelstein (workshop presenter)
Research Associate/Lecturer
The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory
512-471-3339

Rebecca Johnson, Press Officer
The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory
512-475-6763

Dr. Davin Malasarn, External Affairs
Giant Magellan Telescope Organization
626-204-0529

Astronomers Disprove Claims that Two 'Goldilocks Planets' Might Support Life

Astronomers from The University of Texas at Austin and Penn State University have solved a mystery surrounding controversial signals coming from a dwarf star considered to be a prime target in the search for extraterrestrial life. The team has proven that the signals suspected to come from two planets orbiting the star at a distance where liquid water could potentially exist (so-called “Goldilocks planets,” whose orbits are just right), actually are coming from the star itself. The study will be published by the journal Science in its online Science Express issue today and in a future print edition of the journal.

"This result is exciting because it explains, for the first time, all the previous and somewhat conflicting observations of the intriguing dwarf star Gliese 581, a faint star with less mass than our Sun that is just 20 light years from Earth," said lead author Paul Robertson, a recent PhD graduate of The University of Texas at Austin. Robertson is now a postdoctoral fellow at Penn State.

As a result of this research, three planets are confirmed to orbit this dwarf star. None of the three are solidly inside this star system's habitable zone, where liquid water could exist on a rocky planet like Earth.

“Of course, we would want to find habitable-zone planets, rather than show that the signal is caused by the star and not by a planet,” said team member Michael Endl, a research scientist at The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory. “But this is an important step in the whole process. Once we have learned more about these planetary-type signals that originate from the star, we can attempt to correct them and better find the real planets buried in the data. It was great to see that the signals of the three planets in the Gliese 581 system got stronger once Paul applied the correction for the activity of the star.” 

Astronomers search for exoplanets by measuring shifts in the pattern of a star's spectrum — the different wavelengths of radiation that it emits as light. These "Doppler shifts" can result from subtle changes in the star's velocity caused by the gravitational tugs of orbiting planets. But Doppler shifts of a star's “absorption lines” also can result from magnetic events like sunspots originating within the star itself — giving false clues of a planet that does not actually exist.

The research team made its discovery by analyzing Doppler shifts in existing spectroscopic observations of the star Gliese 581 obtained with the ESO HARPS and Keck HIRES spectrographs. The Doppler shifts that the scientists focused on were the ones most sensitive to magnetic activity. Using careful analyses and techniques, they boosted the signals of the three innermost planets around the star, but “the signals attributed to the existence of the two controversial planets disappeared, becoming indistinguishable from measurement noise,” said team member Suvrath Mahadevan of Penn State. “The disappearance of these two signals after correcting for the star’s activity indicates that these signals in the original data must have been produced by the activity and rotation of the star itself, not by the presence of these two suspected planets.”

The research methods that made this work possible came from Robertson’s time at The University of Texas.

“We developed these tools for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) M dwarf survey when Paul was working on his PhD thesis here at UT,” Endl said. “When he applied these methods to the Gliese 581 system, we were surprised to see that the planet, that was thought to reside within the habitable zone, just went away.”

“While it is unfortunate to find that two such promising planets do not exist, we feel that the results of this study will ultimately lead to more Earth-like planets,” Robertson said.

Endl agrees that the future is bright. “I am sure that in the near future we will have a much larger sample of interesting system which we will study with these methods,” he said. “Once the upgraded High-Resolution-Spectrograph (HRS) at the HET becomes available we will continue and intensify our search for low-mass, potentially habitable planets around nearby stars. And in a few years, the Habitable-zone Planet Finder will be installed at the HET. This instrument that Suvrath, Paul, and colleagues at Penn State are currently building will be extraordinarily sensitive to these small planets around small stars. Our study of the Gliese 581 system is highly relevant for these upcoming planet searches.”

— END —

Science contact: Dr. Michael Endl; 512-471-8312

 

São Paulo, Brazil to Join Giant Magellan Telescope Project

Joint news release with the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization

Pasadena, CA & São Paulo, Brazil — The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), Brazil, has taken a critical step towards joining the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) project. The GMT, an astronomical observatory of unprecedented scale, will allow astronomers to probe the formation of stars and galaxies shortly after the Big Bang, to measure the masses of black holes and to discover and characterize planets around other stars. The giant telescope will be located at the Las Campanas Observatory, high in the Chilean Andes, and will begin scientific operations at the start of the next decade. The University of Texas at Austin is a founding partner in the GMT project.

Dr. Carlos Henrique de Brito Cruz, Scientific Director of FAPESP stated that “the Executive Board of the Foundation has approved $40M toward membership in the GMT project. Discussions between the Foundation and the Ministry of Science and Technology of Brazil are well advanced to share these costs and allow astronomers from all states of Brazil to have access to the telescope.” São Paulo Research Foundation — FAPESP — is an independent public foundation with the mission to foster research and the scientific and technological development of the State of São Paulo.

Dr. Wendy Freedman, Chair of the Board of Directors for the GMT Project, said “The GMT community enthusiastically welcomes our colleagues from Brazil, and looks forward to partnering with Brazilian astronomers, engineers, and industrial firms as we build the GMT.” Professor Joao Steiner, an astronomer at the Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences of the University of São Paulo, said “Joining the GMT project will help ensure that Brazilian astronomers remain at the forefront of research for decades to come.”

The GMT will use seven of the largest optical mirrors ever made to form a single telescope 25.4 meters in diameter. Adaptive optics technology and powerful lasers will be used to measure and correct distortions induced by the Earth’s atmosphere to produce images of distant celestial objects with unprecedented clarity. More than one hundred engineers and scientists at the GMT offices and the partner institutions are engaged in the development of the telescope and its giant optics. The first of the seven 8.4-meter diameter off-axis primary mirrors has been completed at the University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory Mirror Lab; two others are being ground and polished while the glass for the fourth mirror will be melted in the lab’s furnace in March of next year. The GMT’s giant optics will allow it to make images in the infrared region of the spectrum that are 10 times sharper than those from the Hubble Space Telescope.

Construction of the observatory’s on-site infrastructure is expected to commence in 2015 while the telescope mount and other systems will be delivered to the site in 2018. The GMT should begin scientific operations in 2021.

The GMT partner institutions are: Astronomy Australia Limited, The Australian National University, The Carnegie Institution for Science, Harvard University, the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, the Smithsonian Institution, Texas A&M University, The University of Arizona, the University of Chicago, the University of Texas at Austin, and, most recently, the University of São Paulo.

 — END —

 

CONTACTS:

Dr. Wendy Freedman, Chair, Board of Directors, GMT Organization: 626-304-0204

Dr. Carlos Henrique de Brito Cruz, Scientific Director, São Paulo Research Foundation, FAPESP: +55 11-3038-4010

Prof. Joao E. Steiner, Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences of the University of São Paulo: +55 11-3091-2713

 

Eminent Engineer and Physicist Appointed to Lead Giant Magellan Telescope Project

Pasadena, CA – The Board of Directors of the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization is pleased to announce the appointment of Edward I. Moses, Ph.D., as President of their organization. Moses, former Principal Associate Director of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, will lead the organization responsible for the development of the billion dollar, 25-meter Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). The University of Texas at Austin is a founding partner in the GMT project.

The GMT will be larger than any telescope in existence today and will be built by a major international collaboration with partner institutions in the United States, Australia, Korea, and Brazil. It will be used to discover and characterize planets around other stars (including the search for telltale signs of life), to probe the formation of stars and galaxies shortly after the Big Bang, to measure the masses of black holes, and to explore fundamental issues in cosmology and physics, including dark matter and dark energy. The giant telescope is expected to come on line at Las Campanas Observatory in the Chilean Andes early in the next decade.

“Ed has unique skills, knowledge, and experience to lead the design, construction, and commissioning of the GMT,” said Wendy Freedman, chair of the GMTO Board.

Moses received his B.S. and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Cornell University. He holds patents in laser technology, computational physics, and fusion energy systems and is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and belongs to many other prestigious scientific organizations. At Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, he led the development of the National Ignition Facility (NIF), the largest optical and laser project ever constructed. The NIF uses high-power lasers to focus energy at the level needed to initiate the conversion of hydrogen to helium in fusion reactions similar to those occurring in the center of the Sun and other stars.

“I look forward to applying my experience in large science and cutting-edge technology projects to the leadership role in the GMTO. The project has a great team of scientists and engineers in a powerful collaboration of world-leading institutions,” Moses said. “This is a tremendous opportunity for me to take part in a revolutionary telescope project and scientific community that will change the nature of our understanding of the cosmos.”

The GMT will use seven of the largest optical mirrors ever made to form a single telescope 25.4 meters (or about 80 feet) in diameter with nearly a factor of 10 increase in light-gathering capability compared to any existing telescope. Advanced optical technologies using powerful lasers will be used to produce images of distant celestial objects with clarity ten times sharper than those from the Hubble Space Telescope. More than one hundred engineers and scientists at the GMT offices and the partner institutions are engaged in the development of the telescope and planning for its use.

The GMT project team has recently completed a rigorous set of design reviews and is poised to begin construction. More than 40,000 cubic meters of rock has been cleared from the summit of Las Campanas Peak in northern Chile to provide a platform for the telescope. The first of the seven 8.4-meter diameter primary mirrors has been completed at the University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory Mirror Lab. Two other mirrors are being ground and polished, and the glass for the fourth mirror will be cast next year. Construction of the observatory’s on-site infrastructure and fabrication of the telescope mount and other systems are expected to begin in 2015.

Edward “Rocky” Kolb, Dean of Physical Sciences at the University of Chicago and GMTO Board member, said, “Ed Moses is a highly respected leader in the world of experimental physics and energy research. He brings a unique set of skills and experience to the GMT organization as we transition from the design phase to construction.”

“The appointment of such an eminent and experienced leader as Ed Moses to the position of President of GMTO marks a key milestone in the development of the GMT,” said Matthew Colless, vice-chair of the GMTO Board. “This brings us one giant step closer to first light.”

The Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) manages the GMT project on behalf of its international partners: Astronomy Australia Ltd., The Australian National University, Carnegie Institution for Science, Harvard University, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Texas A&M University, The University of Arizona, The University of Chicago, The University of Texas at Austin, and Universidade de São Paulo.

For more information about the Giant Magellan Telescope, please visit http://www.gmto.org.

END

 

Media contact: Davin Malasarn, GMTO: 626-204-0529

Science Contacts:  

Dr. Wendy Freedman, University of Chicago: Chair, GMTO Board of Directors
Dr. Matthew Colless, Australian National University: Vice-chair, GTMO Board of Directors
Dr. Edward “Rocky” Kolb, University of Chicago
Dr. Edward Moses, President, GTMO

 

 

Giant 1930s Telescope Model on View at McDonald Observatory

Struve Telescope model

FORT DAVIS — For the past year, McDonald Observatory has celebrated its 75th anniversary via events around the state. Now that those events have concluded, the arrival of a piece of the observatory’s history puts a cap on the anniversary year. 

Prior to building the observatory’s first telescope, the 82-inch reflector that today is known as the Otto Struve Telescope, Warner and Swasey Company of Cleveland, Ohio, built a detailed model. At four feet tall and about three feet in diameter at the base, the one-ton model is a bit larger than a washing machine. For three quarters of a century, this model has resided in Ohio in various museums. It is now on view at McDonald Observatory’s Frank N. Bash Visitors Center.

The model is currently on a long-term loan to the observatory. Supporters donated to an online crowdfunding campaign to pay for shipping it to Texas for the 75th anniversary. Before traveling to McDonald in late July, the model was on display in Austin at the Bullock Texas State History Museum as part of the exhibit “The McDonald Observatory: 75 Years of Stargazing.”

At the time of its dedication on May 5, 1939, the Otto Struve Telescope dome housed the entirety of the observatory. Not only did it contain the world’s second-largest telescope, but also living and sleeping quarters for astronomers. Over 75 years, astronomers have used this telescope to study every type of astronomical object, from distant galaxies to stars in the Milky Way galaxy, to planets, moons, and other bodies of our solar system.

Renamed the Otto Struve Telescope in 1966 after the observatory’s first director, it has received extensive upgrades over the years and is still in regular use. The telescope has recently been renovated to allow Special Viewing Nights to resume. This makes it one of the largest telescopes in the country available to the general public.

The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET), one of the world's largest, which is now being upgraded to begin the HET Dark Energy Experiment. An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

— END —

McDonald Observatory Astronomers Advise National Research Council

In this aerial view, the two large domes in the foreground are the 2.1-meter Str

AUSTIN — Astronomers from McDonald Observatory are providing input to the National Research Council (NRC) on a variety of topics in response to a community-wide request from the council in late August. The NRC has a committee on optical and infrared astronomy that is seeking input on topics important to the future of the field in the United States in the era of the forthcoming Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST).

“UT-Austin welcomes this opportunity to share our achievements and perspectives on the future with this important committee,” said Dr. Taft Armandroff, Director of McDonald Observatory. “Its findings will help shape the future of U.S. astronomy.”

The observatory’s input to NRC takes the form of four white papers on various topics, detailed below. The Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) Organization, of which McDonald Observatory is a founding member, has also submitted a pair of white papers.

Armandroff and GMT Director Dr. Patrick McCarthy have been invited to present at the committee’s meeting on October 12 and 13 in Irvine, Calif. The committee includes Dr. J. Craig Wheeler, the Samuel and Fern Yanagisawa Regents Professor in Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin.
Details on the papers, and links to read them, are available below.

— END—

Submitted papers include:

Telescopes and Instruments at McDonald Observatory
The telescopes and instruments available at McDonald comprise a powerful resource with some unique capabilities for addressing the priority scientific issues of the U.S. astronomy community. McDonald Observatory is prepared to participate in a national clearinghouse whereby we could offer some time with our telescopes to the broad U.S. community and secure in return either funding for instrumentation development or access to observing time elsewhere with capabilities not available at McDonald. [Click to access this white paper by Dr. Taft Armandroff.]

Instrument Development at McDonald Observatory
New instrumentation development is vital to maximizing the scientific productivity of an observatory and aligning it with the competitive scientific environment. McDonald Observatory conducts a vigorous program of advanced instrumentation development. Federal funding for developing new instrumentation is very important to maintaining the vitality of U.S. independent observatories such as McDonald. [Click to access this white paper by Drs. Taft Armandroff, Gary Hill, Dan Jaffe, and Phillip MacQueen.]

Training at McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas astronomy program excels at offering opportunities for hands-on observing and instrumentation development for students and early career scientists. [Click to access this white paper by Drs. Sarah Tuttle, Cynthia Froning, Hanshin Lee, and Mike Montgomery.]

Software Development at McDonald Observatory
Software development plays a key role in today’s observatory in the modern era of big data, and merits special consideration. [Click to access this white paper by Drs. Niv Drory, Matthew Shetrone, and Niall Gaffney.]

GMT’s Breakthrough Observing Capabilities
This paper outlines the GMT’s breakthrough observing capabilities and presents the opportunity for one or more federal agencies to partner with GMT. [Click to access white paper by the GMT Board, including Dr. Taft Armandroff and UT-Austin Dean of Natural Sciences Dr. Linda Hicke.]

GMT’s Role in the U.S. Observing Community
This paper outlines the GMT’s role in the U.S. Optical and Infrared System and its relation to other major facilities, including the forthcoming Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST.) [Click to access the white paper by the GMT Scientific Advisory Committee, including Dr. Anita Cochran.]
 

Craig Nance is New Superintendent of McDonald Observatory

FORT DAVIS — Craig Nance begins his tenure as Superintendent of McDonald Observatory today. The Superintendent is the on-site manager of the Observatory.

“Craig brings strong management experience, extensive engineering background, love of astronomy, and excellent performance in a very similar position,” at Mount Graham International Observatory, said McDonald director Dr. Taft Armandroff.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity,” Nance said. “McDonald is part of the Trans-Pecos community. It’s a community-wide asset. That’s foremost in my mind,” he said. “I want to see McDonald grow and prosper for all of its stakeholders, whether they be astronomers, visitors, or teachers.”

Nance said he will work with Armandroff on the director’s three main goals, which include insuring the sustainability of McDonald Observatory, getting the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) under way at McDonald, and the Observatory’s role in the forthcoming Giant Magellan Telescope.

“Those three things are directly related to what’s going on in West Texas,” Nance said. “I look forward to leading the staff there, leading that vision.”

Nance comes to McDonald from The University of Arizona’s Mount Graham International Observatory, where he has served as director. Prior to that, he was Operations Engineering Manager at the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii, where he worked with Armandroff. From 1997 to 2000, Nance worked at McDonald Observatory. Among other positions, he served as Facility Manager of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope.

“It’s great to return to McDonald Observatory,” he said. “My wife Laura and I are really excited to return to West Texas. We were married in Marfa, and have relatives in the area,” he noted.

Nance replaces outgoing Superintendent Dr. Tom Barnes, who is retiring from McDonald Observatory after more than 40 years, the last five as Superintendent.

The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the consortium-run Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET), one of the world's largest, which is now being upgraded to begin the HET Dark Energy Experiment. An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

— END —

Black Hole Chokes on a Swallowed Star

FORT DAVIS, Texas — A five-year analysis of an event captured by a tiny telescope at McDonald Observatory and followed up by telescopes on the ground and in space has led astronomers to believe they witnessed a giant black hole tear apart a star. The work is published this month in The Astrophysical Journal.

On January 21, 2009, the ROTSE IIIb telescope at McDonald caught the flash of an extremely bright event. The telescope’s wide field of view takes pictures of large swathes of sky every night, looking for newly exploding stars as part of the ROTSE Supernova Verification Project (RSVP). Software then compares successive photos to find bright “new” objects in the sky — transient events like the explosion of a star or a gamma-ray burst.

With a magnitude of -22.5, this 2009 event was as bright as the “superluminous supernovae” (a new category of the brightest stellar explosions known) that the ROTSE team discovered at McDonald in recent years. The team nicknamed the 2009 event “Dougie,” after a character in the cartoon South Park. (Its technical name is ROTSE3J120847.9+430121.)

The team thought Dougie might be a supernova, and set about looking for its host galaxy (which would be much too faint for ROTSE to see). They found that the Sloan Digital Sky Survey had mapped a faint red galaxy at Dougie’s location. The team followed that up with new observations of the galaxy with one of the giant Keck telescopes in Hawaii, pinpointing the galaxy’s distance at three billion light-years.

These deductions meant Dougie had a home — but just what was he? Team members had four possibilities: a superluminous supernova; a merger of two neutron stars; a gamma-ray burst; or a “tidal disruption event” — a star being pulled apart as it neared its host galaxy’s central black hole.

To narrow it down, they studied Dougie in various ways. They made ultraviolet observations with the orbiting Swift telescope, and took many spectra from the ground with the 9.2-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald. Finally, they used computer models of how the light from different possible physical processes that might explain how Dougie would behave — how it varies in brightness over time, and what chemical signatures it might show — and compared them to Dougie’s actual behavior.

In detail, Dougie did not look like a supernova. The neutron star merger and gamma-ray burst possibilities were similarly eliminated.

"When we discovered this new object, it looked similar to supernovae we had known already,” said lead author Jozsef Vinko of the University of Szeged in Hungary. “But when we kept monitoring its light variation, we realized that this was something nobody really saw before. Finding out that it was probably a supermassive black hole eating a star was a fascinating experience,” Vinko said.

Team member J. Craig Wheeler, leader of the supernova group at The University of Texas at Austin, elaborated. “We got the idea that it might be a ‘tidal disruption’ event,” he said, explaining that means that the enormous gravity of a black hole pulls on one side of the star harder than the other side, creating tides that rip the star apart.

“A star wanders near a black hole, the star’s side nearer the black hole is pulled” on more than the star’s far side, he said. “These especially large tides can be strong enough that you pull the star out into a noodle” shape.

The star “doesn’t fall directly into the black hole,” Wheeler said. “It might form a disk first. But the black hole is destined to swallow most of that material.”

Though astronomers have seen black holes swallow stars before — though less than a dozen times — this one is special even in that rare company: It’s not going down easy.

Models by team members James Guillochon of Harvard and Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz at the University of California, Santa Cruz, showed that the disrupted stellar matter was generating so much radiation that it pushed back on the infall. The black hole was choking on the rapidly infalling matter. 

Based on the characteristics of the light from Dougie, and their deductions of the star’s original mass, the team has determined that Dougie started out as a Sun-like star, before being ripped apart.

Their observations of the host galaxy, coupled with Dougie’s behavior, led them to surmise that the galaxy’s central black hole has the “rather modest” mass of about a million Suns, Wheeler said.

Delving into Dougie’s behavior has unexpectedly resulted in learning more about small, distant galaxies, Wheeler said, musing “Who knew this little guy had a black hole?”

The paper’s lead author, Jozsef Vinko, began the project while on sabbatical at The University of Texas at Austin. The team also includes Robert Quimby of San Diego State University, who started the search for supernovae using ROTSE IIIb (then called the Texas Supernova Search, now RSVP) and discovered the category of superluminous supernovae while a graduate student at The University of Texas at Austin. 

— END —

Science contacts:

Dr. J. Craig Wheeler, Samuel T. and Fern Yanagisawa Regents Professor in Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-6407; wheel@astro.as.utexas.edu

Dr. Jozsef Vinko, Assoc. Professor of Astronomy
University of Szeged, Hungary
vinko@titan.physx.u-szeged.hu

Astronomers Discover Ancient Solar System with Five Earth-sized Planets

Kepler-444 illustration

A team of scientists including The University of Texas at Austin’s Dr. William Cochran has discovered a solar system similar to our own dating back to the dawn of our Milky Way galaxy. They are reporting the find of five planets with sizes between Mercury and Venus orbiting the Sun-like star Kepler-444 in today’s issue of The Astrophysical Journal.

“The discovery of this ancient planetary system shows that even the very old stars in our galaxy were accompanied by rich planetary systems,” Cochran said. “This tells us that there are nearby planets that are far, far older than the planets in our own solar system.”

This team, led by scientists from Britain’s University of Birmingham, based their discovery on observations made by the NASA Kepler satellite over four years. Cochran is a co-investigator of the Kepler mission.

All of the planets are much closer to their star than Earth is to the Sun, and orbit Kepler-444 in less than 10 days. Thus, this system may be thought of as a miniature version of the inner planets of our solar system.

The star Kepler-444 is 11.2 billion years old, having formed when the universe was less than 20 percent of its current age. This makes the Kepler-444 system the oldest known of terrestrial-sized planets — 2.5 times older than our solar system.

“The excellent facilities of The University of Texas McDonald Observatory were absolutely critical for helping us to understand the composition and age of the central star of this planetary system,” Cochran said. “This is just one example of the important complementary role that ground-based data from McDonald Observatory have played in the interpretation of results from several spacecraft missions.”

The team carried out the research using asteroseismology — listening to the natural resonances of the host star which are caused by sound trapped within it. These oscillations lead to miniscule changes, or pulses, in its brightness which allow the researchers to measure its diameter, mass, and age. The planets were then detected from the dimming that occurs when the planets passed in front of the star (an event called a transit). This fractional fading in the intensity of the light received from the star enables scientists to accurately measure the sizes of the planets relative to the size of the star.

“There are far-reaching implications for this discovery,” said Dr. Tiago Campante of The University of Birmingham, lead author of the study. “We now know that Earth-sized planets have formed throughout most of the universe's 13.8-billion-year history, which could provide scope for the existence of ancient life in [our] galaxy.”

Remarkably, by the time Earth formed, the planets in the Kepler-444 system were already older than our planet is today. This discovery may now help scientists to pinpoint the beginning of what may be dubbed the “era of planet formation.”

According to team member Professor William Chaplim of The University of Birmingham, “The first discoveries of exoplanets around other Sun-like stars in our galaxy have fuelled efforts to find other worlds like Earth and other terrestrial planets outside our solar system. We are now getting first glimpses of the variety of galactic environments conducive to the formation of these small worlds. As a result, the path towards a more complete understanding of early planet formation in the galaxy is now unfolding before us.” Chaplim has been leading the team studying solar-type stars using asteroseismology for the Kepler mission.

— END —

Science contact:

Dr. William Cochran, Research Professor
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-6474; wdc@astro.as.utexas.edu

 

Texas Astronomers Help Find Earth’s Older, Bigger Cousin

Kepler-452b Artist's Concept

AUSTIN — University of Texas at Austin astronomers working with NASA’s Kepler mission have helped to discover the first near-Earth-sized planet around a Sun-like star in the “habitable zone,” the range of distances where liquid water could pool on a planet’s surface. They used the university’s McDonald Observatory to help confirm the finding, which has been accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal.

“We are pushing toward Earth 2.0,” McDonald Observatory astronomer Michael Endl said. “This planet is probably the most similar to Earth yet found.”

The planet, Kepler-452b, lies about 1,400 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus. It’s 60 percent larger than Earth and is considered a “super-Earth-sized” planet. Its mass and composition are not yet known, but previous research suggests that a planet of its size has a better than even chance of being rocky. Its orbital period is similar to Earth’s, at 385 days.

Once the Kepler spacecraft identifies a possible planet, “you need to do a whole array of follow-up,” Endl said. “This is where the power of McDonald Observatory comes in.”

He explained Kepler data provides the ratio of a potential planet’s size to the star’s size, but not the actual size of either. So once Kepler finds a planet candidate, telescopes at McDonald Observatory and elsewhere get to work characterizing the host star in as much detail as possible.

“If you know the host star, you know the planet,” Endl summarized.

The UT Austin Kepler group probed the star with the Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory in West Texas. Together with similar measurements from Whipple and Keck observatories, the data proved that the planet is real (that is, not a starspot or other false signal picked up by Kepler). Their measurements helped pin down the planet’s size to between 1.4 and 1.8 times the size of Earth — a size that makes theorizing about the planet’s makeup a bit tricky.

“At around 1.5 times the Earth’s radius there seems to be a transition going on from predominantly rocky planets to planets that contain more volatiles — ices,” Endl said, “which would make it a mini-ice giant.” In the case of Kepler-452b, “we don’t know if it’s a big rocky planet or if it’s a mini-Neptune.”

The McDonald Observatory and other ground-based measurements also proved that the host star, Kepler-452, is 1.5 billion years older than the Sun, and is 10 percent larger and 20 percent brighter. It has the same temperature as the Sun, and like the Sun, Kepler-452b is classified as a G2-type star.

“Kepler has recently shown that virtually all of the stars that we see in the sky probably host planetary systems,” said UT Austin research professor Bill Cochran, a co-investigator of the Kepler mission. “Now we are discovering that a significant number of those systems are very much like our own and may have the capability of being habitable.”

While planets smaller than Kepler-452b have previously been found in their host star’s habitable zone, this is the first small planet orbiting a star very similar to our Sun. This discovery, and the introduction of 12 new small habitable zone candidates Kepler has uncovered, many around Sun-like stars, marks another milestone in the journey to understand our place in the cosmos.

“We can think of Kepler-452b as an older, bigger cousin to Earth, providing an opportunity to understand and reflect upon Earth’s evolving environment," said Jon Jenkins, Kepler data analysis lead at NASA's Ames Research Center. "It is awe inspiring to consider that this planet has spent 6 billion years in the habitable zone of its star, longer than Earth. That’s substantial opportunity for life to arise, should all the necessary ingredients and conditions for life exist on this planet.”

Endl explained that a star’s habitable zone changes over its lifetime. As a star ages and becomes brighter, the more intense radiation pushes its habitable zone farther out. Astronomers estimate how long Kepler-452b has spent in its star’s habitable zone by combining the star’s brightness and age with their measurement of the planet’s orbit.

The Kepler team at McDonald Observatory has been involved with the mission since before its launch in 2009. The team follows up planet candidates with the Harlan J. Smith Telescope, and next year will resume Kepler follow-up observations with the refurbished 10-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the world’s largest.

— END —

Media Contacts:

Rebecca Johnson
McDonald Observatory PIO
512-475-6763

Michele Johnson
NASA Ames Research Center PIO
650-604-6982

Science Contacts:

Dr. Michael Endl
McDonald Observatory Research Scientist
512-471-8312

Dr. William Cochran
McDonald Observatory Research Professor
512-471-6474

Dying Stars Suffer from 'Irregular Heartbeats'

PG1149+057

AUSTIN — Some dying stars suffer from ‘irregular heartbeats,’ research led by astronomers at The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Warwick has discovered.

The team discovered rapid brightening events — outbursts — in two otherwise normal pulsating white dwarf stars. Ninety-seven percent of all stars, including the Sun, will end their lives as extremely dense white dwarfs after they exhaust their nuclear fuel. Such outbursts have never been seen in this type of star before.

“It’s the discovery of an entirely new phenomenon,” said graduate student Keaton Bell of The University of Texas at Austin. Bell reported the first pulsating white dwarf to show these outbursts, KIC 4552982, in a recent issue of The Astrophysical Journal.

This week, a team led by recent University of Texas PhD J.J. Hermes, now of  the University of Warwick, is reporting the second white dwarf to show this trait: PG1149+057. Hermes’ team includes Bell and others from The University of Texas. Their research is published in the current Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Both white dwarf discoveries were made using data from the Kepler space mission. The Kepler spacecraft trails Earth in its orbit around the Sun, recording time lapse movies of a few patches of sky for months on end.

The Kepler data show that in addition to the regular rhythm of pulsations expected from a white dwarf, which cause the star to get a few percent brighter and fainter every few minutes, both stars also experienced arrhythmic, massive outbursts every few days, breaking their regular pulse and significantly heating up their surfaces for many hours.

"We have essentially found rogue waves in a pulsating star, akin to ‘irregular heartbeats,’” Hermes explained. “These were truly a surprise to see: We have been watching pulsating white dwarfs for more than 50 years now from the ground, and only by being able to stare uninterrupted for months from space have we been able to catch these events.”

Bell elaborated: “When we build a telescope that observes the sky in an entirely new way, we’re going to end up discovering things that we never expected.” Though Kepler’s notoriety derives from its prowess as a planet hunter, “it’s told us at least as much about stars as it has about planets,” Bell said.

White dwarfs have been known to pulsate for decades, and some are exceptional clocks, with pulsations that have kept nearly perfect time for more than 40 years. Pulsations are believed to be a naturally occurring stage when a white dwarf reaches the right temperature to generate a mix of partially ionized hydrogen atoms at its surface.

That mix of excited atoms can store up and then release energy, causing the star to resonate with pulsations characteristically every few minutes. Astronomers can use the regular periods of these pulsations just like seismologists use earthquakes on Earth, to see below the surface of the star into its exotic interior. This was why astronomers targeted these stars with Kepler, hoping to learn more about their dense cores. In the process, they caught these unexpected outbursts.

“These are highly energetic events, which can raise the star's overall brightness by more than 15% and its overall temperature by more than 750 degrees in a matter of an hour,” Hermes said. “For context, the Sun will only increase in overall brightness by about 1% over the next 100 million years.”

There is a narrow range of surface temperatures where pulsations can be excited in white dwarfs, and so far irregularities have only been seen in the coolest of those that pulsate. Thus, these irregular outbursts may not be just an oddity; they have the potential to change the way astronomers understand how pulsations, the regular heartbeats, ultimately cease in white dwarfs.

“The theory of stellar pulsations has long failed to explain why pulsations in white dwarfs stop at the temperature we observe them to,” Texas’ Keaton Bell said. "That both stars exhibiting this new outburst phenomenon are right at the temperature where pulsations shut down suggests that the outbursts could be the key to revealing the missing physics in our pulsation theory."

Astronomers are still trying to settle on an explanation for these outbursts. Given the similarity between the first two stars to show this behavior, they suspect it might have to do with how the pulsation waves interact with themselves, perhaps via a resonance.

"Ultimately, this may be a new type of nonlinear behavior that is triggered when the amplitude of a pulsation passes a certain threshold, perhaps similar to rogue waves on the open seas here on Earth, which are massive, spontaneous waves that can be many times larger than average surface waves," Hermes said. "Still, this is a fresh discovery from observations, and there may be more to these irregular stellar heartbeats than we can imagine yet."

— END —

Science contacts

Keaton Bell, The University of Texas at Austin: +1-206-370-1455 (mobile)

Dr. J.J. HermesThe University of Warwick: +44 (0)24-765-7369

Giant Magellan Telescope, World’s Largest, Breaks Ground in Chilean Desert

GMT with mountain

ATACAMA DESERT, Chile — Leaders and supporters from The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory, along with representatives from an international group of partner universities and research institutions, are gathering on a remote mountaintop high in the Chilean Andes today to celebrate groundbreaking for the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT).

The ceremony marks the commencement of on-site construction of the telescope and its support base. The GMT is poised to become the world’s largest telescope when it begins early operations in 2021. It will produce images 10 times as sharp as those delivered by the Hubble Space Telescope and will address key questions in cosmology, astrophysics and the study of planets outside our solar system.

“We are thrilled to be breaking ground on the Giant Magellan Telescope site at such an exciting time for astronomy,” says Dr. Taft Armandroff, GMT board chair and director of McDonald Observatory. “With its unprecedented size and resolving power, the Giant Magellan Telescope will allow current and future generations of astronomers to continue the journey of cosmic discovery.” 

The GMT will be located at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile’s Atacama Desert. Known for its clear, dark skies and outstanding astronomical image clarity, Las Campanas is one of the world’s premier locations for astronomy. Construction crews will soon be busy on the site building the roads, power, data and other infrastructure needed to support the observatory.

The unique design of the telescope combines seven of the largest mirrors that can be manufactured, each 8.4 meters (27 feet) across, to create a single telescope effectively 25 meters (82 feet) in diameter. The giant mirrors are being developed at the University of Arizona’s Richard F. Caris Mirror Laboratory. Each mirror must be polished to an accuracy of 25 nanometers (one-millionth of an inch). 

One giant mirror has been polished to meet its exacting specifications. Three others are being processed, and production of the additional mirrors will be started at the rate of one per year. The telescope will begin early operations with these first mirrors in 2021, and the telescope is expected to reach full operational capacity within the next decade.

“An enormous amount of work has gone into the design phase of the project and development of the giant mirrors that are the heart of the telescope. The highest technical risks have been retired, and we are looking forward to bringing the components of the telescope together on the mountain top,” says Patrick McCarthy, interim president of the GMT Organization.

The GMT will enable astronomers to characterize planets orbiting other stars, witness early formation of galaxies and stars, and gain insight into dark matter and dark energy. The GMT’s findings probably will also give rise to new questions and lead to new and unforeseen discoveries.

The GMT Organization board of directors officially approved the project’s entry into the construction phase in early 2015 after the 11 international founders committed more than $500 million toward the project. Founders come from the U.S., Australia, Brazil and South Korea, with Chile as the host country.

“With today’s groundbreaking, we take a crucial step forward in our mission to build the first in a new generation of extremely large telescopes. The GMT will usher in a new era of discovery and help us to answer some of our most profound questions about the universe,” says Dr. Charles Alcock, GMT Organization board member and director of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. “We are pleased to celebrate this momentous milestone with our Chilean colleagues, our international partners and the astronomical community.”

The Giant Magellan Telescope Organization manages the project on behalf of its international partners: Astronomy Australia Ltd., The Australian National University, Carnegie Institution for Science, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, Harvard University, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Texas A&M University, The University of Arizona, The University of Chicago, and The University of Texas at Austin.

— END —

Note to editors: Additional images and animation of the GMT, as well as video interviews with GMTO partners, are available from the GMTO gallery.

Contacts:

Rebecca Johnson
Press officer, UT-Austin McDonald Observatory
512-475-6763

Dr. Taft Armandroff 
Director, UT Austin McDonald Observatory
Chair, GMT Board of Directors
512-471-3300

Dr. Karl Gebhardt
Herman and Joan Suit Professor of Astrophysics
The University of Texas at Austin
512-590-5206

Early Galaxies More Efficient at Making Stars, Hubble Survey Reveals

Hubble galaxies

AUSTIN — A study published in today’s Astrophysical Journal by University of Texas at Austin assistant professor Steven Finkelstein and colleagues reveals that galaxies were more efficient at making stars when the universe was younger. The announcement explains the team’s discovery, announced in the journal’s September 1 issue, that there are a lot more bright, highly star-forming galaxies in the early universe than scientists previously thought.

“This was an unexpected result,” Finkelstein said. “It has implications for galaxy formation at the earliest times” in the universe.

For both studies, his team used galaxy observations from Hubble Space Telescope’s CANDELS survey, of which he is a team member. Hubble’s largest survey to date, CANDELS stands for Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey.

Today’s finding stems from studies of about 8,000 CANDELS galaxies seen at times ranging from 0.75 to 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang (that is, between redshift four and redshift seven).  As the universe is a little less than 14 billion years old, this corresponds to only the first five to 10 percent of the history of the universe.

The team deduced the rate of star formation in these galaxies from the Hubble images, by noting their brightness in ultraviolet light, and then correcting this measurement depending on how much light-absorbing dust the galaxy contains. The dust estimation comes from the Hubble images, too. The redder a galaxy is, the dustier it is.

Investigating the highly star-forming galaxies further, they compared the mass in stars in these galaxies to the theoretically predicted rate at which galaxies grow their mass in the early universe. They found higher masses than predicted, implying that galaxies are more efficient at turning gas into stars in the early universe than they are today.

There could be a couple of different reasons why, Finkelstein said.

First, as the universe has been expanding outward since the Big Bang, at earlier times everything in the universe was packed closer together, including the gas in galaxies. Dense gas is the material that makes stars, so perhaps these galaxies simply had more of it.

Second: feedback. “No galaxy is 100 percent efficient at turning gas into stars,” Finkelstein said, explaining that there are several mechanisms inside galaxies that can cause some of the gas to not form stars. These include things like the massive explosions called supernovae, winds from massive stars, and active supermassive black holes that can heat their surrounding gas. Altogether, these barriers to star formation collectively are called “feedback.” Finkelstein said that galaxies at earlier times may experience less feedback, and so may form stars more readily.

He anticipates that these bright galaxies in the early universe can be studied in greater detail with the forthcoming James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the infrared successor to Hubble, which will launch in 2018. Future studies with JWST should provide a better understanding of star formation in early galaxies.

— END —

Science Contact:
Dr. Steven Finkelstein
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-1483

 

High School Student Helps Discover New Planet, Calculates Frequency of Jupiter-like Planets

HD 32963

AUSTIN — High school senior Dominick Rowan of Armonk, New York, is making discoveries about other worlds. Working with University of Texas at Austin astronomer Stefano Meschiari, Rowan has helped to find a Jupiter-like planet and has calculated that this type of planet is relatively rare, occurring in three percent of stars overall. Their research is has been accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal.

The team, which also includes astronomers from the University of California, Santa Cruz and others, announced their newly discovered planet orbits a Sun-like star called HD 32963. They discovered the planet using observations with the Keck Telescope in Hawaii.

While working on this project, Rowan said that he became interested in how these large, Jupiter-like planets are so important to the formation of planetary systems.

“The story of our solar system is really the story of Jupiter,” Meschiari explained. “It’s important for us to find Jupiter analogs to find other solar systems like ours.”

Meschiari suggested to Rowan that he could undertake a project to calculate how often Jupiter-like planets form, using the sample of more than 1,000 stars that the team has probed with the Keck Telescope over the past two decades, looking for planets around them.

“It was a collaborative process,” Meschiari said. “We went through every dataset — every star — to look at how many Jupiters they have, or how many could have been missed.”

They used software previously created by Meschiari, called Systemic. An online version of it, called “Systemic Live,” is used in astronomy classes at colleges across the country. It is a web-based application that lets students visualize and manipulate real data from telescopes around the world, to try to find the signatures of extrasolar planets as-yet unknown.

Rowan explained that when he started the project, “the first objective of the study was to detect all the Jupiter analogs in the Keck survey to calculate their frequency. However, after identifying HD 32963b as a new, unpublished Jupiter analog, Dr. Meschiari and I worked to constrain the planetary parameters as an additional objective of the research.

“After detecting a total of eight Jupiter analogs within the datasets, we worked to correct the frequency for detectability. In other words, it was necessary to assess the probability that a Jupiter analog was missed.”

Rowan has submitted his work into several science competitions. Among other honors, he has been selected as a national finalist for the Siemens Competition in Math, Science, and Technology. More than just competing for awards, however, he said, “working with Dr. Meschiari has solidified my interest in astrophysics and extrasolar studies.”

In addition to his widely used academic software, Meschiari has created a popular online game called “Super Planet Crash.” It allows anyone to create a virtual solar system with planets of various masses and orbits. They can then set the system in motion to see how it fares over cosmic time, whether it is stable, or planets crash into each other, or get slung out of the system via gravitational interactions. Super Planet Crash has been played more than 11 million times. It can be found at http://www.save-point.io

— END —

Science Contact:
Dr. Stefano Meschiari, W.J. McDonald Postdoctoral Researcher
McDonald Observatory, The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-3574

CosmoQuest Partners, Including McDonald Observatory, Share $11.5 Million to Expand Astronomy Outreach Programs

The CosmoQuest virtual research facility has been awarded an $11.5 million NASA grant to continue working with the public to explore the universe. The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory is partnering with CosmoQuest on the project.

Launched in 2012, CosmoQuest brings together scientists, educators, and software developers from collaborating institutions to bring the public learning opportunities often only found in brick and mortar universities. Its programs range from science projects to science classes, and from planetarium shows to online seminars. Over five years, this $11.5 million award will allow the team to expand into new areas.

“With this funding, CosmoQuest will be able to grow from a seedling full of potential, into a mighty tree that supports science and learning opportunities,” said principal investigator and CosmoQuest leader Pamela Gay of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. “We are bringing new partners with added expertise, and we couldn’t be prouder of this team.”

McDonald Observatory is one of the new partners.

“Educators and scientists from McDonald Observatory and the UT Austin Astronomy Department are excited to be a part of this NASA opportunity with CosmoQuest,” said astronomer Keely Finkelstein. “We will get to involve our scientists and students by working with the CosmoQuest team to create a new citizen project centered around dark energy.”

Discovered in 1999, dark energy is the enigmatic force causing the expansion of the universe to speed up over time. Scientists do not yet understand the nature of dark energy. Later this year, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) will get under way at McDonald Observatory.

“We are eagerly awaiting the start of HETDEX,” Finkelstein said. “It will produce a tremendous wealth of data. Through our partnership with CosmoQuest, we can use the power of everyday citizens to help us examine the data from more than a million galaxies.

“I’m excited to continue to work with teachers and students and to have them be involved in all of the new exciting projects that will be produced as a part of this outstanding partnership between CosmoQuest and its many partner institutions,” Finkelstein said. “Teachers in Texas will be able to work with our education team to help pilot test some of these new projects, and bring them back to their classrooms and students."

Past CosmoQuest programs have helped the New Horizons team find Kuiper Belt Objects, and have helped researchers map out the Moon, Mars, Mercury, and Vesta, one of the largest main-belt asteroids.

Future programs will expand beyond planetary science. In addition to the dark energy collaboration with McDonald Observatory, Johnson Space Center will partner with CosmoQuest to help earth scientists more effectively use astronaut images to study our changing planet.

The NASA grant will fund CosmoQuest team members at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, InsightSTEM, Interface Guru, Lawrence Hall of Science, Johnson Space Center, McREL International, the Planetary Science Institute, McDonald Observatory, and Youngstown State University.

— END —

Media Contact

Rebecca Johnson
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Science Contacts

Dr. Keely Finkelstein
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-3339

Dr. Pamela L. Gay
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
617-307-6546

 

Supermassive Black Holes Cause Galactic Warming

Red Geyser Galaxy

For most of their lives, galaxies are lush environments for turning gas into stars. Until they aren’t.

Over the last few billion years, a mysterious kind of “galactic warming” has turned huge numbers of galaxies into deserts devoid of fresh young stars. The puzzle for astronomers has been identifying the unknown process that keeps the gas in these dormant galaxies too hot and energetic to form stars.

Today, astronomers from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), including Dr. Niv Drory of The University of Texas at Austin, are announcing the discovery of a new class of galaxies called “red geysers” that harbor supermassive black holes with winds that have the power to keep dormant galaxies quiet.

“We knew that there had to be a way to prevent star formation in these galaxies, and now we have a good idea of what it is,” says Edmond Cheung, the lead author of the study published today in the journal Nature. Cheung, an astronomer at the University of Tokyo’s Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, was working with an international team of astronomers studying hundreds of galaxies when they caught a supermassive black hole blasting away at the cold gas in its host galaxy.

“Galaxies start out as star-making machines with a simple recipe: gas plus gravity equals stars,” says Kevin Bundy, co-author on the study and Principal Investigator of the new SDSS campaign that led to the discovery. “Here we have a galaxy that has everything it needs to form new stars, but is dormant. Why is that?”

Astronomers had long suspected that the reason had something to do with the supermassive black hole found at the centers of many galaxies, but solid evidence was lacking. One reason was that it used to be difficult to map the internal structure and motions of gas and stars throughout a galaxy. “If we looked just at the center of the galaxy like we used to, we could have learned about the central black hole, but we would have missed the story of how it affects the rest of the galaxy,” Cheung says. “Another reason is that the wind from supermassive black holes comes and goes quickly, so catching the wind red-handed is hard.”

The secret to capturing the whole story is the SDSS’s new component survey, Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA).

Texas’ Drory built the MaNGA instrument that makes this survey possible. Drory is currently the Instrument Scientist for the project.

“The MaNGA Project's strength and uniqueness lies in the fact that we decided to not pre-select the galaxies we observe other than by the fact that they would be bright enough for the telescope and instrument we're using,” Drory said. “We were hoping that by observing many more galaxies than ever before, we'd find both the normal guys and the really unusual ones — the ones that teach us something new about galaxies in general. The object we've discovered here is a perfect example of how well that is working. These are very exciting times to be working on galaxy formation with new data like MaNGA that we've only been able to dream about until now."

Survey Scientist Renbin Yan of the University of Kentucky explained that ““Since MaNGA studies so many galaxies, our snapshots can reveal even the quickest changes happening in galaxies. And that’s how we found Akira.”

Cheung nicknamed this premier example of a red geyser galaxy “Akira” after the famous Japanese manga comic character, an homage to both the MaNGA survey and his home institution in Japan. Akira has a companion galaxy that Cheung called “Tetsuo” for another character in the same manga. Akira is pulling gas away from Tetsuo, which fuels Akira’s supermassive black hole winds. The winds driven by Tetsuo’s gas are the reason that Akira is currently a red geyser galaxy. Bundy came up with the name “red geyser” because these wind outbursts reminded him of the sporadic eruptions of a geyser and because the failure to form new stars leaves the galaxy with only red stars.

As with global warming on Earth, galactic warming has long-term consequences for red geyser galaxies: Their gas can no longer form new stars. “You can think of these winds as super-heating the atmospheres of galaxies,” Cheung says. “As soon as any gas starts to cool, it gets blasted by this wind, like water droplets turning to steam.” The team theorizes that this phenomenon is quite common in dormant galaxies. Therefore, our own Milky Way galaxy may not be safe from this galactic warming. Distant future generations may see our supermassive black hole turning our galaxy into a red geyser.

END

Contact:

Dr. Niv DroryResearch Scientist
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-6197

Texas Astronomer Finds Young 'Super-Neptune,' New Planet Offers Clues to the Origin of Close-in Exoplanets

K2-33 in Upper Scorpius

AUSTIN — A team of astronomers led by Andrew Mann of The University of Texas at Austin has confirmed the existence of a young planet, only 11 million years old, that orbits extremely close to its star (at 0.05 AU), with an orbital period of 5.4 days. Approximately five times the size of Earth, the new planet is a "super-Neptune" and the youngest such planet known. The discovery lends unique insights into the origin of planetary system architectures.

An enduring puzzle about exoplanets is their prevalence at orbital distances much closer to their central stars than the planets in our own solar system. How did they get there? One scenario holds that they were born and bred in the hot inner disk close to the star. Other scenarios propose that the close-in planet population originated in cooler climes, at distances beyond the orbit of Earth, and migrated inward to where they now reside. Their migration may have been driven by interactions with either the natal disk, with other planets in the same planetary system, or with more distant stars.

These scenarios can be tested observationally by searching for young planets and studying their orbits. If the close-in population formed in place or migrated in through interactions with the natal disk, they reach their final orbital distances early on and will be found close in at young ages. In comparison, migrating a planet inward through interactions with other planets or more distant stars is effective on much longer timescales. If the latter processes dominate, young planets will not be found close to their stars when they are young.

The new planet, which orbits a star called K2-33 in the 11-million-year-old Upper Scorpius stellar association, is one of the few planets known at such a young age and one of the best characterized. The existence of K2-33b demonstrates that some close-in planets achieve their final orbital distances early on. These planets either form close to the star or migrate there through interactions with the natal disk. The results will be published in a forthcoming issue of the Astronomical Journal.

Andrew Mann said he is intrigued by these results, because how and when close-in planets achieve their orbital radii may affect the outcome of terrestrial planet formation.

"If Jupiter or Neptune had migrated inward after the terrestrial planets formed, it seems unlikely that our solar system would have an Earth, or any of the terrestrial planets at all," he speculated.

K2-33b was first identified as a planetary candidate using data from NASA's repurposed Kepler mission, K2. To confirm the existence of the planet and to characterize its properties, the team conducted an extensive suite of follow up observations.

Explaining the need for these observations, Mann said, "Young stars are trickier to study than the older stars around which most planets are found. They vary intrinsically as a result of stellar activity and they may be surrounded by the debris (dust and rocks) from planet formation. We were able to reject these as explanations for the observed transit signal."

Follow-up observations confirmed that the transiting object is not a companion star or a background object. These were carried out with the IGRINS instrument on the Harlan J. Smith Telescope at UT Austin's McDonald Observatory, as well as on the NIRC2 instrument on the Keck II telescope in Hawaii. Additional transits of the planet were observed with the MEarth arrays at the Whipple Observatory on Mount Hopkins, Arizona and at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) in Chile. Observations with the ARCoIRIS instrument on the Blanco Telescope at CTIO played a critical role in measuring the size of the planet.

In parallel with the work by Mann and colleagues, K2-33 was also studied by another research team led by Trevor David of Caltech. Their results are published today in Nature. The two groups worked independently and reached similar conclusions.

— END — 

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Science Contact:
Dr. Andrew Mann
The University of Texas at Austin

 

A New Kind of Black Hole, Once a Theory, Now Firmly within Observers’ Sight

Simulation

AUSTIN — Astronomers Aaron Smith and Volker Bromm of The University of Texas at Austin, working with Avi Loeb of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, have discovered evidence for an unusual kind of black hole born extremely early in the universe. They showed that a recently discovered unusual source of intense radiation is likely powered by a “direct-collapse black hole,” a type of object predicted by theorists more than a decade ago. Their work is published today in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

“It’s a cosmic miracle,” Bromm said, referring to the precise set of conditions present half a billion years after the Big Bang that allowed these behemoths to emerge. “It’s the only time in the history of the universe when conditions are just right” for them to form.

These direct-collapse black holes may be the solution to a long-standing puzzle in astronomy: How did supermassive black holes form in the early epochs of the universe? There is strong evidence for their existence, as they are needed to power the highly luminous quasars detected in the young universe. However, there are several problems that should prevent their formation, and the conventional growth process is much too slow.

Astronomers think they know how supermassive black holes weighing in at millions of suns grow in the heart of most galaxies in our present epoch. They get started from a “seed” black hole, created when an extremely massive star collapses. This seed black hole has the mass of about 100 suns. It pulls in gas from its surroundings, becoming much more massive, and eventually may merge with other seed black holes. This entire process is called accretion.

The accretion theory does not explain supermassive black holes in extremely distant — and therefore young — quasars. Visible to us despite its distance of billions of light-years, a quasar’s incredible brightness comes from matter spiraling into a supermassive black hole, heating to millions of degrees, creating jets that shine as beacons across the universe.

These early galaxies may have contained the first generation of stars created after the Big Bang. And although these stars can collapse to form black holes, they don’t work as early quasar seeds. There is no surrounding gas for the black hole to feed on. That gas has been blown away by winds from the hot, newly formed stars.

“Star formation is the enemy of forming massive black holes” in early galaxies, Bromm said. “Stars produce feedback that blows away the surrounding gas cloud.”

For decades, astronomers have called this conundrum “the quasar seed problem.”

In 2003, Bromm and Loeb came up with a theoretical idea to get an early galaxy to form a supermassive seed black hole, by suppressing the otherwise prohibitive energy input from star formation. Astronomers later dubbed this process “direct collapse.”

Begin with a “primordial cloud of hydrogen and helium, suffused in a sea of ultraviolet radiation,” Bromm said. “You crunch this cloud in the gravitational field of a dark-matter halo. Normally, the cloud would be able to cool, and fragment to form stars. However, the ultraviolet photons keep the gas hot, thus suppressing any star formation. These are the desired, near-miraculous conditions: collapse without fragmentation! As the gas gets more and more compact, eventually you have the conditions for a massive black hole.”

This set of cosmic conditions is exquisitely sensitive to the time period in the universe’s history — this process does not happen in galaxies today.

According to Loeb, “The quasars observed in the early universe resemble giant babies in a delivery room full of normal infants. One is left wondering: what is special about the environment that nurtured these giant babies? Typically the cold gas reservoir in nearby galaxies like the Milky Way is consumed mostly by star formation.

“The theory we proposed when Bromm was my postdoc [at Harvard] suggested that the conditions in the first generation of galaxies were different,” he said. “Instead of making many normal stars, these galaxies formed a single supermassive star at their center that ended up collapsing to a seed black hole. Hence the gas in these environments was used to feed this seed black hole rather than make many normal stars.”

Bromm and Loeb published their theory in 2003. “But it was all theoretical back then,” Bromm said.

Fast-forward a dozen years, and Bromm is now a professor at The University of Texas at Austin with post-docs and graduate students of his own. That’s where Aaron Smith comes in.

Smith, Bromm, and Loeb had become interested in a galaxy called CR7, identified from a Hubble Space Telescope survey called COSMOS (in a paper led by Jorryt Matthee of Leiden University). Hubble spied CR7 at 1 billion years after the Big Bang.

David Sobral of the University of Lisbon had made follow-up observations of CR7 with some of the world’s largest ground-based telescopes, including Keck and the VLT. These uncovered some extremely unusual features in the light signature coming from CR7. Specifically a certain hydrogen line in the spectrum, known as “Lyman-alpha,” was several times brighter than expected. Remarkably, the spectrum also showed an unusually bright helium line.

“Whatever is driving this source is very hot — hot enough to ionize helium,” Smith said.

Bromm agreed. “You need it to be 100,000 K — very hot, a very hard UV source” for that to happen, he said.

These and other unusual features in the spectrum, such as the absence of any detected lines from elements heavier than helium (in astronomical parlance, “metals,”) together with the source’s distance  — and therefore its cosmic epoch — meant that it could either be a cluster of primordial stars or a supermassive black hole likely formed by direct collapse.

Smith ran simulations for both scenarios using the Stampede supercomputer at UT Austin’s Texas Advanced Computing Center.

“We developed a novel code,” Smith said, explaining that his code modeled the system differently than previous simulations.

“The old models were like a snapshot; this one is like a movie,” he explained.

The type of modeling Smith used is called “radiation hydrodynamics,” Bromm said. “It’s the most expensive approach in terms of computer processing power.”

The new code paid off, though. The star cluster scenario “spectacularly failed,” Smith said, while the direct collapse black hole model performed well.

Bromm said their work is about more than understanding the inner workings of one early galaxy.

“With CR7, we had one intriguing observation. We are trying to explain it, and to predict what future observations will find. We are trying to provide a comprehensive theoretical framework.”

In addition to Smith, Bromm, and Loeb’s work, NASA recently announced the discovery of two additional direct-collapse black hole candidates based on observations with the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

It seems astronomers are “converging on this model,” for solving the quasar seed problem, Smith said.

This research is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), grant numbers AST-1413501 and AST-1312034, and by an NSF graduate research fellowship to Aaron Smith.

END —

Media Contacts:

Rebecca Johnson
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Christine Pulliam
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
617-495-7463

Science Contacts:

Aaron Smith
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-1995

Dr. Volker Bromm
Professor of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-3432

Dr. Avi Loeb
Frank B. Baird, Jr. Professor of Science
Harvard University
617-496-6808

Astronomers Discover Rocky Planet Orbiting Nearest Star, Proxima Centauri

An international team of astronomers including Michael Endl of The University of Texas at Austin have found clear evidence of a planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Sun. The long-sought new world, called Proxima b, orbits its cool red parent star every 11 days and has a temperature suitable for liquid water to exist on its surface. This rocky world is a little more massive than Earth and is the closest known exoplanet to us — and may be the closest possible abode for life outside our solar system. The research will be published in the journal Nature on Aug 25.

“We are all convinced that this is a planet,” Endl said, “especially because there’s such a long timeline of data.” Endl researched the star from 2000 to 2008 with Martin Kuerster, now of the Max Planck Institute in Heidelberg, Germany. Their data, combined with more recent efforts, created a 16-year study of Proxima Centauri’s behavior.

Proxima Centauri is a cool red dwarf star located just over four light-years from the Sun, in the constellation of Centaurus. Too faint to be seen with the unaided eye, Proxima lies near the much brighter binary star system Alpha Centauri.

For the first half of 2016, telescopes around the world monitored Proxima Centauri in a coordinated effort called the Pale Red Dot campaign. Led by Guillem Anglada-Escudé from Queen Mary University of London, the astronomers were looking for the tiny back and forth wobble of the star that would be caused by the gravitational pull of an orbiting planet.

The Pale Red Dot campaign data comes from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) 3.6-meter telescope in Chile and other telescopes around the world. This new data was combined with Endl and Kuerster’s earlier study, and others, to reveal a clear signal: At times Proxima Centauri is approaching Earth at about 3 miles per hour (5 kph) — normal human walking pace — and at times receding at the same speed. This regular pattern repeats with a period of 11.2 days.

Careful analysis of this motion indicates the presence of a planet with a mass at least 1.3 times that of the Earth, orbiting about 4.4 million miles (7 million km) from Proxima Centauri — only 5 percent of the Earth-Sun distance.

Red dwarfs such as Proxima Centauri are active stars and can vary in ways that would mimic the presence of a planet. To exclude this possibility, the team also carefully monitored the changing brightness of the star during the campaign using the ASH2 telescope at the San Pedro de Atacama Celestial Explorations Observatory in Chile and the Las Cumbres Observatory telescope network. Data taken when the star was flaring were excluded from the final analysis.

Although Proxima b orbits much closer to its star than Mercury does to the Sun, the star itself is far fainter than the Sun. As a result, Proxima b has an estimated temperature that would allow the presence of liquid surface water and it lies well within the habitable zone around the star.

Despite the temperate orbit of Proxima b, the conditions on the surface may be strongly affected by the ultraviolet and X-ray flares from the star — far more intense than the Earth experiences from the Sun.

Endl suggested that if Proxima b is found to transit across the face of its star, he would like to study it in the near future with the Giant Magellan Telescope, which may be able to tease out the composition of the planet’s atmosphere. The University of Texas at Austin is a founding partner of the collaboration building the Giant Magellan Telescope.

— END —

Notes for Editors: Additional images and video, as well as links to the research paper and other resources, are available from the European Southern Observatory: https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1629/

Science Contacts
Dr. Micheal Endl, Research Scientist
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
+1 512-471-8312

Dr. Guillem Anglada-Escudé
Queen Mary University of London
United Kingdom
+44 (0)20 7882 3002

Media Contacts
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
+1 512-475-6763

Richard Hook, PIO
European Southern Observatory
Garching bei München, Germany
+49 89 3200 6655

Walter E. Massey and Taft Armandroff Selected to Lead Giant Magellan Telescope Board of Directors

Walter Massey

Pasadena, Calif. — The Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) today announced the appointment of Walter E. Massey, PhD, and Taft Armandroff, PhD, to the positions of Board Chair and Vice Chair, respectively. Continuing their involvement in new leadership capacities, Massey and Armandroff will guide the GMTO Board, overseeing the construction of the 24.5 meter Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) in the Chilean Andes and working to complete the partnership of universities, research institutions and private donors who will contribute to the construction and operation of the GMT.

Poised to be the first of a new generation of extremely large telescopes, the GMT will be the largest optical telescope in the world when it comes online in 2022. The project is a distinguished collaboration of US institutions and international partners from Australia, Brazil and Korea. The telescope will be constructed at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile.

“With his exceptional leadership and wisdom Dr. Massey will guide the GMTO Board with a steady hand as the telescope moves through the construction phase,” said Nobel Laureate Prof. Brian Schmidt, Vice Chancellor of the Australian National University. “Dr. Massey has an outstanding record of enabling breakthrough science through stewardship of major research facilities, including the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO).”

With more than 40 years of leadership in science and education, Massey will transition from a member of the Board, to Board Chair, where he will be responsible for supervision of the management team and charting the strategy and direction for the organization. Massey brings experience as a consistent voice for scientific advancement and was notably involved in the ambitious Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) Project. Twenty-five years after he ensured approvals and financial support for the project in his former role as Director of the National Science Foundation, LIGO announced the discovery of gravitational waves. Massey has held various other leadership roles in science and academia including President of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), Director of the Argonne National Laboratory, Vice President for Research and Professor of Physics at the University of Chicago, Professor of Physics and Dean of the College at Brown University, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs for the University of California system, and President of Morehouse College. He is currently the Chancellor of SAIC.

Armandroff serves as the director of The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory and as a Professor in the Department of Astronomy. Prior to this, Armandroff was Director of the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii for eight years. During his leadership there, the two 10-meter Keck telescopes played a key role in many astronomical discoveries. Armandroff also worked as an astronomer and eventually Associate Director for 19 years at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) in Tucson, Ariz. After a successful year as GMTO Board Chair, he will be stepping into the Vice Chair position, where he will partner with Massey to lead the Board as it advances the GMT through construction.

“The ambition and scale of the GMT collaboration require leadership with a high degree of scientific eminence and experience in the development and management of large science facilities,” said Dr. Robert Zimmer, President of the University of Chicago. “I am delighted that Walter is bringing his extraordinary abilities, as reflected in his distinguished record of scientific leadership, to this new role.”

Massey began his duties as Board Chair on November 2, 2016.

— END —

Comments on the News

“The GMT is one of the most exciting and important scientific projects underway in any field, and it has true potential to play a major role in developing programs and opportunities for the future of astronomical discovery. I’m excited to participate in maturing and shaping a scientific instrument of this caliber, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to see it through to successful discovery,” said Walter E. Massey, PhD, Board Chair, GMTO Board of Directors.

“By drawing on the science plans and technology demonstrations from many of the leading research institutions in astronomy, the GMT stands to be an incredible research tool for advancing discoveries in astronomy and deepening humanity’s understanding of our place in the universe. I’m excited to continue on the Board and look forward to working with Walter and the GMTO team,” said Taft Armandroff, PhD, Vice Chair, GMTO Board of Directors.

About the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization

The Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) manages the GMT project on behalf of its international partners: Astronomy Australia Ltd., The Australian National University, Carnegie Institution for Science, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, Harvard University, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Texas A&M University, The University of Texas at Austin, University of Arizona, and University of Chicago.

Connect with the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization on social media: gplus.to/gmtelescope, twitter.com/GMTelescope, https://www.facebook.com/GMTelescope, https://www.instagram.com/gmtelescope/ and visit http://www.gmto.org.

Media Contacts

Amanda KoczGMTO
Sarah LewisZeno Group for GMTO
Jeremy ManierUniversity of Chicago
Rebecca Johnson, The University of Texas at Austin

 

Famous Red Star Betelgeuse is Spinning Faster than Expected; May Have Swallowed a Companion 100,000 Years Ago

Betelgeuse in infrared

AUSTIN — Astronomer J. Craig Wheeler of The University of Texas at Austin thinks that Betelgeuse, the bright red star marking the shoulder of Orion, the hunter, may have had a past that is more interesting than meets the eye. Working with an international group of undergraduate students, Wheeler has found evidence that the red supergiant star may have been born with a companion star, and later swallowed that star. The research is published today in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

For such a well-known star, Betelgeuse is mysterious. Astronomers know that it’s a red supergiant, a massive star that is nearing the end of its life and so has bloated up to many times its original size. Someday it will explode as a supernova, but no one knows when.

“It might be ten thousand years from now, or it might be tomorrow night,” Wheeler, a supernova expert, said.

A new clue to the future of Betelgeuse involves its rotation. When a star inflates to become a supergiant, its rotation should slow down. “It’s like the classic spinning ice skater — not bringing her arms in, but opening her arms up,” Wheeler said. As the skater opens her arms, she slows down. So, too, should Betelgeuse’s rotation have slowed as the star expanded. But that is not what Wheeler’s team found.

“We cannot account for the rotation of Betelgeuse,” Wheeler said. “It’s spinning 150 times faster than any plausible single star just rotating and doing its thing.”

He directed a team of undergraduates including Sarafina Nance, Manuel Diaz, and James Sullivan of The University of Texas at Austin, as well as visiting students from China and Greece, to study Betelgeuse with a computer modeling program called MESA. The students used MESA to model Betelgeuse’s rotation for the first time.

Wheeler said in contemplating the star’s puzzlingly fast rotation, he began to speculate. “Suppose Betelgeuse had a companion when it was first born? And let’s just suppose it is orbiting around Betelgeuse at an orbit about the size that Betelgeuse is now. And then Betelgeuse turns into a red supergiant and absorbs it — swallows it.”

He explained that the companion star, once swallowed, would transfer the angular momentum of its orbit around Betelgeuse to that star’s outer envelope , speeding Betelgeuse’s rotation.

Wheeler estimates that the companion star would have had about the same mass as the Sun, in order to account for Betelgeuse’s current spin rate of 15 km/sec.

While an interesting idea, is there any evidence for this swallowed-companion theory? In a word: perhaps.

If Betelgeuse did swallow a companion star, it’s likely that the interaction between the two would cause the supergiant to shoot some matter out into space, Wheeler said.

Knowing how fast matter comes off of a red giant star, about 10 km/sec, Wheeler said he was able to roughly estimate how far from Betelgeuse this matter should be today.

“And then I went to the literature, in my naiveté, and read about Betelgeuse, and it turns out there’s a shell of matter sitting beyond Betelgeuse only a little closer than what I had guessed,” Wheeler said.

Infrared images taken of Betelgeuse in 2012 by Leen Decin of the University of Leuven in Belgium with the orbiting Herschel telescope show two shells of interacting matter on one side of Betelgeuse. Various interpretations exist; some say that this matter is a bow shock created as Betelgeuse’s atmosphere pushes through the interstellar medium as it races through the galaxy.

No one knows the origin with certainty. But “the fact is,” Wheeler said, “there is evidence that Betelgeuse had some kind of commotion on roughly this timescale” — that is, 100,000 years ago when the star expanded into a red supergiant.

The swallowed companion theory could explain both Betelgeuse’s rapid rotation and this nearby matter.

Wheeler and his team of students are continuing their investigations into this enigmatic star. Next, he says, they hope to probe Betelgeuse using a technique called “asteroseismology” — looking for sound waves impacting the surface of the star, to get clues to what’s happening deep inside its obscuring cocoon. They will also use the MESA code to better understand what would happen if Betelgeuse ate a companion star.

— END —

 

Media Contact
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Manager
Astronomy Program
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763
 

Science Contact 
Dr. J. Craig WheelerSamuel T. and Fern Yanagisawa Regents Professor
Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-6407

Robert N. Shelton Selected as President of Giant Magellan Telescope Organization

Robert Shelton

The Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) today announced the appointment of physicist Robert N. Shelton, PhD, to the position of President, effective February 20, 2017. Dr. Shelton will lead the organization behind the development of the 24.5 meter Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) which is poised to be the world’s largest astronomical telescope when it comes online early in the next decade. Dr. Shelton will work closely with the GMTO Board of Directors, the leadership at the partner institutions, and the GMT team to complete construction of the observatory.

“Expert leadership is critical to transforming the GMT from a bold vision into a world leading research facility,” said Walter E. Massey, Ph.D, Chair of the GMTO Board of Directors and Chancellor of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. “Dr. Shelton brings the skills and experience that we need at this critical time in the development of the GMT. The GMTO Board looks forward to working with Robert on this exciting project”.

The GMT will enable breakthrough science ranging from studies of the first stars and galaxies in the Universe to the exploration of planets around other stars. The project is being developed by an international consortium of universities and research institutions in the US, Australia, Brazil, and Korea. The telescope will be located at the Las Campanas Observatory high in the Andes mountains of northern Chile. Dark skies, a dry climate and smooth airflow make Las Campanas one of the world’s premier astronomical observing sites. Construction is underway at the observatory site in Chile and the giant mirrors that are at the heart of the telescope are being polished at the Richard F. Caris Mirror Laboratory at the University of Arizona.

“The GMT will be an incredible asset to the future of scientific discovery and our understanding of the Universe,” said Robert N. Shelton, PhD, President, GMTO. “I am delighted to join the organization behind this historic project and look forward to working with the Board and our partner institutions to ensure the successful completion of the telescope.”

Shelton joins GMTO from the Research Corporation for Science Advancement where he has been president since March 2014 and leads the vision and direction of America’s first foundation dedicated solely to funding science. Dr. Shelton has been the executive director of the Arizona Sports Foundation, the 19th president of the University of Arizona, and provost and executive vice chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, among many other notable leadership and academic positions at renowned public research universities. He also brings experience as a distinguished experimental condensed-matter physicist focusing on collective electron effects in novel materials, reaching more than 240 refereed publications, 50 invited talks and 100 contributed papers at professional meetings.

Comments on the News

Astronomer and Nobel Laureate, Dr. Brian Schmidt, Vice Chancellor of the Australian National University said, “Dr. Shelton is highly respected in the astronomical community through his service on the boards of numerous observatories and scientific institutions, and was also president of my alma mater. The ANU and Astronomy Australia Limited look forward to working with Dr. Shelton in his new role at GMTO.” 

“The GMT will be a ground-breaking scientific tool for discovery, and I look forward to Robert Shelton’s experienced leadership in making it a reality,” said Harvard University President Drew Faust.

About the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization

The Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) manages the GMT project on behalf of its international partners: Astronomy Australia Ltd., The Australian National University, Carnegie Institution for Science, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP), Harvard University, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Texas A&M University, The University of Texas at Austin, University of Arizona, and University of Chicago.

Connect with the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization on social media: gplus.to/gmtelescope, twitter.com/GMTelescope, https://www.facebook.com/GMTelescope, https://www.instagram.com/gmtelescope/ and visit http://www.gmto.org.

Media Contacts

Sarah LewisZeno Group for GMTO
Office: 650-801-0937
Cell: 650-284-9139

Amanda KoczGMTO

GMTO Contacts

Robert N. Shelton, PhD, GMTO

Walter Massey, PhD, University of Chicago

Taft Armandroff, PhD, University of Texas at Austin

Astronomers Find Faintest Early Galaxies Yet, Probe How the Early Universe Lit Up

MACS 0416
AUSTIN — Astronomers at The University of Texas at Austin have developed a new technique to discover the faintest galaxies yet seen in the early universe —10 times fainter than any previously seen. These galaxies will help astronomers probe a little-understood, but important period in cosmic history. Their new technique helps probe the time a billion years after the Big Bang, when the early, dark universe was flooded with light from the first galaxies.

Rachael Livermore and Steven Finkelstein of the UT Austin Astronomy Department, along with Jennifer Lotz of the Space Telescope Science Institute, went looking for these faint galaxies in images from Hubble Space Telescope’s Frontier Fields survey.
 
“These galaxies are actually extremely common,” Livermore said. “It’s very satisfying being able to find them.”
 
These faint, early galaxies gave rise to the Epoch of Reionization, when the energetic radiation they gave off bombarded the gas between all galaxies in the universe. This caused the atoms in this diffuse gas to lose their electrons (that is, become ionized).
 
Finkelstein explained why finding these faint galaxies is so important. “We knew ahead of time that for our idea of galaxy-powered reionization to work, there had to be galaxies a hundred times fainter than we could see with Hubble,” he said, “and they had to be really, really common.” This was why the Hubble Frontier Fields program was created, he said.
 
Lotz leads the Hubble Frontier Fields project, one of the telescope’s largest to date. In it, Hubble photographed several large galaxy clusters. These were selected to take advantage of their enormous mass which causes a useful optical effect, predicted by Albert Einstein. A galaxy cluster’s immense gravity bends space, which magnifies light from more-distant galaxies behind it as that light travels toward the telescope. Thus the galaxy cluster acts as a magnifying glass, or a “gravitational lens,” allowing astronomers to see those more-distant galaxies — ones they would not normally be able to detect, even with Hubble.
 
Even then, though, the lensed galaxies were still just at the cusp of what Hubble could detect.
 
“The main motivation for the Frontier Fields project was to search for these extremely faint galaxies during this critical period in the universe’s history,” Lotz said. “However, the primary difficulty with using the Frontier Field clusters as an extra magnifying glass is how to correct for the contamination from the light of the cluster galaxies.”
 
Livermore elaborates: “The problem is, you’re trying to find these really faint things, but you’re looking behind these really bright things. The brightest galaxies in the universe are in clusters, and those cluster galaxies are blocking the background galaxies we’re trying to observe. So what I did was come up with a method of removing the cluster galaxies” from the images.
 
Her method uses modeling to identify and separate light from the foreground galaxies (the cluster galaxies) from the light coming from the background galaxies (the more-distant, lensed galaxies).
 
According to Lotz, “This work is unique in its approach to removing this light. This has allowed us to detect more and fainter galaxies than seen in previous studies, and to achieve the primary goal for the Frontier Fields survey.”
 
Livermore and Finkelstein have used the new method on two of the galaxy clusters in the Frontier Fields project: Abell 2744 and MACS 0416. It enabled them to identify faint galaxies seen when the universe was about a billion years old, less than 10 percent of its current age — galaxies 100 times fainter than those found in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, for instance, which is the deepest image of the night sky yet obtained.
 
Their observations showed that these faint galaxies are extremely numerous, consistent with the idea that large numbers of extremely faint galaxies were the main power source behind reionization.
 
There are four Frontier Fields clusters left, and the team plans to study them all with Livermore’s method. In future, she said, they would like to use the James Webb Space Telescope to study even fainter galaxies.
 
The work is published in a recent issue of The Astrophysical Journal.
 
— END —
 
Media Contacts:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
The University of Texas at Austin
+1 512-475-6763
 
Ray Villard, News Manager
Space Telescope Science Institute
+1 410-338-4514
 
Science Contacts:
The University of Texas at Austin
+1 512-471-1745
 
The University of Texas at Austin
+1 512-471-1483
 
Space Telescope Science Institute
+1 410-338-4467
 

 

Upgraded Hobby-Eberly Telescope dedicated April 9; Dark energy survey, other cutting-edge science on the way

HET with star trails, vertical

FORT DAVIS, Texas — The world’s third-largest telescope, the 10-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) located at McDonald Observatory in West Texas, has completed a multiyear $40 Million upgrade to enable it to take on the biggest challenges in astronomy today: unraveling the mystery of dark energy, probing distant galaxies and black holes, discovering and characterizing planets around other stars and much more. The HET Board is celebrating with a dedication ceremony today.

“The entire Board, as well as the HET astronomy community, are excited about the telescope upgrade and the new science it will enable,” said Dr. Larry Ramsey, chair of the HET Board and professor of astronomy at Penn State. “The upgraded HET will conduct the first major study of how dark energy changes over time and we all look forward to new and exciting results in this area and others.”

HET’s upgrade included a variety of aspects. The telescope’s field of view has been expanded to 70 percent of the diameter of the full Moon and now views an area of sky 120 times larger than before. And HET now sports an innovative new set of optics. “The Harold C. Simmons Dark Energy Optical System is one of the most complex optical systems ever deployed in astronomy,” said McDonald Observatory Director Dr. Taft Armandroff of The University of Texas at Austin. The Simmons System rides on the telescope’s new tracker, or “top end,” which enables tracking and guiding on cosmic targets.

The upgrade is an integral part of the upcoming Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX), a four-year project starting later this year that will study dark energy, the mysterious force causing the universe’s rate of expansion to speed up. This survey will look back 11 billion years and determine if dark energy has changed over time.

The HET was originally dedicated in 1997. It is a partnership between The University of Texas at Austin, Penn State, and two German institutions, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München.

Today's event will welcome Texas elected officials, philanthropic donors, leadership from The University of Texas at Austin and Penn state, officials from the National Science Foundation and scientists. The telescope upgrade was funded by a combination of federal, state and private sources.

— END —

 

Science Contacts

Dr. Taft Armandroff
Director, McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-3300

Dr. Larry Ramsey
Chair, HET Board of Directors
The Pennsylvania State University
814-863-5573

 

Appendix: HET’s New Instruments

 

The Low Resolution Spectrograph 2 (LRS2) became fully operational last July. It enables highly sensitive studies of faint, distant galaxies; supermassive black holes and more. A spectrograph enables the study of cosmic objects' chemical composition, temperature and motion. LRS2 does this for the faintest objects and utilizes an innovative input that divides up an area of sky and efficiently reformats it to feed into the spectrograph. LRS2 was developed by The University of Texas at Austin.

 

The Visible Integral-field Replicable Unit Spectrograph (VIRUS) will enable a major study of dark energy, the mysterious force that’s causing the expansion of the universe to speed up over time. It consists of 156 spectrographs that analyze light captured by HET and fed through 35,000 optical fibers to be captured by cameras with a total of 633 megapixels. The combination of the upgraded HET and VIRUS creates the world’s most powerful spectroscopic capability for surveying large areas of sky. VIRUS is led by The University of Texas at Austin with contributions from the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam, Texas A&M University and  The University of Oxford with support from a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant.

 

The Habitable Zone Planet Finder (HPF) is an ultra-stable, optical-fiber-fed, high resolution infrared spectrograph system designed for high precision velocity measurements of nearby small, cool stars. HPF will search for and detect the small Doppler wobble caused by planets orbiting in their “habitable zones,” where liquid water can exist. Planets in this zone could potentially foster life. The red dwarf stars HPF will study are the most common stars in the Milky Way galaxy. The construction of HPF is funded by NSF Major Research Instrumentation and Advanced Technology and Instrumentation grants to Penn State. Delivery of the instrument to HET is expected before the end of this year.

 

The High Resolution Spectrograph (HRS) is one of HET’s original instruments that has been upgraded substantially in support of various missions. HRS is used to study how stars synthesize the elements and how the chemistry of our Milky Way galaxy changes with time. HRS also searches for planets around other stars and observes exoplanets discovered by the NASA spacecraft Kepler and the future TESS mission. The combination of HRS and spacecraft data allows detailed characterization of the exoplanets that neither can provide alone. HRS was developed by The University of Texas at Austin.

Do Stars Fall Quietly into Black Holes, or Crash into Something Utterly Unknown?

BH swallows star

AUSTIN, Texas — Astronomers at The University of Texas at Austin and Harvard University have put a basic principle of black holes to the test, showing that matter completely vanishes when pulled in. Their results constitute another successful test for Albert Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity.

Most scientists agree that black holes, cosmic entities of such great gravity that nothing can escape their grip, are surrounded by a so-called event horizon. Once matter or energy gets close enough to the black hole, it cannot escape — it will be pulled in. Though widely believed, the existence of event horizons has not been proved.

“Our whole point here is to turn this idea of an event horizon into an experimental science, and find out if event horizons really do exist or not,” said Pawan Kumar, a professor of astrophysics at The University of Texas at Austin.

Supermassive black holes are thought to lie at the heart of almost all galaxies. But some theorists suggest that there’s something else there instead — not a black hole, but an even stranger supermassive object that has somehow managed to avoid gravitational collapse to a singularity surrounded by an event horizon. The idea is based on modified theories of General Relativity, Einstein’s theory of gravity.

While a singularity has no surface area, the noncollapsed object would have a hard surface. So material being pulled closer — a star, for instance — would not actually fall into a black hole, but hit this hard surface and be destroyed.

Kumar, his graduate student Wenbin Lu, and Ramesh Narayan, a theorist from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, have come up with a test to determine which idea is correct.

“Our motive is not so much to establish that there is a hard surface,” Kumar said, “but to push the boundary of knowledge and find concrete evidence that really, there is an event horizon around black holes.”

The team figured out what a telescope would see when a star hit the hard surface of a supermassive object at the center of a nearby galaxy: The star’s gas would envelope the object, shining for months, perhaps even years.

Once they knew what to look for, the team figured out how often this should be seen in the nearby universe, if the hard-surface theory is true.

“We estimated the rate of stars falling onto supermassive black holes,” Lu said. “Nearly every galaxy has one. We only considered the most massive ones, which weigh about 100 million solar masses or more. There are about a million of them within a few billion light-years of Earth.”

They then searched a recent archive of telescope observations. Pan-STARRS, a 1.8-meter telescope in Hawaii, recently completed a project to survey half of the northern hemisphere sky. The telescope scanned the area repeatedly during a period of 3.5 years, looking for “transients” — things that glow for a while and then fade. Their goal was to find transients with the expected light signature of a star falling toward a supermassive object and hitting a hard surface.

“Given the rate of stars falling onto black holes and the number density of black holes in the nearby universe, we calculated how many such transients Pan-STARRS should have detected over a period of operation of 3.5 years. It turns out it should have detected more than 10 of them, if the hard-surface theory is true,” Lu said.

They did not find any.

“Our work implies that some, and perhaps all, black holes have event horizons and that material really does disappear from the observable universe when pulled into these exotic objects, as we’ve expected for decades,” Narayan said. “General Relativity has passed another critical test.”

Now the team is proposing to improve the test with an even larger telescope: the 8.4-meter Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST, now under construction in Chile). Like Pan-STARRS, LSST will make repeated surveys of the sky over time, revealing transients — but with much greater sensitivity.

This research has been published in the June issue of the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

— END —

Journal Article: Read the research article "Stellar disruption events support the existence of the black hole event horizon"  by Wenbin Lu, Pawan Kumar, and Naresh Narayan in the June 2017 issue of Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society here: https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stx542

Science Contacts:

Wenbin Lu, graduate student
UT Austin Department of Astronomy
512-471-8275

Dr. Pawan Kumarprofessor of astrophysics
UT Austin Department of Astronomy
512-471-3412

Dr. Ramesh Narayan, Cabot Professor of the Natural Sciences
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
617-496-9393

Media Contacts:

Rebecca JohnsonCommunications Manager
UT Austin Astronomy Program
512-475-6763

Dr. Peter Edmonds
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
617-571-7279

Astronomers Prove What Separates True Stars from Wannabes

AUSTIN — Astronomer Trent Dupuy of The University of Texas at Austin has shown what separates true stars from wannabes. Not in Hollywood, but in the whole universe. He will present his research today in a news conference at the semi-annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Austin.

“When we look up and see the stars shining at night, we are seeing only part of the story,” Dupuy said. “Not everything that could be a star ‘makes it,’ and figuring out why this process sometimes fails is just as important as understanding when it succeeds.”

Stars form when a cloud of gas and dust collapses under gravity, and the resulting ball of matter is hot enough and dense enough to sustain nuclear fusion at its core. Fusion produces huge amounts of energy — it’s what makes stars shine. In the Sun’s case, it’s what makes most life on Earth possible.

But not all collapsing gas clouds are created equal. Sometimes, the collapsing cloud results in a ball that isn’t dense enough to ignite fusion. These ‘failed stars’ are known as brown dwarfs.

This definition that separates stars from brown dwarfs has been around for a long time.  In fact, astronomers have had theories about how massive the collapsing ball has to be in order to form a star (or not) for more than 50 years. However, the dividing line in mass has never been confirmed by experiment.

Now a team led by Texas astronomer Trent Dupuy has done just that. He and Michael Liu of the University of Hawaii found that an object must weigh at least 70 Jupiters in order to ignite fusion. If it weighs less, the light does not switch on. It’s a brown dwarf.

How did they reach that conclusion? For a decade, Dupuy and Liu studied 31 faint binaries (pairs of either brown dwarfs or the lowest mass stars that orbit each other) using two powerful telescopes in Hawaii — the Keck Observatory and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope —  as well as data from the Hubble Space Telescope.

Their goal was to find out the masses of the objects in these binaries, since mass defines the boundary between stars and brown dwarfs. Astronomers have been using binaries to measure masses of stars for more than a century. To determine the mass of a binary, one measures the size and speed of the stars’ orbits around an invisible point between them where the pull of gravity is equal, called the “center of mass.” However, binary brown dwarfs orbit much more slowly than binary stars, due to their lower masses. And because brown dwarfs are dimmer than stars, they can only be well-studied with the world’s most powerful telescopes.

To measure their masses, Dupuy and Liu collected images of the faint binaries over several years, tracking their orbital motion using high-precision observations. They used the 10-meter Keck Telescope, along with its laser guide star adaptive optics system, and the Hubble Space Telescope to obtain the extremely sharp images needed to distinguish the light from each object in the pair.

However, the price of such zoomed-in, high-resolution images is that there is no reference frame to identify the center of mass. Wide-field images from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope containing hundreds of stars provided the reference grid needed to measure the center of mass for every system.  Such data also yielded a precise distance to each system. Because these faint binary pairs are much closer to the Earth than other stars in the images, they appear to move back and forth slightly every year as Earth orbits the Sun (an effect called “parallax”), and the exact amounts they move can be used to compute their distances.

The result of the decade-long observing program is the first large sample of brown dwarf masses.

“As they say, good things come to those who wait. While we’ve had many interesting brown dwarf results over the past 10 years, this large sample of masses is the big payoff. These measurements will be fundamental to understanding both brown dwarfs and stars for a very long time,” Liu said.

The information they have assembled has allowed them to draw a number of conclusions about what distinguishes stars from brown dwarfs.

Objects heavier than 70 Jupiter masses are not cold enough to be brown dwarfs, implying that they are all stars powered by nuclear fusion. Therefore 70 Jupiters is the critical mass below which objects are fated to be brown dwarfs. Their determination for the mass dividing line is somewhat lower than theories had predicted but still consistent with the latest models of brown dwarf evolution.

In addition to the mass cutoff, they discovered a surface temperature cutoff. Any object cooler than 1,600 Kelvin (about 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit) is not a star, but a brown dwarf.

This work will help astronomers understand the conditions under which stars form and evolve — or sometimes fail. In turn, the success or failure of star formation has an impact on how, where, and why solar systems form.

This research will be published soon in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement.

— END —

Media Contact:

Rebecca Johnson, Communications Manager
The University of Texas at Austin
+1 512-689-0240 (mobile)
rjohnson@astro.as.utexas.edu

Science Contact:

Dr. Trent Dupuy, Research Fellow
The University of Texas at Austin
+1 318-344-0975 (mobile)
tdupuy@astro.as.utexas.edu

Hubble Space Telescope Pushed Beyond Limits to Spot Clumps of New Stars in Distant Galaxy

When it comes to the distant universe, even the keen vision of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope can only go so far. Teasing out finer details requires clever thinking and a little help from a cosmic alignment with a gravitational lens.

By applying a new computational analysis to a galaxy magnified by a gravitational lens, a team of astronomers including The University of Texas at Austin's Rachael Livermore has obtained images 10 times sharper than what Hubble could achieve on its own. The results show an edge-on disk galaxy studded with brilliant patches of newly formed stars.

“When we saw the reconstructed image we said, ‘Wow, it looks like fireworks are going off everywhere,’" said astronomer Jane Rigby of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

The galaxy in question is so far away that we see it as it appeared 11 billion years ago, only 2.7 billion years after the big bang. It is one of more than 70 strongly lensed galaxies studied by the Hubble Space Telescope, following up targets selected by the Sloan Giant Arcs Survey, which discovered hundreds of strongly lensed galaxies by searching Sloan Digital Sky Survey imaging data covering one-fourth of the sky.

The gravity of a giant cluster of galaxies between the target galaxy and Earth distorts the more distant galaxy’s light, stretching it into an arc and also magnifying it almost 30 times. The team had to develop special computer code to remove the distortions caused by the gravitational lens, and reveal the disk galaxy as it would normally appear.

The resulting reconstructed image revealed two dozen clumps of newborn stars, each spanning about 200 to 300 light-years. This contradicted theories suggesting that star-forming regions in the distant, early universe were much larger, 3,000 light-years or more in size.

“There are star-forming knots as far down in size as we can see," said doctoral student Traci Johnson of the University of Michigan, lead author of two of the three papers describing the research.

Without the magnification boost of the gravitational lens, Johnson added, the disk galaxy would appear perfectly smooth and unremarkable to Hubble. This would give astronomers a very different picture of where stars are forming.

While Hubble highlighted new stars within the lensed galaxy, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope will uncover older, redder stars that formed even earlier in the galaxy’s history. It will also peer through any obscuring dust within the galaxy.

“With the Webb Telescope, we’ll be able to tell you what happened in this galaxy in the past, and what we missed with Hubble because of dust," said Rigby.

These findings appear in a paper published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters and two additional papers published in The Astrophysical Journal. 

Science Contact:
Dr. Rachael Livermore
Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-1745
r.c.livermore@astro.as.utexas.edu

Heart of an Exploded Star Observed in 3-D

Supernovas — the violent endings of the brief yet brilliant lives of massive stars — are among the most cataclysmic events in the cosmos. Though supernovas mark the death of stars, they also trigger the birth of new elements and the formation of new molecules.

In February of 1987, astronomers witnessed one of these events unfold inside the Large Magellanic Cloud, a tiny dwarf galaxy located approximately 160,000 light-years from Earth.

Over the next 30 years, observations of the remnant of that explosion revealed never-before-seen details about the death of stars and how atoms created in those stars — like carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen — spill out into space and combine to form new molecules and dust. These microscopic particles may eventually find their way into future generations of stars and planets.

Recently, astronomers used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to probe the heart of this supernova, named SN 1987A. ALMA’s ability to see remarkably fine details allowed the researchers to produce an intricate 3-D rendering of newly formed molecules inside the supernova remnant. These results are published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

The researchers also discovered a variety of previously undetected molecules in the remnant. These results appear in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

"I've been watching and thinking about supernova 1987A ever since it first exploded," said research team member J. Craig Wheeler of The University of Texas at Austin. "These ALMA observations represent a dramatic new way to peer inside the expanding material. They are revolutionary by revealing the presence and 3-D structure of dust and molecules. These data give brand new insights into mixing and turbulence driven by the explosion and hence clues to the nature of the explosion itself — my principal passion," Wheeler said.

“When this supernova exploded, now more than 30 years ago, astronomers knew much less about the way these events reshape interstellar space and how the hot, glowing debris from an exploded star eventually cools and produces new molecules,” said Rémy Indebetouw, an astronomer at the University of Virginia and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). “Thanks to ALMA, we can finally see cold ‘star dust’ as it forms, revealing important insights into the original star itself and the way supernovas create the basic building blocks of planets.”

Prior to ongoing investigations of SN 1987A, there was only so much astronomers could say about the impact of supernovas on their interstellar neighborhoods.

It was well understood that massive stars, those approximately 10 times the mass of our Sun or more, ended their lives in spectacular fashion.

When these stars run out of fuel, there is no longer enough heat and energy to fight back against the force of gravity. The outer reaches of the star, once held up by the power of fusion, then come crashing down on the core with tremendous force. The rebound of this collapse triggers a powerful explosion that blasts material into space.

As the endpoint of massive stars, scientists have learned that supernovas have far-reaching effects on their home galaxies. “The reason some galaxies have the appearance that they do today is in large part because of the supernovas that have occurred in them,” Indebetouw said. “Though less than ten percent of stars become supernovas, they nonetheless are key to the evolution of galaxies.”

Throughout the observable universe, supernovas are quite common, but since they appear — on average — about once every 50 years in a galaxy the size of the Milky Way, astronomers have precious few opportunities to study one from its first detonation to the point where it cools enough to form new molecules. Though SN 1987A is not in our home galaxy, it is still close enough for ALMA and other telescopes to study in fine detail.

For decades, radio, optical, and even X-ray observatories have studied SN 1987A, but obscuring dust in the remnant made it difficult to analyze the supernova’s innermost core. ALMA’s ability to observe at millimeter wavelengths — a region of the electromagnetic spectrum between infrared and radio light — make it possible to see through the intervening dust. The researchers were then able to study the abundance and location of newly formed molecules — especially silicon monoxide (SiO) and carbon monoxide (CO), which shine brightly at the short submillimeter wavelengths that ALMA can perceive.

The new ALMA image and animation show vast new stores of SiO and CO in discrete, tangled clumps within the core of SN 1987A. Scientists previously modeled how and where these molecules would appear. With ALMA, the researchers finally were able to capture images with high enough resolution to confirm the structure inside the remnant and test those models.

Aside from obtaining this 3-D image of SN 1987A, the ALMA data also reveal compelling details about how its physical conditions have changed and continue to change over time. These observations also provide insights into the physical instabilities inside a supernova.

Earlier observations with ALMA verified that SN 1987A produced a massive amount of dust. The new observations provide even more details on how the supernova made the dust as well as the type of molecules found in the remnant.

“One of our goals was to observe SN 1987A in a blind search for other molecules,” said Indebetouw. “We expected to find carbon monoxide and silicon monoxide, since we had previously detected these molecules.” The astronomers, however, were excited to find the previously undetected molecules formyl cation (HCO+) and sulfur monoxide (SO).

“These molecules had never been detected in a young supernova remnant before,” noted Indebetouw. “HCO+ is especially interesting because its formation requires particularly vigorous mixing during the explosion.” Stars forge elements in discrete onion-like layers. As a star goes supernova, these once well-defined bands undergo violent mixing, helping to create the environment necessary for molecule and dust formation.

The astronomers estimate that about 1 in 1,000 silicon atoms from the exploded star is now found in free-floating SiO molecules. The overwhelming majority of the silicon has already been incorporated into dust grains. Even the small amount of SiO that is present is 100 times greater than predicted by dust-formation models. These new observations will aid astronomers in refining their models.

These observations also find that ten percent or more of the carbon inside the remnant is currently in CO molecules. Only a few out of every million carbon atoms are in HCO+ molecules.

Even though the new ALMA observations shed important light on SN 1987A, there are still several questions that remain. Exactly how abundant are the molecules of HCO+ and SO? Are there other molecules that have yet to be detected? How will the 3-D structure of SN 1987A continue to change over time?

Future ALMA observations at different wavelengths may also help determine what sort of compact object — a pulsar or neutron star — resides at the center of the remnant. The supernova likely created one of these dense stellar objects, but as yet none has been detected.

— END —

Science Contact:

Dr. J. Craig Wheeler
Samuel T. and Fern Yanagisawa Regents Professor
Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-6407

Media Contacts:

Rebecca Johnson
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin

512-475-6763

Charles Blue
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
434-296-0314

New Telescope Coming Soon to McDonald Observatory

LCO 1m telescope

FORT DAVIS, Texas — A new 1-meter telescope is coming to The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory in the next two years. The Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) global network is expanding, and will build a second 1-meter telescope at McDonald.

“McDonald Observatory continues to grow in its capabilities and in its science,” said director Dr. Taft Armandroff. “We are pleased and grateful to have another LCO 1-meter telescope studying our very dark skies. The unique capabilities of the Las Cumbres Observatory align well with the research interests of astronomers at The University of Texas at Austin.”

Las Cumbres Observatory is a global network of robotic telescopes. The first telescope in the network was built at McDonald in 2012. Others have followed or are in progress at sites around the world, including Hawaii, Chile, South Africa, Israel, the Canary Islands, Tibet/China, and Australia.

The LCO telescopes at McDonald provide additional science resources to the faculty, research scientists, and graduate students of the UT Austin astronomy program. In exchange for hosting the telescopes, Texas astronomers are granted access to LCO’s entire network.

Texas astronomers use the LCO telescopes for a variety of research projects, including hunting for extrasolar planets and studying the exploding stars known as supernovae. The addition of a new LCO telescope at McDonald means UT Austin astronomers will double their share of observing time on the network.

In addition to the new 1-meter telescope, which is funded by a $1 million grant to LCO by the Heising-Simons Foundation, McDonald will soon host a 0.4-meter LCO telescope. This smaller telescope will be used for both research and educational projects.

— END —

Media Contacts:

Rebecca Johnson
Communications Mgr., McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763; rjohnson@astro.as.utexas.edu

Sandy Seale
Director of Development, Las Cumbres Observatory
805-880-1625; sseale@lco.global

Science Contacts:

Dr. Anita Cochran
Asst. Director, McDonald Observatory and Member, LCO Science Collaboration
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-1471; anita@astro.as.utexas.edu

Dr. Todd Boroson
President and Observatory Director, Las Cumbres Observatory
805-880-1600; tboroson@lco.global

 

 

Astronomers Solve Mystery of Formation of First Supermassive Black Holes

AUSTIN — An international team of researchers has successfully used a supercomputer simulation to recreate the formation of a massive black hole from supersonic gas streams left over from the Big Bang. The study will be published tomorrow in the journal Science, in a paper led by Shingo Hirano of The University of Texas at Austin's Department of Astronomy.

“This is significant progress. The origin of the monstrous black holes has been a long-standing mystery and now we have a solution to it,” Hirano said.

Recent discoveries of supermassive black holes 13 billion light-years away, corresponding to when the universe was just five per cent of its present age, pose a serious challenge to the theory of black hole formation and evolution. The physical mechanisms that form black holes and drive their growth are poorly understood.

Theoretical studies have suggested these black holes formed from remnants of the first generation of stars, or a direct gravitational collapse of a massive primordial gas cloud. However, such theories either have difficulty in forming supermassive black holes fast enough, or resort to very particular conditions.

The research team, led by Principal Investigator Naoki Yoshida of Japan’s Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, identified a promising physical process through which a massive black hole could form fast enough. The key was the supersonic gas motions with respect to dark matter. The team’s supercomputer simulations showed a massive clump of dark matter had formed when the universe was 100 million years old. Supersonic gas streams generated by the Big Bang were caught by dark matter to form a dense, turbulent gas cloud. Inside, a protostar started to form, and because the surrounding gas provided more than enough material for it to feed on, the star was able to grow extremely big in a short amount of time without releasing a lot of radiation.

“Once reaching the mass of 34,000 times that of our Sun, the star collapsed by its own gravity, leaving a massive black hole,” Yoshida said. “These massive black holes born in the early universe continued to grow and merge together to become a supermassive black hole.”

“The number density of massive black holes is derived to be approximately one per a volume of three billion light-years on a side — remarkably close to the observed number density of supermassive black holes,” Hirano added.

The result from this study will be important for future research into the growth of massive black holes. Especially with the increased number of black hole observations in the far universe that are expected to be made when NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is launched next year.

END

Science Contacts:

Dr. Shingo Hirano
JSPS Overseas Research Fellow
Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
shirano@astro.as.utexas.edu

Dr. Naoki Yoshida
Principal Investigator
Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe
University of Tokyo
naoki.yoshida@ipmu.jp

Media Contact:

Rebecca Johnson
Communications Mgr., McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
+1 512-689-0240
rjohnson@astro.as.utexas.edu

Astronomers Detect Comets Outside our Solar System

AUSTIN — Astronomers from The University of Texas at Austin, working with scientists from other institutions and amateur astronomers, have spotted the dusty tails of six exocomets — comets outside our solar system — orbiting a faint star 800 light years from Earth.

These cosmic balls of ice and dust, which were about the size of Halley’s comet and traveled about 100,000 miles per hour before they ultimately vaporized, are some of the smallest objects yet found outside our own solar system.

The discovery by Andrew Vanderburg, NASA Sagan Fellow at UT Austin, and the team marks the first time that an object as small as a comet has been inferred using transit photometry, a technique by which astronomers observe a star’s light for telltale dips in intensity. Such dips signal potential transits, or crossings of planets or other objects in front of a star, which momentarily block a small fraction of its light.

“It’s just thrilling to find these comets,” Vanderburg says. “No one has ever seen anything quite like these transits before. These are some of the first glimpses at the population of comets outside our own solar system.”

The researchers were able to pick out the comet’s tail, or trail of gas and dust, which blocked about one-tenth of 1 percent of the star’s light as the comet streaked by.

“It’s amazing that something several orders of magnitude smaller than the Earth can be detected just by the fact that it’s emitting a lot of debris,” says Saul Rappaport, professor emeritus of physics in MIT’s Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research. “It’s pretty impressive to be able to see something so small, so far away.”

The team have published their results this week in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Rappaport is the paper’s lead author. Other authors include Vanderburg, Adam Kraus, and Aaron Rizzuto of The University of Texas at Austin; astronomers from NASA Ames Research Center and Northeastern University; and amateur astronomers including Thomas Jacobs of Bellevue, Washington.

“Where few have traveled”

The detection was made using data from NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope, a stellar observatory that was launched into space in 2009. For four years, the spacecraft monitored about 200,000 stars for dips in starlight caused by transiting exoplanets.

To date, the mission has identified and confirmed more than 2,400 exoplanets, mostly orbiting  anonymous stars in the constellation Cygnus, with the help of  automated algorithms that quickly sift through Kepler’s data, looking for characteristic dips in starlight.

The smallest exoplanets detected thus far measure about one-third the size of the Earth. Comets, in comparison, span just several football fields, or a small city at their largest, making them incredibly difficult to spot.

However, on March 18, Jacobs, an amateur astronomer who has made it his hobby to comb through Kepler’s data, was able to pick out several curious light patterns amid the noise.

Jacobs, who works as an employment consultant for people with intellectual disabilities by day, is a member of the Planet Hunters — a citizen scientist project first established by Yale University to enlist amateur astronomers in the search for exoplanets. Members were given access to Kepler’s data (which are now public) in hopes that they might spot something of interest that a computer might miss.

In January, Jacobs set out to scan the entire four years of Kepler’s data taken during the main mission, comprising over 200,000 stars, each with individual light curves, or graphs of light intensity tracked over time. Jacobs spent five months sifting by eye through the data, often before and after his day job, and through the weekends.

“Looking for objects of interest in the Kepler data requires patience, persistence, and perseverance,” Jacobs says. “For me it is a form of treasure hunting, knowing that there is an interesting event waiting to be discovered. It is all about exploration and being on the hunt where few have traveled before.”

“Something we’ve seen before”

Jacobs’ goal was to look for anything out of the ordinary that computer algorithms may have passed over. In particular, he was searching for single transits — dips in starlight that happen only once, meaning they are not periodic like planets orbiting a star multiple times.

In his search, he spotted three such single transits around KIC 3542116, a faint star located 800 light years from Earth (the other three transits were found later by the team). He flagged the events and alerted Rappaport and Vanderburg, with whom he had collaborated in the past to interpret his findings.

“We sat on this for a month, because we didn’t know what it was — planet transits don’t look like this,” Rappaport recalls. “Then it occurred to me that, ‘Hey, these look like something we’ve seen before.’”

In a typical planetary transit, the resulting light curve resembles a “U,” with a sharp dip, then an equally sharp rise, as a result of a planet first blocking a little, then a lot, then a little of the light as it moves across the star. However, the light curves that Jacobs identified appeared asymmetric, with a sharp dip, followed by a more gradual rise.

Rappaport realized that the asymmetry in the light curves resembled disintegrating planets, with long trails of debris that would continue to block a bit of light as the planet moves away from the star. However, such disintegrating planets orbit their star, transiting repeatedly. In contrast, Jacobs had observed no such periodic pattern in the transits he identified.

“We thought, the only kind of body that could do the same thing and not repeat is one that probably gets destroyed in the end,” Rappaport says.

In other words, instead of orbiting around and around the star, the objects must have transited, then ultimately flown too close to the star, and vaporized.

“The only thing that fits the bill, and has a small enough mass to get destroyed, is a comet,” Rappaport says.

The researchers calculated that each comet blocked about one-tenth of 1 percent of the star’s light. To do this for several months before disappearing, the comet likely disintegrated entirely, creating a dust trail thick enough to block out that amount of starlight.

Vanderburg says the fact that these six exocomets appear to have transited very close to their star in the past four years raises some intriguing questions, the answers to which could reveal some truths about our own solar system.

“Why are there so many comets in the inner parts of these solar systems?” Vanderburg says. “Is this an extreme bombardment era in these systems? That was a really important part of our own solar system formation and may have brought water to Earth. Maybe studying exocomets and figuring out why they are found around this type of star … could give us some insight into how bombardment happens in other solar systems.”

The researchers say that in the future, the MIT-led mission TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) will continue the type of research done by Kepler.

Apart from contributing to the fields of astrophysics and astronomy, Rappaport says, the new detection speaks to the perseverance and discernment of citizen scientists.

“I could name 10 types of things these people have found in the Kepler data that algorithms could not find, because of the pattern-recognition capability in the human eye,” Rappaport says. “You could now write a computer algorithm to find this kind of comet shape. But they were missed in earlier searches. They were deep enough but didn’t have the right shape that was programmed into algorithms. I think it’s fair to say this would never have been found by any algorithm.”

This research made use of data collected by the Kepler mission, funded by the NASA Science Mission directorate. This work was performed in part under contract with the California Institute of Technology/Jet Propulsion Laboratory funded by NASA through the Sagan Fellowship Program executed by the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute. Original release text courtesy of MIT News.

— END —

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Science Contact: 
Dr. Andrew Vanderburg, NASA Sagan Fellow 
The University of Texas at Austin
Department of Astronomy
512-471-6493

UT Austin and Partners Cast Fifth Massive Mirror for Giant Magellan Telescope

glass placing

TUCSON, Ariz. — Today, The University of Texas at Austin and its partners in the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) are beginning to cast the fifth of seven mirrors that will form the heart of the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). The mirror is being cast at The University of Arizona’s Richard F. Caris Mirror Laboratory, a facility known for creating the world’s largest mirrors for astronomy. The 25-meter diameter GMT will be located in the Chilean Andes and will study planets around other stars and to look back to the time when the first galaxies formed.

Dr. Taft Armandroff, Director of UT Austin’s McDonald Observatory and Vice-Chair of the GMTO Board, will travel to Tucson with a group of Texas donors to attend the casting ceremony at the mirror lab.

“Creating the largest telescope in history is a monumental endeavor and will enable breakthrough discoveries,” Armandroff said. “With this milestone of casting the fifth mirror, and with the scientific, technical, leadership, and financial prowess of the 11 institutions that form the GMTO partnership, we continue on the path to the completion of this great observatory.”

The process of “casting” the giant mirror involves melting nearly 20 tons of glass in a spinning furnace. Once cooled, the glass disk will be polished to its final shape using state-of-the-art technology.

The GMT will combine the light from seven of these 8.4-meter mirrors to create a telescope with an effective aperture 24.5 meters in diameter (80 feet). With its unique design, the GMT will produce images that are 10 times sharper than those from Hubble Space Telescope in the infrared region of the spectrum.

Each of GMT’s light-weighted mirrors is a marvel of engineering. The mirrors begin as pristine blocks of custom-manufactured, low-expansion glass from the Ohara Corporation of Japan. Precisely 17,481 kg of these glass blocks have been placed by hand into a custom-built furnace pre-loaded with a hexagonal mold. At the peak of the lengthy casting process, in which the giant furnace spins at up to five revolutions per minute, the glass is heated to 1165°C (2129°F) for about four hours until it liquefies and flows into the mold. The casting process continues as the glass is carefully cooled for three months while the furnace spins at a slower rate. The glass then undergoes an extended period of shaping and polishing. The result of this high-precision process is a mirror that is polished to an accuracy of one twentieth of a wavelength of light, or less than one thousandth of the width of a human hair.

With its casting this weekend, the fifth GMT mirror joins three additional GMT mirrors at various stages of production in the mirror lab. Polishing of mirror 2’s front surface is well underway; coarse grinding will begin on the front of the third mirror shortly and mirror number 4, the central mirror, will soon be ready for coarse grinding following mirror 3. The first GMT mirror was completed several years ago and was moved to a storage location in Tucson this September, awaiting the next stage of its journey to Chile. The glass for mirror 6 has been delivered to Tucson and mirror seven’s glass is on order from the Ohara factory in Japan.

In time, the giant mirrors will be transported to GMT’s future home in the Chilean Andes at the Carnegie Institution for Science’s Las Campanas Observatory. This site is one of the best astronomical sites on the planet with its clear, dark skies and stable airflow producing exceptionally sharp images. GMTO has broken ground in Chile and has developed the infrastructure on the site needed to support construction activities.

— END —

Note to editors: Additional images and videos are available: https://arizona.app.box.com/v/gmtohighfire
 

Media Contact
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

 

Science Contact
Dr. Taft Armandroff
Vice-Chair, GMTO Board of Directors
Director, McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-3300

 

About the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization
The Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) manages the GMT project on behalf of its US and international partners: Astronomy Australia Ltd.The Australian National UniversityCarnegie Institution for ScienceFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São PauloHarvard UniversityKorea Astronomy and Space Science InstituteSmithsonian InstitutionTexas A&M UniversityThe University of Texas at AustinUniversity of Arizona, and University of Chicago.

Hubble Spots Expanding Light Echo Around a Supernova

Voices reverberating off mountains and the sound of footsteps bouncing off walls are examples of an echo. Echoes happen when sound waves ricochet off surfaces and return to the listener.

Space has its own version of an echo. It’s not made with sound but with light, and occurs when light bounces off dust clouds.

The Hubble Space Telescope has just captured one of these cosmic echoes, called a “light echo,” in the nearby starburst galaxy M82, located 11.4 million light-years away. A movie assembled from more than two years’ worth of Hubble images reveals an expanding shell of light from a supernova explosion sweeping through interstellar space three years after the stellar blast was discovered. The “echoing” light looks like a ripple expanding on a pond. The supernova, called SN 2014J, was discovered on January 21, 2014.

This research was conducted by an international team of researchers led by Yi Yang of Texas A&M University, and including J. Craig Wheeler of The University of Texas at Austin.

"This is a spectacular use of the Hubble Space Telescope with cosmological implications for the nature of Type Ia supernovae and the dust around them," Wheeler said.

A light echo occurs because light from the stellar blast travels at different distances to arrive at Earth. Some light echoes come to Earth directly from the supernova blast. Other light is delayed because it travels indirectly. In this case, the light bounding off a huge dust cloud that extends 300 to 1,600 light-years around the supernova and is being reflected toward Earth.

So far, astronomers have spotted only 15 light echoes around supernovae outside our Milky Way galaxy. Light echo deflections from supernovae are rarely seen because they must be nearby for a telescope to resolve them.

— END —

Media Contacts:

Rebecca Johnson
Communications Mgr., McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763; rjohnson@astro.as.utexas.edu

Donna Weaver
Space Telescope Science Institute
410-338-4493; dweaver@stsci.edu

Science Contact:

Dr. J. Craig Wheeler, Samuel T. and Fern Yanagisawa Regents Professor in Astronomy
Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-6407; wheel@astro.as.utexas.edu

Next Generation Astronomical Survey to Map the Entire Sky

Pasadena, Calif. — The next generation of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-V), directed by Juna Kollmeier of the Carnegie Institution for Science, will move forward with mapping the entire sky following a $16 million grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The grant will kickstart a groundbreaking all-sky spectroscopic survey for a next wave of discovery, anticipated to start in 2020.

Dr. Niv Drory of The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory is leading one of the survey’s three programs. Called the “Local Volume Mapper,” Drory’s program will survey a significant portion of the sky.

“I’m very excited to be leading the Local Volume Mapper in SDSS-V,” Drory said. “Thus far, we’ve not been able to obtain integral-field spectroscopy covering the Milky Way and our immediate galactic neighbors, the Andromeda Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds, due to their size on the sky. The new instrumentation we’re developing for SDSS-V will be able to do just that, however. Because these galaxies are so nearby, we can study them in much greater detail. In fact, we will be able to resolve structures within these galaxies at resolutions 100 to 1,000 times greater than current galaxy surveys can.”

Drory’s team includes McDonald Observatory research scientist Dr. Kristen McQuinn, who will lead a working group on stellar populations.

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey has been one of the most-successful and influential surveys in the history of astronomy, creating the most-detailed three-dimensional maps of the universe ever made, with deep multi-color images of one third of the sky, and spectra for more than three million astronomical objects.

“For more than 20 years, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey has defined excellence in astronomy,” says Paul L. Joskow, President of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. “SDSS-V continues that august tradition by combining cutting-edge research, international collaboration, technological innovation, and cost-effective grassroots governance. The Sloan Foundation is proud to be a core supporter of SDSS-V.”

Under Kollmeier’s leadership, the survey’s fifth generation will build off the earlier SDSS incarnations, but will break new ground by pioneering all-sky observations, and by monitoring over time the changes in a million objects.

“With observations in both hemispheres, no part of the sky will be hidden from SDSS-V,” she said.

In the tradition of previous Sloan Surveys, SDSS-V is committed to making its data publicly available in a format that is helpful to a broad range of users, from the youngest students to both amateur and professional astronomers.

“SDSS-V is proof that great science knows no borders and stands out for its commitment to diversity,” says Dr. Evan S. Michelson, Program Director at the Sloan Foundation. “It will create unparalleled opportunities for all scientists to participate in answering some of the most exciting questions in astronomy. We are thrilled to be supporting Juna Kollmeier, her team at the Carnegie Institution for Science, and the entire SDSS Collaboration.”

"SDSS has long been a great example of hundreds of astronomers of all ages, from many continents, working together on a big project. We're excited to continue that tradition!" adds Gail Zasowski, a professor at the University of Utah and the SDSS-V Spokesperson.

The survey operates out of both Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico, home of the survey’s original 2.5-meter telescope, and Carnegie’s Las Campanas Observatory in Chile, where it uses Carnegie’s du Pont telescope.

“I am delighted to see SDSS-V move forward and to see Carnegie’s collaboration with the survey expand,” said Carnegie Observatories Director John Mulchaey.

SDSS-V will make use of both optical and infrared spectroscopy, to observe not only in two hemispheres, but also at two wavelengths of light.

It will take advantage of the recently installed second APOGEE spectrograph on Carnegie’s du Pont telescope. Both it and its twin on Apache Point penetrate the dust in our galaxy that confounds optical spectrographs to obtain high-resolution spectra for hundreds of stars at infrared wavelengths. In the optical wavelengths, the survey’s twin BOSS spectrographs can each obtain simultaneous spectra for 500 stars and quasars. What’s more, a newly envisioned pair of Integral Field Unit spectrographs can each obtain nearly 2,000 spectra contiguously across objects in the sky.

SDSS-V will consist of three projects, each mapping different components of the universe: The Milky Way Mapper, the Black Hole Mapper and the Local Volume Mapper.  The first Mapper focuses on the formation of the Milky Way and its stars and planets.  The second will study the formation, growth, and ultimate sizes of the supermassive black holes that lurk at the centers of galaxies.  The Local Volume Mapper will create the first complete spectroscopic maps of the most-iconic nearby galaxies.

“These data will enable scientists to study the chemical composition of galaxies and the interactions between stars, gas, and supernova explosions in unprecedented detail,” explained D. Michael Crenshaw, Chair of ARC’s Board of Governors and Georgia State University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy.

“By surveying the sky rapidly and repeatedly like no spectroscopic survey has done before, SDSS-V will not only vastly improve the data to answer known unknown questions, but it can—perhaps more importantly—venture into astrophysical terra incognita.” said Hans-Walter Rix, the SDSS-V project scientist and director at the Max Planck Institute of Astronomy.

The project’s fifth generation is building its consortium, but already has support from 18 institutions including the Carnegie Institution for Science, the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Max-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, University of Utah, the Israeli Centers of Research Excellence, the Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Peking University, Harvard University, Ohio State University, Penn State University, Georgia State University, University of Wisconsin, Caltech, New Mexico State University, the Space Telescope Science Institute, University Washington, Vanderbilt University, University of Warwick, Leibniz Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam, KULeuven, Monash University, and Yale University, with additional partnership agreements underway.

“It’s wonderful to see the scope and breadth of the next phase of this amazing survey take shape,” said Mike Blanton of New York University, the current SDSS Director and chair of the SDSS-V Steering Committee.

ABOUT THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY

Funding for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV has been provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science, and the Participating Institutions. SDSS acknowledges support and resources from the Center for High-Performance Computing at the University of Utah. The SDSS web site is www.sdss.org.

SDSS is managed by the Astrophysical Research Consortium for the Participating Institutions of the SDSS Collaboration.

— END —

Science Contact
Dr. Niv Drory, Research Scientist
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-6197

Media Contact
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Texas Astronomers Will Lead Early Studies with $8 Billion James Webb Space Telescope

CEERS field

AUSTIN, Texas — NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, the powerful successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, is expected to launch in 2019 after decades of development. Now the agency has announced the scientists who will use the $8 billion telescope first, testing its instruments to prove it’s in good working order. Steven Finkelstein, an associate professor of astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin, leads one of the chosen Early Release Science projects as principal investigator.

“This will be the first time anyone has had access to this brand new telescope that is in some ways 100 times better than Hubble,” Finkelstein said. “This telescope will reveal enormous truths the moment we turn it on.”

Finkelstein leads the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) Survey. CEERS is a continuation of his work with the Hubble Space Telescope, studying the youngest galaxies in the early universe to understand how fast stars formed in these early galaxies and how galaxies evolve over time. The CEERS team is made up of 105 astronomers from 10 countries and includes researchers from 28 U.S. universities.

Finkelstein and the CEERS team will combine his new Webb Telescope study with his previous Hubble studies by focusing on some of the same regions of sky in a new light — literally. Webb will study the universe in infrared light, whereas Hubble specializes mostly in optical light (the kind of light our eyes can see).

Using Webb, Finkelstein said, “we will discover the most distant galaxies ever seen — galaxies that were literally invisible to Hubble.” He explained that Webb will see galaxies as they existed 13.4 billion years ago, when the universe was less than 3 percent of its current age.

The CEERS proposal was one of just 13 selected from more than 100 submitted to NASA for early access to Webb. CEERS was selected based on the importance of the science it will do, as well as the fact it will use multiple instruments on the telescope and test many different modes of observing. In short, CEERS will put the Webb through its paces.

The project will be carried out in the telescope’s first five months of operation. The data Finkelstein’s team collects will be made available immediately to other scientists around the world. “We’ll be working hard to rapidly produce usable data products for the astronomy community,” he said.

In all, UT Austin astronomers are involved in five of the telescope’s 13 early release science programs. In addition to Finkelstein’s leadership of CEERS, UT astronomers are taking important roles as co-investigators on three other projects: Hubble Postdoctoral Fellow Brendan Bowler and assistant professor Adam Kraus in a project that will image planets around other stars, research scientist Kristen McQuinn in a project to study populations of stars, and McDonald Postdoctoral Fellow Justin Spilker in a project to study galaxies that exhibit an optical effect called gravitational lensing. Several more UT astronomers, including many graduate students, are collaborators on early Webb projects.

— END —

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
+1 512-475-6763; rjohnson@astro.as.utexas.edu

Science Contact:
Dr. Steven Finkelstein, Associate Professor
Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
+1 512-471-1483; stevenf@astro.as.utexas.edu

Arizona State University Joins the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization

GMT

Pasadena, Calif. — The Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) today announced that Arizona State University (ASU) has joined the mission to build the world’s largest telescope, the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). The University of Texas at Austin is a founding partner of GMTO, and welcomes our colleagues from Arizona State to the organization.

The project’s partnership with ASU will aid in GMT’s mission of discovery and its quest to answer fundamental questions about the universe. The GMT will probe the atmospheres of planets around other stars for signs of biochemistry, and will look back to the early universe to understand how the first stars and galaxies formed.

“ASU’s research expertise in the study of planets will be a great asset to the GMT project going forward,” said Robert N. Shelton, President of GMTO. “The involvement of the ASU team with the James Webb Space Telescope and with the investigation of the early universe is also a critical addition to the knowledge base of the project.”

ASU’s School of Earth and Space Exploration (SESE) has established itself as a leading voice in the fields of exoplanets and space exploration. The mission of the school, to combine the strengths of science, engineering, and education to set the stage for a new era of exploration, aligns well with GMT’s mission of discovery. Faculty and students at the school are expected to work with the GMT project over the coming years; particularly Dr. Lindy Elkins-Tanton, SESE Director — a world leader in the study of terrestrial planetary formation and the principal investigator for the NASA Psyche mission to explore a metal asteroid — and Dr. Rogier Windhorst, ASU Regents Professor and interdisciplinary scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope.

“Major scientific advances are created by new instrumentation, and to be serious about studying our universe, we need to join in these partnerships,” said Elkins-Tanton. “I’m excited that ASU has taken this leap institutionally to be a part of what’s going to be a beautiful and transformational instrument.”

The GMT will combine the light from seven 8.4 meter mirrors to create a telescope with an effective aperture 24.5 meters in diameter (80 feet). With its unique design, the GMT will produce images that are 10 times sharper than those from the Hubble Space telescope in the infrared region of the spectrum. GMT’s partners will play a major role in the discoveries that will be made on the telescope, which is expected to see first light in 2023.

“Many of humankind’s greatest discoveries have happened in preparation for space exploration,” said Sethuraman Panchanathan, executive vice president of Knowledge Enterprise Development and chief research and innovation officer at ASU. “Joining the GMT project helps our extraordinary astronomy and space science faculty access this revolutionary telescope and continue to advance their pioneering work in the fields of exoplanets and cosmology.”

With this partnership, Arizona State University joins the world-wide consortium of scientists and academic institutions who are taking the GMT from concept to reality.

GMTO’s partner institutions are Arizona State University, Astronomy Australia Ltd., The Australian National University, Carnegie Institution for Science, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo - FAPESP, Harvard University, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Texas A&M University, The University of Texas at Austin, University of Arizona, and University of Chicago.

— END —

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
+1 (512) 475-6763

A New Spin to Solving Mystery of Stellar Companions

VHS 1256-1257 b

Taking a picture of an exoplanet — a planet in a solar system beyond our Sun — is no easy task. The light of a planet's parent star far outshines the light from the planet itself, making the planet difficult to see. While taking a picture of a small rocky planet like Earth is still not feasible, researchers have made strides by snapping images of about 20 giant planet-like bodies. These objects, known as planetary-mass companions, are more massive than Jupiter, orbit far from the glare of their stars, and are young enough to still glow with heat from their formation — all traits that make them easier to photograph.

But one big question remains: Are these planetary-mass companions actually planets, or are they instead small "failed" stars called brown dwarfs? Brown dwarfs form like stars do — out of collapsing clouds of gas — but they lack the mass to ignite and shine with starlight. They can be found floating on the their own in space, or they can be found orbiting with other brown dwarfs or stars. The smallest brown dwarfs are similar in size to Jupiter and would look just like a planet when orbiting a star.

Researchers at Caltech and The University of Texas at Austin have taken a new approach to the mystery: They have measured the spin rates of three of the photographed planetary-mass companions and compared them to spin rates for small brown dwarfs. The results offer a new set of clues that hint at how the companions may have formed.

"These companions with their high masses and wide separations could have formed either as planets or brown dwarfs," says Caltech graduate student Marta Bryan, lead author of a new study describing the findings in the journal Nature Astronomy. "In this study, we wanted to shed light on their origins."

"These new spin measurements suggest that if these bodies are massive planets located far away from their stars, they have properties that are very similar to those of the smallest brown dwarfs," says Heather Knutson, professor of planetary science at Caltech and a co-author of the paper.

The astronomers, including UT Austin’s Brendan Bowler, used the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii to measure the spin rate, or the length of a day, of three planetary-mass companions known as ROXs 42B b, GSC 6214-210 b, and VHS 1256-1257 b. They used an instrument at Keck called the Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) to dissect the light coming from the companions. As the objects spin on their axes, light from the side that is turning toward us shifts to shorter, bluer wavelengths, while light from the receding side shifts to longer, redder wavelengths. The degree of this shifting indicates the speed of a rotating body. The results showed that the three companions' spin rates ranged between 6 to 14 kilometers per second, similar to rotation rates of our solar system's gas giant planets Saturn and Jupiter.

For the study, the researchers also included the two planetary-mass companions for which spin rates had already been measured. One, β Pictoris b, has a rotation rate of 25 kilometers per second — the fastest rotation rate of any planetary-mass body measured so far.

The researchers compared the spin rates for the five companions to those measured previously for small free-floating brown dwarfs. The ranges of rotation rates for the two populations were indistinguishable. In other words, the companions are whirling about their own axes at about the same speeds as their free-floating brown-dwarf counterparts.

The results suggest two possibilities. One is that the planetary-mass companions are actually brown dwarfs. The second possibility is that the companions looked at in this study are planets that formed, just as planets do, out of disks of material swirling around their stars, but for reasons not yet understood, the objects ended up with spin rates similar to those of brown dwarfs. Some researchers think that both newly forming planets and brown dwarfs are encircled by miniature gas disks that might be helping to slow their spin rates. In other words, similar physical processes may leave planets and brown dwarfs with similar spin rates.

"It's a question of nature versus nurture," says Knutson. "Were the planetary companions born like brown dwarfs, or did they just end up behaving like them with similar spins?"

The team also says that the companions are spinning more slowly than expected. Growing planets tend to be spun up by the material they pull in from a surrounding gas disk, in the same way that spinning ice skaters increase their speed, or angular momentum, when they pull their arms in. The relatively slow rotation rates observed for these objects indicate that they were able to effectively put the brakes on this spin-up process, perhaps by transferring some of this angular momentum back to encircling gas disks. The researchers are planning future studies of spin rates to further investigate the matter.

"Spin rates of planetary-mass bodies outside our solar system have not been fully explored," says Bryan. "We are just now beginning to use this as a tool for understanding formation histories of planetary-mass objects."

The study, titled, "Constraints on the Spin Evolution of Young Planetary-Mass Companions," was funded by NASA and the Sloan Research Fellowship Program. Other authors include Caltech's Konstantin Batygin, assistant professor of planetary science and Van Nuys Page Scholar; Björn Benneke, formerly of Caltech and now of the University of Montreal; and Brendan Bowler of The University of Texas at Austin.

— END —

Science Contact:
Dr. Brendan Bowler
Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-3423

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Massive Primordial Galaxies Found Swimming in Vast Ocean of Dark Matter

Astronomers expect that the first galaxies, those that formed just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang, would share many similarities with some of the dwarf galaxies we see in the nearby universe today. These early agglomerations of a few billion stars would then become the building blocks of the larger galaxies that came to dominate the universe after the first few billion years.

Ongoing observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), however, have discovered surprising examples of massive, star-filled galaxies seen when the cosmos was less than a billion years old. This suggests that smaller galactic building blocks were able to assemble into large galaxies quite quickly.

The latest ALMA observations, by McDonald Observatory astronomer Justin Spilker and colleagues, push back this epoch of massive-galaxy formation even further by identifying two giant galaxies seen when the universe was only 780 million years old, or about 5 percent its current age. ALMA also revealed that these uncommonly large galaxies are nestled inside an even-more-massive cosmic structure, a halo of dark matter several trillion times more massive than the sun.

The two galaxies are in such close proximity — less than the distance from the Earth to the center of our galaxy — that they will shortly merge to form the largest galaxy ever observed at that period in cosmic history. This discovery provides new details about the emergence of large galaxies and the role that dark matter plays in assembling the most massive structures in the universe.

The researchers report their findings in the journal Nature.

“With these exquisite ALMA observations, astronomers are seeing the most massive galaxy known in the first billion years of the universe in the process of assembling itself,” said Dan Marrone, associate professor of astronomy at The University of Arizona in Tucson and lead author on the paper.

Astronomers are seeing these galaxies during a period of cosmic history known as the Epoch of Reionization, when most of intergalactic space was suffused with an obscuring fog of cold hydrogen gas. As more stars and galaxies formed, their energy eventually ionized the hydrogen between the galaxies, revealing the universe as we see it today.

“We usually view that as the time of little galaxies working hard to chew away at the neutral intergalactic medium,” said Marrone. “Mounting observational evidence with ALMA, however, has helped to reshape that story and continues to push back the time at which truly massive galaxies first emerged in the universe.”

The galaxies that Marrone and his team studied, collectively known as SPT0311-58, were originally identified as a single source by the South Pole Telescope. These first observations indicated that this object was very distant and glowing brightly in infrared light, meaning that it was extremely dusty and likely going through a burst of star formation. Subsequent observations with ALMA revealed the distance and dual nature of the object, clearly resolving the pair of interacting galaxies.

To make this observation, ALMA had some help from a gravitational lens, which provided an observing boost to the telescope. Gravitational lenses form when an intervening massive object, like a galaxy or galaxy cluster, bends the light from more distant galaxies. They do, however, distort the appearance of the object being studied, requiring sophisticated computer models to reconstruct the image as it would appear in its unaltered state.

This “de-lensing” process provided intriguing details about the galaxies, showing that the larger of the two is forming stars at a rate of 2,900 solar masses per year. It also contains about 270 billion times the mass of our sun in gas and nearly 3 billion times the mass of our sun in dust. “That’s a whopping large quantity of dust, considering the young age of the system,” noted Justin Spilker, a recent graduate of the University of Arizona and now a postdoctoral fellow at The University of Texas at Austin.

The astronomers determined that this galaxy’s rapid star formation was likely triggered by a close encounter with its slightly smaller companion, which already hosts about 35 billion solar masses of stars and is increasing its rate of starburst at the breakneck pace of 540 solar masses per year.

The researchers note that galaxies of this era are “messier” than the ones we see in the nearby universe. Their more jumbled shapes would be due to the vast stores of gas raining down on them and their ongoing interactions and mergers with their neighbors.

The new observations also allowed the researchers to infer the presence of a truly massive dark matter halo surrounding both galaxies. Dark matter provides the pull of gravity that causes the universe to collapse into structures (galaxies, groups and clusters of galaxies, etc.).

“If you want to see if a galaxy makes sense in our current understanding of cosmology, you want to look at the dark matter halo — the collapsed dark matter structure — in which it resides,” said Chris Hayward, associate research scientist at the Center for Computational Astrophysics at the Flatiron Institute in New York City. “Fortunately, we know very well the ratio between dark matter and normal matter in the universe, so we can estimate what the dark matter halo mass must be.”

By comparing their calculations with current cosmological predictions, the researchers found that this halo is one of the most massive that should exist at that time.

“There are more galaxies discovered with the South Pole Telescope that we’re following up on,” said Joaquin Vieira of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, “and there is a lot more survey data that we are just starting to analyze. Our hope is to find more objects like this, possibly even more distant ones, to better understand this population of extreme dusty galaxies and especially their relation to the bulk population of galaxies at this epoch.”

“In any case, our next round of ALMA observations should help us understand how quickly these galaxies came together and improve our understanding of massive galaxy formation during reionization,” added Marrone.

This research is presented in a paper titled “’Galaxy growth in a massive halo in the first billion years of cosmic history,” by D. Marrone, et al., which appears in Advance Online Publication for Nature.

— END —

Science Contact:
Dr. Justin Spilker, W.J. McDonald Postdoctoral Fellow
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

GMT Mount Stage 1 Contracts Awarded

GMT Mount

The Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) and its founding partners, including The University of Texas at Austin, are pleased to announce that two contracts have been awarded this week to advance the design of the Giant Magellan Telescope mount. This will lead to a final selection next year of the contractor to fabricate and deliver the structure.

After a process that lasted just over a year, the two companies selected are IDOM, headquartered in Bilbao, Spain, with offices in Minneapolis, and MT Mechatronics from Mainz, Germany. These two companies have extensive experience with observatory and other large-scale engineering projects.

“The telescope structure is our largest and most complex procurement, and this is the first stage of that procurement,” said Dr. James Fanson, GMTO Project Manager. “We are pleased now to have such experienced and capable firms working with us to mature the telescope design.”

The two teams will work with GMTO’s design teams to address engineering challenges and to produce firm fixed price proposals for the final design and build. When the studies are completed next year, a competitive down-select will occur for the final design, fabrication and site installation in Chile.

About the companies

IDOM is a global engineering company that develops instruments and facilities for astronomers, nuclear and particle physicists, researchers in atomic energy, medicine, and other fields. IDOM has a team of 3,000 professionals working in more than 40 offices. With projects in 125 countries on five continents, IDOM has participated in the development of components for the Gran Telescopio Canarias, the enclosure and thermal systems for the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, and other astronomical facilities. IDOM has conducted design studies for the European Extremely Large Telescope, Thirty Meter Telescope, and the Mauna Kea Spectroscopic Explorer.

MT Mechatronics provides global services as prime contractor for design, development, system integration, commissioning, training, maintenance and operations for communication and deep space antennas, radio and optical telescopes. MT Mechatronics played a large role in the development of the Atacama Large Millimeter Array for radio astronomy, the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, and the SOFIA airborne infrared telescope. With over 50 years’ experience in the telescope and antenna business, MT Mechatronics has assembled a highly qualified team of engineers and experts with all relevant capabilities and experience.

— END —

Discovery of New Planet Reveals Distant Solar System to Rival Our Own

Andrew Vanderburg

The discovery of an eighth planet circling the distant star Kepler-90 by University of Texas at Austin astronomer Andrew Vanderburg and Google’s Christopher Shallue overturns our solar system’s status as having the highest number of known planets. We're now in a tie.

The newly discovered Kepler-90i — a sizzling hot, rocky planet orbiting its star once every 14.4 days — was found using computers that “learned” to find planets in data from NASA’s Kepler space telescope. Kepler finds distant planets beyond the solar system, or exoplanets, by detecting the minuscule change in brightness when a planet transits (crosses in front of) a star.

Vanderburg, a NASA Sagan fellow at UT Austin, and Shallue, a Google machine learning researcher, teamed up to train a computer to learn how to identify signs of an exoplanet in the light readings from distant stars recorded by Kepler. Similar to the way neurons connect in the human brain, this “neural network” sifted through the Kepler data to identify the weak transit signals from a previously missed eighth planet orbiting Kepler-90, a sun-like star 2,545 light-years from Earth in the constellation Draco.

“For the first time since our solar system planets were discovered thousands of years ago, we know for sure that our solar system is not the sole record holder for the most planets,” Vanderburg said.

Other planetary systems, though, would probably hold more promise for life than Kepler-90’s system, which packs all eight planets closer to the host star than Earth is to the sun. In our solar system, only Mercury and Venus orbit between our planet and our sun. About 30 percent larger than Earth, Kepler-90i is so close to its star that its average surface temperature is thought to exceed 800 degrees Fahrenheit, on a par with Mercury. The outermost planet, Kepler-90h, is a gas giant that is about the size of Jupiter, circling with a "year" of 331.6 days.

“The Kepler-90 star system is like a mini version of our solar system. You have small planets inside and big planets outside, but everything is scrunched in much closer,” Vanderburg said.

The research paper reporting this finding has been accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal.

The idea to apply a neural network to Kepler data came from Shallue, a senior software engineer at Google AI, a research team at the search-engine giant in Mountain View, California. Shallue became interested in exoplanet discovery after learning that astronomy, like other branches of science, is rapidly becoming inundated with data as the technology for collecting data from space advances.

"Machine learning really shines in situations where there is so much data that humans can't search it for themselves," Shallue said.

Kepler’s four-year data set, for example, consists of about 2 quadrillion possible orbits of planets. To verify the most promising signals of planets, automated tests, or sometimes human eyes, are typically used, but often the weakest signals are missed during this process. So, Shallue and Vanderburg thought there could be some more interesting exoplanet discoveries lurking in the data.

The two developed a neural network to search Kepler data for new planets. First, they trained the neural network to identify transiting exoplanets in a set of 15,000 previously vetted signals from the Kepler exoplanet catalog. Then, with the neural network having "learned" to detect the pattern of a transiting exoplanet, the researchers pointed their model at 670 star systems that already had multiple known planets and searched for weaker signals. Their assumption was that multiple-planet systems would be the best places to look for more exoplanets.

Kepler-90 had already made its mark in 2013 as the first seven-planet system identified with Kepler, but the signal from the eighth planet was so weak it was missed by previous methods.

“We got lots of false positives of planets but also potentially more real planets,” Vanderburg said. “It’s like sifting through rocks to find jewels. If you have a finer sieve, then you will catch more rocks, but you might catch more jewels as well.”

Kepler-90i wasn’t the only jewel this neural network sifted out. In the Kepler-80 system, they found a sixth planet. This one, the Earth-size Kepler-80g, and four of its neighboring planets form what is called a “resonant chain,” where the planets are locked by their mutual gravity in a rhythmic orbital dance. The result is an extremely stable system, similar to the seven planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system, so precisely balanced that the length of Kepler-80g's year could be predicted with mathematics.

This work was performed in part under contract with the California Institute of Technology/Jet Propulsion Laboratory, funded by NASA through the Sagan Fellowship Program and executed by the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute.

— END —

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Science Contact:
Dr. Andrew Vanderburg, NASA Sagan Fellow
Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin

Texas’ Caitlin Casey Receives 2018 Pierce Prize from American Astronomical Society

Caitlin Casey

Washington, D.C. — Dr. Caitlin Casey of The University of Texas at Austin has been awarded the Newton Lacy Pierce Prize by the American Astronomical Society today at its semi-annual meeting in Washington, D.C. The organization awards the prize each year for “outstanding early-career achievement in observational astronomical research based on measurements of radiation from an astronomical object.”

Casey is an assistant professor in UT Austin’s Department of Astronomy. The citation reads, in part, “For her work on high-redshift starforming galaxies and for pioneering new quantitative techniques for determining the importance of submillimeter galaxies in galaxy evolution.”

She will deliver a prize lecture at a future conference.

“I’m honored and grateful to receive this recognition by my colleagues in the astronomical community, and I feel very lucky to be able to work on such an interesting scientific problem every day,” Casey said.

Casey and her group at UT Austin are working to take census of the most luminous galaxies out to the edge of the observable universe and understand how those galaxies are embedded in the large-scale cosmic web — in other words, space, on its largest scales, where galaxies are linked in a broader network by filaments of primordial gas. Casey has shown that such extremely bright galaxies are uniquely useful for studying the formation history of galaxy clusters, which are the most massive gravitationally-bound objects in existence.

“What excites me about this work is that our discoveries often seem to upend or completely reverse previously-drawn conclusions, and we still have so much to learn. This is, of course, the guiding principle of all scientific investigation and it keeps me driven. I don’t know what we’ll find tomorrow, but I know it'll be exciting."

Casey came to The University of Texas at Austin in 2015. She received her Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Cambridge in 2010, and a bachelor’s degree in physics, astronomy, and applied mathematics from The University of Arizona in 2007.

— END —

Contacts:

Dr. Caitlin M. Casey, Assistant Professor
Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-3405

Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

 

 

Two Postdocs Receive Fellowships to Study Extrasolar Planets

Aaron Rizzuto

Two postdoctoral fellows in the Department of Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin have received the 51 Pegasi b Fellowship from the Heising-Simons Foundation.

Aaron Rizzuto and Ya-Lin Wu received two of the eight fellowships awarded nationally this year, an acknowledgement of UT Austin’s prominent role in the global effort to discover and study planets beyond our solar system, called exoplanets. The 51 Pegasi b Fellowship, established in 2017, provides exceptional postdoctoral scientists with the opportunity to conduct theoretical, observational and experimental research in planetary astronomy. Rizzuto and Wu will each receive $375,000 over three years to conduct independent research.

UT Austin researchers have made important contributions to the study of extrasolar planets, including the recent discovery of the first solar system with the same number of planets as our own and the discovery of the closest known exoplanet to us.

Rizzuto’s research seeks to answer fundamental questions about the formation and evolution of planetary systems through the identification and examination of young stellar populations.

“The idea behind my work is that, like people, the early years of a planet’s life are where the most drastic changes occur,” Rizzuto said. “Studying this stage can help us determine how groups of planets can end up like our solar system or become systems that are quite different from ours.”

Through the fellowship, Rizzuto will lead a research group to explore young exoplanets and their wider environment by applying multiple techniques and assessing the data from each study. His research will help provide a glimpse into the origins and adolescence of planets and enrich our understanding of mature planetary systems.

Wu, who is currently at the University of Arizona, will begin his fellowship at UT Austin later this year. His research focuses on studying the birth environments of distant planets to elucidate the formation of exomoons.

“We have discovered thousands of exoplanets, but not a single exomoon,” Wu said. “They are very difficult to detect with current technology, so a way around that is to study circumplanetary disks around planets to learn about the initial conditions of moon formation, [which] will tell us in turn how planets accrete their mass and grow over time.”

Obtaining visuals of circumplanetary disks, which are disks of accreted material that surround a planet, is important to understanding the early conditions of moons and offers a bridge to deeper knowledge of natural satellites in our solar system.

Wu will lead studies to probe the physical properties and composition of circumplanetary disks and reveal how they influence the evolution of planets and moons. His work lays important groundwork for exomoon study and for future theoretical examination of this area.

— END —

Media Contact:

Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

McDonald Observatory to Train National Park Service in Skywatching Programs for Visitors

Amphitheater with Milky Way

The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory has entered into a  partnership with the National Park Service (NPS) to train park rangers in bringing the wonders of the night sky to their visitors. The observatory also will create outreach programs for the park service.

“We are extremely pleased to join forces with the McDonald Observatory to bring this training to NPS park and regional office staff,” said Ray Sauvajot, NPS Associate Director for Natural Resource Stewardship and Science. “The observatory’s experience with hands on training combined with the expertise of our Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division will provide new opportunities for career development, capacity building for the field, and leveraging our efforts toward enhancing visitor experience and the preservation of our national park night skies.”

Marc Wetzel, the observatory’s Senior Outreach Program Coordinator, will give two workshops for national park rangers. One workshop will occur in the spring at McDonald Observatory, and another on-site at a national park. The project will develop fun activities for daytime and nighttime visitors to the national parks and create a curriculum for the park service, he said.

“This is a really fantastic partnership,” Wetzel said. “The National Park Service shares similar goals for interpreting the night skies for visitors as we do.” He explained that “dark skies are one of the parks’ natural resources, in addition to water, mountains, and wildlife.

“This project is similar to what we’ve done successfully in the Texas state park system,” he added. It was McDonald Observatory’s work with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department that drew the National Park Service to propose collaboration with McDonald.

McDonald Observatory hosts hundreds of public star parties each year, showing tens of thousands of visitors a wide range of objects in night sky through multiple telescopes and leading naked-eye tours of the constellations. The observatory also provides daily programs for visitors to safely view the Sun.

Located near Fort Davis, Texas, the observatory hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. It is home to the consortium-run Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET), one of the world's largest, which has recently completed a $40-million upgrade. An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

— END —

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
+1 512-475-6763

Program Contact:
John Stoke, Asst. Dir. for Education & Outreach
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
+1 512-475-6765

Creating Star Stuff on Earth is the Aim of New $7 Million Project

Astrophysicists will conduct experiments designed to re-create the physical environment inside stars, with a new $7 million grant that the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) has awarded to The University of Texas at Austin. This work could help astronomers reduce uncertainties about the sizes and ages of super-dense objects known as white dwarf stars.

The DOE/NNSA grant, distributed over a five-year period, will allow the university to establish a new Center for Astrophysical Plasma Properties (CAPP), which aims to advance astronomy through experimental science. Researchers from the center will conduct “at-parameter” experiments, meaning experiments conducted under the same extreme temperatures and densities found inside stars. Using the Z-machine, the world’s most powerful X-ray source, based at Sandia National Laboratories, the team will replicate the extreme temperatures and densities of plasma, the stuff inside stars.

“Here, if we want to study a white dwarf whose surface is at 15,000 degrees, then we’re doing the experiment at 15,000 degrees,” said Mike Montgomery, deputy director of CAPP and clinical researcher in the Department of Astronomy. “It is really like taking a piece from the Sun and looking at it under a microscope.”

“The really amazing thing about this research is that it changes the way astronomy has been conducted in the past,” said Don Winget, the director of CAPP and a professor in the Department of Astronomy. “There were a lot of things we thought we understood, or knew we didn’t understand in astrophysics. By re-creating those conditions and making real measurements in the laboratory, we’re changing how we think of not only astronomy as a field, but how we think of specific astronomical objects.”

Traditional astrophysics has largely been an observational science, and experiments are usually conducted at magnitudes much smaller than those observed in the cosmos. This has often led to discrepancies between the experiments and observations, Winget said.

These discrepancies have been noticed when calculating the mass of white dwarfs, which are the dense core remnants of “dead” stars. The mass often differs by 10 to 15 percent when measured using different methods. When astronomers try to use white dwarfs to calculate the ages of galaxies, this error translates to an uncertainty of a few billion years.

The center will explore these discrepancies and seek to improve current models using data obtained from these experiments. The grant will support four graduate students and two postdoctoral researchers. The center also brings together experts in various areas of astrophysics from UT Austin, the University of Nevada, Reno, and Sandia National Laboratories.

“Right away, we hit the ground running because we have these people involved, broadening our range of research,” Winget said. “With the center, we’re able to have these interactions and bring new people into laboratory astrophysics.”

“Now, we’re going back and asking very fundamental questions,” Winget said. “Instead of doing calculations, we’re doing experiments and checking. We’re going to learn a lot of things we plan on learning, and we’re going to learn a lot of things that we had not planned on learning.”

— END —

Media Contacts:

Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Neal Singer
Sandia National Laboratories
505-845-7078

Science Contact:

Dr. Don Winget, Harlan J. Smith Centennial Professor in Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-3404

Texas Researchers Announce Gravitational Wave Event Likely Signaled Creation of a Black Hole

The spectacular merger of two neutron stars that generated gravitational waves announced last fall likely did something else: birthed a black hole, according to a team of researchers including Pawan Kumar and J. Craig Wheeler of The University of Texas at Austin. This newly spawned black hole would be the lowest mass black hole ever found.

A new study analyzed data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory taken in the days, weeks, and months after the detection of gravitational waves by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) and gamma rays by NASA’s Fermi mission on August 17, 2017.

While nearly every telescope at astronomers’ disposal observed this source, known officially as GW170817, X-rays from Chandra are critical for understanding what happened after the two neutron stars collided.

From the LIGO data astronomers have a good estimate that the mass of the object resulting from the neutron star merger is about 2.7 times the mass of the Sun. This puts it on a tightrope of identity, implying it is either the most massive neutron star ever found or the lowest mass black hole ever found. The previous record holders for the latter are no less than about four or five times the Sun’s mass.

“While neutron stars and black holes are mysterious, we have studied many of them throughout the Universe using telescopes like Chandra,” said Dave Pooley of Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, who led the study. “That means we have both data and theories on how we expect such objects to behave in X-rays.”

The Chandra observations are telling, not only for what they revealed, but also for what they did not. If the neutron stars merged and formed a heavier neutron star, then astronomers would expect it to spin rapidly and generate a very strong magnetic field. This, in turn, would have created an expanding bubble of high-energy particles that would result in bright X-ray emission. Instead, the Chandra data show levels of X-rays that are a factor of a few to several hundred times lower than expected for a rapidly spinning, merged neutron star and the associated bubble of high-energy particles, suggesting a black hole formed instead.

If confirmed, this result shows that a recipe for making a black hole can sometimes be complicated. In the case of GW170817, it would have required two supernova explosions that left behind two neutron stars in a sufficiently tight orbit for gravitational wave radiation to bring the neutron stars together.

“We may have answered one of the most basic questions about this dazzling event: what did it make?” said co-author Pawan Kumar of The University of Texas at Austin.  “Astronomers have long suspected that neutron star mergers would form a black hole and produce bursts of radiation, but we lacked a strong case for it until now."

A Chandra observation two to three days after the event failed to detect a source, but subsequent observations 9, 15 and 16 days after the event, resulted in detections. The source went behind the Sun soon after, but further brightening was seen in Chandra observations about 110 days after the event, followed by comparable X-ray intensity after about 160 days.

By comparing the Chandra observations with those by the NSF's Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), Pooley and collaborators explain the observed X-ray emission as being due entirely to the shock wave — akin to a sonic boom from a supersonic plane — from the merger smashing into surrounding gas. There is no sign of X-rays resulting from a neutron star.

The claims by Pooley's team can be tested by future X-ray and radio observations. If the remnant turns out to be a neutron star with a strong magnetic field, then the source should get much brighter at X-ray and radio wavelengths in about a couple of years when the bubble of high energy particles catches up with the decelerating shock wave. If it is indeed a black hole, astronomers expect it to continue to become fainter that has recently been observed as the shock wave weakens.

“GW170817 is the astronomical event that keeps on giving,” said J. Craig Wheeler, a co-author on the study also from The University of Texas at Austin. “We are learning so much about the astrophysics of the densest known objects from this one event.”

If follow-up observations find that a heavy neutron star has survived, such a discovery would challenge theories for the structure of neutron stars and how massive they can get.

“At the beginning of my career, astronomers could only observe neutron stars and black holes in our own galaxy, and now we are observing these exotic stars across the cosmos,” said co-author Bruce Gossan of The University of California, Berkeley. “What an exciting time to be alive, to see instruments like LIGO and Chandra showing us so many thrilling things nature has to offer.”

— END —


Notes to editors:
A paper describing this result will appear in the June 1 issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters and is available at: http://lanl.arxiv.org/abs/1712.03240

 

Media Contact: 
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Manager
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763
 

Science Contacts:
Dr. Pawan Kumar
Professor, Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-3412

Dr. J. Craig Wheeler
Samuel T. and Fern Yanagisawa Regents Professor of Astronomy
Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-6407

 

 

 

McDonald Observatory, Oil and Gas Organizations Collaborate to Protect Night Skies

HET with star trails

FORT DAVIS, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory has collaborated with the Permian Basin Petroleum Association (PBPA) and the Texas Oil and Gas Association (TXOGA) to reduce light shining into the sky from drilling rigs and related activities in West Texas. The excess light has the potential to drown out the light from stars and galaxies, and threatens to reduce the effectiveness of the observatory's research telescopes to study the mysteries of the universe.

"This partnership of PBPA and TXOGA with McDonald Observatory to protect dark skies in its vicinity is vital to the research of the universe taking place at McDonald," said Taft Armandroff, director of the observatory.

The collaboration's Recommended Lighting Practices document details best lighting practices for drilling rigs and other oilfield structures, including what types of lighting work best and how to reduce glare and improve visibility. These practices will increase the amount of light shining down on worksites, thus increasing safety while decreasing the amount of light pollution in the sky. Reducing excess light helps the observatory and also decreases electricity costs for the oil and gas producers.

The document specifically targets oil and gas operations in the seven counties with existing outdoor lighting ordinances surrounding the McDonald Observatory: Brewster, Culberson, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Pecos, Presidio and Reeves. However, the recommendations can be beneficial across the industry.

A new video that helps to introduce the recommendations to oil and gas companies is now available. It features the observatory's Bill Wren explaining the importance of dark skies, and how lighting practices can both preserve dark skies and improve safety for oilfield workers. The video was produced with the support of the Apache Corporation, following the company's extensive collaboration with observatory staff and implementation of these practices with their assets in the area. It is available to watch and share at: https://youtu.be/UnmwnO6CIR4

"For years, the PBPA and the McDonald Observatory have worked together on educating members of the Permian Basin oil and gas community about the Dark Skies Initiative and the possible impact lighting practices can have on the observatory's work," said PBPA President Ben Shepperd. "About two years ago, the PBPA board of directors agreed to support the creation of lighting recommendations. We decided a great way to educate members of the industry on how they could provide a positive impact on this issue was through the utilization of such recommended practices.

"So we began work with the observatory to publish recommended lighting practices and have since worked to educate our members and those outside the oil and gas industry on the recommendations through presentations, seminars, articles in magazines and newspapers, and even one-on-one conversations," Shepperd said.

Recently, the Texas Oil and Gas Association joined the collaboration.

"The Texas Oil and Gas Association recognizes that production practices and protecting the environment are in no way mutually exclusive," TXOGA President Todd Staples said. "The Recommended Lighting Practices collaborative effort allows for the oil and natural gas industry to continue the work vital to our economy and our future, and for the simultaneous reduction to our ecological footprint."

In April, the observatory's Dark Skies Initiative was named one of six Texan by Nature Conservation Wrangler projects for 2018. Texan by Nature, a Texas-led conservation nonprofit founded by former first lady Laura Bush, brings business and conservation together through select programs that engage Texans in stewardship of land and communities.

The award will provide the observatory connections to technical expertise, industry support, publicity, and more for its Dark Skies Initiative.

"Our Conservation Wrangler program recognizes innovative and transformative conservation projects across the state of Texas," said Joni Carswell, the organization's executive director. "Each Conservation Wrangler project positively impacts people, prosperity and natural resources."

— END —

Media Contacts:

Rebecca Johnson, Communications Manager
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Stephen Robertson, Executive VP
Permian Basin Petroleum Association
432-684-6345

Kate Zaykowski, Communications Director
Texas Oil and Gas Association
325-660-2274

Taylor Keys, Program Manager
Texan by Nature
512-284-7482

Castlen Kennedy, VP of Public Affairs
Apache Corporation
713-296-7189

Excavation Begins on Giant Magellan Telescope Site in Chile

The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory today shared in announcing the start of hard rock excavation for the Giant Magellan Telescope’s (GMT’s) massive concrete pier and the foundations for the telescope’s enclosure on its site at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. McDonald Observatory is a founding partner of the international collaboration building the GMT, which will be the world’s largest telescope when completed in the next decade.

The excavation work will be performed by Minería y Montajes Conpax (known as Conpax), a construction services company that has previously performed site work for other observatories in Chile. Using a combination of hydraulic drilling and hammering, the excavation work is expected to take about five months to complete. Excavation is a key step towards the construction of the GMT, which is expected to see first light as early as 2024.

“The University of Texas at Austin is proud to be a partner in the Giant Magellan Telescope, and welcomes this key milestone of the beginning of telescope construction,” said Dr. Taft Armandroff, Director of McDonald Observatory and Vice Chair of the GMT Board of Directors.

The 25-meter diameter GMT, expected to have a final weight of about 1,600 metric tons, will comprise seven 8.4-meter mirrors supported by a steel telescope structure that will be seated on the concrete pier. It will be housed inside a rotating enclosure that will measure 65 meters (about 22 stories) tall and 56 meters wide. As well as working on the enclosure and telescope pier foundations, Conpax will excavate a recess in the summit rock for the lower portion of the mirror coating chamber and foundations for a utility building and tunnel on the summit.

“With the start of construction of the permanent buildings on the site, the GMT is showing tangible progress towards completion,” said Dr. James Fanson, GMTO Project Manager. “We are delighted that Conpax is carrying out this important work.”

The most challenging part of their work on the summit will be to excavate the solid rock of the mountain top to a depth of 23 feet (7 meters) to hold the concrete for the telescope pier. Much of this work will be done with a hydraulic rock hammer and jack hammer to ensure that the integrity of the solid bedrock below the pier is undamaged. “In total, we expect to remove 5,000 cubic meters or 13,300 tons of rock from the mountain and will need 330 dump truck loads to remove it from the summit,” Fanson said.

Las Campanas Observatory, located in the southern Atacama Desert of Chile and owned by the Carnegie Institution for Science, is one of the world’s premier astronomical sites, known for its clear, dark skies and stable airflow, producing exceptionally sharp images. With its unique design, the GMT will produce images that are 10 times sharper than those from the Hubble Space Telescope in the infrared region of the spectrum and will be used by astronomers to study planets around other stars and to look back to the time when the first galaxies formed.

In the past year, the GMT project has cast the fifth primary mirror segment at the Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab at the University of Arizona, announced a new partner for the project with Arizona State University, and awarded design-build contracts for the telescope mount.

Partners in the GMT project include Arizona State University, Astronomy Australia Ltd., The Australian National University, Carnegie Institution for Science, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, Harvard University, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Texas A&M University, The University of Texas at Austin, University of Arizona, and University of Chicago.

— END —

Media Contact:

Rebecca Johnson
Communications Mgr.
UT Austin McDonald Observatory
512-475-6763

Project Contacts:

Dr. Taft Armandroff
Director, UT Austin McDonald Observatory
Vice Chair, GMT Board of Directors
512-471-3300

Dr. James Fanson
Project Manager, GMT Organization
626-204-2231

New Geodetic Observatory Coming to UT Austin’s McDonald Observatory

FORT DAVIS, Texas — A new scientific facility is under construction on the grounds of The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory that will help scientists better understand Earth and could help minimize the effects of geohazards such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, sea level changes and landslides.

Called the McDonald Geodetic Observatory, it is funded by a $4.25 million contract between NASA’s Goddard Spaceflight Center and UT Austin’s Center for Space Research. Scheduled to begin science operations in 2022, the new observatory will focus on geodesy: the science of Earth’s shape, gravity, and rotation — and how these change over time.

“It is gratifying that the foundation of almost 50 years of geodetic observations from McDonald Observatory has attracted a new NASA-funded facility to enable more precise and rich geodetic observations from west Texas,” said Taft Armandroff, director of McDonald Observatory.

The McDonald Geodetic Observatory is part NASA’s Space Geodesy Project, the U.S. portion of a global effort to create a “terrestrial reference frame” for scientists. This reference frame will be made up of extremely well-characterized sites around the world — a collection of landmarks that all other locations on Earth can be measured against precisely.

The network will comprise approximately 30 locations globally. The McDonald site is one of three that NASA is building in the United States.

“This network will serve as the basis for next-generation measurements for precision navigation and global change measurements,” said Srinivas Bettadpur, director of the Center for Space Research at UT Austin.

The McDonald Geodetic Observatory will consist of more than a dozen stations at various locations around McDonald Observatory. The two largest stations will host a laser ranging telescope located on Mount Fowlkes (near the Hobby-Eberly Telescope dome) and a 12-meter radio telescope dish at the base of Mount Locke (near the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center). Both sites are being prepared now, and the laser telescope and radio dish will arrive at McDonald by January. Other stations will host ultra-precise Global Positioning System receivers, weather-monitoring equipment, and more. NASA is furnishing the major scientific systems; the university is funding infrastructure and additional science equipment.

McDonald Observatory is a particularly stable site for geodetic science, with no nearby tectonic activity, such as earthquakes, or large variations in annual rainfall. It also has relatively easy access to bedrock. As such, the site has been used for geodetic science for decades.

After Apollo 11 astronauts placed a mirror (called a retroreflector) on the moon in 1969, McDonald Observatory astronomers routinely targeted it with lasers throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. They caught the reflections with the 107-inch Harlan J. Smith Telescope, and were able to measure the Earth-moon distance with great precision. In the mid-1980s, a dedicated telescope was built for this research. Called the McDonald Laser Ranging Station (MLRS), it is still in use today. MLRS is expected to continue operating alongside the new observatory for at least a year.

Led and managed by the Center for Space Research, the McDonald Geodetic Observatory will bring together scientists and engineers from many parts of the university, with diverse interests in space research, the study of global change, and the characterization of natural hazards. The team comes from UT’s Cockrell School of Engineering, Jackson School of Geosciences, and Applied Research Laboratory. The McDonald Observatory site and infrastructure belong to the College of Natural Sciences.

 

— END —

 

Media Contact:

Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

 

Science Contacts:

Dr. Taft Armandroff
Director, McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-3300

Dr. Srinivas Bettadpur
Director, Center for Space Research
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-7587

Galactic “Wind” Stifling Star Formation is Most Distant Yet Seen

galaxy wind

AUSTIN, Texas — For the first time, a powerful “wind” of molecules has been detected in a galaxy located 12 billion light-years away. Probing a time when the universe was less than 10 percent of its current age, University of Texas at Austin astronomer Justin Spilker’s research sheds light on how the earliest galaxies regulated the birth of stars to keep from blowing themselves apart. The research will appear in the Sept. 7 issue of the journal Science.

“Galaxies are complicated, messy beasts, and we think outflows and winds are critical pieces to how they form and evolve, regulating their ability to grow,” Spilker said.

Some galaxies such as the Milky Way and Andromeda have relatively slow and measured rates of starbirth, with about one new star igniting each year. Other galaxies, known as starburst galaxies, forge hundreds or even thousands of stars each year. This furious pace, however, cannot be maintained indefinitely.

To avoid burning out in a short-lived blaze of glory, some galaxies throttle back their runaway starbirth by ejecting — at least temporarily — vast stores of gas into their expansive halos, where the gas either escapes entirely or slowly rains back in on the galaxy, triggering future bursts of star formation.

Until now, however, astronomers have been unable to directly observe these powerful outflows in the very early universe, where such mechanisms are essential to prevent galaxies from growing too big, too fast.

Spilker’s observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), show — for the first time — a powerful galactic wind of molecules in a galaxy seen when the universe was only 1 billion years old. This result provides insights into how certain galaxies in the early universe were able to self-regulate their growth so they could continue forming stars across cosmic time.

Astronomers have observed winds with the same size, speed and mass in nearby starbursting galaxies, but the new ALMA observation is the most distant unambiguous outflow ever seen in the early universe.

The galaxy, known as SPT2319-55, is more than 12 billion light-years away. It was discovered by the National Science Foundation’s South Pole Telescope.

ALMA was able to observe this object at such tremendous distance with the aid of a gravitational lens provided by a different galaxy that sits almost exactly along the line of sight between Earth and SPT2319-55. Gravitational lensing — the bending of light due to gravity — magnifies the background galaxy to make it appear brighter, which allows the astronomers to observe it in more detail than they would otherwise be able to. Astronomers use specialized computer programs to unscramble the effects of gravitational lensing to reconstruct an accurate image of the more-distant object.

This lens-aided view revealed a powerful wind of star-forming gas exiting the galaxy at nearly 800 kilometers per second. Rather than a constant, gentle breeze, the wind is hurtling away in discrete clumps, removing the star-forming gas just as quickly as the galaxy can turn that gas into new stars.

The outflow was detected by the millimeter-wavelength signature of a molecule called hydroxyl (OH), which appeared as an absorption line: essentially, the shadow of an OH fingerprint in the galaxy’s bright infrared light.

Molecular winds are an efficient way for galaxies to self-regulate their growth, the researchers note. These winds are probably triggered by either the combined effects of all the supernova explosions that go along with rapid, massive star formation, or by a powerful release of energy as some of the gas in the galaxy falls down onto the supermassive black hole at its center.

“So far, we have only observed one galaxy at such a remarkable cosmic distance, but we’d like to know if winds like these are also present in other galaxies to see just how common they are,” Spilker concluded. “If they occur in basically every galaxy, we know that molecular winds are both ubiquitous and also a really common way for galaxies to self-regulate their growth.”

— END —

Media contact:

Rebecca Johnson, Communications Manager
UT Austin McDonald Observatory
512-475-6763

Science Contact:

Dr. Justin Spilker, Harlan J. Smith Postdoctoral Fellow
UT Austin McDonald Observatory
402-429-5630

Note to editors:
This research is presented in a paper titled “Fast Molecular Outflow from a Dusty Star-Forming Galaxy in the Early Universe,” by J.S. Spilker et al. in the journal Science.

Magnetic Waves Create Chaos in Star-Forming Clouds

simulation

New research by Stella Offner, assistant professor of astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin, finds that magnetic waves are an important factor driving the process of star formation within the enormous clouds that birth stars. Her research sheds light on the processes that are responsible for setting the properties of stars, which in turn affects the formation of planets orbiting them, and, ultimately, life on those planets. The research is published in the current issue of the journal Nature Astronomy.

Offner used a supercomputer to make models of the multitude of processes happening inside a cloud where stars are forming, in an effort to sort out which processes lead to which effects.

“These clouds are violent places,” Offner said. “It’s an extreme environment with all kinds of different physics happening at once,” including gravity and turbulence as well as radiation and winds from forming stars (called stellar feedback). The fundamental question, Offner said, is: “Why are the motions in these clouds so violent?”

Some astronomers attribute the observed motions to gravitational collapse, while others attribute it to turbulence and stellar feedback. Offner wanted to test these theories and study how stars shape their birth environment, but it’s virtually impossible to use telescope observations of these clouds to separate the influence of the various processes, she said.

“That’s why we need computer models,” Offner explained.

After comparing models of clouds with gravity, magnetic fields, and stars, Offner noticed extra motions.

Her models showed that stellar winds interacting with the cloud magnetic field generated energy and influenced gas at far greater distances across the cloud than previously thought: These local magnetic fields caused action at a distance.

“Think of the magnetic fields like rubber bands that stretch across the cloud,” Offner said. “The winds push the field — it’s like rubber bands being plucked. The waves outrun the wind and cause distant motions.”

This research has implications for the tug-of-war between feedback — that is, the effect that the newly formed star has on its environment — and gravity on the scale of solar systems up to entire galaxies, Offner said.

As for the next step, Offner says she plans to study this process on larger scales, both in time and space. Her current study focused on one area within star-forming clouds; she said future studies will study the effects of magnetic fields and feedback on scales larger than a single cloud.

This work was supported by a National Science Foundation Career Award to Stella Offner.

— END —

 

Note to editors: Stella Offner has written a blog post on this research for Nature.

 

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

 

Science Contact:
Dr. Stella Offner, Asst. Professor
Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-3853

StarDate Radio Program Celebrates 40 Years

StarDate logo

The longest running nationally aired science program is marking a major milestone. “StarDate”  radio, produced by The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory, celebrates 40 years on the nation’s airwaves. In its nearly 15,000 daily two-minute episodes, “StarDate” has brought skywatching and astronomy to millions of listeners across the United States. Today, it airs on about 400 radio affiliates, split evenly between public and commercial stations.

“McDonald Observatory is proud to have produced ‘StarDate’ for 40 years and to connect with the community of astronomy enthusiasts who follow the program,” said observatory director Taft Armandroff.

Each month, “StarDate” offers a balance of astronomy and space-science topics. About half of each month’s programs are related to skywatching: eclipses, meteor showers, planetary conjunctions, stars and constellations, and so on. Other topics relate to important anniversaries, recent scientific discoveries, Earth’s place in the cosmos and related topics that help place astronomy in a broader cultural perspective.

“StarDate” began as a telephone message service in 1977 and went on the air Oct. 1, 1978, in Austin as a daily radio program called "Have You Seen the Stars Tonight?" Harlan Smith, the obervatory's director and a strong believer in outreach and education, was a steadfast supporter of the new effort. After receiving a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the program began national distribution in 1978 under the name “StarDate,” with writer/producer Deborah Byrd and announcer Joel Block. When the NSF grant neared its end, McDonald Observatory hired Sandra Preston to market the program to radio stations. She later became an assistant director of the observatory, overseeing all public outreach programs until her retirement in 2016.

Byrd and Block left the show in 1991 to found the “Earth and Sky” radio series. Damond Benningfield, a science journalist, became the writer/producer, with Sandy Wood, a voice talent and radio personality, taking over narration duties. Both maintain those duties today. Tom Barnes, a McDonald Observatory research scientist, has been technical editor since 1991 as well, with Shayna Brown, owner of ChezBoom Audio in Austin, serving as audio engineer since 2002.

“It's been quite a ride,” Benningfield said. “It's just so much fun to be able to tell people what we've learned about the lights they see in the night sky, and about the really clever ways that scientists and engineers are devising to explore the universe. Astronomy has changed tremendously since ‘StarDate’ first went on the air, and it's great to watch those changes and share them with our audience.”

In addition to the flagship radio program, StarDate magazine brings science and stargazing to thousands of subscribers every other month. StarDate Online contains information about astronomy and skywatching as well as a searchable database of radio scripts. Visitors can listen to past radio programs online or subscribe to the podcast, as well. StarDate also reaches tens of thousands of fans via social media.

“StarDate” radio spawned a sister program, the Spanish-language “Universo,” which aired from 1995 to 2010. The program also was translated into German for several years under the name “Sternzeit.”

— END —

Note to editors:Visit StarDate Online at http://stardate.org.

Media Contact:

Rebecca Johnson
Editor, StarDate magazine
Communications Mgr., McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-689-0240

Texas Astronomers Find that Dark Matter Dominates Across Cosmic Time

AUSTIN — In findings published today in The Astrophysical Journal, University of Texas at Austin astronomers report that they have stumbled on an extraordinary galaxy that may corroborate a recently contested theory about dark matter.

Dark matter is matter that does not give off any light, but is detectable by its gravitational pull on other matter. It was first discovered in the 1970s in studies of spiral galaxies, whose outer regions rotated too fast only to be driven by the visible stars and gas in those regions. Astronomers reasoned there must be more mass that is unseen. Decades of galaxy observations have shown that almost all galaxies contain huge quantities of this “dark matter,” and that, in fact, there is about five times as much dark matter as there is normal, visible matter in the universe.

However, a few recent studies have indicated that some galaxies don’t follow the same pattern as the “dark matter-rich” galaxies found since the 1970s. These studies showed a handful of galaxies seen around 10 billion years ago do not contain the expected quantity of dark matter. This could mean that galaxies at that time didn’t have much dark matter but gained it later, at some point in the past 10 billion years. If that’s the case, it would challenge our fundamental understanding of how galaxies form.

Now UT Austin graduate student Patrick Drew and his advisor, professor Caitlin Casey, have found a very distant galaxy that appears rich with dark matter, exactly as expected from long-held theory. Because this galaxy is 9 billion light-years away, it tells us that some galaxies do already contain quite a bit of dark matter in the distant past. The serendipitous finding appears to contradict the other controversial findings of galaxies with little dark matter content.

Drew‘s team studied this galaxy while they were using the Keck Telescope in Hawaii for a survey of the most extreme star-forming galaxies in the universe, the so-called “dusty star-forming galaxies.” They were not intending to study dark matter at all — rather, they sought to understand why these galaxies produce so many stars so rapidly.

But one of their galaxies surprised them, and sent their work off into a new direction.

Because of the random angle at which the galaxy DSFG850.95 was studied with the telescope, the data provided an extremely detailed record of the speed of the galaxy’s rotation from the center of the galaxy all way out to its far reaches. Called a “rotation curve,” this measurement is just what astronomers use to determine the amount of dark matter in a galaxy.

They showed this data to Susan Kassin, a colleague at the Space Telescope Science Institute. Kassin, an expert on such measurements of rotation curves, immediately recognized that they had found something extraordinary: This galaxy, seen 9 billion years ago, contains all the expected dark matter that theory predicts.

This is in contrast to a 2017 study in Nature that claimed that galaxies at this cosmic epoch, 10 billion years ago, “might not have as much dark matter, and that they’re fundamentally different to galaxies in the present-day universe,” Casey said. “The galaxy we found is a clear counter-example of that, where it seems to have dark matter behaving in the normal way, as it does in the present-day universe.”

The bottom line, Drew says is “this galaxy does what’s expected of galaxies like it and it is the first solid confirmation that what happens in these galaxies in the current-day universe is the same as what happened in the early universe.”

Drew plans to follow up this study with further studies of the galaxy in his ongoing project with ALMA.

— END —

 

Media Contact:

Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

 

Science Contacts:

Patrick Drew
Dept. of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin

 

Dr. Caitlin Casey
Dept. of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-3405

J. Craig Wheeler Shares Chambliss Astronomical Writing Award

Seattle — The American Astronomical Society (AAS) announced today at its semi-annual meeting in Seattle that J. Craig Wheeler and David Branch will share its Chambliss Astronomical Writing Award for 2019. Wheeler is the Samuel T. and Fern Yanagisawa Regents Professor of Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin.

Wheeler and Branch, an emeritus professor at The University of Oklahoma, are the authors of the university-level textbook “Supernova Explosions,” published by Springer in 2017.

“This book was a labor of love, seven years in the making, and a terrific bonding experience with my friend and colleague David Branch,” Wheeler said.

In announcing the award, the AAS called the book “an extraordinary compilation of information that is logically organized, benefits from clear and engaging writing, and features terrific insights of the kind you’d hope for from a mentor.”

The book has received rave reviews from professors. “The text provided a terrific foundation for a course introducing students to supernova astrophysics and enabled me to teach many topics, including the theory of supernova light curves, spectra, and explosion mechanisms, far more effectively than I could otherwise have,” said Patrick Kelly of the University of Minnesota. “The textbook received very enthusiastic reviews from all of the students.”

Wheeler is a leading expert on the science of exploding stars. In addition to “Supernova Explosions,” he has written the textbook “Cosmic Catastrophes: Exploding Stars, Black Holes, and Mapping the Universe” of which Cambridge University Press issued a second edition in 2009. He is also author of the science fiction novels “The Krone Experiment” and “Krone Ascending,” and a past president of the American Astronomical Society.

Established in 1899 and based in Washington, D.C., the AAS is the major organization of professional astronomers in North America. With about 7,000 members, the mission of the AAS is to enhance and share humanity’s scientific understanding of the universe.

— END —

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763; 

Additional Contact:
Dr. J. Craig Wheeler
Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-6407

Thousands of Stars Observed Turning into Crystals for the First Time

White Dwarf Interior

AUSTIN, Texas — The first direct evidence of crystallized white dwarf stars has been discovered by an international team of researchers that includes an astronomer at The University of Texas at Austin. Predicted half a century ago, the direct evidence of these stars will be published tomorrow in the journal Nature.

Observations have revealed that these stars have a core of solid carbon and oxygen due to a phase transition during their lifecycle, similar to water turning into ice. This phase transition slows their cooling in multiple ways, making them potentially billions of years older than previously thought.

The discovery, led by Pier-Emmanuel Tremblay of the U.K.’s University of Warwick, is largely based on observations taken with the European Space Agency’s Gaia satellite.

Almost all stars end up as white dwarfs, and some of them are among the oldest stars in the universe. They are useful to astronomers because their predictable cooling rate allows them to be used as cosmic clocks to estimate the ages of groups of stars. They are the leftover cores of red giant stars, after these huge stars have died and shed their outer layers. They are then constantly cooling as they release their stored-up heat over billions of years.

The Gaia satellite has enabled the selection of a sample of white dwarfs with precise luminosities and colors that is significantly larger and more complete than any previous survey. For the study, the team selected 15,000 white dwarfs within about 300 light-years of Earth.

White dwarfs get fainter and redder as they cool, which leads to a predictable distribution of white dwarfs in a plot of brightness versus color. The astronomers identified a pile-up in this plot, an excess in the number of stars at specific colors and luminosities. When compared with evolutionary models of white dwarfs, the pile-up strongly coincides with the phase in their development in which latent heat is predicted to be released in large amounts, resulting in a slowdown of their cooling process. It is estimated that in some cases these stars have slowed their aging by as much as 2 billion years.

Bart Dunlap, a postdoctoral fellow with UT Austin’s Wootton Center for Astrophysical Plasma Properties, working with JJ Hermes, made the discovery independently of the Warwick team and later joined forces with Tremblay. Hermes, a former UT graduate student, is now an assistant professor at Boston University.

“More than 50 years ago, Hugh Van Horn, an astronomer at the University of Rochester, predicted that we should see a crystallization sequence because of a slowdown in cooling when white dwarfs crystallize, but at the time, the data weren’t good enough to check this prediction,” Dunlap said. “Gaia finally made it possible to see what he predicted, and it really pops out in the data.”

Just as liquid water releases extra energy when it changes into ice — this energy is known as latent heat — the dense plasmas in the interiors of white dwarfs were predicted to release enough energy to noticeably slow their trek toward cool, faint stellar embers.

“All white dwarfs will crystallize at some point in their evolution, although more massive white dwarfs go through the process sooner,” said Tremblay, who led the study. “This means that billions of white dwarfs in our galaxy have already completed the process and are essentially metallic crystal spheres in the sky.”

This includes our own sun, which will become a crystal white dwarf in about 10 billion years.

Crystallization is the process of a material becoming a solid state in which its atoms form an ordered structure. Under the extreme pressures in white dwarf cores, atoms are packed so densely that their electrons become unbound, leaving a conducting electron gas governed by quantum physics, and positively charged nuclei in a fluid form. When the core cools to about 10 million degrees, the dense carbon oxygen plasma is cool enough that the fluid begins to solidify, forming a crystalline core at its heart.

“These results are really telling us a lot about the amount of pent-up energy these stars can release while cooling off,” Dunlap said.

The astronomers say they should have access to even better data from Gaia by 2021.

— END —

Media Contact:

Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
UT Austin McDonald Observatory
512-475-6763

Science Contacts:

Dr. Bart Dunlap, Postdoctoral Fellow
UT Austin Wootton Center for Astrophysical Plasma Properties & McDonald Observatory
501-940-2110

Dr. JJ Hermes, Assistant Professor of Astronomy
Boston University
512-517-2442

Habitable Zone Planet Finder Enables Discovery of Planets Around Cool Stars with Hobby-Eberly Telescope

FORT DAVIS, Texas — A new astronomical spectrograph provides the highest precision measurements to date of infrared signals from nearby stars, allowing astronomers to detect planets capable of having liquid water on their surfaces that orbit cool stars outside our solar system. The Habitable Zone Planet Finder (HPF) allows precise measurement of a star’s radial velocity, measured by the subtle change in the color of the star’s spectra as it is tugged by an orbiting planet, which is critical information in the discovery and confirmation of new planets.

The HPF, located at The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory, targets low-mass planets around cool nearby red dwarf stars in habitable zones, regions where liquid water might exist on a planet’s surface. Red dwarf stars are known to host rocky planets, but these stars are faint due to their size and their magnetic activity manifests as spots and flares, which pose problems for existing visible-light instruments. Coupled to the 10-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope, HPF instead uses near-infrared light — a type of invisible infrared light closest in wavelength to the visible spectrum — to observe these stars at wavelengths where they are brighter and less active.

Led by Penn State astronomer Suvrath Mahadevan, the team that built HPF includes McDonald Observatory astronomers William Cochran and Michael Endl.

“The HPF was built to be incredibly stable, and we added a calibrator called a laser frequency comb to increase precision,” Mahadevan said. “The laser comb, which was custom-built by the National Institute of Standards and Technology,  separates individual wavelengths of light into separate lines, like the teeth of a comb, and is used like a ruler to calibrate the near-infrared energy from the stars. This combination of technologies has allowed us to demonstrate unprecedented near-infrared radial velocity precision with observations of Barnard’s Star, one of the closest stars to the Sun.” These results appear in the February 20 issue of the journal Optica.

“We are especially interested in finding Earth-like planets that orbit in the habitable zone of the nearest stars,” McDonald Observatory’s Endl said. “These planets represent our best chance to characterize and study them in greater detail. We might even be able to search for signs of life in their atmospheres in the near future with telescopes like the Giant Magellan Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope.

“Since most stars are cool, red dwarf stars, we need a very precise instrument that is optimized for the near infrared,” he continued. “The laser frequency comb at the HPF enables us to reach this high level of precision to detect these small planets. It opens a new window in planet search, that has predominantly focused on the visible bandpass to obtain highly precise Doppler measurements.”

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope recently underwent a $40-million upgrade, and was essentially rebuilt. As part of the upgrade, the telescope acquired a suite of four new instruments. HPF is the latest one to come online.

“The Habitable Zone Planet Finder is a powerful addition to the instrumentation at HET,” said McDonald Observatory director Taft Armandroff, “and it is particularly important to the scientific investigations of exoplanets that have been carried out by University of Texas faculty and researchers for many years.”

The observatory is a major partner in the HET collaboration, which is a partnership between The University of Texas at Austin, Penn State, and two German institutions, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München.

The Habitable Zone Planet Finder and its frequency comb calibration system were built with support from the US National Science Foundation’s Major Research Instrumentation and Advanced Technology & Instrumentation programs, Penn State, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Ongoing analysis of data is supported by a grant from the Heising-Simons Foundation.

— END —

Media Contacts:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Manager
UT Austin McDonald Observatory
(512) 475-6763

Gail McCormick, Public Info. Officer
Penn State University
(814) 863-0901

Science Contacts:
Dr. Taft Armandroff, Director
UT Austin McDonald Observatory
(512) 471-3300

Dr. William Cochran, Research Professor
UT Austin McDonald Observatory
(512) 471-6474

Dr. Michael Endl, Sr. Research Scientist
UT Austin McDonald Observatory
(512) 471-8312

Dr. Suvrath Mahadevan, Associate Professor
Penn State University
(814) 865-0261

Two New Planets Discovered Using Artificial Intelligence

Anne Dattilo

AUSTIN, Texas — Astronomers at The University of Texas at Austin, in partnership with Google, have used artificial intelligence (AI) to uncover two more hidden planets in the Kepler space telescope archive. The technique shows promise for identifying many additional planets that traditional methods could not catch.

The planets discovered this time were from Kepler’s extended mission, called K2.

To find them, the team, led by an undergraduate at UT Austin, Anne Dattilo, created an algorithm that sifts through the data taken by Kepler to ferret out signals that were missed by traditional planet-hunting methods. Long term, the process should help astronomers find many more missed planets hiding in Kepler data. The discoveries have been accepted for publication in an upcoming issue of The Astronomical Journal.

Other team members include NASA Sagan fellow at UT Austin Andrew Vanderburg and Google engineer Christopher Shallue. In 2017, Vanderburg and Shallue first used AI to uncover a planet around a Kepler star — one already known to harbor seven planets. The discovery made that solar system the only one known to have as many planets as our own.

Dattilo explained that this project necessitated a new algorithm, as data taken during Kepler’s extended mission K2 differs significantly from that collected during the spacecraft’s original mission.

“K2 data is more challenging to work with because the spacecraft is moving around all the time,” Vanderburg explained. This change came about after a mechanical failure. While mission planners found a workaround, the spacecraft was left with a wobble that AI had to take into account.

The Kepler and K2 missions have already discovered thousands of planets around other stars, with an equal number of candidates awaiting confirmation. So why do astronomers need to use AI to search the Kepler archive for more?

“AI will help us search the data set uniformly,” Vanderburg said. “Even if every star had an Earth-sized planet around it, when we look with Kepler, we won’t find all of them. That’s just because some of the data’s too noisy, or sometimes the planets are just not aligned right. So, we have to correct for the ones we missed. We know there are a lot of planets out there that we don’t see for those reasons.

“If we want to know how many planets there are in total, we have to know how many planets we’ve found, but we also have to know how many planets we missed. That’s where this comes in,” he explained.

The two planets Dattilo’s team found “are both very typical of planets found in K2,” she said. “They’re really close in to their host star, they have short orbital periods, and they’re hot. They are slightly larger than Earth.”

Of the two planets, one is called K2-293b and orbits a star 1,300 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius. The other, K2-294b, orbits a star 1,230 light-years away, also located in Aquarius.

Once the team used their algorithm to find these planets, they followed up by studying the host stars using ground-based telescopes to confirm that the planets are real. These observations were done with the 1.5-meter telescope at the Smithsonian Institution’s Whipple Observatory in Arizona and the Gillett Telescope at Gemini Observatory in Hawaii.

The future of the AI concept for finding planets hidden in data sets looks bright. The current algorithm can be used to probe the entire K2 data set, Dattilo said — approximately 300,000 stars. She also believes the method is applicable to Kepler’s successor planet-hunting mission, TESS, which launched in April 2018. Kepler’s mission ended later that year.

Dattilo plans to continue her work using AI for planet hunting when she enters graduate school in the fall.

— END —

Note to Editors: A preprint of the research paper is available here.

 

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
512-475-6763

Science Contacts:
Anne Dattilo
Department of Astronomy
512-471-6493

Dr. Andrew Vanderburg
Department of Astronomy
512-471-6493

McDonald Observatory’s 80th Anniversary Kicks Off at State Capitol

In this aerial view, the two large domes in the foreground are the 2.1-meter Str

AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory is celebrating its 80th anniversary, and it started today with an event at the Capitol. Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 60, authored by Texas state Sen. José Rodríguez to honor the anniversary, passed this morning on the Senate floor. Texas state Rep. Poncho Nevárez will sponsor the resolution in the House. Located near the West Texas town of Fort Davis, McDonald Observatory falls into the districts of both lawmakers.

A new exhibit highlighting the observatory’s history will open this summer at its Frank N. Bash Visitors Center. The observatory’s Board of Visitors will celebrate the anniversary at their July meeting, and both West Texas and Austin staff members will hold events in honor of the milestone.

The observatory’s long and storied history has led to a facility that is thriving scientifically while looking forward to a future bright with new discoveries and new technology.

“McDonald Observatory is proud to serve as an engine of discovery for the faculty, researchers and students of The University of Texas at Austin and other Texas educational institutions, in addition to welcoming as many as 80,000 visitors per year to learn about astronomy, telescopes and the universe,” said Taft Armandroff, director of McDonald Observatory.

When it was dedicated on May 5, 1939, in front of many of the greatest astronomers of the time, McDonald Observatory consisted of a single dome housing not only the world’s second-largest telescope, but also living quarters and offices. In the decades since, each generation has added successive new-generation telescopes that astronomers have used to make important discoveries about our solar system, our Milky Way galaxy and distant galaxies.

The observatory’s first large telescope, a reflector with an 82-inch mirror, discovered new moons of Uranus and Neptune and identified carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of Mars and methane in the atmosphere of Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. A 107-inch telescope funded by NASA was dedicated in 1968. It bounced laser light off of the moon, studied the outer planets before NASA sent probes to them, made major discoveries about stars in the Milky Way, and found planets orbiting other stars. These telescopes, later named after Otto Struve and Harlan J. Smith (the directors who built them), are continually upgraded and still in constant use.

In the late 1990s, a UT-led consortium built the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at McDonald, which, with its 11-meter mirror, remains one of the world’s largest. Last year, HET completed a massive upgrade enabling it to begin the HET Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX), a study of the mysterious force speeding up the expansion of the universe. The telescope also gained a new suite of instruments. VIRUS, the Visible Integral-field Replicable Unit Spectrograph, consists of 156 spectrographs that analyze light captured by HET and fed through 35,000 optical fibers, creating the world’s most powerful instrument of its type for surveying large areas of sky. Another new instrument, the Habitable Zone Planet Finder, uses precision technology to search for planets around red dwarf stars.

McDonald Observatory continues to add new telescopes and undertake new partnerships. It is a founding member of the Giant Magellan Telescope project, which is now building the world’s largest next-generation telescope in Chile. On site in West Texas, a partnership with the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network has led to a 1-meter telescope currently in place and another to be delivered soon.

Additionally, a new partnership with UT’s Center for Space Research and NASA has led to the new McDonald Geodetic Observatory (MGO), currently under construction. It represents a continuation of five decades of “laser-ranging” research begun in 1969, when Apollo 11 astronauts left mirrors on the moon to be targeted with lasers from McDonald Observatory. The MGO, however, will focus on tracking changes in Earth’s shape, gravity and rotation.

A key factor in McDonald Observatory’s success is that it enjoys the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. To maintain this precious resource for the future, the observatory works tirelessly with nearby communities and businesses to keep unwanted light out of the sky, and is grateful to its partners in the Dark Skies Initiative.

The observatory is also an internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, a mission that began with the will of benefactor William Johnson McDonald, who stipulated an observatory for “the study and promotion of Astronomical Science.” It welcomes thousands of visitors per year to public star parties and tours, hosts school visits, and carries out extensive teacher training programs. McDonald also produces the longest running nationally syndicated science radio program, “StarDate,” heard daily on more than 300 stations across the United States.

— END —

Media contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Manager
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763; rjohnson@astro.as.utexas.edu

Science contact:
Dr. Taft Armandroff, Director
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-3300; director@astro.as.utexas.edu

Donation to UT Will Expand View of the Universe

David Booth

Austin philanthropist David Booth commits leadership gift toward Texas Science and the Giant Magellan Telescope

AUSTIN, Texas — David Booth, co-founder and executive chairman of Austin-based Dimensional Fund Advisors and a visionary philanthropist, has committed a $10 million gift to The University of Texas at Austin. His philanthropic investment will be used to advance Texas Science and the construction of the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). Once completed, the GMT will be the world’s largest telescope and have the capability to provide unprecedented views of the universe.

UT Austin is one of only 12 partner universities and institutions developing the telescope, which is under construction at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. With a resolution 10 times as great as that of the Hubble Space Telescope, the GMT will become one of the defining instruments of 21st century science. It will allow scientists to explore the origins of chemical elements, the formation of the first stars and galaxies, the characteristics of planets that orbit other stars, and the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy. The location in Chile was chosen because it is one of the highest and driest places on Earth.

During a recent visit to McDonald Observatory — the centerpiece of UT Austin’s astronomy program — Booth met Taft Armandroff, Ph.D., director of McDonald Observatory and vice chair of the board of directors for the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization, and became interested in the power of Texas Science’s astronomy program.

“Based on that visit to McDonald Observatory, I saw a rare opportunity to support a very exciting project that not only expands our view of the universe but also pushes the boundaries of scientific discovery,” said Booth.

As a founding GMT partner, UT Austin will be one of a handful of American universities to provide faculty members and students access to a next-generation telescope for groundbreaking research — an attractive benefit for recruiting top faculty members and students.

“David Booth’s generous support will ensure UT students and faculty can use the Giant Magellan Telescope to study some of astronomy’s most pressing questions,” said Armandroff. “The GMT will offer Texas astronomers unique opportunities such as studying the atmospheres of nearby exoplanets to better understand how common Earth-like planets are.”

In recognition of Booth’s philanthropic investment, the Director’s House at the McDonald Observatory will be renamed the David G. Booth Director’s House at the McDonald Observatory.  The Booth Director’s House, built in 1936, has long served a critical role in welcoming world-renown scholars and scientists to McDonald Observatory.

“This is an extraordinary gift from an incredible philanthropist who understands the significance of scientific discovery,” said UT Austin President Gregory L. Fenves. “By supporting the Giant Magellan Telescope, David Booth is giving not just our community, but the entire world, the opportunity to uncover the deepest secrets of the universe. It doesn’t get bigger — or more important — than that.”

A year ago, Booth joined the Giving Pledge and committed to donate half of his wealth to charity. UT Austin has benefitted from his ongoing gifts to the Blanton Museum of Art, McCombs School of Business, Texas Athletics and Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Booth has achieved great success leading Dimensional Fund Advisors and is well known for applying academic theory to real-world investing.

— END —

Media Contacts:

Rebecca Johnson, Communications Manager
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Dr. Taft Armandroff, Director
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-3300

 

 

Unlocking Clues to a Distant Planet’s History

Stars shine in an inky night sky above the open dome of the Harlan J. Smith Tele

St. Louis — CI Tau b is a paradoxical planet, but new research about its mass, brightness and the carbon monoxide in its atmosphere is starting to answer questions about how a planet so large could have formed around a star that’s only 2 million years old.

Today, new research by a team of astronomers from The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory, Rice University, and Lowell Observatory was announced at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society. Rice’s Christopher Johns-Krull and Lowell’s Lisa Prato presented findings from a four-year near-infrared spectroscopic analysis of light from CI Tau b, a close-orbiting giant exoplanet, or “hot Jupiter,” in a nine-day orbit around its parent star about 450 light years from Earth in the constellation Taurus.

“The exciting thing is that we are able to detect light directly from the planet, and it’s the first time that’s been done for a close-in planet around a star this young,” said Johns-Krull, Rice professor of physics and astronomy and co-author of a study that’s slated for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. “The most valuable way to learn how planets form is to study planets, like CI Tau b, that are either still forming or have just formed.”

For decades, most astronomers believed giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn formed far from their stars over periods of 10 million years or more. But the discovery of dozens of “hot Jupiters” led to new theoretical models that describe how such planets might form.

Johns-Krull said CI Tau b’s age made it the perfect candidate for observation with the Immersion Grating Infrared Spectrograph (IGRINS), a unique, high-resolution instrument that was used during observations of CI Tau b from McDonald Observatory’s 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope and Lowell Observatory’s 4.3-meter Discovery Channel Telescope.

IGRINS was designed by study co-author Daniel Jaffe of The University of Texas at Austin along with the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI). The instrument uses a silicon-based diffraction grating to improve both the resolution and number of near-infrared spectral bands that can be observed from distant objects like CI Tau b and its parent star.

“Infrared spectroscopy is ideal for studying exoplanet atmospheres and young star evolution,” said team member Gregory Mace of UT Austin. “The young planet around CI Tau is a prime example of what silicon immersion spectrographs can achieve.”

Mace helped build IGRINS and has managed its travels. The instrument was moved from McDonald to Lowell Observatory midway through the study.

Because each atomic element and molecule in a star emits light from a unique set of wavelengths, astronomers can look for specific signatures, or spectral lines, to see if an element is present in a distant star or planets. Spectral lines can also reveal the temperature and density of a star and how fast it’s moving.

Lowell’s Lisa Prato said the research team used the spectral lines from carbon monoxide to distinguish the light emitted by the planet from the light emitted by the nearby star.

“Many of the spectral lines that are in the planet are also in the star,” she said. “If both the planet and star were stationary, their spectral lines would all blend together, and we wouldn’t be able to tell what was from the star and what was from the planet. But because the planet rapidly orbits the star, its lines shift back and forth dramatically. We can subtract out the star’s lines and see only the lines from the planet. And from those, we can determine how bright the planet is, relative to the star, which tells us something about how it formed.”

That’s because the brightness of a star or planet depends upon both its size and temperature.

“Direct observational evidence of the mass and brightness of CI Tau b is particularly useful because we also know it orbits a very young star,” said Rice graduate student Laura Flagg, the lead author of the forthcoming study. “Most of the hot Jupiters we’ve found are orbiting middle-aged stars. CI Tau’s age gives a tight constraint for putting models to the test: Can they produce a planet this bright and this massive in so little time?”

Flagg’s analysis of spectral lines from carbon monoxide showed that CI Tau b has a mass of 11.6 Jupiters and is about 134 times fainter than its parent star. Prato said that provides strong evidence that it formed via a “hot start,” a theoretical model that describes how gravitational instabilities could form giant planets more rapidly than traditional models.

Prato said the new study provides a unique empirical yardstick by which to measure competing theories.

“At about 2 million years old, CI Tau b is by far the youngest hot Jupiter directly detected,” she said. “We now have a mass and brightness for it -- the only directly measured mass and brightness for a young hot Jupiter -- and that provides very strong tests for planet-formation models.”

Additional co-authors include Kendall Sullivan of McDonald Observatory and Larissa Nofi and Joe Llama of Lowell Observatory. The research was supported by UT Austin, Rice, the National Science Foundation, KASI, NASA, and Lowell Observatory.

— END —

Note to editors: The research paper is available at: https://arxiv.org/abs/1906.02860

Science contact:
Dr. Gregory Mace
Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin

StarDate’s Sandy Wood to Retire

Sandy Wood

Sandy Wood, the popular and charismatic announcer of the StarDate radio program, is retiring after 28 years on the air. Her final episode will air July 16.

StarDate is the longest running nationally syndicated science program on American radio. Produced by The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory, the program began in 1978. It brings a daily two-minute message of astronomy and skywatching to 2.3 million weekly listeners via more than 300 stations across the country. Wood took over from original announcer Joel Block after the program’s first dozen years.

“Since 1991 I’ve been with you every day, telling you about the wonders of the universe,” she says at the end of the July 16 episode. “Recent health problems, though, have left me unable to continue, so this is my final episode. My thanks for all of the support from our StarDate audience — the best in the universe!”

StarDate producer Damond Benningfield has worked with Wood since her original audition. “This really breaks my heart,” Benningfield says. “Not only is she an amazing announcer, she’s one of the kindest and most thoughtful people I’ve ever known. She’s also a hoot, so our recording sessions are probably going to be a lot duller without her.”

Wood’s first broadcast aired September 16, 1991, and she recorded a total of 10,166 episodes. She also recorded several podcasts for McDonald Observatory projects, and she narrated videos that play at the observatory’s Frank N. Bash Visitors Center and other venues at the Fort Davis campus, as well as on various web sites.

“I very much appreciate Sandy Wood’s dedicated service to McDonald Observatory. Her enthusiastic and consistent delivery of astronomy news for StarDate has built a large and committed audience of astronomy enthusiasts,” said McDonald Director Taft Armandroff. “As I travel the country and speak with fans of astronomy and The University of Texas, there are always questions and good wishes for Sandy Wood and StarDate.”

Wood has been a broadcaster since the 1960s, serving as a radio DJ and talk-show host, and voicing programs and commercials for local, regional, and national clients, including NASA.

The StarDate radio program will continue with a new announcer. The producers expect to introduce the new host of StarDate in the coming weeks.

— END —

Media Contact:

Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

The New Voice of StarDate

Bill Henry

StarDate Radio is announcing today that Billy Henry is the program’s new voice. Henry, an Austin-based voice talent, musician, composer, and college lecturer, becomes the third narrator of the program in its 41-year history. He assumes the title from Sandy Wood, who retired from the program yesterday. Henry’s first program airs today.

StarDate is the longest running nationally syndicated science program on American radio. Produced by The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory, the program began in 1978. It brings a daily two-minute message of astronomy and skywatching to 2.3 million weekly listeners via more than 300 stations across the country.

“I feel extremely privileged to be a part of  the StarDate team,” Henry said. “I’ve been listening for years and now I get to be the voice. What a great experience.”

“I’ve had the privilege to work with the first two StarDate announcers, Joel Block and Sandy Wood, and I know that Billy will maintain the high standards these great talents have established for the show,” said Damond Benningfield, the show’s producer. “Billy and I have worked together before, so I knew he would be a really good fit for our style and content. I’m looking forward to many years of working together.”

Henry is involved in many creative fields. He is a lecturer at Texas State University in San Marcos, teaching classes in writing music for TV and film, mixing for TV and film, and an introduction to desktop production. He has also taught at The University of Texas at Austin, and done sound design and other creative projects for the theater department.

Henry has written or mixed hundreds of pieces of music for commercial clients ranging from Chili’s to AT&T to Southwest Airlines. In 1999, he wrote the score for the film “American Detective,” and in recent years he has joined the world tours of Shakira, the Dixie Chicks, and The Court Yard Hounds.

Henry also describes himself as a “maker of things,” including musical instruments. He also has a pilot’s license and is working toward his commercial rating.

— END —

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
​512-475-6763

McDonald Observatory Will Promote Dark Skies Awareness with Gift from Apache Corporation

HET with star trails

FORT DAVIS, TEXAS — A $257,000 gift to The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory from Apache Corporation will fund the observatory’s ongoing efforts to preserve the dark West Texas skies that make research possible and provide unsurpassed views of the universe to visitors.

Excess light shone into the sky can drown out the light from stars and galaxies, but dark-skies friendly lighting practices can help mitigate light pollution. Apache, an oil and gas exploration and production company, has adopted these and other dark-skies-friendly practices and serves as a model for other businesses operating in West Texas. Practices like adjusting and/or shielding lighting on drilling rigs and at other facilities can shine more light down onto the work site where it’s needed, both increasing worker safety and keeping this light out of the sky.

”The McDonald Observatory is an invaluable asset for astronomers across the globe. We are thankful for their team and their tremendous work in research and education, and we want to help ensure the observatory’s future success,” said John Christmann, Apache CEO and president. “We look forward to continuing our partnership to keep the night sky dark by sharing lighting best practices with others in the region.”

The funds Apache is providing to McDonald Observatory will be used to hire additional staff and to create resources for the observatory’s Dark Skies Program, which works with city councils, county governments, and businesses to promote good lighting solutions. The gift also will fund the creation of dark skies educational materials, outreach events, and a new permanent exhibit on dark sky preservation at the observatory’s Frank N. Bash Visitors Center.

“We are very grateful to Apache Corporation for their commitment to dark-skies friendly lighting practices and for their gift to help educate others about the benefits of these practices,” said Taft Armandroff, Director of McDonald Observatory. “This gift represents the first donation toward updating the exhibits in our Frank N. Bash Visitors Center, which informs over 80,000 guests per year.”

McDonald Observatory has worked with Apache for many years on preserving dark skies. This work provided a basis for the observatory’s wider collaboration with the oil and gas industry in recent years to improve lighting at drilling sites and related facilities in West Texas. This resulted in a memorandum of understanding on Recommended Lighting Practices signed last year between McDonald Observatory, the Permian Basin Petroleum Association, and the Texas Oil and Gas Association.

— END —

Media Contacts:

Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
UT-Austin McDonald Observatory
512-475-6763

Phil West
Apache Corporation
713-296-7276

A Rare Look at a Rocky Exoplanet's Surface

A new study using data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope provides a rare glimpse of conditions on the surface of a rocky planet orbiting a star beyond the Sun. The study, published today in the journal Nature, shows that the planet's surface may resemble those of Earth's Moon or Mercury: The planet likely has little to no atmosphere and could be covered in the same cooled volcanic material found in the dark areas of the Moon's surface, called mare.

The research was carried out by a large team including Caroline Morley, assistant professor in the Department of Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. The team is headed by Laura Kriedberg of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

"One of the biggest questions right now in exoplanet science is whether rocky planets orbiting very small, cool stars can keep their atmospheres for billions of years, which might allow those at the right distance from their star to have surface liquid water," Morley said. "Our result shows for the first time that one such rocky planet has likely lost its atmosphere."

Discovered in 2018 by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Satellite Survey (TESS) mission, planet LHS 3844b is located 48.6 light-years from Earth and has a radius 1.3 times that of Earth. It orbits a small, cool type of star called an M dwarf — especially noteworthy because, as the most common and long-lived type of star in the Milky Way galaxy, M dwarfs may host a high percentage of the total number of planets in the galaxy.

TESS found the planet via the transit method, which involves detecting when the observed light of a parent star dims because of a planet orbiting between the star and Earth. Detecting light coming directly from a planet's surface — another method — is difficult because the star is so much brighter and drowns out the planet's light.

But during follow-up observations, Spitzer was able to detect light from the surface of LHS 3844b. The planet makes one full revolution around its parent star in just 11 hours. With such a tight orbit, LHS 3844b is most likely "tidally locked," which is when one side of a planet permanently faces the star. The star-facing side, or dayside, is about 1,410 degrees Fahrenheit (770 degrees Celsius). Being extremely hot, the planet radiates a lot of infrared light, and Spitzer is an infrared telescope. The planet's parent star is relatively cool (though still much hotter than the planet), making direct observation of LHS 3844b's dayside possible.

This observation marks the first time Spitzer data have been able to provide information about the atmosphere of a terrestrial world around an M dwarf.

The Search for Life

By measuring the temperature difference between the planet's hot and cold sides, the team found that there is a negligible amount of heat being transferred between the two. If an atmosphere were present, hot air on the dayside would naturally expand, generating winds that would transfer heat around the planet. On a rocky world with little to no atmosphere, like the Moon, there is no air present to transfer heat.

"The temperature contrast on this planet is about as big as it can possibly be," Kreidberg said. "That matches beautifully with our model of a bare rock with no atmosphere."

Understanding the factors that could preserve or destroy planetary atmospheres is part of how scientists plan to search for habitable environments beyond our solar system. Earth's atmosphere is the reason liquid water can exist on the surface, enabling life to thrive. On the other hand, the atmospheric pressure of Mars is now less than 1% of Earth's, and the oceans and rivers that once dotted the Red Planet's surface have disappeared.

"We've got lots of theories about how planetary atmospheres fare around M dwarfs, but we haven't been able to study them empirically," Kreidberg said. "Now, with LHS 3844b, we have a terrestrial planet outside our solar system where for the first time we can determine observationally that an atmosphere is not present."

Compared to Sun-like stars, M dwarfs emit high levels of ultraviolet light (though less light overall), which is harmful to life and can erode a planet's atmosphere. They're particularly violent in their youth, belching up a large number of flares, or bursts of radiation and particles that could strip away budding planetary atmospheres.

The Spitzer observations rule out an atmosphere with more than 10 times the pressure of Earth's. (Measured in units called bars, Earth's atmospheric pressure at sea level is about 1 bar.) An atmosphere between 1 and 10 bars on LHS 3844b has been almost entirely ruled out, although the authors note a slim chance it could exist if the stellar and planetary properties were to meet some very specific and unlikely criteria. They also argue that with the planet so close to a star, a thin atmosphere would be stripped away by the star's intense radiation and outflow of material (often called stellar winds).

"I'm still hopeful that other planets around M dwarfs could keep their atmospheres," Kreidberg said. "The terrestrial planets in our solar system are enormously diverse, and I expect the same will be true for exoplanet systems."

A Bare Rock

Spitzer and NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have previously gathered information about the atmospheres of multiple gas planets, but LHS 3844b appears to be the smallest planet for which scientists have used the light coming from its surface to learn about its atmosphere (or lack thereof). Spitzer previously used the transit method to study the seven rocky worlds around the TRAPPIST-1 star (also an M dwarf) and learn about their possible overall composition; for instance, some of them likely contain water ice.

The authors of the new study went one step further, using LHS 3844b's surface albedo (or its reflectiveness) to try to infer its composition.

The Nature study shows that LHS 3844b is "quite dark," according to co-author Renyu Hu, an exoplanet scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, which manages the Spitzer Space Telescope. He and his co-authors believe the planet is covered with basalt, a kind of volcanic rock. "We know that the mare of the Moon are formed by ancient volcanism," Hu said, "and we postulate that this might be what has happened on this planet."

JPL manages the Spitzer Space Telescope mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Science operations are conducted at the Spitzer Science Center at Caltech in Pasadena. Space operations are based at Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado. Data are archived at the Infrared Science Archive housed at IPAC at Caltech. Caltech manages JPL for NASA.

— END —

Media Contacts
Rebecca Johnson, The University of Texas at Austin: 512-475-6763
Calla Cofield, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.: 626-808-2469

Science Contact
Dr. Caroline Morley, The University of Texas at Austin: 512-471-1402

Newly Discovered Giant Planet Slingshots Around its Star

Smith Telescope

FORT DAVIS, Texas — Astronomers at The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory, along with colleagues at Caltech and elsewhere, have discovered a planet three times the mass of Jupiter that travels on a long, egg-shaped path around its star. If this planet were somehow placed into our own solar system, it would swing from within our asteroid belt to out beyond Neptune. Other giant planets with highly elliptical orbits have been found around other stars, but none of those worlds were located at the very outer reaches of their star systems like this one.

"This planet is unlike the planets in our solar system, but more than that, it is unlike any other exoplanets we have discovered so far," says Caltech’s Sarah Blunt, lead author on the study, soon to be published in The Astronomical Journal.

Co-author Michael Endl of McDonald Observatory agrees. "This new exoplanet is extreme and super-interesting in many ways,” he says. “It has a record-long orbital period of over 50 years, which is much longer than for other planets detected by this technique. And, it orbits its host star on a very elongated, egg-shaped orbit. Something dramatic must have happened to change the shape of its orbit.

“We think planets usually form on more circular orbits, which later are subject to change by interacting with the planet-forming disk, or with other planets, or even other passing stars,” he explains. “Some close encounter with another massive planet might have thrown this one on its elongated path around the star.”

The planet was discovered using the radial velocity method, a workhorse of exoplanet discovery that detects new worlds by tracking how their parent stars "wobble" in response to gravitational tugs from those planets. However, analyses of these data usually require observations taken over a planet's entire orbital period. For planets orbiting far from their stars, this can be difficult: A full orbit can take decades or even centuries.

The McDonald Observatory Planet Search, led by Bill Cochran, is one of the few groups that watches stars over the decades-long timescales necessary to detect long-period exoplanets using radial velocity. The data needed to make the discovery of the new planet came from the Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory, as well as Lick Observatory in Northern California and the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii.

The astronomers have been watching the planet's star, called HR 5183, since the 1990s, but do not have data corresponding to one full orbit of the planet, called HR 5183 b. That’s because it circles its star roughly every 45 to 100 years. The team instead found the planet because of its strange orbit.

“For almost 20 years our data did not show any sign of a planetary companion” around this star, Endl says. “And then we observed the ‘slingshot’ which only lasted about two years,” he says, referring to the planet’s reaching its closest point to the star, and turning to head away from it.

“If we would have stopped observing the star after 15 years, we would have missed it. It makes me wonder how many other stars have massive planets on these slingshot orbits and we usually miss them," Endl says.

The new findings show that it is possible to use the radial velocity method to make detections of other far-flung planets without waiting decades. And, the researchers suggest, looking for more planets like this one could illuminate the role of giant planets in shaping their planetary systems.

Planets take shape out of disks of material left over after stars form. That means that planets should start off in flat, circular orbits. For the newly detected planet to be on such an eccentric orbit, it must have gotten a gravitational kick from some other object. The most plausible scenario, the researchers propose, is that the planet once had a neighbor of similar size. When the two planets got close enough to each other, their strong gravitational interaction ejected one planet completely from the system, and HR 5183 b was nearly ejected, ending up on its highly eccentric orbit.

This discovery demonstrates that our understanding of planets beyond our solar system is still evolving. Researchers continue to find worlds that are unlike anything in our solar system or in planetary systems we have already discovered.

“To understand the planetary systems throughout our galaxy, examples of the full range of possible systems need to be found and studied,” says Phillip MacQueen, technology lead and observer for the McDonald Observatory Planet Search. “While spacecraft have found thousands of systems, a system like HR 5183 is quite unlikely to be found by past or current spacecraft. Not only does our ground-based exoplanet astronomy extend and enhance findings from spacecraft, but it also expands the overall search and study capabilities for exoplanets.”

The McDonald Observatory Planet Search is currently funded by a National Science Foundation grant, with past funding from NASA grants. The astronomers would like to express gratitude to the current and past members of the McDonald Observatory Time Allocation Committee and the Observing Support team, who made their long-term observing program possible.

— END —

Media Contact:

Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Science Contact:
Dr. Michael Endl, Sr. Research Scientist
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-8312

 

Giant Magellan Telescope Signs Contract for Telescope Structure

GMT structure mirrors

GMTO Corporation, the organization managing the development of the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) on behalf of its U.S. and international founders, has signed a contract with MT Mechatronics and Ingersoll Machine Tools to design, build and install the telescope’s precision steel structure. The GMT, of which The University of Texas at Austin is a founding partner, is a 24.5-meter (80-ft) diameter next-generation giant optical-infrared observatory that will explore the frontiers of astronomy, including seeking to answer one of humanity’s most pressing questions: “Are we alone?” The GMT will study the atmospheres of planets orbiting stars far from our solar system to search for signs of biochemistry.

“The signing of this very important contract is a critical step in the journey toward Texas astronomers using the GMT to answer some of the largest questions about the universe and our origins,” said Dr. Taft Armandroff, director The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory and Vice Chair of the GMT board of directors. The University is a founding partner of the GMT.

MT Mechatronics of Mainz, Germany, and Rockford, Illinois-based Ingersoll Machine Tools, part of the Italian Camozzi Group, will design and manufacture the 1,800-ton precision mechanism, known as the “telescope structure” that will hold the GMT’s optics and smoothly track celestial targets as they move across the sky. The telescope structure will be designed by MT Mechatronics and manufactured, assembled and tested by Ingersoll before being shipped to, and installed at, the GMT observatory site high in the remote Chilean Andes.

The total value of the telescope structure contract is $135 million and will require nine years of effort by a large workforce of engineers, designers, metal workers and machinists. The contract was signed by MT Mechatronics Senior Vice President, Thomas Zimmerer, Ingersoll Machine Tools CEO, Chip Storie, and by GMTO president, Dr. Robert N. Shelton, and project manager, Dr. James Fanson.

“Manufacturing the telescope structure is one of the biggest steps we will take on our journey to building the Giant Magellan Telescope,” said Dr. Shelton, GMTO President.

“We selected MT Mechatronics and Ingersoll Machine Tools for their commitment to quality, extensive experience with astronomical telescopes and abilities to manufacture complex precision structures, following a two-year global competition,” added Dr. James Fanson, GMTO Project Manager.

The telescope structure will hold the GMT’s seven giant mirrors in place as they bring light from distant stars and galaxies to a focus so it can be analyzed by scientific instruments mounted deep inside the telescope. The mirrors, the largest in the world, are made at the University of Arizona’s Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab. When in operation, the telescope structure, complete with mirrors and instruments, will weigh 2,100 tons but will float on a film of oil just 50 microns (2 one-thousandths of an inch) thick – allowing it to move essentially without friction as it compensates for Earth’s rotation, tracking celestial bodies in their arc across the sky. With its unique design, the GMT will produce images that are 10 times sharper than those from the Hubble Space Telescope in the infrared region of the spectrum.

“Being a part of an endeavor with objectives as distinguished as the Giant Magellan Telescope’s is compelling for MT Mechatronics and we’re eager to support the GMT on its quest to answer the deepest questions in astronomy,” said Thomas Zimmerer, Senior Vice President, Business Development Sales & Marketing, Product Development, MT Mechatronics. “We look forward to collaborating with GMTO over the next decade to bring the telescope’s massive structure to fruition.”

“We are happy to work with GMTO and MTM to create this unique tool for the study of new worlds. The project honors and motivates all of us at Ingersoll,” said Lodovico Camozzi, CEO of Camozzi Group. “It will be a special day when the GMT’s telescope structure is completed and placed in service in Chile,” said Chip Storie, CEO of Ingersoll Machine Tools.

MT Mechatronics has over 50 years’ experience with telescopes, beginning with the Parkes Radio Telescope in Australia. It was part of a European consortium constructing the European Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope antennas and was the mount designer for the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) in Hawaii.

Since its inception in 1891, Ingersoll Machine Tools Inc. has been an iconic name in the milling machines sector, successfully serving the defense sector and then the newborn aeronautics and aerospace industry. Ingersoll has many decades of experience with manufacturing precision steel structures, including recently partnering with MT Mechatronics on the construction of the DKIST telescope mount.

The contract between GMTO, MT Mechatronics and Ingersoll Machine Tools will involve nine years of work and 1,300 tons of structural steel, and the structure is expected to be delivered to Chile at the end of 2025 and be ready to accept mirrors in 2028.

The mount contract completes another significant milestone for GMTO in 2019. In March, the excavations for the foundations of the telescope’s pier and enclosure were finished, and in July the second of GMT’s seven primary mirror segments was completed and shipped to temporary storage. Casting of the sixth primary mirror segment at the University of Arizona is expected to begin in mid-2020.

— END —

 

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson
Communications Mgr., UT-Austin McDonald Observatory
512-475-6763

 

Science Contact:
Dr. Taft Armandroff
Director, UT-Austin McDonald Observatory
Vice Chair, GMT Board of Directors
512-471-3300

 

About the Giant Magellan Telescope
The Giant Magellan Telescope is a next-generation ground-based telescope that promises to revolutionize our understanding and view of the universe. The GMT is poised to enable breakthrough discoveries in cosmology, the study of black holes, dark matter, dark energy, and the search for life beyond our solar system. The telescope’s primary mirror combines seven 8.4-meter (27 feet) diameter circular segments to form an effective aperture 24.5 meters in diameter. The GMT will be located at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile’s Atacama Desert and the project is the work of a distinguished international consortium of leading universities and science institutions. Funding for the project comes from the partner institutions, governments and private donors.

 

About GMTO Corporation
GMTO Corporation manages the GMT project on behalf of its international Founders: Arizona State UniversityAstronomy Australia Ltd.The Australian National UniversityCarnegie Institution for ScienceFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São PauloHarvard UniversityKorea Astronomy and Space Science InstituteSmithsonian InstitutionTexas A&M UniversityUniversity of ArizonaUniversity of Chicago, and The University of Texas at Austin.

 

About MT Mechatronics
MT Mechatronics, located in Mainz, Germany, provides global services as prime contractor for design, development, system integration, commissioning, training, maintenance and operations for communication and deep space antennas, radio and optical telescopes, mechatronic equipment for research institutions, launching facilities for the European space program and large medical systems for the next generation of particle cancer therapies. MT Mechatronics is a 100% subsidiary of the German OHB group. OHB SE is a leading European space and technology group with more than 35 years of experience in developing and executing innovative space technology systems and projects.

 

About Ingersoll Machine Tools
Ingersoll Machine Tools (IMT) is a global leader in the development of advanced machine tools for the world’s aerospace, transportation, energy and heavy industries. It is located in Rockford, Illinois, US and has about 200 employees. For the aerospace industry, Ingersoll excels in building machines to produce component parts and large structures made of titanium, aluminum, other metals. Ingersoll pioneered the automatic fiber placement and the automatic tape laying technologies for composite manufacturing and became one of the leaders for this market. The expertise, methodologies and techniques acquired in developing composite manufacturing allowed Ingersoll to enter the additive manufacturing sector. IMT is part of the Camozzi Group, a global leader in the production of components and systems for industrial automation, which also operates in a variety of other sectors, ranging from machine tools to textile machinery and provides many solutions involving the processing of raw materials. The Group creates innovation for its customers, in a process of development towards smart manufacturing. It is present in 75 countries worldwide with 30 subsidiaries, it has 2600 employees, 5 operating divisions and 18 production sites.

New Telescope Dedicated at McDonald Observatory

LCO dome 2

FORT DAVIS, Texas — A new telescope was dedicated yesterday at The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory. The 1-meter telescope, funded by the Heising-Simons Foundation, is part of the Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) global network of robotic telescopes.

“We are very pleased to host this new telescope and to conduct additional research by Texas astronomers on the LCO network, and we thank the Heising-Simons Foundation and the Las Cumbres Observatory for making this additional research tool possible,” said Taft Armandroff, Director of McDonald Observatory.

The new telescope is the second LCO telescope of this size at McDonald. The first was dedicated in 2012, and also was the first 1-meter telescope to come online in LCO’s global network. Today, the network also includes telescopes in Hawaii, Chile, South Africa, Israel, the Canary Islands, and Australia.

The LCO telescopes at McDonald provide additional science resources to the faculty, research scientists, and graduate students of the UT Austin astronomy program. In exchange for hosting the telescopes, Texas astronomers are granted access to LCO’s entire network.

Texas astronomers use the LCO telescopes for a variety of research projects, including hunting for extrasolar planets and studying the exploding stars known as supernovae. The addition of a new LCO telescope at McDonald doubles UT Austin astronomers’ share of observing time on the network.

The dedication ceremony featured remarks from representatives of the Heising-Simons Foundation, Las Cumbres Observatory, and McDonald Observatory.

Assistant Director Anita Cochran delivered a presentation that she and Director Taft Armandroff developed on “Key Science Areas Where LCO Will Help Texas Faculty, Students, and Postdocs.” Following her remarks, McDonald astronomer Cynthia Froning presented a talk entitled “Working Together: What Ground and Space Telescopes Can Tell Us about the Habitability of Exoplanets Around Dwarf Stars.”

— END —

Media Contacts:

Rebecca Johnson, Communications Manager
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Sandy Seale, Director of Development
Las Cumbres Observatory
805-880-1625

Science Contact:

Taft Armandroff, Director
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-3300

UT Austin Astronomer Spies Most Distant Dusty Galaxy Hidden in Plain Sight

MAMBO-9 artist's impression

AUSTIN — Astronomer Caitlin Casey of The University of Texas at Austin has used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to spot the light of a massive galaxy seen just 970 million years after the Big Bang. This galaxy, called MAMBO-9, is the most distant dusty star-forming galaxy that has ever been observed without the help of a gravitational lens.

Dusty star-forming galaxies are the most intense stellar nurseries in the universe. They form stars at a rate up to a few thousand times the mass of the Sun per year (the star-forming rate of our Milky Way is just three solar masses per year) and they contain massive amounts of gas and dust. Such monster galaxies are not expected to have formed early in the history of the universe, but astronomers have already discovered several of them as seen when the cosmos was less than a billion years old (the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old today).

Because of their extreme behavior, astronomers think that these dusty galaxies play an important role in the evolution of the universe. But finding them is easier said than done. “These galaxies tend to hide in plain sight,” Casey said. She is the lead author of a study on this work published in the Astrophysical Journal. “We know they are out there, but they are not easy to find because their starlight is hidden in clouds of dust.”

MAMBO-9’s light was already detected 10 years ago by co-author Manuel Aravena, using the Max-Planck Millimeter BOlometer (MAMBO) instrument on the IRAM 30 meter telescope in Spain and the Plateau de Bure Interferometer in France. But these observations were not sensitive enough to reveal the distance of the galaxy. “We were in doubt if it was real, because we couldn’t find it with other telescopes. But if it was real, it had to be very far away,” says Aravena, who was at that time a PhD student in Germany and is currently working for the Universidad Diego Portales in Chile.

Thanks to ALMA’s sensitivity, Casey and her team have now been able to determine the distance of MAMBO-9. “We found the galaxy in a new ALMA survey specifically designed to identify dusty star-forming galaxies in the early universe,” Casey said. “And what is special about this observation, is that this is the most distant dusty galaxy we have ever seen in an unobstructed way.”

The light of distant galaxies is often obstructed by other galaxies closer to us. These galaxies in front work as a gravitational lens: they bend the light from the more distant galaxy. This lensing effect makes it easier for telescopes to spot distant objects. But it also distorts the image of the object, making it harder to make out the details.

In this study, the astronomers saw MAMBO-9 directly, without a lens, and this allowed them to measure its mass. “The total mass of gas and dust the galaxy is enormous: 10 times more than all the stars in the Milky Way. This means that it has yet to build most of its stars,” Casey explained. The galaxy consists of two parts, and it is in the process of merging.

Casey hopes to find more distant dusty galaxies in the ALMA survey, which will give insight into how common they are, how these massive galaxies formed so early in the universe, and why they are so dusty. “Dust is normally a by-product of dying stars,” she said. “We expect one hundred times more stars than dust. But MAMBO-9 has not produced that many stars yet and we want to find out how dust can form so fast after the Big Bang.”

“Observations with new and more capable technology can produce unexpected findings like MAMBO-9,” said Joe Pesce, National Science Foundation Program Officer for ALMA. “While it is challenging to explain such a massive galaxy so early in the history of the universe, discoveries like this allow astronomers to develop an improved understanding of, and ask ever more questions about, the universe.”

The light from MAMBO-9 travelled about 13 billion years to reach ALMA’s antennas. That means that we can see what the galaxy looked like in the past. Today, the galaxy would probably be even bigger, containing 100 times more stars than the Milky Way, residing in a massive galaxy cluster.

— END —

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763; rjohnson@astro.as.utexas.edu

Science contact:
Dr. Caitlin Casey, Assistant Professor
Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-3405; cmcasey@utexas.edu

Reference: “Physical characterization of an unlensed dusty star-forming galaxy at z = 5.85,” C.M. Casey et. al., the Astrophysical Journal. DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ab52ff

 

Twin Astronomer Probes ‘DNA’ of Twin Stars to Reveal Family History of the Milky Way

Hawkins Twins

AUSTIN, Texas — Twin stars appear to share chemical “DNA” that could help scientists map the history of the Milky Way galaxy, according to new research by astronomer Keith Hawkins of The University of Texas at Austin accepted for publication in The Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Hawkins knows something about twin similarities and differences, being himself a fraternal twin. His own study of stellar twins “is a kind of a ‘23 and Me’ for stars,” he said with a laugh.

Using a telescope at the university’s McDonald Observatory, he studied the chemistry of twin stars to see whether they are identical or fraternal twins. Hawkins’ work has shown that most twin stars are chemically identical. As a result, the search for chemically identical stars could yield a better understanding of the galaxy’s history over time.

Working with a team that includes UT Austin undergraduate and graduate students as well as colleagues from Princeton University, the Carnegie Observatories, and the University of California, Berkeley, Hawkins focused on 25 widely spaced binary stars identified by the Gaia satellite. Each such binary contains two stars that were born together billions of years ago, out of a single collapsing cloud of gas and dust.

Using the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory, Hawkins probed the detailed chemical compositions of all 50 stars in these binary systems to a greater depth than any previous studies. His results demonstrated that stars born together show chemical compositions that are virtually identical — many times more so than same-type stars chosen at random.

These results have implications far beyond just understanding binary stars, Hawkins said. The study serves as a proof-of-concept for the idea of “chemical tagging” — using the chemical compositions of stars spread throughout the galaxy to figure out which stars formed together initially.

Astronomers know that vast numbers of stars are born in giant clouds of gas and dust often referred to as stellar nurseries. During the course of millions or billions of years, though, Hawkins says, these “loose assemblies of stars that form together get dispersed over time.”

If the concept of chemical tagging is valid, astronomers can use it to track down chemically identical stars dispersed around the galaxy today. Armed with this chemical map, they can then rewind the stars’ trajectories back to their beginnings in a single giant star-forming cloud. In other words, they can “retrace the assembly history of the galaxy,” Hawkins said.

A deeper understanding of our Milky Way’s evolution will provide an in-depth case study toward astronomers’ quest to understand all galaxies — the building blocks of the universe.

This study was funded by Research Corporation.

— END —

Reference: Identical or fraternal twins?: The chemical homogeneity of wide binaries from Gaia DR2 by Keith Hawkins, et al.:  https://arxiv.org/abs/1912.08895

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Science Contact:
Dr. Keith Hawkins, Assistant Professor
Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-1309

Texas Astronomer Helps NASA Planet Hunter Find its First Earth-Sized, Habitable-Zone World

Andrew Vanderburg

NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has discovered its first Earth-size planet in its star’s habitable zone, the range of distances where conditions may be just right to allow the presence of liquid water on the surface. A team of scientists, including Andrew Vanderburg of The University of Texas at Austin, confirmed the find, called TOI 700 d, using NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope and have modeled the planet’s potential environments to help inform future observations.

TOI 700 d is one of only a few Earth-size planets discovered in a star’s habitable zone so far. Others include several planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system and other worlds discovered by NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope.

“TESS was designed and launched specifically to find Earth-sized planets orbiting nearby stars,” said Paul Hertz, astrophysics division director at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Planets around nearby stars are easiest to follow-up with larger telescopes in space and on Earth. Discovering TOI 700 d is a key science finding for TESS. Confirming the planet’s size and habitable zone status with Spitzer is another win for Spitzer as it approaches the end of science operations this January.”

TESS monitors large swaths of the sky, called sectors, for 27 days at a time. This long stare allows the satellite to track changes in stellar brightness caused by an orbiting planet crossing in front of its star from our perspective, an event called a transit.

TOI 700 is a small, cool M dwarf star located just over 100 light-years away in the southern constellation Dorado. It’s roughly 40% of the Sun’s mass and size and about half its surface temperature. The star appears in 11 of the 13 sectors TESS observed during the mission’s first year, and scientists caught multiple transits by its three planets.

The star was originally misclassified in the TESS database as being more similar to our Sun, which meant the planets appeared larger and hotter than they really are. Several researchers, including Alton Spencer, a high school student working with members of the TESS team, identified the error.

“When we corrected the star’s parameters, the sizes of its planets dropped, and we realized the outermost one was about the size of Earth and in the habitable zone,” said Emily Gilbert, a graduate student at the University of Chicago. “Additionally, in 11 months of data we saw no flares from the star, which improves the chances TOI 700 d is habitable and makes it easier to model its atmospheric and surface conditions.”

Gilbert and other researchers presented the findings at the 235th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Honolulu, and three papers — one of which Gilbert led — have been submitted to scientific journals.

The innermost planet, called TOI 700 b, is almost exactly Earth-size, is probably rocky and completes an orbit every 10 days. The middle planet, TOI 700 c, is 2.6 times larger than Earth — between the sizes of Earth and Neptune — orbits every 16 days and is likely a gas-dominated world. TOI 700 d, the outermost known planet in the system and the only one in the habitable zone, measures 20% larger than Earth, orbits every 37 days and receives from its star 86% of the energy that the Sun provides to Earth. All of the planets are thought to be tidally locked to their star, which means they rotate once per orbit so that one side is constantly bathed in daylight.

A team of scientists led by Joseph Rodriguez, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, requested follow-up observations with Spitzer to confirm TOI 700 d.

“Given the impact of this discovery — that it is TESS’s first habitable-zone Earth-size planet — we really wanted our understanding of this system to be as concrete as possible,” Rodriguez said. “Spitzer saw TOI 700 d transit exactly when we expected it to. It’s a great addition to the legacy of a mission that helped confirm two of the TRAPPIST-1 planets and identify five more.”

The Spitzer data increased scientists’ confidence that TOI 700 d is a real planet and sharpened their measurements of its orbital period by 56% and its size by 38%. It also ruled out other possible astrophysical causes of the transit signal, such as the presence of a smaller, dimmer companion star in the system.

Rodriguez and his colleagues also used follow-up observations from a 1-meter ground-based telescope in the global Las Cumbres Observatory network to improve scientists’ confidence in the orbital period and size of TOI 700 c by 30% and 36%, respectively.

Because TOI 700 is bright, nearby, and shows no sign of stellar flares, the system is a prime candidate for precise mass measurements by current ground-based observatories. These measurements could confirm scientists’ estimates that the inner and outer planets are rocky and the middle planet is made of gas.

Future missions may be able to identify whether the planets have atmospheres and, if so, even determine their compositions.

While the exact conditions on TOI 700 d are unknown, scientists can use current information, like the planet’s size and the type of star it orbits, to generate computer models and make predictions. Researchers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, modeled 20 potential environments of TOI 700 d to gauge if any version would result in surface temperatures and pressures suitable for habitability.

Their 3D climate models examined a variety of surface types and atmospheric compositions typically associated with what scientists regard to be potentially habitable worlds. Because TOI 700 d is tidally locked to its star, the planet’s cloud formations and wind patterns may be strikingly different from Earth’s.

One simulation included an ocean-covered TOI 700 d with a dense, carbon-dioxide-dominated atmosphere similar to what scientists suspect surrounded Mars when it was young. The model atmosphere contains a deep layer of clouds on the star-facing side. Another model depicts TOI 700 d as a cloudless, all-land version of modern Earth, where winds flow away from the night side of the planet and converge on the point directly facing the star.

When starlight passes through a planet’s atmosphere, it interacts with molecules like carbon dioxide and nitrogen to produce distinct signals, called spectral lines. The modeling team, led by Gabrielle Engelmann-Suissa, a Universities Space Research Association visiting research assistant at Goddard, produced simulated spectra for the 20 modeled versions of TOI 700 d.

“Someday, when we have real spectra from TOI 700 d, we can backtrack, match them to the closest simulated spectrum, and then match that to a model,” Engelmann-Suissa said. “It’s exciting because no matter what we find out about the planet, it’s going to look completely different from what we have here on Earth.”

— END —

Science Contact:
Dr. Andrew Vanderburg
Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin

Media Contacts:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Jeanette Kazmierczak
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
301-286-2799

Caroline Morley Receives Annie Jump Cannon Award

Caroline Morley

AUSTIN — The American Astronomical Society (AAS) has awarded Caroline Morley, assistant professor of astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin, its 2020 Annie Jump Cannon Award in Astronomy for outstanding research and promise for future research by a postdoctoral woman researcher within five years of earning her PhD.

“I’m honored to be recognized by the AAS for my work on exoplanets!” Morley said. “I’m very excited to continue building my research group at UT-Austin in the coming years, as new telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope and the Giant Magellan Telescope allow us to dramatically increase our understanding of these planets.”

In announcing the prize, the AAS cited Morley’s innovative work on modeling the atmospheres of extrasolar planets and brown dwarfs.

“She has advanced our understanding of clouds and photochemical hazes and the role they play in observations of transmission and emission spectra,” the organization wrote. “Her work has paved the way for the robust detection of water and other molecules in exoplanet atmospheres.”

Morley will deliver a prize lecture at the January 2021 meeting of the AAS in Phoenix.

Established in 1899 and based in Washington, DC, the American Astronomical Society is the major organization of professional astronomers in North America. Its membership of about 7,500 individuals also includes physicists, mathematicians, geologists, engineers, and others whose research and educational interests lie within the broad spectrum of subjects now comprising contemporary astronomy. The mission of the AAS is to enhance and share humanity’s scientific understanding of the universe.

— END —

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Science Contact:
Dr. Caroline Morley, Asst. Professor
Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-1402

Distant Giant Planets Form Differently than ‘Failed Stars’

GJ 504 B

AUSTIN — A team of astronomers led by Brendan Bowler of The University of Texas at Austin has probed the formation process of giant exoplanets and brown dwarfs, a class of objects that are more massive than giant planets, but not massive enough to ignite nuclear fusion in their cores to shine like true stars. Using direct imaging with giant ground-based telescopes, they studied the orbits of these faint companions orbiting stars in 27 systems. These data, combined with modeling of the orbits, allowed them to determine that the brown dwarfs in these systems formed like stars, but the gas giants formed like planets. The research is published in the current issue of The Astronomical Journal.

In the last two decades, technological leaps have allowed telescopes to separate the light from a parent star and a much-dimmer orbiting object. In 1995, this new capability produced the first direct images of a brown dwarf orbiting a star. The first direct image of planets orbiting another star followed in 2008.

“Over the past 20 years, we’ve been leaping down and down in mass,” Bowler said of the direct imaging capability, noting that the current limit is about 1 Jupiter mass. As the technology has improved, “One of the big questions that has emerged is ‘What’s the nature of the companions we’re finding?’”

Brown dwarfs, as defined by astronomers, have masses between 13 and 75 Jupiter masses. They have characteristics in common with both planets and with stars, and Bowler and his team wanted to settle the question: Are gas giant planets on the outer fringes of planetary systems the tip of the planetary iceberg, or the low-mass end of brown dwarfs? Past research has shown that brown dwarfs orbiting stars likely formed like low-mass stars, but it's been less clear what is the lowest mass companion this formation mechanism can produce.

“One way to get at this is to study the dynamics of the system — to look at the orbits,” Bowler said. Their orbits today hold the key to unlocking their evolution.

Bowler’s team used the Keck Telescope in Hawaii, as well as the Subaru Telescope, to take images of giant planets and brown dwarfs as they orbit their parent stars.

It’s a long process. The gas giants and brown dwarfs they studied are so distant from their parent stars that one orbit may take hundreds of years. To determine even a small percentage of the orbit, “You take an image, you wait a year,” for the faint companion to travel a bit, Bowler said. Then “you take another image, you wait another year.”

This research relied on technology called adaptive optics, which allows astronomers to correct for distortions caused by the Earth's atmosphere. As adaptive optics instruments have continually improved over the past three decades, more brown dwarfs and giant planets have been directly imaged. But since most of these discoveries have been made over the past decade or two, the team only has images corresponding to a few percent of each object’s total orbit. They combined their new observations of 27 systems with all of the previous observations published by other astronomers or available in telescope archives.

At this point, computer modeling comes in. Coauthors on this paper have helped create an orbit-fitting code called "Orbitize!" which uses Kepler's laws of planetary motion to identify which types of orbits are consistent with the measured positions, and which are not.

The code generates a set of possible orbits for each companion. The slight motion of each giant planet or brown dwarf forms a "cloud" of possible orbits. The smaller the cloud, the more astronomers are closing in on the companion’s true orbit. And more data points — that is, more direct images of each object as it orbits — will refine the shape of the orbit.

"Rather than wait decades or centuries for a planet to complete one orbit, we can make up for the shorter time baseline of our data with very accurate position measurements," said team member Eric Nielsen of Stanford University. "A part of Orbitize! that we developed specifically to fit partial orbits, OFTI [Orbits For The Impatient], allowed us to find orbits even for the longest period companions."

Finding the shape of the orbit is key: Objects that have more circular orbits probably formed like planets. That is, when a cloud of gas and dust collapsed to form a star, the distant companion (and any other planets) formed out of a flattened disk of gas and dust rotating around that star.

On the other hand, the ones that have more elongated orbits probably formed like stars. In this scenario, a clump of gas and dust was collapsing to form a star, but it fractured into two clumps. Each clump then collapsed, one forming a star, and the other a brown dwarf orbiting around that star. This is essentially a binary star system, albeit containing one real star and one “failed star.”

"Even though these companions are millions of years old, the memory of how they formed is still encoded in their present-day eccentricity," Nielsen added. Eccentricity is a measure of how circular or elongated an object’s orbit is.

The results of the team’s study of 27 distant companions was unambiguous.

“The punchline is, we found that when you divide these objects at this canonical boundary of more than about 15 Jupiter masses, the things that we’ve been calling planets do indeed have more circular orbits, as a population, compared to the rest,” Bowler said. “And the rest look like binary stars.”

The future of this work involves both continuing to monitor these 27 objects, as well as identifying new ones to widen the study. “The sample size is still modest, at the moment,” Bowler said. His team is using the Gaia satellite to look for additional candidates to follow up using direct imaging with even greater sensitivity at the forthcoming Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) and other facilities. UT-Austin is a founding member of the GMT collaboration.

Bowler’s team’s results reinforce similar conclusions recently reached by the GPIES direct imaging survey with the Gemini Planet Imager, which found evidence for a different formation channel for brown dwarfs and giant planets based on their statistical properties.

This work was supported by a NASA Keck PI Data Award, administered by the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute. The Keck Observatory is managed by Caltech and the University of California.

— END —

Notes to editors: The published research paper is available at: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-3881/ab5b11

The preprint is freely available at: https://arxiv.org/abs/1911.10569

 

Media Contacts:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Mari-Ela Chock, Press Officer
W. M. Keck Observatory
808-881-3827

 

Science Contacts:
Dr. Brendan Bowler
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-3423

Dr. Eric Nielsen
Research Scientist, Kavli Institute
Stanford University
650-736-3669

Planet Finder Validates Its First Habitable-Zone Exoplanet, a Mini Neptune

HET at dusk

FORT DAVIS, Texas — Astronomers have validated their first exoplanet with the Habitable Zone Planet Finder instrument on the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the world’s largest telescopes, located at The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory.

About twice the size of Earth and possibly 12 times as massive, the planet could be similar to Neptune, but in miniature. Called G 9-40b, it orbits a small star called a red dwarf about 100 light-years from Earth. It completes a full orbit every six Earth days.

The research is in the current issue of The Astronomical Journal.

The finding shows that the Habitable Zone Planet Finder “is really performing very, very well,” said Bill Cochran, research professor at The University of Texas at Austin and a co-author of the research paper. “It’s doing what we hoped it would do, discovering nearby habitable-zone planets.”

The instrument was built by Penn State University, with participation from UT Austin.

The habitable zone is the distance from the star where a planet could harbor liquid water, the basic component for life as known on Earth. The planet finder provides a unique capability to look at nearby red dwarf stars that would normally be too faint for our optical instruments, as they are faint and cool.

“The overwhelming number of nearby stars fall into this category,” Cochran said. “This instrument was designed to look for planets around these stars.”

The exciting thing about this discovery is that “this is a really nearby system,” Cochran said. “It’s in the solar neighborhood; it’s on our block.”

The potential planet was originally detected by the Kepler Space Telescope, which observed a dip in the host star’s light as the planet crossed — or transited — in front of the star. This signal was then validated using precision observations from the planet finder, ruling out the possibility of a close stellar or substellar binary companion. Observations from other telescopes, including the 3.5-meter Telescope at Apache Point Observatory and the Shane Telescope at Lick Observatory, helped to confirm the results.

“G 9-40b is amongst the top 20 closest transiting planets known, which makes this discovery really exciting,” said Gudmundur Stefansson, lead author of the paper and a former doctoral student at Penn State University who is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University.

Stefansson said that due to its large transit depth, the planet is an excellent candidate for future studies of its atmospheric composition. Such studies can be carried out using the next generation of large ground-based telescopes, like the Giant Magellan Telescope (of which UT Austin is a founding partner), or future space telescopes.

The Habitable Zone Planet Finder instrument was delivered to the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) in late 2017 and started full science operations in late 2018. It is designed to detect and characterize planets in the habitable zones around nearby low-mass stars.

“The addition of the planet finder to the Hobby-Eberly Telescope is part of a major upgrade that was dedicated in 2017 and brings several new capabilities to the faculty, students and researchers of The University of Texas at Austin and the other HET partners,” said Taft Armandroff, director of McDonald Observatory.

This research was supported by the National Science Foundation, Penn State, the Heising-Simons Foundation, the NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship program, the Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds at Penn State, and the Research Corporation.

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope is a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, Penn State University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August Universität Gottingen.

— END —

Notes to editors: The research paper is available at:
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-3881/ab5f15

Media Contacts:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Samuel Sholtis, Eberly College of Science
Penn State University
814-865-1390

Science Contacts:
Dr. William Cochran, Research Professor
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-6474

Dr. Gudmundur Stefansson, Post-doctoral Researcher
Princeton University
814-777-8712 (mobile)

 

 

McDonald Observatory Hires Teznie Pugh as New Superintendent

FORT DAVIS, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory has hired Teznie Pugh as its new Superintendent, responsible for managing day-to-day operations at the West Texas site.

Pugh comes to McDonald from Lowell Observatory in Arizona, where she has been on staff for six years, most recently as Operations Manager. She began her tenure at McDonald Observatory on February 10.

“We are glad to attract a new Superintendent with so much relevant experience,” said Taft Armandroff, Director of McDonald Observatory. “McDonald and Lowell observatories share a number of characteristics that will help Teznie’s experience at Lowell carry over very directly to McDonald Observatory.”

In her role of managing daily operations, Pugh leads a staff whose top focus is “to make sure science happens,” she said, through multiple departments including telescope maintenance, observer support, physical plant, and more.

Three inter-connected goals of science, education, and development “drive what we have to do in operations to keep our facility where it needs to be,” she said, in order to produce world-class science and continue to attract top faculty, research scientists, and students to the university’s astronomy program.

Pugh also stressed her goal of maintaining the strong relationship between McDonald Observatory and the local community. “They are the people that help us to function,” she said.

A British citizen, Pugh received her PhD in astronomy from Canada’s University of Western Ontario and her bachelor’s degree in physics from the U.K.’s University of York. She replaces outgoing Superintendent Craig Nance.

The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET), one of the world's largest optical/infrared telescopes. An internationally known leader in astronomy education and outreach, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

— END —

Contacts:

Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Dr. Teznie Pugh, Superintendent
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
432-426-3633

McDonald Observatory to Close to Visitors

In this aerial view, the two large domes in the foreground are the 2.1-meter Str

FORT DAVIS, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory is announcing that its Frank N. Bash Visitors Center will close operations today at 5 p.m. and remain closed through at least April 19. All public programs are cancelled through at least April 19.

Officials from the university have taken this decision to implement the recommendations for social distancing to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the agent causing the COVID-19 pandemic.

Spring Break is historically the busiest time of year for visitors at the observatory, with visitors coming from all over Texas and further afield to attend public star parties and tours. Typically the observatory receives hundreds of visitors daily for a two-week period in March.

Visitors who have booked tickets to public programs during the period of closure will receive full refunds. The observatory will contact ticket holders via e-mail with further information.

“I want to thank all of our visitors for their enthusiasm for astronomy and for their patience in these unusual circumstances,” said McDonald Observatory Director Taft Armandroff.

Science operations at the observatory will continue. Videoconferences scheduled with schools for Astronomy Day April 15-17 will go ahead as planned.

The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, hosts multiple telescopes undertaking a wide range of astronomical research under the darkest night skies of any professional observatory in the continental United States. McDonald is home to the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the world’s largest optical/infrared telescopes. An internationally known leader in astronomy outreach and education, McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

— END —

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Note to editors: For more information on The University of Texas at Austin’s actions related to this developing situation, see: https://www.utexas.edu/coronavirus

A Message from the Director

Taft Armandroff with Struve Telescope dome

Dear Friends of McDonald Observatory,

I’d like to share a McDonald Observatory status update with you.

This is an extraordinary time for our nation and our planet. Our primary concern is the health and safety of our staff, our astronomy community, and our friends and supporters.

McDonald Observatory continues to operate at this difficult time, but at a somewhat reduced capability. Our team members are adapting to the very changed circumstances and are practicing social distancing and other important precautions.

Astronomical observing continues on some telescopes, with a significant portion of the day and night staff working remotely and appropriate precautions in place for the limited staff on site. The Hobby-Eberly Telescope, the Harlan J. Smith Telescope, and the 0.8-meter Telescope are all operating (the latter two being used remotely from Austin). This enables astronomical research by our faculty, students, and researchers to continue.

Observing has been suspended on the Otto Struve Telescope and our tenant telescopes (these include MONET and the Las Cumbres Observatory telescopes).

Instrument development continues via a combination of on-site work (with appropriate precautions) and remote work.

Employees working from home are carrying out most of our other functions, including astronomical research, finance, human resources, development, media relations, and StarDate Radio & Magazine production.

The Frank N. Bash Visitors Center remains closed to visitors. Its staff are working remotely with a focus on future planning and distance learning. The Astronomers Lodge is closed to staff and guests.

We look forward to welcoming you to McDonald Observatory in the future, once the public health authorities provide guidance that gatherings are safe.

Sincerely, and with best wishes,

Taft Armandroff
McDonald Observatory Director

Continued Closure of McDonald Observatory

domes with star trails

McDonald Observatory is announcing today that it will remain closed to the public beyond the previously announced date, April 19, based on Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s March 31 executive order extending school closures and other mitigation measures into May due to the continuing public health crisis posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Public programs at the observatory remain on hold and no tickets will be sold until a re-opening date is decided and published. The re-opening date will be determined based on the recommendation of officials at The University of Texas at Austin and health experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as state and local health authorities.

Science operations continue at the observatory; for details on our current status see the recent Message from the Director.

Texas-Led Team Finds Earth-Sized, Habitable Zone Planet Hidden in Early NASA Kepler Data

Kepler-1649c

A team of transatlantic scientists led by The University of Texas at Austin’s Andrew Vanderburg has used reanalyzed data from NASA’s Kepler space telescope to discover an Earth-size exoplanet orbiting in its star's habitable zone, the area around a star where a rocky planet could support liquid water.

Scientists discovered this planet, called Kepler-1649c, when looking through old observations from Kepler, which NASA retired in 2018. While previous searches with a computer algorithm misidentified it, researchers reviewing Kepler data took a second look at the signature and recognized it as a planet. Out of all the exoplanets found by Kepler, this distant world — located 300 light-years from Earth — is most similar to Earth in size and estimated temperature.

This newly revealed world is only 1.06 times larger than our own planet. Also, the amount of starlight it receives from its host star is 75% of the amount of light Earth receives from our Sun — meaning the exoplanet's temperature may be similar to our planet’s, as well. But unlike Earth, it orbits a red dwarf. Though none have been observed in this system, this type of star is known for stellar flare-ups that may make a planet's environment challenging for any potential life.

"This intriguing, distant world gives us even greater hope that a second Earth lies among the stars, waiting to be found,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. “The data gathered by missions like Kepler and our Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) will continue to yield amazing discoveries as the science community refines its abilities to look for promising planets year after year."

There is still much that is unknown about Kepler-1649c, including its atmosphere, which could affect the planet's temperature. Current calculations of the planet's size have significant margins of error, as do all values in astronomy when studying objects so far away. But based on what is known, Kepler-1649c is especially intriguing for scientists looking for worlds with potentially habitable conditions.

There are other exoplanets estimated to be closer to Earth in size, and others may be closer to Earth in temperature, but there is no other exoplanet that is considered to be closer to Earth in both of these values that also lies in the habitable zone of its system.

"Out of all the mislabeled planets we've recovered, this one's particularly exciting — not just because it's in the habitable zone and Earth-size, but because of how it might interact with this neighboring planet," Vanderburg said. "If we hadn't looked over the algorithm's work by hand, we would have missed it."

Kepler-1649c orbits its small red dwarf star so closely that a year on Kepler-1649c is equivalent to only 19.5 Earth days. The system has another rocky planet of about the same size, but it orbits the star at about half the distance of Kepler-1649c, similar to how Venus orbits our Sun at about half the distance that Earth does. Red dwarf stars are among the most common in the galaxy, meaning planets like this one could be more common than previously thought.

Looking for False Positives

Previously, scientists on the Kepler mission developed an algorithm called Robovetter to help sort through the massive amounts of data produced by the Kepler spacecraft. Kepler searched for planets using the transit method, staring at stars, looking for dips in brightness as planets passed in front of their host stars.

Most of the time, those dips come from phenomena other than planets — ranging from natural changes in a star's brightness to other cosmic objects passing by — making it look like a planet is there when it's not. Robovetter's job was to distinguish the 12% of dips that were real planets from the rest. Those signatures Robovetter determined to be from other sources were labeled "false positives," the term for a test result mistakenly classified as positive.

With an enormous number of tricky signals, astronomers knew the algorithm would make mistakes and would need to be double-checked — a perfect job for the Kepler False Positive Working Group. That team reviews Robovetter's work, going through each false positive to ensure they are truly errors and not exoplanets. As it turns out, Robovetter had mislabeled Kepler-1649c.

Even as scientists work to further automate analysis processes to get the most science as possible out of any given dataset, this discovery shows the value of double-checking automated work.

A Possible Third Planet

Kepler-1649c not only is one of the best matches to Earth in terms of size and energy received from its star, but it provides an entirely new look at its home system. For every nine times the outer planet in the system orbits the host star, the inner planet orbits almost exactly four times. The fact that their orbits match up in such a stable ratio indicates the system itself is extremely stable, and likely to survive for a long time.

Nearly perfect period ratios are often caused by a phenomenon called orbital resonance, but a nine-to-four ratio is relatively unique among planetary systems. Usually resonances take the form of ratios such as two-to-one or three-to-two. Though unconfirmed, the rarity of this ratio could hint to the presence of a middle planet with which both the inner and outer planets revolve in synchronicity, creating a pair of three-to-two resonances.

The team looked for evidence of such a mystery third planet, with no results. However, that could be because the planet is too small to see or at an orbital tilt that makes it impossible to find using Kepler's transit method.

Either way, this system provides yet another example of an Earth-size planet in the habitable zone of a red dwarf star. These small and dim stars require planets to orbit extremely close to be within that zone — not too warm and not too cold — for life as we know it to potentially exist. Though this single example is only one among many, there is increasing evidence that such planets are common around red dwarfs.

"The more data we get, the more signs we see pointing to the notion that potentially habitable and Earth-size exoplanets are common around these kinds of stars," Vanderburg said. "With red dwarfs almost everywhere around our galaxy, and these small, potentially habitable and rocky planets around them, the chance one of them isn't too different than our Earth looks a bit brighter."

— END —

Notes to Editors: The research paper is available online from The Astrophysical Journal Lettershttps://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/ab84e5

It is also freely available at: https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~avanderb/kepler1649c.pdf


Media Contacts:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin

Alison Hawkes
NASA Ames Research Center
650-604-4789

Science Contact:
Dr. Andrew Vanderburg, NASA Sagan Fellow
Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin

McDonald Observatory Remains Closed to the Public

Aerial view of the large telescope domes of McDonald Observatory.

Last week Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced the first steps to re-open the state safely and strategically to limit the spread of COVID-19. While some businesses and other concerns are re-opening, The University of Texas at Austin announced that it will continue to operate in its current mode. As part of the university, McDonald Observatory remains closed to the public at this time, though scientific research continues.

No decision has been made yet on when the observatory will re-open to the public. We will rely on input from the university, as well as local, state, and national health authorities to make that determination, which will be announced via social media, news release, and on our website once it is known.

Public programs at the observatory remain on hold and no tickets will be sold until a re-opening date is decided and published. For details on our current status, see the recent Message from the Director.

 

 

University Welcomes New Center for Planetary Systems Habitability

Scientists from across The University of Texas at Austin are joining forces in the hunt for life on other planets.

Astronomers, geoscientists, chemists, biologists and aerospace engineers have pooled resources to form the UT Center for Planetary Systems Habitability, a cross-campus, interdisciplinary research unit.

“We have been working for several years to achieve a goal like this, and it is incredibly rewarding to see the founding of the center,” said co-director Bill Cochran. A research professor with the university’s McDonald Observatory, Cochran has hunted exoplanets for several decades both via the McDonald Observatory Planet Search and as a Co-Investigator for NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope.

Studying “planetary habitability requires a very broad range of perspectives and skills,” Cochran said. “This new center enables us to bring our diverse talents and skills to address new problems that we could not tackle with a team from a single academic discipline.”

Co-director Sean Gulick, a research professor with the Jackson School of Geosciences, agreed. “Working together gives us the greatest chance to make the breakthrough needed to understand whether life could exist on other planets,” he said.

Researchers attached to the center are investigating how life on Earth has co-evolved with our planet, what makes a world habitable, and whether galactic scale conditions — such as star formation and supernovae — ultimately decide whether a planet can sustain life.

The center is also working with researchers from institutions outside of the university to collaborate on projects and is preparing to launch a visiting scholars program. It will also coordinate cross-campus, interdisciplinary teaching programs focused on planetary habitability.

By bringing researchers from different disciplines together under one (virtual) roof, the center’s founders hope to make the most of planetary data from new instruments like the Habitable Zone Planet Finder on McDonald Observatory’s Hobby-Telescope, as well as from space missions like the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and the forthcoming James Webb Space Telescope.

Interdisciplinary research is the best way to turn those kinds of data into breakthroughs, Gulick said. “You have to get the astronomers who are studying exoplanets, together with the aerospace engineers designing missions, together with the people who are doing the boots on the ground research digging up extremophiles on Earth or finding analog processes.”

The center is a collaboration between the university’s College of Natural Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences, Cockrell School of Engineering, and the Office of the Vice President for Research (VPR). Alongside each other’s expertise, the center’s scientists have access to campus resources, such as the Visualization Laboratory at the Texas Advanced Computing Center, UT’s Center for Space Research, and telescopes at McDonald Observatory.

The effort was kickstarted in 2018 by an initiative called the Pop-Up Institute for Planetary Habitability led by university’s Vice President for Research, astronomer Dan Jaffe. Start-up funding has been provided by the College of Natural Sciences, the Jackson School of Geosciences, and the office of the VPR.

— END —

 

Note: For more information, see the center’s website at: https://habitability.utexas.edu

 

Science Contact:
Dr. Bill Cochran, Senior Research Professor
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin

New Tricks from Old Data: Texas Astronomer Uses 25-year-old Hubble Data to Confirm Planet Proxima Centauri c

AUSTIN — Fritz Benedict has used data he took over two decades ago with Hubble Space Telescope to confirm the existence of another planet around the Sun’s nearest neighbor, Proxima Centauri, and to pin down the planet’s orbit and mass. Benedict, an emeritus Senior Research Scientist with McDonald Observatory at The University of Texas at Austin, will present his findings today in a scientific session and then in a press conference at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society.

Proxima Centauri has been in the news frequently since 2016, when scientists including McDonald Observatory’s Michael Endl found its first planet, Proxima Centauri b. The discovery incited speculation on the types of in-depth studies that could done on an extrasolar planet so close to our own solar system.

Adding to the excitement, earlier this year a group led by Mario Damasso of Italy’s National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) announced they might have found another planet orbiting Proxima Centauri farther out.  This group used radial velocity observations, that is, measurements of the star’s motion on the sky toward and away from Earth, to deduce the possible planet (dubbed Proxima Centauri c) orbits the star every 1,907 days at distance of 1.5 AU (that is, 1.5 times the distance at which Earth orbits the Sun).

Still, the existence of planet c was far from certain. Thus Benedict decided to re-visit his studies of Proxima Centauri from the 1990s made with Hubble Space Telescope. For that study, he had used Hubble’s Fine Guidance Sensors (FGS).

Though their primary role is to ensure accurate pointing of the telescope, Benedict and others routinely used FGS for a type of research called astrometry: the precise measurement of the positions and motions of celestial bodies. In this case, he used FGS to search for Proxima Centauri’s motion on sky caused by tugging from its surrounding — and unseen — planets.

When Benedict and research partner Barbara MacArthur originally studied Proxima Centauri in the 1990s, he said, they only checked for planets with orbital periods of 1,000 Earth days or fewer. They found none. He now revisited that data to check for signs of a planet with a longer orbital period.

Indeed, Benedict found a planet with an orbital period of about 1,907 days buried in the 25-year-old Hubble data. This was an independent confirmation of the existence of Proxima Centauri c.

Shortly afterward, a team led by Raffaele Gratton of INAF published images of the planet at several points along its orbit that they had made with the SPHERE instrument on the Very Large Telescope in Chile.

Benedict then combined the findings of all three studies: his own Hubble astrometry, Damasso’s radial velocity studies, and Gratton’s images to greatly refine the mass of Proxima Centauri c. He found that the planet is about 7 times as massive as Earth.

This analysis shows the power of combining several independent methods of studying an exoplanet. Each approach has its strengths and weaknesses, but together they serve to confirm the existence of Proxima Centauri c.

“Basically, this is a story of how old data can be very useful when you get new information,” Benedict said. “It’s also a story of how hard it is to retire if you’re an astronomer, because this is fun stuff to do!”

— END —

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Manager
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin

Science Contact:
Dr. George F. Benedict, Sr. Research Scientist Emeritus
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin

Young Giant Planet Offers Clues to Formation of Exotic Worlds

Aaron Rizzuto

Text courtesy NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Jupiter-size planets orbiting close to their stars have upended ideas about how giant planets form. Finding young members of this planet class could help answer key questions. For most of human history our understanding of how planets form and evolve was based on the eight (or nine) planets in our solar system. But over the last 25 years, the discovery of more than 4,000 exoplanets, or planets outside our solar system, changed all that.

Among the most intriguing of these distant worlds is a class of exoplanets called hot Jupiters. Similar in size to Jupiter, these gas-dominated planets orbit extremely close to their parent stars, circling them in as few as 18 hours. We have nothing like this in our own solar system, where the closest planets to the Sun are rocky and orbiting much farther away. The questions about hot Jupiters are as big as the planets themselves: Do they form close to their stars or farther away before migrating inward? And if these giants do migrate, what would that reveal about the history of the planets in our own solar system?

To answer those questions, scientists will need to observe many of these hot giants very early in their formation. Most known hot Jupiters are more than a billion years old, but the recent detection of the youngest hot Jupiter ever found offers new clues that could help solve these mysteries. A new study in the Astronomical Journal reports on the detection of the young giant exoplanet HIP 67522 b, which orbits a well-studied star that is about 17 million years old, meaning the hot Jupiter is likely only a few million years younger — quite youthful as planets go. It takes about 7 days to orbit its star, which has a similar mass as the Sun. Located only about 490 light-years from Earth, the newly discovered planet is about 10 times the diameter of Earth, or close to that of Jupiter. Its size strongly indicates that it is a gas-dominated planet.

HIP 67522 b was identified as a planet candidate by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satllite (TESS), which detects planets via the transit method: Scientists look for small dips in the brightness of a star, indicating that an orbiting planet has passed between the observer and the star. But young stars tend to have a lot of dark splotches on their surfaces — starspots, also called sunspots when they appear on the Sun — that can look similar to transiting planets. So scientists used data from NASA's recently retired infrared observatory, the Spitzer Space Telescope, to confirm that the transit signal was from a planet and not a sunspot. (Other methods of exoplanet detection have yielded hints at the presence of even younger hot Jupiters, but none have yet been confirmed.)

The discovery offers hope for finding more young hot Jupiters and learning more about how planets form throughout the universe — even right here at home.

"We can learn a lot about our solar system and its history by studying the planets and other things orbiting the Sun," said Aaron Rizzuto, an exoplanet scientist at The University of Texas at Austin who led the study. "But we will never know how unique or how common our solar system is unless we're out there looking for exoplanets. Exoplanet scientists are finding out how our solar system fits in the bigger picture of planet formation in the universe."

Migrating Giants?

There are three main hypotheses for how hot Jupiters get so close to their parent stars. One is that they simply form there and stay put. But it's hard to imagine planets forming in such an intense environment. Not only would the scorching heat vaporize most materials, but young stars frequently erupt with massive explosions and stellar winds, potentially dispersing any newly emerging planets.

It seems more likely that gas giants develop farther from their parent star, past a boundary called the "snow line," where it's cool enough for ice and other solid materials to form. Jupiter-like planets are composed almost entirely of gas, but they contain solid cores. It would be easier for those cores to form past the snow line, where frozen materials could cling together like a growing snowball.

The other two hypotheses assume this is the case, and that hot Jupiters then wander toward closer to their stars. But what's the cause and timing of the migration?

One idea posits that hot Jupiters begin their journey early in the planetary system's history, while the star is still surrounded by the disk of gas and dust from which both it and the planet formed. In this scenario, the gravity of the disk interacting with the mass of the planet could interrupt the gas giant's orbit and cause it to migrate inward.

The third hypothesis maintains that hot Jupiters get close to their star later, when the gravity of other planets around the star can drive the migration. The fact that HIP 67522 b is already so close to its star so early after its formation indicates that this third hypothesis probably doesn't apply in this case. But one young hot Jupiter isn't enough to settle the debate on how they all form.

"Scientists would like to know if there is a dominant mechanism that forms most hot Jupiters," said Yasuhiro Hasegawa, an astrophysicist specializing in planet formation at JPL who was not involved in the study. "In the community right now there is no clear consensus about which formation hypothesis is most important for reproducing the population we have observed. The discovery of this young hot Jupiter is exciting, but it's only a hint at the answer. To solve the mystery, we will need more."

Rizzuto is a 51 Pegasi b Fellow which is funded by the Heising-Simons Foundation.

— END —

Science Contact
Dr. Aaron Rizzuto, 51 Pegasi b Prize Postdoctoral Fellow
The University of Texas at Austin
512-545-7582
 

Media Contacts
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Calla Cofield
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Pasadena, Calif.
626-808-2469

Studying Radioactive Aluminum in Solar Systems Unlocks Formation Secrets

An international team of astronomers including Stella Offner of The University of Texas at Austin has proposed a new method for the formation of aluminum-26 in star systems that are forming planets. Because its radioactive decay is thought to provide a heat source for the building blocks of planets, called planetesimals, it’s important for astronomers to know where aluminum-26 comes from. Their research is published in the current issue of The Astrophysical Journal.

“Atoms like aluminum and its radioactive isotope aluminum-26 allow us to perform solar system ‘archeology,’” Offner said. “It is exciting that the abundances of different atoms today can provide clues about the formation of our solar system billions of years ago.”

Since its discovery in the Allende meteorite in 1976, astronomers have debated the origin of the considerable amount of aluminum-26 in our early solar system. Some have suggested that it was blown here by supernova explosions and winds from massive stars. However, these scenarios require a good deal of chance: Our Sun and planets would have to form at exactly the right distance from massive stars, which are quite rare.

Offner’s team has proposed an explanation that does not require an outside source. They propose that aluminum-26 formed close to the young Sun, in the inner part of its surrounding planet-forming disk. As material fell from the disk’s inner edge onto the Sun, it created shockwaves that produced high-energy protons known as cosmic rays.

Leaving the Sun at nearly the speed of light, the cosmic rays slammed into the surrounding disk, colliding with the isotopes aluminum-27 and silicon-28, changing them into aluminum-26.

Due to its very short half-life of about 770,000 years, aluminum-26 must have been formed or mixed into the young Sun's surrounding planet-forming disk shortly before the condensation of the first solid matter in our solar system. It plays an important part in the formation of planets like Earth, since it can provide enough heat through radioactive decay to produce planetary bodies with layered interiors (like Earth’s solid core topped by a rocky mantle and above that, a thin crust). The radioactive decay of aluminum-26 also helps to dry out early planetesimals to produce water-poor, rocky planets.

Aluminum-26 appears to have a fairly constant ratio to the isotope of aluminum-27 in the oldest bodies of our solar system, the comets and asteroids. Since the discovery of aluminum-26 in meteorites (which are chips off of asteroids), a significant amount of effort has been directed towards finding a plausible explanation for both its introduction into our early solar system and the fixed ratio between aluminum-26 and aluminum-27.

Offner’s team focused their studies on a transition period during the Sun’s formation: when the gas surrounding the young star becomes depleted and the amount of gas falling onto the Sun decreases significantly. Nearly all young stars undergo this transition during the last few tens to hundreds of thousands of years of formation.

As our Sun was forming, infalling gas followed magnetic field lines to its surface. This produced a violent shockwave, the “accretion shock,” that accelerated cosmic rays. These cosmic rays streamed outwards until they hit gas in the planet-forming disk and caused chemical reactions. The scientists calculated different models for this process.

“We found that low accretion rates are able to produce the amounts of aluminum-26, and the ratio of aluminum-26 to aluminum-27 that is present in the solar system,” said the paper’s lead author, Brandt Gaches of Germany’s University of Cologne.

The proposed mechanism is generally valid for a wide range of low-mass stars, including Sun-like stars. It is in these systems that astronomers have discovered the majority of exoplanets now known.

“Cosmic rays that were accelerated by accretion onto forming young stars may provide a general pathway for aluminum-26 enrichment in many planetary systems,” Gaches concluded, “and it is one of the great questions if the proposed mechanism of acceleration through shockwaves will be observed in forming stars.”

Offner and Gaches are both members of UT Austin’s new Center for Planetary Systems Habitability, which seeks to foster interdisciplinary research related to planetary habitability among astronomers, geoscientists, biologists, and engineers.

— END —

Note to editors: The paper is available for download at: https://arxiv.org/abs/2007.12707

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
+1 512-475-6763

Science Contact:
Dr. Stella Offner, Assistant Professor
Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
+1 512-471-3853

The Universe Doesn’t Stop for the Pandemic

HET with star trails

McDonald Observatory operated the only large optical telescope in the world that stayed online through the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping watch under the skies.


Under one of the darkest skies in the world, in the Davis Mountains of West Texas, a telescope operator at the McDonald Observatory walks alone under the bright stars toward the massive Hobby-Eberly Telescope. Sitting inside the dome and communicating over the internet with their counterparts back in Austin, astronomers punch coordinates into the control panel and guide the huge telescope as it probes distant galaxies and black holes.

“We are the observers. We are keeping the night watch,” says Taft Armandroff, director of The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory. “If an unusual astronomical phenomenon happens in the Northern Hemisphere, we will be able to get on it fast. We don’t want to be blind.”

While industries around the world have had to shut down or face extreme hardships to adapt to changing protocols, the McDonald Observatory has stayed open for research. In fact, it is the only major optical astronomical observatory in the world to operate continuously during the pandemic.

The observatory has been able to continue with large projects like the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Project (HETDEX), which is studying the mysterious force causing the expansion of the universe to speed up, and the Habitable Zone Planet Finder (HPF), which is searching for Earth-sized planets with atmospheres. If the observatory had shut down during the spring, these projects could have been set back more than a year.

The observatory is on top of two mountains: Mount Fowlkes and Mount Locke. The location was chosen 85 years ago because of its high elevation and optimal viewing conditions. It also utilizes the surrounding ranch and pasture lands to make frequent access to the telescopes more accessible. “McDonald was originally developed as a little city. We have about 50 staff that live on-site. They can walk to work. They don’t need to fly or take public transit,” Armandroff said. “There is a long tradition in astronomers traveling to the telescope. This was a different approach.” It is rare to have this many full-time staff members working at a remote telescope location, he said.

The second reason for the observatory’s continuing operation is that researchers, most of whom are not at the observatory, are well connected. Before coming to West Texas, Armandroff was the director at the Keck Observatory in Hawaii. That observatory is built on the summit of a dormant volcano. Telescopes as remote as those at Keck are a challenge for scientists to reach. When Armandroff moved to McDonald, he and his team worked to increase accessibility for off-site researchers. Before the pandemic hit, they had already developed online protocols including software adaptations, permissions and security to allow for more collaboration.

Being ahead of the game for remote research, McDonald Observatory is setting a new standard for astronomical observation. As other observatories around the world are coming back online, they are looking to McDonald as a model for accessibility during a time when human contact is a health risk.

“Everyone has been pitching in to overcome the situation. We are trying to share as much as possible to teach people,” Armandroff said. Today faculty members, students and partner researchers can review telescope data from their couches at home. Armandroff sees a silver lining to being pushed further into remote research. “This situation is making us more accessible. I am really proud of our people for figuring out how to make this work.”


By Sara Robberson Lentz, UT News


Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

A Young Sub-Neptune-sized Planet Sheds Light onto How Planets Form and Evolve

K2-25b

A team of astronomers including McDonald Observatory’s Bill Cochran have made a detailed study of a young planet slightly smaller than Neptune with the Habitable-zone Planet Finder at The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory. They characterized the planet’s mass, radius, and the tilt of its orbit. This work provides insight into how such planets form and evolve, and has been accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal.

The planet, called K2-25b, is slightly smaller in size than Neptune and orbits an M-dwarf star—the most numerous type of star in the galaxy. “K2-25 is an extremely interesting system,” Cochran said. “When our solar system was at the same age as this star is now — about 625 million years — our Earth and Moon were undergoing major impacts by asteroids that formed many large craters on the Moon.”

The Habitable-zone Planet Finder (HPF) is an astronomical spectrograph built by a Penn State team and installed on the 10-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope.

“The combination of our measurements of the mass and orbital tilt of this young system will help us understand the early evolution of planetary systems,” Cochran said. “We hope to understand exactly where this planet formed and how it got to its current position in the system.” The planet lies outside of the star’s habitable zone.

According to team leader Gudmundur Stefansson of Princeton University, “planets at intermediate sizes between Earth and Neptune are some of the most frequent types of planets in the galaxy, but no such planets are known to exist in [our] solar system. Despite their sheer number in the galaxy, many aspects of their formation and evolution remain a puzzle. Our new observations help shed light on this process, increasing our fundamental understanding of the universe and how it works.”

The planet was originally detected using the Kepler spacecraft by observing a dip in the host star’s light caused by the planet crossing in front of — or transiting — the star and blocking some of the star’s light during its orbit, a trip completed every 3.5 days. The planetary system is a member of the Hyades cluster, a nearby cluster of young stars with similar chemical properties that formed about 600 million years ago about 150 light years away from Earth.

“K2-25b is one of the very few young planets orbiting a low-mass star with a measured mass and orbital tilt,” Stefansson said. “Although smaller in size than Neptune, the planet interestingly has a mass about 1.5 times larger than Neptune. The planet is dense for its size and age, in contrast to other young, short-period sub-Neptune systems which are often observed to have low densities and extended evaporating atmospheres.”

The tilt of planetary orbits — the angle between the star’s equator and the planet’s orbit — encodes valuable information on how planetary systems form and evolve. One of the most effective ways to measure the tilt of planetary orbits is by studying the star’s spectra — the light it emits across many different wavelengths — taken during planetary transits. If the host star is rotating during a planetary transit, one half of the stellar disk is “blueshifted”— its light spectrum shifts toward shorter wavelengths — as seen from the observer, while the other half of the star is “redshifted” — a shift toward longer wavelengths. As the planet passes in front of different regions of the stellar disk, it blocks differently blue- and red-shifted light, causing anomalous variations in the velocity of the star. By carefully measuring these velocity changes, the tilt of the orbit can be inferred.

“K2-25b’s orbit is well aligned with the host star’s equator, giving insights into how planetary systems around low-mass stars form,” said Penn State’s Suvrath Mahadevan, principal investigator of the HPF spectrograph. “Only three other planetary systems orbiting low-mass stars have had their orbital tilts measured. By leveraging the large 10-meter aperture of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and HPF’s sensitivity at near-infrared wavelengths — where low-mass stars emit most of their light — we are excited to conduct similar observations of other M-dwarf planetary systems to further study how they form and evolve.”

The Habitable-zone Planet Finder was delivered to the Hobby Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory in late 2017, and started full science operations in late 2018. HPF is designed to detect and characterize planets in the habitable-zone — the region around the star where a planet could sustain liquid water on its surface — around nearby M-dwarf stars.

In addition to data from HPF, additional data were obtained with the 3.5-meter Telescope at Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico, and the 0.9-meter Telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) in Arizona. KPNO is a program of NSF's NOIRLab.

This research was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), Penn State, the Heising-Simons Foundation, the NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship program, the Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds at Penn State, and the Research Corporation.

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) is a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, Penn State, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August Universität Gottingen. The HET is named in honor of its principal benefactors, William P. Hobby and Robert E. Eberly.

— END —

Note to editors: The related research paper is available for download at: https://arxiv.org/abs/2007.12766

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Science Contact:
Dr. William Cochran, Research Professor
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-6474

McDonald Observatory Will Reopen to the Public Aug. 28

In this aerial view, the two large domes in the foreground are the 2.1-meter Str

FORT DAVIS, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory is planning to reopen to the public, in a limited fashion, on Friday, Aug. 28. Beginning with a star party that night, the observatory’s Frank N. Bash Visitors Center will begin holding public programs again.

“It is a pleasure to welcome visitors back to McDonald Observatory for our iconic programs that immerse our guests in astronomy, our very dark night skies and the visible cosmos,” said Taft Armandroff, director of McDonald Observatory. “Our team at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center is eager to host you.”

During the initial phase of reopening, all programs will require reservations made online at mcdonaldobservatory.org. Tickets sales for programs on Aug. 28 and later will be available starting Monday (12:00p Central Time).

Visitors will be provided with scheduled entry tickets to allow time for cleaning between programs. Only outdoor programs will be held, and the number of participants will be limited to 25% of previous capacity. Visitors will drive their own vehicles to the summit of Mount Locke for daytime guided tours; shuttle transportation will not be provided.

To ensure the safety of its visitors and staff, the observatory will take several additional steps: Packaged food and drinks will be available for purchase, but no food will be prepared on site. Frequently touched surfaces such as door handles and tabletops will be cleaned twice daily with bleach- or alcohol-based solutions. Hand-sanitizing stations will be provided. Public restrooms will be treated as single occupancy. And new signs will be posted reminding everyone of best hygiene practices.

The observatory will continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and to heed the advice of national, state and local health authorities. If the situation improves, the observatory may choose to increase the capacity of public programs and again hold some programs indoors.

Since it closed to the public on March 13, the observatory has begun a number of new livestream programs to interact with astronomy lovers. These Deep Sky Tours, Moon Tours and Solar Tours have proved extremely popular. They will continue once the visitors center reopens for on-site public programs.

— END —

 

Note to editors: Information on The University of Texas at Austin’s response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is available via the Protect Texas Together website: protect.utexas.edu.

 

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Planet Hugging a White Dwarf May Be a Survivor of Star's Death Throes

AUSTIN, Texas — An international team of astronomers has used NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and retired Spitzer Space Telescope to discover what may be the first intact planet found closely orbiting a white dwarf, the dense leftover of a sun-like star only 40% larger than Earth. The work, led by Andrew Vanderburg of The University of Texas at Austin, included follow-up observations with the 10-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope at the university’s McDonald Observatory.

The Jupiter-size object, called WD 1856 b, is about seven times as large as the white dwarf named WD 1856+534. It circles this stellar cinder every 34 hours, more than 60 times as fast as Mercury orbits our sun.

“WD 1856 b somehow got very close to its white dwarf and managed to stay in one piece,” said Vanderburg, who was a NASA Sagan Fellow at UT Austin while completing this work and is now an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “The white dwarf creation process destroys nearby planets, and anything that later gets too close is usually torn apart by the star’s immense gravity. We still have many questions about how it arrived at its current location without meeting one of those fates.”

A paper about the system, consisting of several co-authors including UT Austin’s Caroline Morley and Andreia Carillo, appears in Nature and is available online.

TESS monitors large swaths of the sky, called sectors, for nearly a month at a time. This long gaze allows the satellite to find exoplanets, or worlds beyond our solar system, by capturing changes in stellar brightness caused when a planet crosses in front of, or transits, its star.

The satellite spotted WD 1856 b about 80 light-years away in the northern constellation Draco. It orbits a cool, quiet white dwarf that is about 11,000 miles (18,000 km) across, may be up to 10 billion years old, and is a distant member of a triple star system.

When a sun-like star runs out of fuel, it swells up to hundreds to thousands of times its original size, forming a cooler red giant star. Eventually, it ejects its outer layers of gas, losing up to 80% of its mass. The remaining hot core becomes a white dwarf. Any nearby objects are typically engulfed and incinerated during this process, which in this system would have included WD 1856 b in its current orbit. The research team estimates the possible planet must have originated at least 50 times farther away from its present location.

“We’ve known for a long time that after white dwarfs are born, distant small objects such as asteroids and comets can scatter inward towards these stars. They’re usually pulled apart by a white dwarf's strong gravity and turn into a debris disk,” said co-author Siyi Xu, an assistant astronomer at the international Gemini Observatory, which is a program of the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab. “That’s why I was so excited when Andrew told me about this system. We’ve seen that planets could scatter inward, too, but this appears to be the first time we’ve seen a planet that made the whole journey intact.”

The team suggests several scenarios that could have nudged WD 1856 b onto an elliptical path around the white dwarf. This trajectory would have become more circular over time as the star’s gravity stretched the object, creating enormous tides that dissipated its orbital energy.

“The most likely case involves several other Jupiter-size bodies close to WD 1856 b’s original orbit,” said co-author Juliette Becker, a 51 Pegasi b fellow in planetary science at Caltech. “The gravitational influence of objects that big could easily allow for the instability you’d need to knock a planet inward. But at this point, we still have more theories than data points.”

Other possible scenarios involve the gradual gravitational tug of the two other stars in the system, red dwarfs G229-20 A and B, over billions of years and a flyby from a rogue star perturbing the system. Vanderburg’s team thinks these and other explanations are less likely because they require finely tuned conditions to achieve the same effects as the potential giant companion planets.

Jupiter-size objects can occupy a huge range of masses, however, from planets only a few times the mass of Earth to low-mass stars thousands of times Earth’s mass. Others are brown dwarfs, which straddle the line between planet and star. Usually scientists turn to observations to measure an object’s mass, which can hint at its composition and nature. This method works by studying how an orbiting object tugs on its star and alters the color of its light. But in this case, the white dwarf is so old that its light has become both too faint and too featureless for scientists to detect noticeable changes.

Instead, the team observed the system in the infrared using Spitzer, just a few months before the telescope was decommissioned. If WD 1856 b were a brown dwarf or low-mass star, it would emit its own infrared glow. This means Spitzer would record a brighter transit than it would if the object were a planet, which would block rather than emit light. When the researchers compared the Spitzer data with visible light transit observations taken with the Gran Telescopio Canarias in Spain’s Canary Islands, they saw no discernable difference. That, combined with the age of the star and other information about the system, led them to conclude that WD 1856 b is most likely a planet no more than 14 times Jupiter’s size. Future research and observations may be able to confirm this conclusion.

— END —

Media Contacts:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Felicia Chou
NASA Headquarters
202-358-0257

Major NSF Grant Accelerates Development for the Giant Magellan Telescope

GMT site

The GMTO Corporation has received a $17.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to accelerate the prototyping and testing of some of the most powerful optical and infrared technologies ever engineered. These crucial advancements for the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT), of which The University of Texas at Austin is a founding partner, will allow astronomers to see farther into space with more detail than any other optical telescope before.

The NSF grant positions the GMT, now under construction at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile, to be one of the first in a new generation of large telescopes. It will be approximately three times the size of any ground-based optical telescope built to date.

“The support from NSF, combined with the resources provided by the GMT founding institutions, including The University of Texas at Austin, brings us one step closer to putting the amazing research capabilities of the GMT in the hands of our faculty, researchers, and students,” said Taft Armandroff, Director of the McDonald Observatory and Vice Chair of the GMTO Board.

The GMT and the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) are part of the US Extremely Large Telescope Program (US-ELTP), a joint initiative with NSF’s National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab) to provide superior observing access to the entire sky as never before. Upon completion of each telescope, US scientists and international partners will be able to take advantage of the program’s two pioneering telescopes to carry out transformational research that answers some of humanity’s most pressing questions, such as are we alone in the universe and where did we come from.

“We are honored to receive our first NSF grant,” said Dr. Robert Shelton, President of GMTO. “It is a giant step toward realizing the GMT’s scientific goals and the profound impact the GMT will have on the future of human knowledge.”

One of the great challenges of engineering revolutionary technologies is constructing them to operate at optimal performance. The Giant Magellan Telescope is designed to have a resolving power 10 times greater than the Hubble Space Telescope — one of the most productive achievements in the history of astronomy. This advancement in image quality is prerequisite for the GMT to fully realize its scientific potential and expand our knowledge of the universe.

“Image quality on any telescope starts with the primary mirror,” said Dr. James Fanson, Project Manager of GMTO. “The Giant Magellan Telescope’s primary mirror comprises seven 8.4-meter mirror segments. To achieve diffraction-limited imaging, we have to be able to phase these primary mirror segments so that they behave as a monolithic mirror. Once phased, we must then correct for Earth’s turbulent atmospheric distortion.”

Phasing involves precisely aligning a telescope’s segmented mirrors and other optical components so that they work in unison to produce crisp images of deep space. Achieving this with seven of the world’s largest mirrors ever built is no easy task. The immense size of the GMT’s primary mirror requires a powerful adaptive optics system to correct for the blurring effects of the Earth’s atmospheric turbulence at kilohertz speeds. In other words, astronomers need to take the subtle “twinkle” out of the stars in order to capture high-resolution data from celestial objects thousands of light-years from our planet.

The NSF grant enables the GMT to build two phasing testbeds that will allow engineers to demonstrate, in a controlled laboratory setting, that its core designs will work to align and phase the telescope’s seven mirror segments with the required precision to achieve diffraction-limited imaging at first light in 2029. It also enables the partial build and testing of a next-generation Adaptive Secondary Mirror (ASM), which is used to perform the primary mirror phasing and atmospheric distortion correction.

“Our seven Adaptive Secondary Mirrors take this technology to the next step,” said Dr. Fanson. “No one has attempted to use seven ASMs before the Giant Magellan Telescope. They are probably the most advanced tech we have on the telescope, and their success is a top priority. We need to test and validate their performance early on in the project.”

Astronomers will use the GMT’s high-fidelity adaptive mirrors and other revolutionary adaptive optics technologies to detect faint biosignatures from distant exoplanets — one of the GMT’s primary scientific goals. This work is part of a larger $23 million joint-award to the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) and the GMT over the next three years. The GMT project is the work of a distinguished international consortium of leading universities and science institutions.

— END —

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Texas Astronomers Revive Idea for ‘Ultimately Large Telescope’ on the Moon

LLMT

New Science Driver is Study of Universe’s First Stars

AUSTIN — A group of astronomers from The University of Texas at Austin has found that a telescope idea shelved by NASA a decade ago can solve a problem that no other telescope can: It would be able to study the first stars in the universe. The team, led by NASA Hubble Fellow Anna Schauer, will publish their results in an upcoming issue of The Astrophysical Journal.

“Throughout the history of astronomy, telescopes have become more powerful, allowing us to probe sources from successively earlier cosmic times — ever closer to the Big Bang,” said professor and team member Volker Bromm, a theorist who has studied the first stars for decades. “The upcoming James Webb Space Telescope [JWST] will reach the time when galaxies first formed.

“But theory predicts that there was an even earlier time, when galaxies did not yet exist, but where individual stars first formed — the elusive Population III stars. This moment of ‘very first light’ is beyond the capabilities even of the powerful JWST, and instead needs an ‘ultimate’ telescope.”

These first stars formed about 13 billion years ago. They are unique, born out of a mix of hydrogen and helium gasses, and likely tens or 100 times larger than the Sun. New calculations by Schauer show that a previously proposed facility, a liquid mirror telescope that would operate from the surface of the Moon, could study these stars. Proposed in 2008 by a team led by Roger Angel of The University of Arizona, this facility was called the Lunar Liquid-Mirror Telescope (LLMT).

NASA had done an analysis on this proposed facility a decade ago, but decided not to pursue the project. According to Niv Drory, a senior research scientist with UT Austin’s McDonald Observatory, the supporting science on the earliest stars did not exist at that point. “This telescope is perfect for that problem,” he said.

The proposed lunar liquid-mirror telescope, which Schauer has nicknamed the “Ultimately Large Telescope,” would have a mirror 100 meters in diameter. It would operate autonomously from the lunar surface, receiving power from a solar power collection station on the Moon, and relaying data to satellite in lunar orbit.

Rather than coated glass, the telescope’s mirror would be made of liquid, as it’s lighter, and thus cheaper, to transport to the Moon. The telescope’s mirror would be a spinning vat of liquid, topped by a metallic — and thus reflective —liquid. (Previous liquid mirror telescopes have used mercury.) The vat would spin continuously, to keep the surface of the liquid in the correct paraboloid shape to work as a mirror.

The telescope would be stationary, situated inside a crater at the Moon’s north or south pole. To study the first stars, it would stare at the same patch of sky continuously, to collect as much light from them as possible.

“We live in a universe of stars,” Bromm said. “It is a key question how star formation got going early in cosmic history. The emergence of the first stars marks a crucial transition in the history of the universe, when the primordial conditions set by the Big Bang gave way to an ever-increasing cosmic complexity, eventually bringing life to planets, life, and intelligent beings like us.

“This moment of first light lies beyond the capabilities of current or near-future telescopes. It is therefore important to think about the ‘ultimate’ telescope, one that is capable of directly observing those elusive first stars at the edge of time.”

The team is proposing that the astronomical community revisit the shelved plan for a lunar liquid-mirror telescope, as a way to study these first stars in the universe.

— END —

Note to editors: See a freely available version of the team's research paper here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2007.02946

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Science Contact:
Dr. Anna Schauer, NASA Hubble Fellow
Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
http://minihalos.com

McDonald Observatory Visitors Center is temporarily closed, but our virtual programs continue!

Overview of Visitors Center

FORT DAVIS, Texas -  Due to COVID-19 mitigation efforts, the McDonald Observatory Frank N. Bash Visitors Center will be closed from November 21st through at least December 7th. In commitment to the health and safety of our staff, visitors, and community, we encourage everyone to stay home for the holidays and avoid gatherings with people outside of your household. Join us for stargazing from your living room in an upcoming or archived livestream program as we continue our mission to provide a greater understanding of the universe. Current ticketholders impacted by this closure will receive additional information. 

HETDEX Project On Track to Probe Dark Energy

FORT DAVIS, Texas — Three years into its quest to reveal the nature of dark energy, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) is on track to complete the largest map of the cosmos ever. The team will create a three-dimensional map of 2.5 million galaxies that will help astronomers understand how and why the expansion of the universe is speeding up over time.

“HETDEX represents the coming together of many astronomers and institutions to conduct the first major study of how dark energy changes over time,” said Taft Armandroff, director of The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory.

The survey began in January 2017 on the 10-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at McDonald Observatory. Today, the survey is 38% complete. Data reduction and analysis are continuing.

“HETDEX has arrived,” said astronomer Karl Gebhardt. “We’re over a third of the way through our program now, and we have this fantastic data set that we’re going to use to measure the dark energy evolution.”

The survey works by aiming the telescope at two regions of the sky near the Big Dipper and Orion. For each pointing, the telescope records around 32,000 spectra, capturing the cosmic fingerprint of the light from every object within the telescope’s field of view.

“It’s actually a little mind-blowing, how much information is captured in this,” said team member Gary Hill.

These spectra are recorded via 32,000 optical fibers that feed into more than 100 instruments working together as one. This assembly is called VIRUS, the Visible Integral-field Replicable Unit Spectrograph. It’s a massive machine made up of dozens of copies of an instrument working together for efficiency. VIRUS was designed and built especially for HETDEX.

This makes VIRUS one of the most advanced astronomical instruments in the world. Building it “was quite a task to orchestrate,” Hill said, noting that the project has taken a decade to reach fruition. “It’s the largest on many measures,” he said, noting that it has the most optical fibers, as well as having as much detector area as the largest astronomical cameras. It’s also an extremely large instrument, taking up much of the room inside the telescope dome.

HETDEX is a blind survey, meaning that rather than pointing at specific targets, it records everything over a specific patch of sky. Then scientists go through the data to sift out objects they want to study.

Team member Phillip MacQueen has worked on the technical challenges of delivering VIRUS to the HETDEX specifications. He reminds us that map making in astronomy started with the first people who looked at the sky.

“VIRUS is an astronomical cartographer’s delight,” MacQueen said. “It does much more than map where objects are in two dimensions on the sky. HETDEX is using VIRUS to map where objects lie in a truly enormous volume of the universe, both within our galaxy and far beyond it.”

To make the map needed for the dark energy project, they are combing through a billion spectra looking for examples of a specific type of galaxy. These galaxies range in distances from 10 billion to 11.7 billion light-years away, so they represent an epoch when the universe was only a few billion years old. Their spectra carry information about how fast the galaxies are moving away from us as a result of the expansion of the universe. That will allow astronomers to determine how the rate at which the universe expands has changed over the eons, which is key to determining the nature of dark energy.

The HETDEX team expects to complete their observations by December 2023. In total, the completed survey will include 1 billion spectra, “the largest ever spectral survey by far,” Gebhardt said. These data are processed and stored at UT Austin’s Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC), one of the top supercomputing centers in the world.

Erin Mentuch Cooper is the project’s data manager. “We’re very fortunate to have access” to TACC, she said, explaining that during the summer, a TACC supercomputer processed all of the HETDEX data now in hand in two weeks. It would have taken a single computer 10 years, she said.

Meanwhile, many astronomers are using the data already collected to attack a number of other astronomical mysteries. Several are on the verge of publishing their research.

Among them is UT professor Keith Hawkins. He has made use of the survey’s spectra of about 100,000 stars in our own Milky Way galaxy. Though these stars were not the main quarry for HETDEX, they were captured by the blind survey. “As my grandfather used to say, ‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,’” he said.

Hawkins is using these spectra to study the stars’ contents, sizes, temperatures and motions to trace how the different parts of our galaxy came together. His research paper on this work will be published soon. Other astronomers are preparing to publish research on white dwarfs and nearby galaxies for which they used HETDEX data.

HETDEX is a large international collaboration. The project is led by The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory and Department of Astronomy, with participation from Penn State University; Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich; the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics; the Institute for Astrophysics, Gottingen; the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics, Potsdam; Texas A&M University; The University of Oxford; the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics; The University of Tokyo; and the Missouri University of Science and Technology.

In addition to institutional support, HETDEX is funded by the National Science Foundation (grant AST-0926815), the State of Texas, the U.S. Air Force (AFRL FA9451-04-2-0355), and generous support from private individuals and foundations.

— END —

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Additional Contacts:
Dr. Taft Armandroff, Director
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-3300

Dr. Karl Gebhardt, Herman and Joan Suit Professor of Astrophysics
Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-590-5206

Anita Cochran Named Fellow of American Astronomical Society

The American Astronomical Society (AAS), the major organization of professional astronomers in North America, has honored Dr. Anita Cochran, Assistant Director of McDonald Observatory and Senior Research Scientist, for extraordinary achievement and service by naming her an AAS Fellow for 2021.

Cochran was honored for her research addressing the molecular composition and structure of comets and her decades of service to the astronomical community.

“It is wonderful to see Anita’s work on comets and her leadership in observatory operations recognized by the American Astronomical Society,” said Dr. Taft Armandroff, Director of McDonald Observatory.

In all, 31 Fellows were recognized for original research and publication, innovative contributions to astronomical techniques or instrumentation, significant contributions to education and public outreach, and noteworthy service to astronomy and to the Society itself. The complete list of new AAS Fellows is available at: https://aas.org/press/aas-fellows-2021

The inaugural class of AAS Fellows, called Legacy Fellows, was named last year. From UT Austin, it included Dr. J. Craig Wheeler and Dr. Mary Kay Hemenway.

Established in 1899, the American Astronomical Society has a membership of about 8,000. In addition to astronomers, it also includes physicists, mathematicians, geologists, engineers, and others whose research interests lie within the broad spectrum of subjects now comprising the astronomical sciences. The mission of the AAS is to enhance and share humanity’s scientific understanding of the universe, which it achieves through publishing, meeting organization, science advocacy, education and outreach, and training and professional development.

— END —

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Manager
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Sixth Mirror Cast for Giant Magellan Telescope

The 8.4-meter mirror joins five of the world’s largest mirrors previously cast for the Giant Magellan Telescope, one of the world’s largest and most anticipated extremely large telescopes.

AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin and other partners of the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) announce the fabrication of the sixth of seven of the world’s largest monolithic mirrors. These mirrors will allow astronomers to see farther into the universe with more detail than any other optical telescope before. The sixth 8.4-meter (27.5 feet) mirror — about two stories high when standing on edge — is being fabricated at The University of Arizona’s Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab and will take nearly four years to complete.

“This mirror casting brings the faculty, students, and researchers of The University of Texas at Austin one step closer to having access to the unique scientific tool that is the Giant Magellan Telescope,” said Taft Armandroff, Director of the university’s McDonald Observatory and Vice Chair of the GMT Organization’s Board of Directors.

The process of casting the giant mirror involves melting nearly 20 tons (38,490 pounds) of specialized glass into the world’s only spinning furnace designed to cast giant mirrors for telescopes. At the peak of the melting process, the furnace spins at five revolutions per minute, heating the glass to 1,165 degrees Celsius (2,129 F) for approximately five hours until it liquefies into the mold. The peak temperature event is called “high fire,” and will occur tomorrow, March 6.

The mirror then enters a one month annealing process where the glass is cooled while the furnace spins at a slower rate in order to remove internal stresses and toughen the glass. It takes another 1.5 months to cool to room temperature. This “spin cast” process gives the mirror surface its special parabolic shape. Once cooled, the mirror will be polished for two years before reaching an optical surface precision of less than one thousandth of the width of a human hair.

“The most important part of a telescope is its light-collecting mirror,” said James Fanson, GMT Project Manager. “Once operational, the Giant Magellan Telescope will produce images ten times sharper than the Hubble Space Telescope. The discoveries these mirrors will make will transform our understanding of the universe.”

With the first two giant mirrors completed and in storage in Tucson, the sixth mirror joins three others in various stages of production at the mirror lab. In the late 2020s, the giant mirrors will be transported more than 8,100 kilometers (5,000 miles) to the GMT’s future home at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. One of the best astronomical sites on the planet, it has clear skies, low light pollution, and stable airflow, producing exceptionally sharp images. The southern hemisphere location gives GMT access to the center of the Milky Way and its supermassive black hole — as well as many of the most interesting nearby galaxies.

Once the GMT becomes fully operational, its seven-mirror array will have a total light collecting area of 368 square meters (3,961 square feet) — enough to see the torch engraved on a dime from nearly 160 kilometers (100 miles) away. The mirrors help give the GMT the widest field of view of any of the forthcoming telescopes in the 30-meter class.

“This unprecedented combination of light gathering power, efficiency, and image resolution will enable us to make new discoveries across all fields of astronomy, particularly fields that require the highest spatial and spectral resolutions, like the search for other Earths,” said Rebecca Bernstein, GMT Chief Scientist. “We will have unique capabilities for studying planets at high resolution, which is the key to understanding if a planet has a rocky composition like our Earth, if it contains liquid water, and if its atmosphere contains the right combination of molecules to signal the presence of life.”

The GMT project is the work of a distinguished international consortium of leading universities and science institutions. For more information, visit https://www.gmto.org.

— END —

McDonald Observatory Honors Local Businesses, Organizations for Night Sky Friendly Lighting

FORT DAVIS, Texas — Just in time for International Dark Skies Week (April 5-12), McDonald Observatory is announcing a new program to honor West Texas businesses and organizations for Night Skies Friendly Lighting practices. These practices keep light on the ground and out of the sky, helping to preserve the exceptional night skies for which far West Texas is famous.

The first group of honorees include: Printco (Alpine), The Big Bend Sentinel (Marfa), the Jeff Davis County Courthouse and Annex (Fort Davis), and the Altus Midstream Diamond Cryogenic Complex (Balmorhea).

“Preserving the dark skies around McDonald Observatory is critical to both the scientific research and public outreach components of our mission,” said Taft Armandroff, Director of McDonald Observatory. “Our dark West Texas skies enable astronomers to study a faint galaxy whose light has traveled to us over billions of years, and also facilitate a visitor from a large city to see the Milky Way for the first time.”

These organizations are being recognized for practices such as using fully shielded lighting fixtures, warm white light colors, and no more light than necessary for the job. Next time you pass by one of these buildings at night, notice the pleasant lighting that safely illuminates the walkways without harsh glare.

While these lighting practices help keep the skies dark for McDonald Observatory’s telescopes, they are also better for the businesses themselves. Night sky friendly lighting designs improve visibility and safety, and can be more cost effective than traditional designs. And they are better for our health and environment.

McDonald Observatory has worked with Apache Corporation for many years on lighting recommendations for their oil and gas installations in West Texas. The company has provided leadership within their industry on implementing best lighting practices.

“We are grateful to the McDonald Observatory for their partnership over the years. Through our collaboration, we have worked to educate others about the need for dark skies and designed and modified our facilities’ lighting to help protect the observatory’s research,” said Clay Bretches, executive vice president, Operations, Apache Corporation and Altus Midstream CEO and president. “No matter our size or the nature of our business, we all have a role in keeping this part of Texas so special.”

All awardees will receive a recognition poster, as well as window decals to display at their site, acknowledging their recognition in the program. They will be recognized on the observatory’s website.

This business recognition program is ongoing, and the observatory encourages people to nominate either their organization or someone else’s. Organizations within the following counties are eligible: Jeff Davis, Brewster, Presidio, Culberson, Pecos, Reeves, and Hudspeth. To nominate, or for more information, visit:

http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/pages/recognition-program

During Dark Skies Week, the observatory will host special programs both on site and online. These include science activities families can do at home, a Dark Skies Town Hall, a Live Deep Sky Tour, and more. For more information, visit:

http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/dark-sky-week-mcdonald-observatory

The observatory is working on a number of other projects promoting dark skies. These include developing a new permanent exhibit and new public programs to help educate our visitors and neighbors about preserving the night sky. This work is made possible thanks to a partnership with Apache Corporation. We are also working with local organizations and businesses toward creating an International Dark Sky Reserve, to include parts of both West Texas and Mexico.

— END —

Media Contacts:

Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Alexandra Franceschi
Apache Corporation and Altus Midstream
713-296-7276

Texas Astronomers Lead Major Projects in James Webb Space Telescope’s First Year

AUSTIN — Astronomers at The University of Texas at Austin are set to lead some of the largest programs in the first year of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), including the largest project overall. Set to launch this Halloween, the telescope will become operational by mid-2022. Altogether, UT astronomers received about 500 hours of telescope time in JWST’s first year.

COSMOS-Webb, a project to map the earliest structures of the universe, is the largest project JWST will undertake in 2022. UT’s Caitlin Casey, assistant professor of astronomy, leads an international team of nearly 50 researchers, along with co-leader Jeyhan Kartaltepe of the Rochester Institute of Technology.

With more than 200 hours of observing time, COSMOS-Webb will conduct an ambitious survey of half a million galaxies. As a “treasury program,” the team will rapidly release their data to the public for use by other researchers.

Casey explained that their project will “stare deeply over a large patch of sky, about three times the size of the Moon. Instead of just finding the most distant galaxies, we hope to find them and figure out where they live in the universe, whether it be an ancient cosmic metropolis or a distant cosmic outpost.”

In probing the galaxies’ habitats, they are looking for bubbles showing where the first pockets of the early universe were reionized — that is, when light from the first stars and galaxies ripped apart hydrogen atoms that filled the cosmos, giving them an electric charge. This ended the cosmic dark ages, and began a new era where the universe was flooded with light, called the epoch of reionization. COSMOS-Webb hopes to map the scale of these reionization bubbles.

 “COSMOS-Webb has the potential to be ground-breaking in ways we haven’t even dreamt yet,” Casey said. “You don’t know what treasures are there to find until you use an incredible telescope like Webb to stare at the sky for a long time.”

Another major first-year JWST project is led by UT associate professor Steven Finkelstein. The fourth-largest project the telescope will undertake in 2022, it’s called the Webb Deep Extragalactic Exploratory Public (WDEEP) Survey. Finkelstein co-leads a large team along with Casey Papovich of Texas A&M University and Nor Pirzkal of the Space Telescope Science Institute.

In some ways, WDEEP is similar to COSMOS-Webb, Finkelstein said. Both are studying early galaxies, but at different early epochs in the history of the universe.

"Together, the projects COSMOS-Webb and WDEEP are bracketing the epoch of reionization,” Finkelstein said. “So with WDEEP, we’re trying to push to the very beginning of reionization when the earliest galaxies really started to form stars, and begin to ionize the intergalactic medium. Whereas Professor Casey’s program is targeting the end of reionization, looking at the descendants of our galaxies and the bubbles they have created around them.”

In terms of how the projects will be carried out, though, “WDEEP is almost the exact opposite,” Finkelstein said. “While COSMOS-Webb is going very wide to look for the brightest and most massive galaxies, WDEEP is going deep. We are going to pick one place in the sky and stare at it for over 100 hours, following in the footsteps of the original Hubble Deep Field,” he said.

He explained that the goal of WDEEP is to push the frontier in terms of the most distant galaxies detected. The team expects to find 50 or more galaxies at a time less than 500 million years after the Big Bang, which is “a completely unexplored epoch” in the universe’s history, he said. And if they’re lucky, they might find a galaxy at just 270 million years after the Big Bang, or 2% of the universe’s present age of 13.8 billion years.

The goal in finding these most-distant galaxies is to help understand the early universe. “There are a wide range of theoretical predictions for what the universe should look like at these times,” Finkelstein said. “Without observations, these predictions are completely unconstrained. Our goal is to try and pin down those models telling us what the earliest galaxies were like.”

Other UT astronomers lead or co-lead JWST first-year projects on a variety of topics. These include faculty members Brendan Bowler, John Chisholm, Harriet Dinerstein, Neal Evans, and Caroline Morley; postdoctoral researchers Micaela Bagley, Will Best, and Justin Spilker; and graduate student Samuel Factor. The projects include studies of planet formation, the failed stars called brown dwarfs, the chemistry of pre-biotic molecules in newly forming stars, early stages of star formation, the dead stars called planetary nebulae, the formation of massive galaxies in the early universe, and more. Together, they will use about 100 hours of telescope time in the telescope’s first year.

— END —

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Science Contacts:
Dr. Caitlin Casey, Asst. Professor
Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-3405

Dr. Steven Finkelstein, Assoc. Professor
Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-1483

Exoplanet is Gobbling Up Gas and Dust as it Continues to Build Mass

AUSTIN — The Hubble Space Telescope has allowed astronomers from The University of Texas at Austin to get a rare look at a young, Jupiter-sized planet that is growing by feeding off material surrounding a young star 370 light-years from Earth.

“We just don’t know very much about how giant planets grow,” said Brendan Bowler, an assistant professor of astronomy at UT Austin. “This planetary system gives us the first opportunity to witness material falling onto a planet. Our results open up a new area for this research.”

Though more than 4,000 exoplanets have been cataloged, only about 15 have been directly photographed by telescopes. And the planets are so far away and small that they simply look like dots even in the best photos. The team’s fresh technique for using Hubble to directly image this planet paves a new route for further exoplanet research, especially during a planet’s formative years.

This huge exoplanet, designated PDS 70b, orbits the orange dwarf star PDS 70, which is already known to have two actively forming planets inside a huge disk of dust and gas encircling the star.

The researchers’ results were published in April 2021 in The Astronomical Journal.

“This system is so exciting because we can witness the formation of a planet,” said Yifan Zhou, a postdoctoral researcher with UT Austin’s McDonald Observatory. “This is the youngest bona fide planet Hubble has ever directly imaged.” At a youthful 5 million years, the planet is still gathering material and building up mass.

Hubble’s ultraviolet light (UV) sensitivity offers a unique look at radiation from extremely hot gas falling onto the planet. The UV observations allowed the team to directly measure the planet’s mass growth rate for the first time. The remote world has already bulked up to five times the mass of Jupiter over a period of about 5 million years. The present measured accretion rate has dwindled significantly.

Zhou and Bowler emphasize that these observations are a single snapshot in time — more data are required to determine whether the rate at which the planet is adding mass is increasing or decreasing. Their measurements suggest that the planet is at the end of its formation process.

The youthful PDS 70 system is filled with a primordial gas-and-dust disk that provides fuel to feed the growth of planets throughout the entire system. The planet PDS 70b is encircled by its own gas-and-dust disk that’s siphoning material from the vastly larger disk around the star. The researchers hypothesize that magnetic field lines extend from the planet’s disk down to its atmosphere and are funneling material onto the planet’s surface.

“If this material follows columns from the disk onto the planet, it would cause local hot spots,” Zhou said. “These hot spots could be at least 10 times hotter than the temperature of the planet.”

The observations offer insights into how gas giant planets formed around our sun 4.6 billion years ago. Jupiter may have bulked up on a surrounding disk of infalling material. Its major moons would have also formed from leftovers in that disk. 

A challenge to the team was overcoming the glare of the parent star. PDS 70b orbits at about the same distance as Uranus does from the sun, but its star is more than 3,000 times as bright as the planet at UV wavelengths. As Zhou processed the images, he carefully removed the star’s glare to leave behind only light emitted by the planet. In doing so, he improved the limit of how close a planet can be to its star in Hubble observations by a factor of five.

“Thirty-one years after launch, we’re still finding new ways to use Hubble,” Bowler said. “Yifan’s observing strategy and post-processing technique will open new windows into studying similar systems, or even the same system, repeatedly with Hubble. With future observations, we could potentially discover when the majority of the gas and dust falls onto their planets and if it does so at a constant rate.”

— END —

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Science Contacts:
Dr. Yifan Zhou, Postdoctoral Fellow
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin

Dr. Brendan Bowler, Asst. Professor
Deptartment of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin

You Can Help Decode the Universe!

Would you like to help astronomers understand more about the universe? McDonald Observatory astronomers are trying to learn more about dark energy — the mysterious force causing the universe to expand faster and faster over time. And now there is a fun and easy way anyone can help with their research, using a smartphone or computer.

Launched in February, Dark Energy Explorers uses the Zooniverse platform, the largest citizen science organization in the world. Users participate via the Zooniverse website or the Zooniverse smartphone app.

Here’s how Dark Energy Explorers works: After reading a brief tutorial, users look at astronomical images and classify the objects they see as either nearby or distant. Nearby objects are most likely stars or nearby galaxies, and distant objects are usually distant galaxies. And that’s it! Once trained, users can classify a lot of galaxies quickly, by swiping left or right on their phone. The app has joking been called “Tinder for galaxies.”

The images to be classified are from the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory, and were taken as part of the HET Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX). This massive research project is designed to reveal if dark energy changes over time, or if it’s constant. Once astronomers understand how dark energy behaves, they will be well on their way to figuring out exactly what it is.

To do that, astronomers need a huge sample of distant galaxies to study. That’s what HETDEX is — a massive survey of a million distant galaxies using one of the largest telescopes in the world.

Once the telescope observations are in hand, there’s a problem. The telescope records everything in its field of view, but the team only wants distant galaxies for this study. Somehow, they have to sort their pictures of astronomical objects into ones that are going to be useful for the study and remove the rest. With millions of pictures, it’s a mammoth task.

And computers aren’t that good at it. The human eye is better at visual classification. That’s where you come in! The classifications by users of Dark Energy Explorers will feed into HETDEX.

The app now has about 3,000 volunteers. Collectively, they have done 950,000 galaxy classifications. Their work has cut down the time HETDEX astronomers spend on this task by 90%. With your help, astronomers can concentrate their energies on the toughest classifications.

To get started, create your free account on Zooniverse first and then select Dark Energy Explorers from their list of projects. (If you don't create an account, your work won't be saved!)

Dark Energy Explorers was created by a team led by graduate student Lindsay House, HETDEX astronomer Karl Gebhardt, HETDEX data scientist Erin Mentuch Cooper, professor and astronomy education expert Keely Finkelstein, postdoctoral researcher Chenxu Liu, and graduate student Dustin Davis.

The project has no specified end date — it will run until HETDEX runs out of data. With 15 million classifications needed, that won’t be any time soon.

Astronomers Disprove Planet Orbiting Nearby Barnard’s Star

HPF

FORT DAVIS, Texas — Astronomers are announcing today that they have disproved a 2018-announced planet orbiting Barnard’s Star, the second-closest star to our Sun. The findings, based on observations with the Habitable Zone Planet Finder (HPF) instrument on the 10-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope at The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory, have been accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal.

Led by University of California, Irvine graduate student Jack Lubin, the large international team also includes UT Austin astronomers Michael Endl and William Cochran.

The team said that archival data and new observations from HPF do not show signs of a planet in the Barnard’s Star system. Instead, the astronomers suggest signals initially appearing to be from a “super Earth” measuring 3.3 times the size of our home planet are more likely the result of starspots, stellar activity similar to the sunspots well known on our own Sun.

“Around the time of the 2018 exoplanet announcement, our team was actually observing Barnard’s Star as part of a commissioning operation for the new Habitable Zone Planet Finder,” Lubin said. “But the more data we collected with HPF, and the closer we looked, the more convinced we became that the proposed planet candidate is a false positive.”

Today’s disproved planet is not the first for Barnard’s star. “The star is famous — or infamous — in the exoplanet field,” Endl said. “It was one of the first stars that astronomers believed to have detected a planetary system in the 1970s and 80s. Later these results were shown to be instrumental effects.”

The 2018 planet announcement drew a lot of attention because of the cultural lore and scientific fascination around Barnard’s Star. Due to its relative lack of magnetic activity, the star has been thought to be a “Doppler standard” by astronomers. The planet finding seemed incontrovertible; the international team that announced it based their findings on more than 700 observations over 23 years with seven instruments; their results were published in Nature.

But, according to Lubin, the HPF team had some questions about the relationship between the rotation period of Barnard’s Star, which is around 145 days, and the proposed exoplanet’s 233-day orbit. “They are one-year aliases of each other, so what we think has happened is that the rotation of Barnard’s Star was sampled in a way that produced a signal at a different period,” said Lubin. “That signal was ascribed to an exoplanet that we now think is not there.”

Also, features on the surface of stars, such as starspots, can cause signals in astronomical observations that mimic a planet’s orbit, causing a false positive exoplanet detection.

Endl explained that earlier studies hinted at magnetic interference going on with Barnard’s Star. “From precise radial velocity measurements that we collected more than 20 years ago using the UVES spectrograph at the Very Large Telescope in Chile, we were surprised to detect that, even for such an old star, our measurements were affected by the magnetic activity in this star,” he said. “This is typical for younger and faster rotating stars, but it was not really expected for Barnard."

The HPF team drew their conclusions after testing three different models of the Barnard’s system. In the first run, they analyzed for a single planet with the same characteristics as those in the 2018 paper with no stellar activity. Next, they ran the experiment accounting for the planet plus an additional signal of activity of the star. Then they performed on a test with no planet but with stellar activity.

“We found that the model which only accounts for stellar activity fits the data the best,” said Lubin.

The team then conducted a year-by-year analysis of the signaling data from Barnard’s Star. They found that the data suggesting the presence of a planet was strongest around the middle of the dataset but weak at other times.

“Even though Jack’s result demonstrates again that stellar activity can mimic a planet, I am excited about the continued monitoring of this fascinating star with the HPF at the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and other instruments around the world,” Endl said. “I bet eventually we will find planets orbiting Barnard’s Star!”

— END —

Notes to editors: The research paper is freely available online at: http://arxiv.org/abs/2105.07005

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Science Contact:
Dr. Michael Endl
Center for Planetary Systems Habitability
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-8312

David Doss to Retire from McDonald Observatory after 50 Years’ Service

David Doss

FORT DAVIS, Texas — David Doss is retiring from McDonald Observatory after half a century of making scientific research happen. As Assistant Manager for Observing Support, he has been there to make sure the telescopes and instruments are in tip-top shape and working as they should, so that astronomers can use them to study the universe.

“David's commitment to McDonald and his reputable service to science facilitation speak of his passion for astronomy,” said observatory Superintendent Teznie Pugh. “He will be missed by many not only in our West Texas community but across Texas, the US, and abroad. For those of us that live and work here and many of our colleagues in Austin, the mountain will not be the same without David and his family.”

Doss explains his job in simple terms. “Basically, we’re here to try to make the observers’ experiences as fruitful as possible,” he said. “We do that by changing telescopes, setting up the instruments, and checking them out. Occasionally we’ll do a little training with the astronomers.”

Doss came to McDonald Observatory immediately after graduating from Sul Ross State University in December 1970, where he studied chemistry and math. But in college, he developed a love for another of the sciences.

“I had been helping the astronomy teacher teach the astronomy labs,” Doss remembered. “And he happened to hear that [the observatory] was going to start hiring night assistants, or telescope operators, and I got to be the first one hired in that group.” He started on January 1, 1971.

Doss worked on countless projects over the decades, but a few stand out to him as favorites. In particular, he said he enjoyed helping to commission new instruments for the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope, which was still fairly new when he arrived. It achieved first light in 1969.

“With the complexity of the observatory’s telescopes and instrumentation, having dedicated team members like David Doss and many of his colleagues who serve for decades is a significant part of achieving our mission to study the universe,” said observatory Director Taft Armandroff.

Doss also said he enjoyed working on the giant telescope mirrors, as they were periodically removed to be recoated with aluminum to maintain their reflectivity. The behemoth mirrors then had to be put back and the telescope re-aligned. “That was quite interesting. Had a lot of fun,” he said.

Of course there have been a number of major changes at the observatory in 50 years. “Certainly the biggest change I’ve seen since I started to work here was the computers,” Doss said. When he started out, he recalled, “we had one computer on the mountain, an IBM 1800 mainframe. It had 32K of RAM. It had three disk drives. Each disk drive held half a Meg of info. By today’s standards, your watch probably has more capacity than that,” he laughed.

In addition to his regular work at the observatory, Doss is also an accomplished photographer. His images of the observatory have been used in the observatory’s brochures, websites, holiday cards, and other publications.

After retirement, Doss plans to move to Port Aransas, on the Texas coast.

— END —

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

McDonald Observatory Mourns Death of World-Renowned Physicist Steven Weinberg

Steven Weinberg

AUSTIN — Nobel laureate Steven Weinberg, a professor of physics and astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin, has died. He was 88.

One of the most celebrated scientists of his generation, Weinberg was best known for helping to develop a critical part of the Standard Model of particle physics, which significantly advanced humanity’s understanding of how everything in the universe — its various particles and the forces that govern them — relate. A faculty member for nearly four decades at UT Austin, he was a beloved teacher and researcher, revered not only by the scientists who marveled at his concise and elegant theories but also by science enthusiasts everywhere who read his books and sought him out at public appearances and lectures.

“The passing of Steven Weinberg is a loss for The University of Texas and for society. Professor Weinberg unlocked the mysteries of the universe for millions of people, enriching humanity’s concept of nature and our relationship to the world,” said Jay Hartzell, president of The University of Texas at Austin. “From his students to science enthusiasts, from astrophysicists to public decision makers, he made an enormous difference in our understanding. In short, he changed the world.”

“As a world-renowned researcher and faculty member, Steven Weinberg has captivated and inspired our UT Austin community for nearly four decades,” said Sharon L. Wood, provost of the university. “His extraordinary discoveries and contributions in cosmology and elementary particles have not only strengthened UT’s position as a global leader in physics, they have changed the world.”

Weinberg held the Jack S. Josey–Welch Foundation Chair in Science at UT Austin and was the winner of multiple scientific awards including the 1979 Nobel Prize in physics, which he shared with Abdus Salam and Sheldon Lee Glashow; a National Medal of Science in 1991; the Lewis Thomas Prize for the Scientist as Poet in 1999; and, just last year, the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics. He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the Royal Society of London, Britain’s Royal Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society, which presented him with the Benjamin Franklin Medal in 2004.

In 1967, Weinberg published a seminal paper laying out how two of the universe’s four fundamental forces — electromagnetism and the weak nuclear force — relate as part of a unified electroweak force. “A Model of Leptons,” at barely three pages, predicted properties of elementary particles that at that time had never before been observed (the W, Z and Higgs boson) and theorized that “neutral weak currents” dictated how elementary particles interact with one another. Later experiments, including the 2012 discovery of the Higgs boson at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Switzerland, would bear out each of his predictions.

Weinberg leveraged his renown and his science for causes he cared deeply about. He had a lifelong interest in curbing nuclear proliferation and served briefly as a consultant for the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. He advocated for a planned superconducting supercollider with the capabilities of the LHC in the United States — a project that ultimately failed to receive funding in the 1990s after having been planned for a site near Waxahachie, Texas. He continued to be an ambassador for science throughout his life, for example, teaching UT Austin students and participating in events such as the 2021 Nobel Prize Inspiration Initiative in April and in the Texas Science Festival in February.

“When we talk about science as part of the culture of our times, we’d better make it part of that culture by explaining what we’re doing,” Weinberg explained in a 2015 interview published by Third Way. “I think it’s very important not to write down to the public. You have to keep in mind that you’re writing for people who are not mathematically trained but are just as smart as you are.”

By showing the unifying links behind weak forces and electromagnetism, which were previously believed to be completely different, Weinberg delivered the first pillar of the Standard Model, the half-century-old theory that explains particles and three of the four fundamental forces in the universe (the fourth being gravity). As critical as the model is in helping physical scientists understand the order driving everything from the first minutes after the Big Bang to the world around us, Weinberg continued to pursue, alongside other scientists, dreams of a “final theory” that would concisely and effectively explain current unknowns about the forces and particles in the universe, including gravity.

Weinberg wrote hundreds of scientific articles about general relativity, quantum field theory, cosmology and quantum mechanics, as well as numerous popular articles, reviews and books. His books include To Explain the WorldDreams of a Final Theory, Facing Up, and The First Three Minutes. Weinberg often was asked in media interviews to reflect on his atheism and how it related to the scientific insights he described in his books.

“If there is no point in the universe that we discover by the methods of science, there is a point that we can give the universe by the way we live, by loving each other, by discovering things about nature, by creating works of art,” he once told PBS. “Although we are not the stars in a cosmic drama, if the only drama we’re starring in is one that we are making up as we go along, it is not entirely ignoble that faced with this unloving, impersonal universe we make a little island of warmth and love and science and art for ourselves.”

Weinberg was a native of New York, and his childhood love of science began with a gift of a chemistry set and continued through teaching himself calculus while a student at Bronx High School of Science. The first in his family to attend college, he received a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a doctoral degree from Princeton University. He researched at Columbia University and the University of California, Berkeley, before serving on the faculty of Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and, since 1982, UT Austin.

He is survived by his wife, UT Austin law professor Louise Weinberg, and their daughter, Elizabeth.

— END —

MEDIA CONTACT
Christine Sinatra, Director of Communications
College of Natural Sciences
The University of Texas at Austin
512-853-0506 (mobile)

West Texas Communities Protect Night Skies; McDonald Observatory Hosts Dark Skies Town Hall Aug. 12

FORT DAVIS, Texas — The dark skies of far West Texas may soon get even darker, thanks to commitments from communities in the region to reduce light pollution. McDonald Observatory wishes to thank the counties and municipalities in the proposed Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve; all have now adopted new outdoor lighting ordinances. These are Brewster, Jeff Davis, Presidio, and Reeves counties, and the cities of Alpine, Balmorhea, Marfa, Presidio, and Valentine. The new ordinances aim to encourage the use of better lighting techniques that keep light on the ground and out of the sky.

“It is inspiring to see how the communities of West Texas have come together to enact these new lighting ordinances, helping to protect dark West Texas skies for astronomy, ecology, and natural enjoyment,” said McDonald Observatory Director Taft Armandroff.

Outdoor lighting ordinances have existed in the region for decades. They are intended to protect the dark night skies for astronomical research at McDonald Observatory. The new ordinances bring the language of these ordinances up to the standards of the International Dark Sky Association, and include updates to address advances in lighting technology.

The changes are a crucial step toward completion of the proposed dark sky reserve, which would be the largest of its kind in the world at over 9.8 million acres in Texas and Mexico. The reserve would not only help to protect views of the night sky, but also protect wildlife, improve safety and visibility in local communities, and reduce energy waste.

The ordinance encourages the following four steps for night-sky friendly lighting practices:

Shielding: Lights should be aimed down at the ground, and shielded such that the source of light is not visible from above or from off the property.

Color: Light sources should have a color temperature of 2,700K or below (warm white/amber). Harsh blue or white colors should be avoided.

Intensity: Lights should not emit more light than is necessary.

Timing: Lights that are not in use, such as business signs or decorative lights, should be turned off after hours, put on a timer to turn off automatically, or only activated by a motion sensor.

McDonald Observatory will host a virtual town hall for local residents on August 12 at 6 p.m. CDT on its YouTube channel. Hosts will discuss the ongoing reserve project, how it will benefit the region, the recent ordinance changes, and answer questions. Watch on YouTube: http://youtube.com/McDonaldObservatory

Copies of outdoor lighting ordinances in the region are available on the observatory’s dark skies resources webpage: https://mcdonaldobservatory.org/dark-skies-resources

— END —

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Frank Cianciolo Retires from McDonald Observatory

Frank Cianciolo

FORT DAVIS, Texas — After more than three decades of bringing the wonders of the night sky to visitors and the public, Frank Cianciolo is retiring from McDonald Observatory at the end of this month. Cianciolo is the manager of the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center.

“Frank Cianciolo’s love for astronomy and masterful knowledge of the night sky have been shared with generations of visitors to McDonald Observatory,” said observatory Director Taft Armandroff. “My colleagues and I thank him for his dedication to McDonald Observatory’s public programs at our Frank N. Bash Visitors Center.”

Cianciolo started working full-time at McDonald Observatory in 1994, though he had spent long stretches volunteering with the observatory’s outreach efforts in the years just before, while still in college. “I fell in love with the observatory, and never wanted to leave,” he said.

Once he came on full time at the observatory’s previous W.L. Moody Visitors Center, he took on a range of outreach duties including leading tours and manning telescopes at public star parties.

When the new, greatly expanded Frank N. Bash Visitors Center opened in 2002, Cianciolo was soon named manager. For nearly two decades, he has overseen the center and its staff that not only offers immensely popular star parties, solar viewings and observatory tours, but also a theater, café, and gift shop to an ever-growing number of visitors at the remote mountain site.

Cianciolo witnessed a lot of changes during his time at the observatory. “Building the new visitors center was a huge thing,” he remembered. “I got to participate in creating new exhibits, and learn about construction. It was very cool.” The new, bigger visitors center served an ever-growing audience. There was “tremendous growth in visitation,” Cianciolo said, leading to some “astonishing changes we went through” to serve that audience.

Additionally, Cianciolo watched the construction of one of the world’s largest telescopes from the ground up: the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. “Being here for the construction of the HET — that was amazing,” he said.

Working at the observatory, and indeed living on-site, for decades, has been a way of life for Cianciolo. “The observatory is such a family, such a community,” Cianciolo said. “The staff at the visitors center is so tight. I’ve been so incredibly fortunate to work with all of these people.”

After retirement, Cianciolo plans to return to his hometown of Cincinnati, where his family still lives.

— END —

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Galaxies Pump Out Contaminated Exhausts

AUSTIN — Galaxies pollute the environment they exist in, researchers have found.

A team of astronomers including The University of Texas at Austin’s Danielle Berg and John Chisholm used a new imaging system at the WM Keck Observatory in Hawaii to confirm that what flows into a galaxy is a lot cleaner than what flows out. The research is published today in The Astrophysical Journal.

“Enormous clouds of gas are pulled into galaxies and used in the process of making stars,” said co-lead author Deanne Fisher, associate professor at the Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing at Swinburne University in Australia.

“On its way in it is made of hydrogen and helium. By using a new piece of equipment called the Keck Cosmic Web Imager, we were able to confirm that stars made from this fresh gas eventually drive a huge amount of material back out of the system, mainly through supernovas.

“But this stuff is no longer nice and clean — it contains lots of other elements, including oxygen, carbon, and iron.”

The process of atoms flooding into galaxies — known as ‘accretion’ – and their eventual expulsion — known as ‘outflows’ — is an important mechanism governing the growth, mass and size of galaxies.

Until now, however, the composition of the inward and outward flows could only be guessed at.

"These are some of the first observations to reveal the long-sought cycle of gas in and out of galaxies," UT Austin's Chisholm said. "This work uses the chemical composition of the gas to tag whether the gas is freshly coming into the galaxy or is being ejected out of the galaxy. This cycle of gas regulates the buildup stars and the evolution of galaxies in general. These observations provide concrete benchmarks to test our theory of galaxy evolution."

This research is the first time the full cycle has been confirmed in a galaxy other than the Milky Way.

To make their findings, the researchers focused on a galaxy called Mrk 1486, which lies about 500 light years from the Sun and is going through a period of very rapid star formation.

“We found there is a very clear structure to how the gases enter and exit,” explained study co-leader Alex Cameron of the UK’s University of Oxford.

“Imagine the galaxy is a spinning frisbee. The gas enters relatively unpolluted from the cosmos outside, around the perimeter, and then condenses to form new stars. When those stars later explode, they push out other gas – now containing these other elements – through the top and bottom.”

The elements — comprising more than half the Periodic Table — are forged deep inside the cores of the stars through nuclear fusion. When the stars collapse or go nova the results are catapulted into the universe – where they form part of the matrix from which newer stars, planets, asteroids and, in at least one instance, life emerges.

Mrk 1486 was the perfect candidate for observation because it lies “edge-on” to Earth, meaning that the outflowing gas could be easily viewed, and its composition measured. Most galaxies sit at awkward angles for this type of research.

“This work is important for astronomers because for the first time we’ve been able to put limits on the forces that strongly influence how galaxies make stars,” added Professor Fisher. “It takes us one step closer to understanding how and why galaxies look the way they do — and how long they will last.”

Other scientists contributing to the work are based at the University of Maryland at College Park, the University of California at San Diego, and the Universidad de Concepcion in Chile.

— END —

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Science Contact:
Dr. John Chisholm, Asst. Professor
Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin

McDonald Observatory, Partners Request Letters of Support for Dark Sky Reserve

FORT DAVIS, Texas — McDonald Observatory and its community partners (Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, the Davis Mountains Preserve, and others) are close to sending in their application to create an International Dark Sky Reserve in the Big Bend, and need your help. The group is asking for letters of support to accompany their application to the International Dark Sky Association.

The proposed Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve would be the largest of its kind in the world, at more than 10 million acres in West Texas and Northern Mexico.

In Texas, it would include the counties of Presidio, Brewster, Jeff Davis, and a small portion of Reeves. A successful application will need letters of support for the reserve and lighting management plan from citizens and business owners in those counties.

The observatory has posted a sample letter that can be used as a template. To access it, as well as additional information about the Reserve, please see: https://mcdonaldobservatory.org/dark-sky-reserve

Letters of support must be received by October 1, 2021. They may be either emailed to Bill Wren at bwren@utexas.edu or mailed to:

Bill Wren, Dark Skies Initiative Coordinator
82 Mt. Locke Rd.
McDonald Observatory, TX 79734

The observatory and its partners appreciate the support they have received from the community for this project so far, and look forward to receiving letters from the community.

— END —

Uncovering the Mystery of Early Massive Galaxies Running on Empty

New study reveals that early galaxies have no fuel, and something is stopping them from refilling the tank

Early massive galaxies — those that formed in the three billion years following the Big Bang — should have contained large amounts of cold hydrogen gas, the fuel required to make stars. But a team of scientists including Justin Spilker, Hubble Postdoctoral Fellow at The University of Texas at Austin, have have spotted something strange in their studies of the early universe with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the Hubble Space Telescope: half a dozen early massive galaxies that ran out of fuel. Their results of the research are published today in Nature.

Known as “quenched” galaxies — or galaxies that have shut down star formation — the six galaxies selected for observation from the REsolving QUIEscent Magnified galaxies at high redshift, or the REQUIEM survey, are inconsistent with what astronomers expect of the early universe.

“The most massive galaxies in the universe lived fast and furious, creating their stars in a remarkably short amount of time. Gas, the fuel of star formation, should be plentiful at these early times in the universe,” said Kate Whitaker, lead author on the study, and assistant professor of astronomy at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. “We originally believed that these quenched galaxies hit the brakes just a few billion years after the Big Bang. In our new research, we’ve concluded that early galaxies didn’t actually put the brakes on, but rather, they were running on empty.”

To better understand how the galaxies formed and died, the team observed them using Hubble, which revealed details about the stars residing in the galaxies. Concurrent observations with ALMA revealed the galaxies’ continuum emission — a tracer of dust — at millimeter wavelengths, allowing the team to infer the amount of gas in the galaxies. The use of the two telescopes is by careful design, as the purpose of REQUIEM is to use strong gravitational lensing as a natural telescope to observe dormant galaxies with higher spatial resolution. This, in turn, gives scientists a clear view of galaxies’ internal goings-on, a task often impossible with those running on empty.

“If a galaxy isn’t making many new stars it gets very faint very fast so it is difficult or impossible to observe them in detail with any individual telescope. REQUIEM solves this by studying galaxies that are gravitationally lensed, meaning their light gets stretched and magnified as it bends and warps around other galaxies much closer to the Milky Way,” said UT Austin's Spilker. “In this way, gravitational lensing, combined with the resolving power and sensitivity of Hubble and ALMA, acts as a natural telescope and makes these dying galaxies appear bigger and brighter than they are in reality, allowing us to see what’s going on and what isn’t.”

The new observations showed that the cessation of star formation in the six target galaxies was not caused by a sudden inefficiency in the conversion of cold gas to stars. Instead, it was the result of the depletion or removal of the gas reservoirs in the galaxies. "We don't yet understand why this happens, but possible explanations could be that either the primary gas supply fueling the galaxy is cut off, or perhaps a supermassive black hole is injecting energy that keeps the gas in the galaxy hot,” said Christina Williams, an astronomer at the University of Arizona and co-author on the research. “Essentially, this means that the galaxies are unable to refill the fuel tank, and thus, unable to restart the engine on star production.”

The study also represents a number of important firsts in the measurement of early massive galaxies, synthesizing information that will guide future studies of the early Universe for years to come. “These are the first measurements of the cold dust continuum of distant dormant galaxies, and in fact, the first measurements of this kind outside the local universe,” said Whitaker, adding that the new study has allowed scientists to see how much gas individual dead galaxies have. “We were able to probe the fuel of star formation in these early massive galaxies deep enough to take the first measurements of the gas tank reading, giving us a critically missing viewpoint of the cold gas properties of these galaxies.”

Although the team now knows that these galaxies are running on empty and that something is keeping them from refilling the tank and from forming new stars, the study represents just the first in a series of inquiries into what made early massive galaxies go, or not. “We still have so much to learn about why the most massive galaxies formed so early in the universe and why they shut down their star formation when so much cold gas was readily available to them,” said Whitaker. “The mere fact that these massive beasts of the cosmos formed 100 billion stars within about a billion years and then suddenly shut down their star formation is a mystery we would all love to solve, and REQUIEM has provided the first clue.”

— END —

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Manager
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Science Contact:
Dr. Justin Spilker, Hubble Postdoctoral Fellow
The University of Texas at Austin

Weizmann Institute of Science Joins University of Texas at Austin, Partners in Giant Magellan Telescope Project

GMT

AUSTIN — On September 14, 2021, The University of Texas at Austin and other co-founders of the Giant Magellan Telescope project welcomed the Weizmann Institute of Science into their international consortium. The new partnership reinforces that completing the largest and most powerful optical-infrared telescope ever engineered is a top priority for the global scientific community. The unprecedented abilities of the Giant Magellan Telescope coupled with the Weizmann Institute of Science’s world-leading scientific expertise and resources in astrophysics will revolutionize the way humanity understands the universe and our place in it.

“The University of Texas at Austin welcomes the Weizmann Institute of Science to the Giant Magellan Telescope partnership,” said Taft Armandroff, Director of the university’s McDonald Observatory and Vice Chair of GMT’s governing board. “We have many scientific and technical interests in common.”

The Weizmann Institute of Science is a distinguished multidisciplinary research institution from Israel. Their Nella and Leon Benoziyo Center for Astrophysics promotes research in nearly all aspects of astronomy, expanding the Giant Magellan Telescope’s research capabilities by capitalizing on the center’s outstanding team of astrophysicists and benefiting from renowned Israeli innovation. Before officially joining the GMTO Corporation, faculty at the Weizmann Institute of Science helped develop one of the first scientific instruments for the telescope, a spectrograph that is designed to study Earth-like planets around Sun-like stars.

“The addition of the Weizmann Institute of Science is a giant win for our international consortium,” said Walter Massey, Board Chair of the GMTO Corporation and former director of the National Science Foundation. “We just became stronger and more capable. We are now one step closer to pointing the world’s largest mirrors toward the heavens and unlocking its many cosmic secrets.”

Construction of the next-generation telescope is well underway on Las Campanas Peak at the southern edge of Chile’s Atacama Desert, one of the best locations on Earth to explore the universe. It will use seven of the world’s largest mirrors and the most advanced adaptive optics technology to see billions of light-years into the universe with ten times the resolution of the famed Hubble Space Telescope. This extraordinary image clarity will enable scientists around the globe to obtain new clues to the fundamental nature and evolution of the universe — including the search for life on distant exoplanets.

The Weizmann Institute of Science is the thirteenth member of the GMTO Corporation, joining Arizona State University, Astronomy Australia Ltd., Australian National University, Carnegie Institution for Science, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo – FAPESP, Harvard University, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Texas A&M University, The University of Texas at Austin, University of Arizona, and the University of Chicago.

The international consortium anticipates commissioning the Giant Magellan Telescope in the late 2020s.

To learn more about the Weizmann Institute of Science, visit weizmann.ac.il. To learn more about the GMTO Corporation, the international nonprofit organization building the Giant Magellan Telescope, visit gmto.org.

— END —

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Science Contact
Dr. Taft Armandroff
Director, UT-Austin McDonald Observatory
Vice Chair, GMTO Board of Directors
512-471-3300

MEDIA ADVISORY: McDonald Observatory to Host Dark Skies Festival April 29-30, 2022

Amphitheater with Milky Way

WHAT
McDonald Observatory will host its first Dark Skies Festival, sponsored by Apache Corporation

WHEN
Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30, 2022

WHERE
McDonald Observatory Frank N. Bash Visitors Center near Fort Davis, Texas

BACKGROUND
Save the dates of April 29-30 for McDonald Observatory’s inaugural Dark Skies Festival! This family-friendly celebration of the night sky will feature daytime and evening activities, tours of facilities, telescope viewing, educational activities, guest speakers, food, and live music. A new exhibit on protecting dark skies, funded by Apache Corporation, will debut at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center.

Admission to daytime programs and events will be free. Reservations will be required for evening programs. A detailed schedule of events will be published at http://mcdonaldobservatory.org.

— END —

MEDIA CONTACT:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

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

GMT

AUSTIN — A new report out from the National Academy of Sciences, the highly anticipated decadal survey Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s, or “Astro2020,” has presented recommendations for making federal investments critical to achieving advances in US astronomy over the next decade. The report ranked the US Extremely Large Telescope Program (US-ELTP) as the top project for ground-based observatories, recommending federal support for the final construction stages of the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). The University of Texas at Austin is a founding partner in the international consortium to build the GMT.

“I am delighted that the astronomy and astrophysics decadal survey recommendations are aligned with the vision of McDonald Observatory and the UT Austin Department of Astronomy — that GMT will provide transformational observing capabilities to our faculty, students, and researchers,” said Taft Armandroff, Director of McDonald Observatory and Vice Chair of the GMT Organization Board. “We look forward to working with the National Science Foundation to realize the recommendations of Astro2020.”

Indeed, the report stated that building an extremely large telescope “is absolutely essential if the United States is to maintain a position as a leader in ground-based astronomy.”

“We are incredibly honored to be ranked as a top priority in the decadal survey and are grateful for the many scientists who engaged in the process,” said GMT Organization President Robert Shelton. “This endorsement solidifies the scientific momentum that our founding consortium of international universities and research institutions pioneered years ago. After all, we designed the Giant Magellan Telescope to discover the unknown, and it’s the unimaginable discoveries that could change humanity forever.”

The Giant Magellan Telescope was evaluated in Astro2020 as a core partner of the US-ELTP. The goal of the program is for the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab to provide US-based astronomers with full-sky observing access to the Giant Magellan Telescope in the southern hemisphere and the Thirty Meter Telescope in the northern hemisphere. The US-ELTP was viewed by Astro2020 as a visionary program that will enable collaborative, inclusive, and transformational research in nearly all areas of astrophysics — from understanding the fundamental nature of the universe to the search for life on distant exoplanets.

“We are proud to be part of the US Extremely Large Telescope Program and its bold vision to provide full-sky access to the astronomical community,” said Walter Massey, GMT Organization Board Chair and former Director of the National Science Foundation. “A heartfelt congratulations to both the Thirty Meter Telescope and NOIRLab. This strong recommendation is the result of many years of hard work. It is a great time to support and join our inspirational project and help secure access to these amazing telescopes for decades to come.”

The 24.5-meter aperture GMT is positioned to put a federal investment to good use. Construction is well underway at Las Campanas Observatory at the southern edge of Chile’s Atacama Desert, one of the best locations on Earth to explore the heavens. The project has completed hard rock excavation for the foundation and support infrastructure, cast six of seven primary mirrors, begun fabricating its first adaptive secondary mirror, and has already secured a subaward from the National Science Foundation to accelerate the prototyping and testing of some of the most powerful optical and infrared technologies ever engineered.

Astro2020 highlights the GMT’s 368 square meter light-collecting power, unmatched 25-arcminute field of view, advanced adaptive optics system, and high-resolution spectroscopic and diffraction-limited imaging capabilities. The report emphasizes that the “capabilities can be brought to bear on nearly all of the important science questions laid out by this decadal survey, across all three of our key science themes.” These inspiring scientific priorities include pathways to habitable worlds, new windows on the dynamic universe, and drivers of galaxy growth. The recommendation also stated that the US-ELTP “provides observational capabilities unmatched in space or the ground and opens an enormous discovery space for new observations and discoveries not yet anticipated.”

The Giant Magellan Telescope is the work of an international consortium of leading universities and research institutions, including The University of Texas at Austin. To learn more, visit gmto.org

— END —

Note to editors: The complete text of the decadal survey ASTRO2020 is available at: https://www.nap.edu/resource/26141/interactive/

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson
Communications Mgr., McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Science Contact:
Dr. Taft Armandroff
Director, UT Austin McDonald Observatory
Vice Chair, GMT Organization Board of Directors
512-471-3300

Texas Astronomers Discover Strangely Massive Black Hole in Milky Way Satellite Galaxy

FORT DAVIS, Texas — Astronomers at The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory have discovered an unusually massive black hole at the heart of one of the Milky Way’s dwarf satellite galaxies, called Leo I. Almost as massive as the black hole in our own galaxy, the finding could redefine our understanding of how all galaxies — the building blocks of the universe — evolve. The work is published in a recent issue of The Astrophysical Journal.

The team decided to study Leo I because of its peculiarity. Unlike most dwarf galaxies orbiting the Milky Way, Leo I does not contain much dark matter. Researchers measured Leo I’s dark matter profile — that is, how the density of dark matter changes from the outer edges of the galaxy all the way into its center. They did this by measuring its gravitational pull on the stars: The faster the stars are moving, the more matter there is enclosed in their orbits. In particular, the team wanted to know whether dark matter density increases toward the galaxy’s center. They also wanted to know whether their profile measurement would match previous ones made using older telescope data combined with computer models.

Led by recent UT Austin doctoral graduate María José Bustamante, the team includes UT astronomers Eva Noyola, Karl Gebhardt and Greg Zeimann, as well as colleagues from Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE).

For their observations, they used a unique instrument called VIRUS-W on McDonald Observatory’s 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope.

When the team fed their improved data and sophisticated models into a supercomputer at UT Austin’s Texas Advanced Computing Center, they got a startling result.

“The models are screaming that you need a black hole at the center; you don’t really need a lot of dark matter,” Gebhardt said. “You have a very small galaxy that is falling into the Milky Way, and its black hole is about as massive as the Milky Way’s. The mass ratio is absolutely huge. The Milky Way is dominant; the Leo I black hole is almost comparable.” The result is unprecedented.

The researchers said the result was different from the past studies of Leo I due to a combination of better data and the supercomputer simulations. The central, dense region of the galaxy was mostly unexplored in previous studies, which concentrated on the velocities of individual stars. The current study showed that for those few velocities that were taken in the past, there was a bias toward low velocities. This, in turn, decreased the inferred amount of matter enclosed within their orbits.

The new data is concentrated in the central region and is unaffected by this bias. The amount of inferred matter enclosed within the stars’ orbits skyrocketed.

The finding could shake up astronomers’ understanding of galaxy evolution, as “there is no explanation for this kind of black hole in dwarf spheroidal galaxies,” Bustamante said.

The result is all the more important as astronomers have used galaxies such as Leo I, called “dwarf spheroidal galaxies,” for 20 years to understand how dark matter is distributed within galaxies, Gebhardt added. This new type of black hole merger also gives gravitational wave observatories a new signal to search for.

“If the mass of Leo I’s black hole is high, that may explain how black holes grow in massive galaxies,” Gebhardt said. That’s because over time, as small galaxies like Leo I fall into larger galaxies, the smaller galaxy’s black hole merges with that of the larger galaxy, increasing its mass.

Built by a team at MPE in Germany, VIRUS-W is the only instrument in the world now that can do this type of dark matter profile study. Noyola pointed out that many southern hemisphere dwarf galaxies are good targets for it, but no southern hemisphere telescope is equipped for it. However, the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) now under construction Chile was, in part, designed for this type of work. UT Austin is a founding partner of the GMT.

— END —

Notes to editors: The published research paper is available at: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/ac0c79/pdf and for free download at: https://arxiv.org/abs/2111.04770.

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Science Contacts:
Dr. María José Bustamante Rosell 
Postdoctoral Scholar
The University of California, Santa Cruz
512-576-3501

Dr. Eva Noyola
McDonald Observatory Research Fellow
The University of Texas at Austin
512-736-8172

Dr. Karl Gebhardt
Herman and Joan Suit Professor of Astrophysics
The University of Texas at Austin
512-590-5206

Probing the Secrets of Dead Stars and Planetary Remnants from McDonald Observatory

The 2.1-meter (82-inch) Otto Struve Telescope at the University of Texas McDonal

FORT DAVIS, Texas — In the course of research for his PhD, Zach Vanderbosch spent nearly 300 nights studying the heavens from telescopes at The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory. Later this month, he will receive his doctorate for his research into the dead stars known as white dwarfs, and the orbiting disks of debris made up of these stars’ former planets.

McDonald Observatory provides UT Austin astronomy graduate students with valuable and unprecedented access to research facilities needed to complete their research.

“I focused on a couple of projects that required a large amount of observational data, which really could not have been done anywhere else,” Vanderbosch said, “without taking much longer. The observations would have to be spread out over many more years.”

Vanderbosch’s research is focused on white dwarf stars. A white dwarf is the burnt-out remnant of a Sun-like star that’s exhausted all of its nuclear fuel and so no longer burns lighter chemical elements into heavier ones in its core.

It’s a multi-step process for a Sun-like star to become a white dwarf. When the nuclear fusion stops, first the star’s gaseous atmosphere puffs up hugely into space. In its massive expansion, in which the star becomes a so-called red giant, it can engulf and destroy any planets orbiting too closely.

Over time, the red giant’s massively expanded atmosphere dissipates, leaving behind just the star’s core. This is the white dwarf. About the size of Earth with the mass of the Sun, this remnant will slowly cool off over billions of years.

Astronomers study white dwarfs for many reasons, including providing limits on the age of our galaxy and the universe itself.

Vanderbosch wanted to identify more examples of two rare types of white dwarfs, to provide all astronomers with more examples of these types for future research.

The first type he was searching for are pulsating helium atmosphere white dwarfs. Their light output varies over time, and studies of the pulsation rates help astronomers decode the interior structure of the star (much like a geologist studies the interior structure of the Earth by studying vibrations from earthquakes). Understanding a white dwarf’s interior leads to discoveries about its evolution.

Only a small number of these pulsating helium atmosphere white dwarfs — about two dozen — were known when Vanderbosch started his research.

The second type of rare white dwarf he wanted to find are those orbited by disks of planetary debris. Only a single example of such a white dwarf had been found before.

For his hunt to find more of these two types, Vanderbosch started with a sample of stars a few other missions had identified as likely white dwarf candidates. These came from the Gaia satellite and the Zwicky Transient Facility at Palomar Observatory in California.

He followed up on these stars in detail from McDonald Observatory. For a large portion of the 272 nights he observed at telescopes between 2015 and 2021, he studied these candidates, mostly with McDonald Observatory’s 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope.

“The best thing about the 2.1-meter is we have access to so much observing time on a reliable telescope and instrument,” Vanderbosch said. “To find rare and interesting types of variable white dwarfs often requires sifting through the weeds, so to speak, which can be time consuming. Fortunately, though, even the weeds are interesting at times, and we made many unexpected and exciting discoveries throughout our observing campaigns.”

Vanderbosch made use of the wide variety of observing capabilities at the observatory for other aspects of his research. He used the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope, and several smaller telescopes to study the white dwarfs in different ways.

By the end of his work, Vanderbosch nearly doubled the number of pulsating helium atmosphere white dwarfs known to astronomers, raising the count from 26 to 45.

He and collaborators also increased the count of known white dwarfs orbited by planetary debris from one to seven. Understanding more about planetary debris orbiting white dwarfs is a hot topic, as astronomers continue to debate whether this will be Earth’s fate when the Sun becomes a red giant, and ultimately a white dwarf, billions of years from now.

The published research paper on white dwarfs orbited by planetary debris was headed up by Joseph Guidry, an undergraduate student Vanderbosch supervised. He and his PhD supervisors, Professor Don Winget and Assistant Professor of Practice Mike Montgomery, have a strong interest in supporting undergraduate research.

Vanderbosch will receive his doctorate this month. He is now working as a post-doctoral astronomer at Caltech in Pasadena, California, digging deeper into the Zwicky Transient Facility survey for more exciting white dwarf discoveries.

— END —

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Bill Wren, Tireless Promoter of Dark Skies, Retires from McDonald Observatory

Bill Wren

FORT DAVIS, Texas — After more than three decades of sharing astronomy with the public and working to protect dark skies from light pollution, Bill Wren has retired from McDonald Observatory.

“Bill Wren has had a strong, positive impact on McDonald Observatory over his career, focused on dark skies preservation, but also including public outreach and new telescope development,” said Taft Armandroff, Director of McDonald Observatory. “The skies over McDonald Observatory are among the darkest of any professional observatory in the United States, in no small measure thanks to Bill Wren.”

In recent years, Wren has worked as Special Assistant to the Superintendent, focusing on preserving the dark skies over McDonald Observatory and surrounding areas. Dubbed the “Angel of Darkness” by the media, Wren has met with countless community groups and local officials to advocate for dark skies.

As fossil fuel exploration in the Permian Basin expanded significantly, Wren also has worked closely with oil and gas companies in West Texas to advocate for improved lighting practices at their facilities. He helped to promote the idea that better lighting fixtures not only protect dark skies, but provide improved safety and cost savings for these sites — a win-win scenario.

Self-taught in astronomy, in the 1970s and ‘80s Wren worked as a family counselor, helping to found a Youth and Family Resource Center in Austin that exists today. After becoming an astronomy tutor as well as auditing astronomy courses at UT Austin with the observatory’s then-Director Frank Bash, Wren was hired as Public Affairs Specialist to lead tours and work in other public programs at McDonald, including Star Parties, in 1990.

It was in his early years at the observatory that then-Superintendent Ed Barker asked Wren to attend the first meeting of a new organization called the International Dark Sky Association (IDA). Today IDA is the leading organization promoting the protection of dark skies worldwide. Wren and McDonald Observatory have been involved from the beginning.

According to current Superintendent Teznie Pugh, “As the 2020 global pandemic surged, Bill shifted his focus and provided the founding efforts towards establishing an IDA-certified Dark Sky Reserve in the region surrounding McDonald Observatory. He brought together support from state and national parks, conservation groups, government officials, private citizens, and industry leaders across the region in an effort to meet IDA criteria.

“While establishing the reserve is still an ongoing effort,” she said, “it would not exist without Bill’s vision, bridge building, and passion. These efforts will serve the observatory for many years to come.”

Over his 32 years on staff, Wren has fulfilled many other roles at McDonald in addition to promoting dark skies. In particular, he has contributed significantly to building and commissioning telescopes on site — both for scientists and for the public.

Wren was deeply involved the early days of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET), one of the world’s largest optical telescopes. Along with McDonald’s Chief Astronomer Gary Hill and engineer Mike Marcario, Wren conducted the site survey that helped to determine where to build the HET. After it was built, Wren served as the commissioning telescope operator for two years, helping to get HET operations up and running smoothly.

Additionally, Wren and a team of collaborators designed and built the smaller Supernova Search Telescope, funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. They used it to discover four exploding stars, or supernovae.

Most recently, Wren and others built the unique Wren-Marcario Accessible Telescope (WMAT) now in the public telescope park at the observatory’s Frank N. Bash Visitors Center. Based on the innovative design of the Supernova Search Telescope, WMAT provides access to deep views of the night sky for observatory visitors in wheelchairs, allowing them to share fully in the wonders of the universe. (The telescope is partially named for Wren’s father, an engineer, who also worked on the project.)

After more than 30 years sharing and protecting the skies over West Texas, Wren looks back fondly on his time at the observatory. “I feel fortunate to have been affiliated with so many great astronomy educators,” he said, “and with such a fine institution and such a fine group of people.”

Currently in the process of relocating to Cloudcroft, New Mexico, Wren says he plans to stay active in astronomy during retirement.

— END —

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Brendan Bowler Receives 2022 Sloan Research Fellowship

Brendan Bowler, an assistant professor of astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin, has been selected as a 2022 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow in Physics.

Sloan Research Fellowships are awarded yearly to early career researchers in recognition of distinguished performance and a unique potential to make substantial contributions to their field. The fellowships honor outstanding scientists who specialize in one of seven scientific and technical fields — chemistry, computer science, Earth system science, economics, mathematics, neuroscience or physics.

Bowler’s research examines a variety of topics related to the formation, evolution, architectures and atmospheres of extrasolar planets. His research group achieves this by “carrying out large surveys to discover new planets and measure their statistical properties, performing more targeted individual studies of the atmospheric and orbital properties of known systems and studying the immediate environments and formation routes of young planets through their circumplanetary accretion disks.”

Bowler aims to answer questions that have puzzled scientists for generations, including, “How and when do planets form and dynamically evolve over time?” and “How does atmospheric chemistry vary over a broad range of planet masses and ages?”

Bowler and the other fellowship recipients this year will each receive $75,000 to be spent over a two-year term on their research.

Bowler became an assistant professor at UT Austin in 2018 and has taught classes ranging from introductory astronomy to planetary astrophysics. He joins 96 other UT Austin faculty members who have received the fellowship, the first of which was awarded in 1955.

Giant Magellan Telescope Awards IDOM Final Design of its Telescope Enclosure

Renowned engineering and architecture firm, IDOM, faces rigorous design requirements of the Giant Magellan Telescope’s enclosure to allow for unobstructed observations of the night sky.

AUSTIN — The partners of the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) today announced they have awarded IDOM, a renowned engineering and architecture firm based in Spain, a contract to complete the telescope enclosure design by 2024. The award follows an extensive enclosure designer evaluation and selection process based on a detailed set of criteria involving design team experience, proposed approaches to specific design challenges, incorporation of safety management in the design process, and more. The University of Texas at Austin is a founding partner of the GMT.

Designing the 4,800 metric ton upper enclosure will be a particularly challenging engineering feat, as it will need to protect the telescope’s giant mirrors from extreme earthquakes and weather, modulate wind speeds and temperatures, and reveal seven of the world’s largest mirrors for unobstructed science observations of the night sky. The enclosure design will also utilize the latest technologies and construction practices to be as sustainable as possible. Once operational in the late 2020s, the Giant Magellan Telescope will produce the sharpest and most detailed images ever taken of our universe — ten times greater than the famed Hubble Space Telescope and four times the James Webb Space Telescope.

“Following an extensive designer evaluation, IDOM proved to have the necessary knowledge, experience, and expertise to solve the design challenges associated with the environmental conditions at the telescope site, especially the local seismic and weather conditions,” said Dr. Bruce Bigelow, the Giant Magellan Telescope’s Site, Enclosure, and Facilities Manager. “Adding the size, functionality, and environmental conditions to the design challenge, efficient manufacturing, especially off-site and modular construction, are key aspects to making the construction of the enclosure safe, reliable, and affordable. We’re delighted to work with IDOM to make the enclosure design a reality.”

Headquartered in Bilbao, Spain, IDOM has 45 offices around the world providing global design solutions for a broad portion of the built environment. Leading the enclosure design is IDOM’s Advanced Design and Analysis group. Their engineers develop special and moveable structures, test systems, instruments and facilities for astronomers, nuclear and particle physicists, and other advanced research fields.

”IDOM is proud to be working on this world-class project. Our multi-discipline team of engineers is well positioned to solve both the technical and practical challenges of this complicated machine,” said Tom Lorentz, IDOM’s President of US Operations. “The IDOM team combines world-class design and construction management experience in large and complex movable structures, with first-hand knowledge of civil and site-specific construction practices and capabilities of the local Chilean contractors.”

IDOM has made remarkable contributions to the design and construction of astronomical facilities, including the development of components for the Gran Telescopio Canarias, the enclosure and thermal systems for the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, consulting for the Thirty Meter Telescope, design for the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer, and the conceptual design for the European Extremely Large Telescope.

Designed for Resilience

The Giant Magellan Telescope’s 65-meter-tall enclosure must overcome two key challenges in protecting its giant mirrors — extreme earthquakes and weather. The Giant Magellan Telescope is being constructed at Las Campanas Observatory in the Chilean Atacama Desert, one of the driest deserts and most seismically active regions in the world. Averaging six earthquakes every month, the site will expose the telescope and enclosure to regular seismic events. The enclosure design provides the telescope pier with a seismic isolation system that can survive the strongest earthquakes expected over the 50-year lifetime of the observatory and will allow the telescope to quickly return to operations after the more frequent, but less intense seismic events that are experienced several times per month. The desert’s extreme weather also requires a robust climate control system to keep high winds and temperature changes from impacting the telescope’s giant mirrors and advanced optical technologies. These automated systems are capable of protecting the telescope from daily temperature swings, to provide an optimal observing environment all night long.

A Focus on Efficiency and Sustainability

Even before the global pandemic created unprecedented supply chain challenges and materials shortages, efficient manufacturing and logistics have remained the priority in the enclosure design process. As such, the enclosure design will use a variety of constructability approaches, utilizing both local materials and a local workforce, to control costs and minimize construction and operational carbon footprints.

IDOM will design the Giant Magellan Telescope’s enclosure to be as sustainable as possible, using the latest technologies and environmental design practices. The construction site currently relies on the Chilean National Electric System, which is predominately supplied by renewable energy. The GMTO Corporation plans to build its own powerline to connect to the Chilean grid, to take advantage of existing renewable energy sources. The completed observatory facilities will employ energy and water efficient technologies, including a greywater treatment and recovery systems to significantly reduce water usage.

IDOM is a privately held, global engineering, architecture, and consulting firm, with more than 4,000 employees and 45 offices around the world, including US locations in Minneapolis and Atlanta and headquarters in Bilbao, Spain. To learn more about IDOM, visit https://www.idom.com/en.

The Giant Magellan Telescope is the work of an international consortium of leading universities and research institutions representing five countries. To learn more, visit https://www.gmto.org.

— END —

Media Contacts:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Manager
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
(512) 475-6763

Ryan Kallabis, Director of Communications
Giant Magellan Telescope
(626) 204-0554

Amaia Oyón Blanco, Communications Officer
IDOM
+34 943 40 06 02

Astronomer Stella Offner Receives Delta Young Astronomer Lectureship Award

AUSTIN — Astronomer Stella Offner of The University of Texas at Austin has been awarded the NCU-Delta Young Astronomer Lectureship Award by Taiwan’s National Central University and the Delta Electronics Foundation.

Each year, the award is given to one or two international scholars under the age of 45. It includes an invitation to deliver a series of prize lectures in Taiwan and a trophy. Representatives from Delta Electronics presented the award to Offner in Austin yesterday.

“I’m really honored to receive this lectureship award,” Offner said, “and I’m excited to have this opportunity to share my work on star formation with NCU and the public.”

An Associate Professor of astronomy, Offner studies star formation with a focus on the evolution of the gas and dust clouds where stars are born, as well as how these stars form planets. She uses high-performance computing and machine learning to aid her research.

Offner will deliver her two lectures remotely later this week. Her public lecture is entitled “Stellar Siblings: How Multiple Star Systems Form.” She will also present a lecture to fellow researchers entitled “Harnessing Machine Learning to Study Star Formation.”

The Delta Young Astronomer Lectureship Award was created by Dr. Bruce Cheng, founder of  Delta Electronics. It aims to recognize the academic achievement of one or two outstanding young astronomers each year from around the world and bring them to Taiwan to interact with the community and inspire young minds there.

— END —

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Science Contact:
Dr. Stella Offner, Associate Professor
Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-3853

Two NASA Post-Doctoral Fellows Coming to UT Austin

AUSTIN — NASA has selected 24 new Fellows for its prestigious NASA Hubble Fellowship Program (NHFP), two of whom are heading to The University of Texas at Austin. The program enables outstanding postdoctoral scientists to pursue independent research in any area of NASA astrophysics, using theory, observations, simulations, experimentation, or instrument development. Each fellowship provides the awardee up to three years of support at a university or research center of their choosing in the United States.

The Fellows coming to UT are:

Arianna Long, whose research project is entitled “The Role of Dark Matter in Growing and Quenching the First Massive Galaxies.” Long will be working with associate professor Caitlin Casey.

Seiji Fujimoto, whose research project is entitled “Decoding a Rosetta Stone for Galaxies at the Epoch of Reionization With JWST and ALMA.” Fujimoto will be working with professor Steven Finkelstein.

"From the quest for the first galaxies to the hunt for habitable exoplanets, this year's NASA Hubble Fellows seek answers to some of the most critical questions about our universe," said Paul Hertz, Astrophysics Division director at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. "This is an incredibly promising group of young scientists, and I can't wait to see where their research takes them from here."

An important part of the NHFP is the Symposia, which allow Fellows the opportunity to present results of their research, and to meet each other and the scientific and administrative staff who manage the program. A lively and very successful virtual symposium was held in the fall of 2021, and organizers are waiting to make a decision on whether the 2022 symposium will be virtual or in-person.

— END —

Media Contacts:

Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Cheryl Gundy
Space Telescope Science Institute
Baltimore, Maryland
 

McDonald Observatory, Partners Create World’s Largest International Dark Sky Reserve

FORT DAVIS, Texas, U.S. and COAHUILA, Mexico — The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory, The Nature Conservancy – Davis Mountain Preserve, and the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) are pleased to announce the certification of the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve. The designation, granted by the International Dark-Sky Association, recognizes the commitment of organizations, governments, businesses and citizens in the region to maintain dark skies. Protecting this resource benefits not only astronomical research, but also wildlife, ecology and tourism.

Encompassing more than 38,850 square kilometers (15,000 square miles), the new Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve is the largest certified International Dark Sky Place to date. Moreover, this is the only Reserve to incorporate protected lands across an international border, including portions of western Texas, United States and protected lands in Coahuila and Chihuahua, northern Mexico.

“The certification of this Reserve is truly a historic moment for the dark-sky movement,” stated Ashley Wilson, Director of Conservation of IDA. “We are recognizing decades of hard work, nocturnal environmental stewardship, stellar outreach programs, and multiple local incentives to provide tangible and feasible solutions that limit the spread of excessive and wasteful artificial light. Greater Big Bend demonstrates that partnerships and dark-sky efforts at the landscape scale can become a reality with the dedication from a team of key stakeholders and passionate communities.”

The core of the Reserve, where the protection for dark skies is the strongest, is formed by the lands of McDonald Observatory and The Nature Conservancy’s Davis Mountain Preserve.

“This Reserve protects both the scientific research and public education missions of McDonald Observatory,” said Taft Armandroff, McDonald Observatory Director. “Since 1939, McDonald Observatory has enabled the study of the cosmos by faculty, students, and researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and other Texas institutions of higher learning, with topics ranging from planets orbiting nearby stars to the accelerating expansion of the universe.”

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is one of the major partners that helped make the Reserve a reality. The Reserve will protect numerous nocturnal wildlife habitats and migration corridors passing through the Big Bend region.

“We are honored to be a part of the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve,” said Kaylee French, education and outreach coordinator for TNC’s Davis Mountain Preserve. “This collaboration uniquely brings together working partners across a wide range which spans international borders. Our dark skies are an invaluable natural resource which we are only able to preserve by working together.

“We thank the International Dark-Sky Association for helping us to be responsible stewards of this now and forever protected resource.”

The full extent of the Reserve spans the Rio Grande, from the Davis Mountains of western Texas to the Sierra del Carmen of northern Mexico. In the United States, it includes the Texas counties of Jeff Davis, Brewster, Presidio, and a small section of Reeves County. Participating protected lands also include several certified International Dark Sky Places such as Big Bend National Park, the Big Bend Ranch State Park Complex, and Black Gap Wildlife Management Area.

South of the Rio Grande in Mexico, the Reserve includes privately managed lands in Maderas del Carmen, Ocampo, and Cañón de Santa Elena.

It took a large and diverse group of advocates on both sides of the border to make the Reserve a reality.

“Without the broad regional support and the long-standing efforts to preserve the natural beauty of the Big Bend region, a Dark Sky Reserve of this scale would not have been possible,” said Teznie Pugh, Superintendent of McDonald Observatory. “It has been a true community effort, and the people of the area should be proud of what we have all achieved together.

“The counties surrounding McDonald Observatory — Jeff Davis, Presidio, Brewster, Culberson, Hudspeth, Reeves, and Pecos — have had lighting ordinances in place for several decades,” explained Pugh. “Partnerships between the national and state parks, conservation groups, local landowners, local government officials, and the observatory are long standing, and the Reserve is the culmination of those efforts.”

Four counties and five municipalities within the proposed Reserve periphery, or the area surrounding the dark core area, updated their existing lighting ordinances with relevant language to ensure their lighting reflects best practices and supports the efforts of protecting the core’s dark skies.

About the International Dark Sky Places Program
The International Dark Sky Places Program was founded in 2001 as a non-regulatory and voluntary program to encourage communities, parks, and protected areas around the world to preserve and protect dark sites through effective lighting policies, environmentally responsible outdoor lighting, and public education. When used indiscriminately, artificial light can disrupt ecosystems, impact human health, waste money and energy, contribute to climate change, and block our view and connection to the universe. Greater Big Bend IDSR now joins more than 195 Places that have demonstrated robust community support for dark sky advocacy and strive to protect the night from light pollution. Learn more by visiting http://www.darksky.org/conservation/idsp.

About the International Dark-Sky Association
The mission of IDA is to preserve and protect the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies through environmentally responsible outdoor lighting. Learn more at http://darksky.org.

— END —

Notes to editors:

Two broadcast-quality public service announcements are available for download.
PSA 1: https://tinyurl.com/333jsf2u
PSA 2: https://tinyurl.com/5a3ex979

Those interested in learning more about the Reserve and hearing from the people involved are invited to attend a virtual community meeting on Monday, April 11th at 4 p.m. CDT. Join us online at: https://utexas.zoom.us/j/98333555879.

Media Contacts:

Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
+1 512-475-6763

Dr. Teznie Pugh, Superintendent
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
+1 432-426-3633

Kaylee French, Education and Outreach Coordinator
Davis Mountains Preserve
The Nature Conservancy
+1 432-426-2390

Ashley Wilson, Director of Conservation
International Dark-Sky Association
+1 520-347-5804

McDonald Observatory Holds Dark Skies Festival April 29-30

FORT DAVIS, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory will hold its first Dark Skies Festival Friday, April 29, and Saturday, April 30. The festival will include daytime and evening events for the whole family, plus the debut of the new “Preserving Dark Skies” exhibit in the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center. Both the exhibit and the festival are funded by Apache Corporation.

“We are eager to welcome the West Texas community to McDonald Observatory and to share information on dark skies preservation,” said observatory Director Taft Armandroff. “The productive collaboration with local community groups to establish the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve makes this Dark Skies Festival even more meaningful.”

Daytime events include speakers, tours, outdoor booths, and educational activities, plus live music and food trucks. All daytime events are free, and no reservations are required.

Friday afternoon’s first talk is “Lighting it Right: Solutions to Light Pollution for Oil and Gas.” This will be a joint presentation by the observatory’s Dark Skies Initiative Coordinator Stephen Hummel and Apache Corporation’s Clay Bretches, Executive Vice President, Operations. Following that, Emily Card of Sul Ross State University’s Borderlands Research Institute will present her talk “Cut the Lights! Artificial Light Pollution and its Impacts on Birds in the Chihuahuan Desert.”

Saturday afternoon speakers include the International Dark-Sky Association’s Bettymaya Foott on “The International Dark Sky Movement,” followed by observatory Superintendent Teznie Pugh on “The Changing Face of the Night Sky: from Candlelight to Satellites.” Then astronomer Karl Gebhardt will give an exciting science talk about “The Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment” currently under way at McDonald Observatory.

Also on Saturday afternoon, Telescope Open House tours will take visitors behind the scenes to learn about the observatory’s largest telescopes from the people who operate and maintain them.

Star Parties will be held both nights of the festival. Additionally, Friday evening will feature an astrophotography workshop. Saturday evening will include the Twilight Program “Modeling the Night Sky,” a space trivia contest, and more. All evening events require reservations.

The highlight of the festival is the launch of the “Preserving Dark Skies” exhibit funded by Apache Corporation. The exhibit features a multimedia wall and interactive components to educate visitors on how they can keep their skies dark for skywatching and wildlife habitats without compromising light needed on the ground for safety. Over a projected 10-year lifespan, this exhibit will be viewed by one million visitors to McDonald Observatory.

“We are excited to partner with the McDonald Observatory to help bring the farthest points of the night sky into focus for visitors and researchers,” said Clay Bretches, Executive Vice President, Operations at Apache Corporation. “Our partnership with the observatory is built on mutual respect for our distinct scientific disciplines and the belief that working together will continue to yield better outcomes for both organizations. Our win-win partnership has led to increased education on dark skies friendly lighting practices resulting in increased energy efficiency, safer operations, and reduced light pollution.”

To get more information about the festival and to make reservations for its evening programs, visit: https://mcdonaldobservatory.org/dark-skies-festival.

— END —

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Additional Contact:
Stephen Hummel, Dark Skies Initiative Coordinator
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
432-426-4170

Supernova Reveals Secrets to Texas-led Team of Astronomers

SN2014C

AUSTIN — An international group of astronomers led by Benjamin Thomas of The University of Texas at Austin has used observations from the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at the university’s McDonald Observatory to unlock a puzzling mystery about a stellar explosion discovered several years ago and evolving even now. The results, published in today’s issue of The Astrophysical Journal, will help astronomers better understand the process of how massive stars live and die.

When an exploding star is first detected, astronomers around the world begin to follow it with telescopes as the light it gives off changes rapidly over time. They see the light from a supernova get brighter, eventually peak, and then start to dim. By noting the times of these peaks and valleys in the light’s brightness, called a “light curve,” as well as the characteristic wavelengths of light emitted at different times, they can deduce the physical characteristics of the system.

"I think what’s really cool about this kind of science is that we’re looking at the emission that’s coming from matter that’s been cast off from the progenitor system before it exploded as a supernova,” Thomas said. "And so this makes a sort of time machine.”

In the case of supernova 2014C, the progenitor was a binary star, a system in which two stars were orbiting each other. The more massive star evolved more quickly, expanded, and lost its outer blanket of hydrogen to the companion star. The first star’s inner core continued burning lighter chemical elements into heavier ones, until it ran out of fuel. When that happened, the outward pressure from the core that had held up the star’s great weight dropped. The star’s core collapsed, triggering a gigantic explosion.

This makes it a type of supernova astronomers call a “Type Ib.” In particular, Type Ib supernovae are characterized by not showing any hydrogen in their ejected material, at least at first.

Thomas and his team have been following SN 2014C from telescopes at McDonald Observatory since its discovery that year. Many other teams around the world also have studied it with telescopes on the ground and in space, and in different types of light, including radio waves from the ground-based Very Large Array, infrared light, and X-rays from the space-based Chandra Observatory.

But the studies of SN 2014C from all of the various telescopes did not add up into a cohesive picture of how astronomers thought a Type Ib supernova should behave.

For one thing, the optical signature from the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) showed SN 2014C contained hydrogen — a surprising finding that also was discovered independently by another team using a different telescope.

"For a Type Ib supernova to begin showing hydrogen is completely weird,” Thomas said. "There’s just a handful of events that have been shown to be similar.”

For a second thing, the optical brightness (light curve) of that hydrogen was behaving strangely. >Most of the light curves from SN 2014C — radio, infrared, and X-rays — followed the expected pattern: they got brighter, peaked, and started to fall. But the optical light from the hydrogen stayed steady.

"The mystery that we’ve wrestled with has been ‘How do we fit our Texas HET observations of hydrogen and its characteristics into that [Type Ib] picture?’,” said UT Austin professor and team member J. Craig Wheeler.

The problem, the team realized, was that previous models of this system assumed that the supernova had exploded and sent out its shockwave in a spherical manner. The data from HET showed that this hypothesis was impossible — something else must have happened.

“It just would not fit into a spherically symmetric picture,” Wheeler said.

The team proposes a model where the hydrogen envelopes of the two stars in the progenitor binary system merged to form a “common-envelope configuration,” where both were contained within a single envelope of gas. The pair then expelled that envelope in an expanding, disk-like structure surrounding the two stars. When one of the stars exploded, its fast-moving ejecta collided with the slow-moving disk, and also slid along the disk surface at a “boundary layer” of intermediate velocity. The team suggests that this boundary layer is the origin of the hydrogen they detected and then studied for seven years with HET.

Thus the HET data turned out to be the key that unlocked the mystery of supernova SN 2014C.

"In a broad sense, the question of how massive stars lose their mass is the big scientific question we were pursuing,” Wheeler said. "How much mass? Where is it? When was it ejected? By what physical process? Those were the macro questions we were going after.

"And 2014C just turned out to be a really important single event that’s illustrating the process,” Wheeler said.

— END —

Media Contact:
Rebecca Johnson, Communications Mgr.
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin

Science Contacts:
Dr. Benjamin Thomas, Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin

Dr. J. Craig Wheeler, Samuel T. and Fern Yanagisawa Regents Professor in Astronomy
Department of Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin

McDonald Observatory Works with Catalyst Midstream Partners to Protect Dark Skies

FORT DAVIS, Texas – West Texas and the Big Bend region are known for their starry night skies, made possible in part due to ongoing efforts to preserve them. Recently, McDonald Observatory and the non-profit organization Texan by Nature recognized the efforts of Catalyst Midstream Partners (“Catalyst”), a joint venture between Howard Energy Partners (“HEP”), and Devon Energy Corporation (“Devon”), to reduce light emissions at their County Line Processing Plant near Orla, Texas.

Catalyst and HEP worked alongside McDonald Observatory and Texan by Nature throughout 2021 developing and executing a comprehensive plan to improve lighting practices at the facility. These efforts culminated in a significant, observable reduction in light emissions from the facilities and the certification of the County Line Processing Plant in May 2022 as “Night Sky Friendly” under McDonald Observatory’s Dark Skies Initiative.

“Consistent with our core values, HEP is always looking for ways to be a good steward of our environment and to give back to the communities where we live and work. The Dark Skies program not only helps us achieve this goal, but also makes the facility safer,” said Jarrell Shircliff, Director of Operations for HEP.

Most energy industry operations in West Texas operate at all hours, and thus install outdoor lighting for worker safety. Poorly designed outdoor lights, however, spill much of their light into the night sky and cause blinding glare for workers on the ground. By aiming lights down and shielding them, as well as using a more amber color of light, light stays where it is useful and visibility is increased. These practices also eliminate energy waste and can result in cost savings.

“It’s about a dark sky, not a dark ground,” says Stephen Hummel, Dark Skies Initiative Coordinator at McDonald Observatory. “The solutions to light pollution are simple, but have a positive impact on worker safety, as well as the observatory’s ability conduct research and outreach programs.”

McDonald Observatory routinely measures the amount of light pollution detectable from the observatory campus, as well as from other locations across the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve. Light pollution from energy sector activity in the Permian Basin peaked in 2018 and declined by an estimated 20 percent by mid-2021, where it remains today. The reduction in light pollution is in part due to improvements in outdoor lighting practices, as well as reductions in flaring and changes in industry activity. Present levels of light pollution do not impact research at the observatory, but conditions will continue to be monitored.

HEP, as operator of the Catalyst facilities, joins a growing list of energy companies that have adopted McDonald Observatory’s recommended lighting practices for oil and gas operators, such as Apache, Devon Energy, and Diamondback Energy. The recommended practices have been endorsed by the Permian Basin Petroleum Association, the American Petroleum Institute, and others. Facilities that adopt the recommended lighting practices are eligible for McDonald Observatory’s Lighting Recognition Program, as well as certification from Texan by Nature.

“At Texan by Nature, we firmly believe that businesses can operate in ways that benefit not only their bottom line, but also our natural resources," said Jenny Burden, the organization’s Director of Development. “Since 2018, we have worked with McDonald Observatory to spread the word about the importance of Dark Skies lighting. We applaud HEP for implementing these best practices, and taking a leadership role in the region.”

Resources to learn more about light pollution and the recognition program are available at mcdonaldobservatory.org/darkskies.

—END —

Media Contacts:

Stephen Hummel, Dark Skies Initiative Coordinator
The University of Texas at Austin
McDonald Observatory
(432) 426-4170

Michael Johnston, Director of Communications
Howard Energy Partners
(210) 504-4332

Investment from UT Austin, Other Partners Accelerates Construction of Giant Magellan Telescope

AUSTIN, Texas — The Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) is a next-generation optical/infrared telescope being developed in northern Chile that will yield important discoveries on topics such as galaxies in the early universe and Earth-sized planets orbiting nearby stars.

The University of Texas at Austin is investing an additional $45 million in the GMT, the world’s most powerful telescope. This additional funding brings the university’s total commitment to $110.3 million.

The GMT Organization is an international consortium, and new investments from its partners now total $205 million to accelerate construction. In addition to UT Austin’s latest contribution, it includes commitments from the Carnegie Institution for Science, Harvard University, the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), the University of Arizona and the University of Chicago.

“I am delighted that six like-minded partners in the Giant Magellan Telescope have worked together to make an impressive new financial commitment toward building the telescope and its instrumentation, propelling the telescope closer to first light,” said Taft Armandroff, director of the university’s McDonald Observatory and vice chair of the GMT Organization board. “GMT will provide transformational observing capabilities to our faculty, students and researchers.”

The funds will be used to manufacture the 12-story telescope structure at Ingersoll Machine Tools in Illinois, continue progress on the telescope’s seven primary mirrors at the Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab in Arizona, and build one of the most advanced scientific instruments, led by UT Austin, called the GMT Near Infrared Spectrograph (GMTNIRS).

“We are honored to receive this investment in our future,” said GMT President Robert Shelton. “The funding is truly a collaborative effort from our founders. It will result in the fabrication of the world’s largest mirrors, the giant telescope mount that holds and aligns them, and a science instrument that will allow us to study the chemical evolution of stars and planets like never before.”

The funding comes after the National Academy of Sciences Astro2020 Decadal Survey evaluated the Giant Magellan Telescope as a core partner of the United States Extremely Large Telescope Program. Astro2020 ranked the program a top priority and “absolutely essential if the United States is to maintain a position as a leader in ground-based astronomy.”

GMT is under construction at Carnegie’s Las Campanas Observatory in Chile and will allow astronomers to see farther into space with more detail than any other optical telescope before. It will have 10 times the light collecting area and four times the spatial resolution of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and will be up to 200 times as powerful as existing research telescopes.

This unprecedented angular resolution, combined with revolutionary spectrographs and high-contrast cameras, will work in direct synergy with JWST to empower new scientific discoveries. GMT will be the next step in studying the physics and chemistry of the faintest light sources in space that JWST will identify. This includes searching the atmospheres of potentially habitable planets for life, studying the first galaxies that formed in the universe, and finding clues that will unravel the mysteries of dark matter, dark energy, black holes and the formation of the universe.

“We are working with some of the brightest engineers and scientists at the leading research institutions around the globe,” said Walter Massey, GMT board chair and former director of the National Science Foundation and chairman of Bank of America. “The recent contributions from our investing partners in the Giant Magellan Telescope are collectively pushing the boundaries of astronomy, making the future a reality and allowing us to answer some key science goals, including ‘Are we alone in the universe?”

The telescope has already achieved significant construction progress during the past few years. Six of seven primary mirror segments have been cast in Tucson, Arizona. The third primary mirror segment has completed its two-year polishing phase and is undergoing final testing. Construction of a 40,000-square-foot facility in Rockford, Illinois, to manufacture the telescope structure is complete. The production of the telescope’s first adaptive secondary mirror is well underway in France and Italy, and the site in Chile is being primed for the next stage of construction and for pouring of the foundation.

This latest $205 million investment round positions the Giant Magellan Telescope to be one of the first in a new generation of extremely large telescopes to be constructed. First light is anticipated by the end of the decade.

— END —

Media Contacts:

Rebecca Johnson, Communications Manager
The University of Texas at Austin
McDonald Observatory
512-475-6763

Ryan Kallabis
Director of Communications & Outreach
Giant Magellan Telescope
626-204-0554

Science Contact:

Dr. Taft Armandroff
Director, UT Austin McDonald Observatory
Vice Chair, GMT Organization Board of Directors
512-471-3300

Wide View of Early Universe Hints at Galaxy Among the Earliest Ever Detected

Two new images from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope show what may be among the earliest galaxies ever observed. Both images include objects from more than 13 billion years ago, and one offers a much wider field of view than Webb's First Deep Field image, which was released amid great fanfare July 12. The images represent some of the first out of a major collaboration of astronomers and other academic researchers teaming with NASA and global partners to uncover new insights about the universe. Read more

Stars Shed Light on Why Stellar Populations Are So Similar in Milky Way

Scientists have uncovered what sets the masses of stars, a mystery that has captivated astrophysicists for decades. Their answer? Stars, themselves.Using highly detailed simulations, a collaborative team led by researchers from the University of Texas at Austin has made a breakthrough discovery that star formation is a self-regulatory process, knowledge that may allow researchers to understand star formation within our own and far away galaxies. Read more

Hobby-Eberly Telescope reaches 25th anniversary milestone

Reflections on 25 Years of Science

 

The Hobby-Eberly telescope (HET) at The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory has reached a milestone — 25 years of service. One of the world's largest optical telescopes, the HET captures light from stars and distant galaxies to help astronomers solve the mysteries of the cosmos.

“This year marks an important milestone for the Hobby-Eberly telescope,” said Taft Armandroff, the Director of McDonald Observatory and HET Board Chair. “The HET provides the resources that our faculty, students, and researchers from partner institutions use to do cutting-edge science.”

First dedicated in 1997, the HET rotates on a cushion of air to train its 11-meter (433-inch) honeycombed mirror 55 degrees above the horizon to scan the universe. The telescope received an upgrade in 2016, expanding its field-of-view to capture a section of the night sky 120 times larger than before. With the upgrade, the HET has been instrumental in some remarkable discoveries.

The HET is a collaborative effort among four institutions: The University of Texas at Austin, Penn State University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen.

 

Pushing the Limits of Investigation

 

A map of the cosmos

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) is an international collaboration that is probing dark energy by building the largest three-dimensional map of the universe. By training the HET on two regions of the sky — near the Big Dipper and Orion — the telescope is capturing the cosmic fingerprint of the light from 2.5 million galaxies. Astronomers are using the Visible Integral-field Replicable Unit Spectrograph to comb through the spectra gathered during these scans to construct a map of the cosmos. These efforts will inform critical questions, like how and why the expansion of the universe is speeding up over time.

“The international HETDEX program involves not only the four university partners but dozens of additional scientists at several institutions from around the world,” said Donald Schneider, distinguished professor in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at Penn State University and a HET Board member.

Searching for Goldilocks planets

HET has also played an integral role in finding Earth-sized planets that circulate sun-like stars. The Habitable Zone Planet Finder aims to identify exoplanets that lie within habitable zones capable of supporting liquid water on the surface. In one search, they identified K2-25b, a planet the size of Neptune orbiting a M-dwarf star. Using high-resolution spectroscopy, the researchers were able to determine the angle between the star’s equator and the orbit of the planet, which offers insights into the formation and evolution of planetary systems.

“A lot of the public thinks science has these eureka moments, but most major scientific discoveries are met with ‘hmm that’s funny,’” said Bill Cochran, research professor at UT Austin and Chair of HET Users Committee. “To me, whether or not a planet is currently habitable is not the right question. I am interested in how the planet evolved, and I want to use the findings with the Habitable Zone Planet Finder to pursue these questions with my colleagues in different disciplines.”

Searching for monsters

More than 220 million light-years away in the constellation Perseus, HET identified and measured the mass of an enormous black hole in the NGC 1277 galaxy as part of the HET Massive Galaxy Survey.  This information is critical because astronomers have only measured the mass of about 100 black holes. The lack of data is not correlated to the level of interest in these dark monsters. The survey aims to identify which galaxies to focus limited resources to gather more data that could inform how black holes and galaxies form and evolve.

Solving a supernova mystery

Numerous telescopes around the world observed the supernova of 2014C, but the stories constructed from each source did not present a coherent picture. The mystery was solved when HET researchers measured variations in the dying star’s brightness and spectrum and developed a model that revealed the star did not explode outward in a spherical direction. During the event, the gas from 2014C, which is part of a binary star system, merged with its neighbor, sharing the gaseous envelope in the expanding disc. As one star exploded, it collided with and slid along the gaseous boundary layer, producing the unusual results obtained around the world for this unique supernova event.

“Hobby-Eberly is unlike any other telescope,” said Armandroff. “These few examples provide a sample of the work being accomplished as researchers make use of its large collecting area, wide field of view, and queue scheduling, laying the groundwork for discoveries yet to be made.”

Amateur Scientists Have Helped Astronomers Identify Nearly a Quarter-Million Galaxies

Astronomers on a historically ambitious and massive galaxy-mapping mission have activated more than 10,000 amateur scientists in 85 countries to help in their quest. Now they hope to significantly scale up their volunteer force for a unique project that could reveal for the first time the nature of dark energy. The research project known as HETDEX, or the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment, is based at The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory and relies on volunteers who participate online in a project called Dark Energy Explorers. With a smartphone or computer, participants can experience what it's like to be an astronomer, teasing apart the mysteries of the universe while helping professional astronomers find distant galaxies and learn more about the mysterious force known as dark energy, which is causing the universe to rapidly expand. Read More 

JWST Reveals Milky Way-like Galaxies in Young Universe

AUSTIN, Texas — New images from NASA’s newest Space Telescope, JWST, reveal for the first time galaxies with stellar bars — elongated features of stars stretching from the centers of galaxies into their outer disks — at a time when the universe was a mere 25% of its present age. The finding of so-called barred galaxies, similar to our Milky Way, this early in the universe will require astrophysicists to refine their theories of galaxy evolution.Read More

Cosmic Dawn III Recreates the Early Universe Epoch of Reionization in Unprecedented Detail

The Cosmic Dawn ("CoDa") Project, an international team of astrophysicists, recently reached a new milestone – CoDa III – the first trillion-element simulation of how the universe evolved in its first billion years. This is when galaxies formed and flooded the universe with enough UV starlight to ionize all its atoms and lift the fog that blocked our view. CoDa III is the most detailed and accurate simulation ever produced of this cosmic era, known as the Epoch of Reionization ("EoR"), aligning theoretical and observational data for the first time. Read More 

Texas Science Festival Will Inspire Texans Through Scientific Discovery

Sponsored by The University of Texas at Austin, the hybrid festival will feature scientists, authors and innovators both virtually and in person at UT locations, including the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and the Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas. The festival will feature panels, podcasts, storytelling, activities and social events that explore everything from medical breakthroughs and energy innovation to understanding outer space — and even the science of barbecue and bluebonnets.

Highlights of the festival will include:

Astronomy discussions where attendees will “glimpse the early universe,” hear about research from the James Webb Space Telescope, and take a tour of deep sky views with the McDonald Observatory livestreaming from its powerful West Texas telescope.

All events are free and open to the public. The schedule and registration can be found at sciencefest.utexas.edu.

Read More 

Hobby-Eberly Telescope Reveals Galaxy Gold Mine in First Large Survey

Jorge Salazar, 

Astronomers have barely scratched the surface of mapping the nearly endless stars and galaxies of the heavens. Using supercomputers and the help of thousands of citizen scientists around the world, researchers with The University of Texas at Austin have now revealed the locations of more than 200,000 new astronomical objects. Their goal is to map even more and use that knowledge to predict the ultimate fate of the universe.

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) has scanned the dark skies of the Davis Mountains in West Texas since 2017 with a keen eye toward capturing spectroscopic data on Lyman-alpha frequency light from neutral hydrogen emission in galaxies over 10 billion light-years away. These galaxies emit a signature wavelength of light that signals the intense creation of new stars.

The HETDEX collaboration involves a large team including astronomers, engineers, technicians, and graduate students from six academic institutions in the United States and Germany.

For the first time, the researchers have cataloged astronomical objects — mapping over 51,863 Lyman-alpha-emitting galaxies at high redshift; 123,891 star-forming galaxies at lower redshift; 5,274 non-emission line galaxies at low redshift; and 4,976 active galactic nuclei (AGN) — bright spots that signal the presence of black holes.

The paper describing the catalog is published February 2023 in The Astrophysical Journal.

To find out how you can help identify galaxies for HETDEX, read about the Dark Energy Explorers project.

"We've just exploded in terms of the number of redshifts cataloged for the first time," said study co-author Erin Mentuch Cooper, a research scientist at UT Austin. Cooper is the data manager for the HETDEX project.

"There is a gold mine of astronomy exploration in the HETDEX catalog. That's what I love about it," said study co-author Karl Gebhardt, the Herman and Joan Suit Professor in Astronomy, College of Natural Sciences, UT Austin. Gebhardt is project scientist and principal investigator of HETDEX.

A star's redshift tells astronomers how fast a star is moving away from the Earth because its frequency, akin to its color, gets lower as it moves away, much like the horn of a train as it passes by.

The faster a star moves away, the farther away it is. That relationship between speed and distance, called Hubble's Law, can pin down a galaxy's location and allows astronomers to create a 3D map of over 200,000 stars and galaxies with HETDEX.

"This is only a small percentage of what we will find, but it's a good start. Ultimately, HETDEX aims to map one million red-shifted galaxies," Cooper said.

HETDEX is unique from previous large sky surveys because it's a non-targeted survey, blanketing the sky and collecting spectra from the 35,000 fiber optic cables of the Visible Integral Field Replicable Unit Spectrograph (VIRUS).

VIRUS takes starlight from distant galaxies and splits the light into its component colors like a prism does. HETDEX tiles the sky, collecting 35,000 spectra in a moon-sized swath of sky and moving from spot to spot. It collects about 500-600 hours of observations each year for its survey data.

Supercomputers Play a Key Role

The data from the telescope goes straight to the Texas Advanced Computing Center's Corral data storage system via high-speed lines at 100 Gigabits/second.

"TACC has worked hard with us to streamline our system, and it's just working fantastically. We can process years of data in a couple of days, maybe a week of time on TACC systems. And we do it multiple times because we keep adjusting and improving our methods," Gebhardt added.

HETDEX used the Maverick and Stampede2 supercomputers of the Texas Advanced Computing Center, a leading academic supercomputing center at UT Austin. Stampede2 is funded by the National Science Foundation as a shared resource for thousands of scientists across the US. They helped process and analyze about 60 terabytes of image data on TACC's Corral system.

What's more, Cooper and colleagues have worked with TACC to create JupyterHub public access to the data.

"Anyone with any academic credentials can get a TACC account and go on through a web browser to access our data. We're going to let them access all of our data. This is just the catalog right now. But, the future is going to offer a legacy potential of the science from HETDEX. TACC is helping setting that up," Cooper said.

Naked Black Holes

One interesting highlight from the catalog is the identification of an active galactic nuclei (AGN) with strong Lyman-alpha light emission. Gebhadt co-authored a study led by UT Austin astronomy post-doctoral researcher Chenxu Liu, published November 2022 in The Astrophysical Journal. It presents intriguing evidence of a black hole without a surrounding host galaxy.

"This is what I call 'naked black holes,'" Gebhardt said. "Nothing confirmed yet, but we suspect these could be out there. Only a survey like HETDEX will be able to find these."

The science generated from HETDEX adds to the bigger picture of understanding the expansion of the entire universe, unexpectedly growing much faster than expected based on precise observations from the Hubble Space Telescope in 2019 of supernovae that act like a cosmic yardstick.

The Holy Grail for HETDEX is an accurate measure of the universe expansion rate 10 billion years ago that will reveal the physical model for dark energy.

Astronomers are at odds over how to explain the measure of the current expansion rate. Understanding it could require a modification in the theory of gravity, or a change in the fundamental Big Bang theory. It might be the handiwork of an undiscovered particle.

A precise value of the expansion rate early in the universe can be compared to the expansion rate today. This comparison can determine if the universe will continue to expand forever, or will someday collapse on itself many billions of years from now.

"The whole point of the HETDEX project is to measure the expansion of the universe," Gebhardt said. "This new catalog adds valuable data in finally answering the 'million galaxy' question, which is something the HETDEX Collaboration is working very hard on in the coming year. But there's a bigger picture here, and that's what we give back to the community, not just to the scientists around the world but the general community. We wouldn't be able to do this work without the supercomputing resources and experts at TACC, through allowing us the computing power to run many analyses of the data and continue to improve the process."

Adapted from a press release by Jorge Salazar at the Texas Advanced Computing Center.

 

First Images from JWST’s Largest General Observer Program

The first images from the largest program in the James Webb Space Telescope’s first year show many types of galaxies, including dazzling examples of spiral galaxies, gravitational lensing and evidence of galaxy mergers. Scientists from the COSMOS-Web program released mosaic images taken in early January by JWST’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI).


“This first snapshot of COSMOS-Web contains about 25,000 galaxies — an astonishing number larger than even what sits in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field,” said Caitlin Casey, associate professor of astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin and co-principal investigator of COSMOS-Web. "It’s one of the largest JWST images taken so far. And yet it’s just 4 percent of the data we will get for the full survey. When it is finished, this deep field will be astoundingly large and overwhelmingly beautiful.”

Read More 

McDonald Observatory Celebrates One-Year Anniversary of Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve

FORT DAVIS, Texas -- This week, McDonald Observatory and numerous partners join in celebrating the first anniversary of the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve. Covering more than 15,000 square miles in Texas and Mexico, the Reserve is the largest dark sky place in the world certified by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA).

Map of the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve.

This achievement builds on a rich history of efforts to preserve the night skies in the region. McDonald Observatory's ongoing conservation work, including its support of the Reserve, has helped to ensure that it maintains the darkest skies of any research observatory in the continental United States.

“The Observatory has played a major role in informing, educating, and recognizing good lighting,” said Stephen Hummel, Dark Skies Initiative Coordinator at McDonald Observatory. “One of the biggest developments has been the Night-Sky Friendly Recognition Program, which recognizes the efforts of businesses and organizations who use good lighting and thus supports the broader Reserve.”

McDonald Observatory recognized the City of Alpine Visitor Center for using night-sky friendly lighting. By using shielded lighting and recessing string lights so they don't shine upwards, using all soft-white and amber bulbs with appropriate intensities, and turning unnecessary lights off late at night, the Visitor Center provides more than enough light for safety without harming the night sky that attracts visitors to the Big Bend region. 

The Reserve was established through a diverse collaboration between communities, parks, and organizations. “These partnerships have been truly amazing for working together to preserve the night skies, which we all hold in such high regard,” said Kaylee French, the West Texas Education and Outreach Coordinator for The Nature Conservancy – a member of the Reserve.

Dark skies are crucial for preserving the natural beauty of the night sky and for reducing the negative impacts of light pollution on scientific observations, human health, wildlife, and the environment. “The daily cycle of light and dark is vital for the survival of all life on Earth in some way, shape, or form,” said French. Light pollution can disrupt ecosystems, interfere with the sleep patterns of humans and animals, and affect astronomical observations.

To assess light pollution levels in the Big Bend region, Hummel uses a method developed by the National Parks Service known as “all-sky photometry.” For these measurements, Hummel photographs the horizon and night sky above and works with the National Parks Service to stitch them together and isolate artificial light.

While light pollution is increasing by an estimated 9.6% annually in North America, Jeff Davis County presents a very different picture from the national average. Combining Hummel's measurements with contributions from volunteers using sky quality meters, the data reveal that the skies have become nearly 3% darker on average over the last year. “It’s progress, and we were a part of that change,” said Hummel.

A paper published earlier this year, “Light pollution indicators for all the major astronomical observatories” by Falchi et al., uses a different method to compare sky brightness above 28 major observatories across the globe. The authors used a model applied to the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) 2021 satellite radiance data to compute and analyze indicators of light pollution. These indicators include radiance at zenith, which you can think of as the point in the sky directly above your head, as well as other measures. The study calculated the percent change in sky radiance compared to the assumed natural background levels, and the results show the zenith night sky brightness at McDonald Observatory compares favorably with our peers. “It is reassuring to see the skies over McDonald Observatory as the darkest of any professional observatory on the North American continent in this comprehensive study” stated Taft Armandroff, Director of McDonald Observatory.

In collaboration with the IDA, McDonald Observatory will participate in Dark Sky Week from April 18-22, an annual event to raise awareness about the adverse effects of light pollution and the importance of preserving dark skies. During the week of celebrations, McDonald Observatory will host a series of events along with its regular programs, including pop-up labs and talks on topics ranging from archeoastronomy to nature’s need for darkness. Visitors may also participate in special tours of the observatory facilities and learn more about the state-of-the-art equipment used to study the night sky.

In addition to the exciting events planned for Dark Sky Week, McDonald Observatory is proud to continue showcasing the Preserving Dark Skies exhibit at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center.

This exhibit, which opened in conjunction with the designation of the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve last year, has been a popular attraction for visitors to the observatory. With an estimated 50,000 visitors having viewed the exhibit in the past year, Preserving Dark Skies has served as a vital tool for educating and raising awareness about the importance of protecting the night sky.

The exhibit's success has been made possible through funding from Apache Corp., who have been strong allies and champions of night sky-friendly lighting in the Permian Basin. McDonald Observatory extends its deepest gratitude to Apache Corp. for their unwavering support and partnership in preserving the natural beauty of the night sky and for their outstanding leadership in promoting the conservation of night skies.

McDonald Observatory encourages visitors to come and experience the wonders of West Texas's dark skies and practice night sky-friendly lighting. “There are lots of great things everyone can do to help,” said French. For more information on light pollution, the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve, and the events at McDonald Observatory, visit mcdonaldobservatory.org.

 

About McDonald Observatory

McDonald Observatory is a research unit of The University of Texas at Austin and one of the world's leading centers for astronomical research, teaching, and public education and outreach. Observatory facilities are located atop Mount Locke and Mount Fowlkes in the Davis Mountains of West Texas, which offer some of the darkest night skies in the continental United States. Additionally, the observatory is a partner in the Giant Magellan Telescope under construction in Chile. 

 

About the International Dark Sky Places Program
The International Dark Sky Places Program was founded in 2001 as a non-regulatory and voluntary program to encourage communities, parks, and protected areas around the world to preserve and protect dark sites through effective lighting policies, environmentally responsible outdoor lighting, and public education. When used indiscriminately, artificial light can disrupt ecosystems, impact human health, waste money and energy, contribute to climate change, and block our view and connection to the universe. Greater Big Bend IDSR now joins more than 195 Places that have demonstrated robust community support for dark sky advocacy and strive to
protect the night from light pollution. Learn more by visiting http://www.darksky.org/conservation/idsp.

-- END --

Note to Editors:

Two broadcast-quality public service announcements are available for download.

PSA 1: https://utexas.app.box.com/s/41tx5g2u2r2vjnxz9wzpjsheiggoktmr/file/937640800253

PSA 2: https://utexas.app.box.com/s/41tx5g2u2r2vjnxz9wzpjsheiggoktmr/file/937641701018

Images:

Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve map 

City of Alpine Visitors Center - Night Sky Friendly Lighting 

Additional Contacts:
Teznie Pugh, Ph.D. Superintendent, McDonald Observatory
Phone: +1 432-426-4148
Email: super@astro.as.utexas.edu

Stephen Hummel Dark Skies Initiative Coordinator, McDonald Observatory
Phone: +1 432-426-4170
Email: stephenhummel@utexas.edu

JWST First Stunning Image of Cassiopeia A, Fragments of a Hellish Explosion

BY COLLEGE OF NATURAL SCIENCES STAFF WRITER

To gaze at the stars is human. To be able to see them in three-dimensional detail is very nearly divine.

Divine vision is what the James Webb Space Telescope has granted earthbound scientists in a new near-infrared, detailed image of Cassiopeia A (Cas A), a stellar remnant – the clouds of gas, dust and other material left behind when a star dies.

“We have not previously seen Cas A in the infrared and in such detail, with both visual images and spectra, as JWST provides,” said Craig Wheeler, professor emeritus of astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin and a member of the team analyzing the new observations.

Cassiopeia A is the youngest known remnant from an exploding, massive star in our galaxy, which makes it a unique opportunity to learn more about how such supernovae occur. The light from its explosion first arrived at Earth 340 years ago.

“Cas A represents our best opportunity to look at the debris field of an exploded star and run a kind of stellar autopsy to understand what type of star was there beforehand and how that star exploded,” said Danny Milisavljevic, assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Purdue University, who studies supernova remnants and leads a year one research team on JWST examining Cas A.

Supernovae like the one that formed Cas A are crucial for life. Stars create a variety of elements, and subsequent supernovae create additional elements – everything from the calcium in our bones to the iron in our blood – and spread them across interstellar space, seeding new generations of stars and planets.

“By understanding the process of exploding stars, we are reading our own origin story,” Milisavljevic said.

Wheeler noted that despite decades of sophisticated research, many questions still remain about Cas A that JWST might start to help answer.

“I want to know in what sense Cas A is typical of the explosions of massive stars and in what sense is it unique,” Wheeler said. “Cas A may have arisen in a binary star system. I would love to know whether JWST provides new clues to that origin.”

Looking with new eyes

Located about 11,000 light-years away, the remnant is in the section of the sky considered to be of the constellation Cassiopeia. An arrangement of five bright stars in a “W,” Cas A is invisible to human eyes from Earth but occupies the space that appears to be off to the right of the last stroke of the W.

For decades, scientists have studied Cas A. Examining the structure using different wavelengths of light gives astronomers new insights into star anatomy, the same way infrared cameras give humans different information than cameras that see only in the visible light spectrum.

The new image collected by JWST’s golden honeycomb of 18 mirrors shows incredible detail. In it, mid-infrared light has been translated into visible light, allowing scientists to analyze details and structures. Great curtains of material, shaded red and orange, represent where the star’s material is crashing into circumstellar gas and dust. Among those rosy swaths, bursts of pink show where the star’s composite elements, including oxygen, argon and neon, are shining.

For the researchers, one of the most puzzling elements of the image is the large green loop on the image’s right side.

“We’ve nicknamed it the Green Monster, in honor of Fenway Park in Boston,” Milisavljevic said. “If you look closely, you’ll notice that it’s pockmarked with what look like little bubbles. The shape and complexity are unexpected and challenging to understand.”

Higher resolution images, in more wavelengths especially the infrared, give astronomers a clearer look at the intricacies of the structure. Like picking up binoculars to help resolve the colors and patterns on a bird’s wing, the more detail scientists have, the more information they can infer and analyze.

“Compared to previous infrared images, we see incredible detail that we haven't been able to access before,” said Tea Temim, a program co-investigator from Princeton University.

Dust to dust

Counterintuitively, some of the most exciting matter in the picture may seem the most prosaic: dust. While the substance is irritating to housekeepers, it is intriguing to astronomers.

Massive quantities of dust suffuse even very young galaxies in the early universe. It’s difficult to explain the origins of this dust without crediting supernovae, which spew large quantities of heavy elements – the building blocks of dust – across space.

But supernovae can also destroy dust, and it’s unclear how much survives the trip to interstellar space. By studying Cas A with JWST, astronomers hope to gain a better understanding of its dust content, which can help inform our understanding of where the building blocks of planets – and ourselves – are created.

“In Cas A, we can spatially resolve regions that have different gas compositions and look at what types of dust were formed in those regions,” Temim said.

Carl Sagan famously assured humanity that we are made of “star stuff.” Milisavljevic’s team and JWST’s observations are helping scientist understand that process.

“Webb is an incredible achievement,” Milisavljevic said. “I feel fortunate to be among the first scientists to test its unrivaled power to explore the universe. I am going to spend the rest of my career trying to understand what’s in this data set.”

Based on a press release by Purdue University

James Webb Space Telescope Images Challenge Theories of How Universe Evolved

,

BY MARC AIRHART 

Hefty young galaxies defy the reigning model of cosmology, called "dark energy + cold dark matter" or ΛCDM

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) appears to be finding multiple galaxies that grew too massive too soon after the Big Bang, if the standard model of cosmology is to be believed.

In a study published in Nature Astronomy, Mike Boylan-Kolchin, an associate professor of astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin, finds that six of the earliest and most massive galaxy candidates observed by JWST so far stand to contradict the prevailing thinking in cosmology. That’s because other researchers estimate that each galaxy is seen from between 500 and 700 million years after the Big Bang, yet measures more than 10 billion times as massive as our sun. One of the galaxies even appears to be more massive than the Milky Way, despite that our own galaxy had billions of more years to form and grow.

“If the masses are right, then we are in uncharted territory,” Boylan-Kolchin said. “We’ll require something very new about galaxy formation or a modification to cosmology. One of the most extreme possibilities is that the universe was expanding faster shortly after the Big Bang than we predict, which might require new forces and particles.”

For galaxies to form so fast at such a size, they also would need to be converting nearly 100% of their available gas into stars.

“We typically see a maximum of 10% of gas converted into stars,” Boylan-Kolchin said. “So while 100% conversion of gas into stars is technically right at the edge of what is theoretically possible, it’s really the case that this would require something to be very different from what we expect.”

For all of the breathless excitement it evokes, JWST has presented astronomers with an unsettling dilemma. If the masses and time since the Big Bang are confirmed for these galaxies, fundamental changes to the reigning model of cosmology—what’s called the dark energy + cold dark matter (ΛCDM) paradigm, which has guided cosmology since the late 1990s —could be needed. If there are other, faster ways to form galaxies than ΛCDM allows, or if more matter actually was available for forming stars and galaxies in the early universe than was previously understood, astronomers would need to shift their prevailing thinking.

The six galaxies’ times and masses are initial estimates and will need follow-up confirmation with spectroscopy — a method that splits the light into a spectrum and analyzes the brightness of different colors. Such analysis might suggest that central supermassive black holes, which could heat up the surrounding gas, may be making the galaxies brighter so that they look more massive than they really are. Or perhaps the galaxies are actually seen at a time much later than originally estimated due to dust that causes the color of the light from the galaxy to shift redder, giving the illusion of being more lightyears away and, thus, further back in time.

The galaxy data came from the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science Survey (CEERS), a multi-institution JWST initiative led by UT Austin astronomer Steven Finkelstein.

Another ongoing collaborative JWST project, COSMOS-Web, co-led by UT Austin’s Caitlin Casey, may be involved with spectroscopy and shedding more light on the findings to help resolve the dilemma. COSMOS-Web is covering an area roughly 50 times larger than CEERS and is expected to discover thousands of galaxies.

“It will be ideal for discovering the rarest, most massive galaxies at early times, which will tell us how the biggest galaxies and black holes in the early universe arose so quickly,” Boylan-Kolchin said.

The initial discovery and estimates of the six galaxy candidates’ masses and redshifts were published in Nature in February by a team led by Swinburne University of Technology in Australia.

This research is supported by the National Science Foundation and NASA.

Two eclipses across Texas bring science exploration to our backyard

,

Texas sits under the X of two solar eclipse paths crisscrossing North America in the next year. On Saturday, October 14, 2023, an annular solar eclipse, sometimes called a ‘Ring of Fire’, will stretch across Texas from Midland to Corpus Christi. Then, on April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will take place over Texas with a path of totality reaching from Eagle Pass through Dallas-Ft. Worth.

 

Thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Abell Hanger Foundation, McDonald Observatory education staff will provide free online training and resources to inform and educate communities about the upcoming ellipses. “We’re excited to engage Texans in the opportunity to experience a live astronomical event in their community.” says McDonald Observatory Assistant Director for Education and Outreach, Katie Kizziar. “This type of event can inspire curiosity and even future science ambitions.”

 

Community leaders from Midland and Odessa gathered in February to kick-off planning with a training and information session co-hosted by the Petroleum Basin Petroleum Museum and the Abell-Hanger Foundation. McDonald Observatory staff provided details about how to safely view an eclipse, make science connections through activities and demonstrations, and receive free resources like viewers and educational handouts for their event.

 

“The Abell-Hanger Foundation is very proud to underwrite the work of the McDonald Observatory as they observe the October 14th, 2023, annular solar eclipse.” said Mark Palmer, Abell-Hanger Foundation Chief Executive Officer. “Awareness and education of these types of events ignite our imagination, remind us of the need for STEM education and the doors that open for all of us when we continue to advance in scientific discovery and new technology.”

 

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, covering part or all of the Sun’s disc. During this year long campaign to prepare thousands of individuals to safely experience these eclipse events, the observatory will also distribute free eclipse viewing glasses, informational posters, and educational materials about the science of eclipses to trained participants who plan to host viewing events, large or small. Kizziar says, “Our hope is that a lot of people will participate and be inspired and able to learn more about the Universe.”

To learn more about McDonald Observatory solar eclipse trainings, visit: https://mcdonaldobservatory.org/eclipse

 

About the Abell Hanger Foundation

The Abell-Hanger Foundation has deep roots in Midland and the West Texas region and makes grants to nonprofit organizations, which are involved in such undertakings for the public welfare, including, but not limited to, education, health and human services, arts and cultural activities that benefit our community.

About McDonald Observatory

McDonald Observatory is a research unit of The University of Texas at Austin and one of the world's leading centers for astronomical research, teaching, and public education and outreach. Observatory facilities are located atop Mount Locke and Mount Fowlkes in the Davis Mountains of West Texas, which offer some of the darkest night skies in the continental United States. Additionally, the observatory is a partner in the Giant Magellan Telescope under construction in Chile.

Media Contacts

Mark Palmer
CEO, Abell-Hanger Foundation
432-684-6655
mpalmer@abell-hanger.org 

Katie Kizziar
Assistant Director for Education and Outreach, McDonald Observatory
512-475-6765
ktk@austin.utexas.edu 

 

Searching for Supernovae in HETDEX Data

,

In the search for supernovae, astronomers must comb through a wealth of data. Automated photometric surveys find millions of possible supernovae every night. This is far too many for astronomers to manually review each one and identify which may merit additional observation.

New research published in The Astrophysical Journal identified two new supernovae from hundreds of possibilities present in two independent projects’ overlapping survey regions. A team led by József Vinkó, research advisor at Konkoly Observatory, Hungary, used data from the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) photometric survey to identify possible supernovae. They then reviewed data from the University of Texas at Austin’s Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy eXperiment (HETDEX) spectrographic survey to confirm which of these possible supernovae were the real deal.

While there was nothing particularly remarkable about the supernovae themselves, the circumstances of their classification are exciting: this marks a rare instance when a spectrographic survey has been used to identify a supernova and may point to a more efficient process for doing so in the future.

About Photometric and Spectroscopic Surveys

Each night, astronomical instruments survey our sky, documenting all manner of celestial objects for analysis.

Photometric surveys measure the intensity of light that these objects emit. They can help astronomers identify changes in brightness over time, which can indicate a star’s behavior, the presence of a supernova, the existence of extrasolar planets, and more.

Spectroscopic surveys document (as spectra) the electromagnetic radiation – X-ray, ultraviolet, visible light, etc. – that objects emit. Astronomers analyze spectra to identify the composition, density, temperature, and other properties associated with its source.

The Search for Supernovae: Detecting Flashes on an Industrial Scale

When a distant, massive star explodes as a supernova, the only sign of the monstrous violence seen from Earth is a tiny, modest flash in the night sky. Observations of these brief and easy-to-miss eruptions used to be pretty rare: astronomers would have to patiently and manually check the same patch of sky over and over again, hoping that in one of their images they’d see a bright speck of light that wasn’t there before.

But no more. With the advent of robotic telescopes, advanced imagers, and sophisticated software, this tedious process has been supplanted by a much more effective workflow. Large photometric surveys, such as ZTF, image huge swaths of the sky every night and automate the flash-detection process.

While astronomers previously treasured each flash, or “transient,” as a unique discovery, thanks to these automated surveys, they can now examine any number of the million or so detected each night.

And yet, even as these surveys churn out transients on an industrial scale, astronomers usually want to know more about each one than the fact that they exist. For example, is the source of the transient a supernova, a pulsating star, or something else? Historically, they’ve answered this question by recording not just images, but also spectra of each object.

Unfortunately, although spectroscopic surveys have also grown immensely more efficient, they have not kept pace with their photometric counterparts. This means that most transients discovered by ZTF will never have their spectra documented.

When Telescopes Align

Using HETDEX data, Vinkó’s team successfully added spectra to hundreds of transients discovered by ZTF. From 2018 to 2022, HETDEX was documenting spectra of high-redshift galaxies in one corner of the sky while ZTF was snapping images of the whole northern hemisphere with its camera.

By comparing ZTF’s alerts with logs of where HETDEX was pointing each night, the team found that 538 transients went off in the exact same area that the two survey projects were observing. Even more fortuitously, nine of these transients were still glowing when HETDEX took its measurements.

Using the HETDEX spectra, Vinkó and collaborators successfully identified two supernovae and classified hundreds of other transients as either active galactic nuclei or other known astronomical objects.

As more industrial-style surveys come on line in the coming decade, we can look forward to more of these discoveries in the near future.

- END - 

Based on an article published on American Astronomical Society NOVA.

McDonald Observatory Dedicates David G. Booth Director’s House

, , , , ,

On Saturday, May 20, McDonald Observatory dedicated the David G. Booth Director’s House. This dedication is in recognition of David Booth’s $10 million gift to The University of Texas at Austin toward the Observatory’s share of construction costs of the Giant Magellan Telescope. Mr. Booth is co-founder and executive chairman of Austin-based Dimensional Fund Advisors.

Among those in attendance were:

  • David Booth and his partner, Heather Pesanti
  • J.B. Milliken, UT System chancellor
  • Rad Weaver, UT System regent
  • Jay Hartzell, UT Austin president
  • Dan Jaffe, UT Austin vice president for research
  • David Vanden Bout, College of Natural Sciences dean
  • Taft Armandroff, McDonald Observatory director
  • 30 top donors to UT, the College of Natural Sciences, McDonald Observatory, and the Department of Astronomy

“It is with great pleasure that we dedicate the David G. Booth Director’s House,” said Taft Armandroff, director of McDonald Observatory. “Mr. Booth’s generous gift ensures UT students, faculty and researchers will be able to use GMT to explore fundamental questions about our universe: its origin, structure, and the possibility of life outside our solar system. It will allow us to look farther into space and with greater clarity than was ever possible before.”

In their remarks at the dedication, Chancellor Milliken, President Hartzell and Dean Vanden Bout underscored their support for the mission of McDonald Observatory and the Giant Magellan Telescope. President Hartzell and Dean Vanden Bout recounted memories of their stays in the Booth House, recent and past. As the son of a UT Austin astronomer, Dean Vanden Bout was a frequent visitor during his youth.

About the Booth House

The David G. Booth Director’s House has always been a fixture of the Observatory. It was built in 1936, when travel to West Texas was difficult and UT didn’t have an astronomy department. Back then, the Observatory was operated in collaboration with The University of Chicago. The Observatory director and his family would arrive from Chicago to live in the house for months at a time.

Eventually, UT established a department of astronomy, transportation infrastructure improved, and it was no longer necessary for the director to stay on site for such lengthy periods. With its comfortable accommodations and stunning views, the house became a lodging for the Observatory’s distinguished guests.

Past guests to Booth House include:

  • Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, who shared the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physics
  • UT system chancellors, including Bill Cunningham and Hans Mark, who also served as secretary of the Air Force and deputy administrator of NASA; UT Austin presidents
  • Texas governmental figures, including George W. and Laura Bush, Lady Bird Johnson, Governor Ann Richards, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, and Senator John Cornyn

Lovingly maintained throughout its history, the house has recently undergone extensive renovation.

About the Giant Magellan Telescope

When complete, the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) will be the world’s largest telescope. With a resolution ten times greater than that of the Hubble Space Telescope, GMT will revolutionize humanity’s understanding of the universe. Scientists will be able to explore the origins of chemical elements, the formation of the first stars and galaxies, the characteristics of planets that orbit other stars, and the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy.

The 25-meter class telescope is currently being built on Las Campanas Peak at the southern edge of Chile’s Atacama Desert, one of the best locations on Earth to explore the heavens. UT Austin is one of 13 partner universities and research institutions developing the telescope. To date, it is the largest public-private funded science project in history.

Astronomers Observe Giant Tails of Helium Escaping Jupiter-Like Planet

BY EMILY HOWARD

AUSTIN, Texas. A team of astronomers has used observations from the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory to discover some of the longest tails of gas yet observed escaping a planet.

The planet, HAT-P-32b, is nearly twice the size of Jupiter and losing its atmosphere through dramatic jets of helium unfurling before and behind it as it travels through space. These tails are more than 50 times the length of the planet’s radius. The discovery is published in the journal Science Advances.

Tails of escaping material around planets are not unheard of. They can be the result of a collision freeing a trail of dust and debris. Or, they can be caused by the heat of a nearby star energizing and blowing a planet’s atmosphere into space. However, tails as long as HAT-P-32b’s are truly remarkable.

“It is exciting to see how gigantic the extended tails are compared to the size of the planet and its host star,” said Zhoujian Zhang, NASA Sagan fellow at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He led the team that made this discovery while part of The University of Texas at Austin HET Exospheres Project. The HET Exospheres Project studies the atmospheres of planets outside of our solar system.

Detecting HAT-P-32b’s Dramatic Tails

To learn about the atmosphere of planets outside our solar system, astronomers can observe their parent star while the planet passes in front of it. This is what is referred to as a “transit.” One example would be when Venus passes between the Earth and Sun.

During a transit, the star shines light through the passing planet’s atmosphere - if there is one. Through a method called “spectroscopy,” astronomers can study this light to identify what elements are present in the atmosphere. With spectroscopy, the light is broken into a spectrum, much like white light shining through a prism. Different bands of color in the spectrum correspond to different elements.

Previous studies had detected HAT-P-32b’s tails. However, because astronomers had only observed the planet while it was passing in front of its star, the tails’ true sizes remained unknown.

“We would not have seen this without the long-timeframe observations that we can get with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope,” said Caroline Morley, assistant professor at The University of Texas at Austin and principal investigator for the HET Exospheres Project. “It allowed us to observe this planet for its full orbit.”

Zhang’s team observed HAT-P-32b over the course of several nights, capturing the moment when the planet crossed in front of the star as well as observations in the days before and after. This covered the full time it takes for the planet to orbit its star, ensuring the full extent of its tails was revealed.

HAT-P-32b’s tails are likely caused by its parent star boiling off the planet’s atmosphere. The planet is what astronomers refer to as a “hot Jupiter,” meaning it is big, hot, gassy and has a close orbit around its star. Its orbit is so tight that the heat from its parent star is causing the gas in HAT-P-32b’s atmosphere to expand. The atmosphere has expanded so much that some of it has escaped the planet’s gravitational pull and been drawn into orbit around the nearby star.

“Our findings on HAT-P-32b may help us understand how other planets and their stars interact,” said Morley. “We are able to take high-precision measurements on hot Jupiters, like this one, and then apply our findings to a wider range of planets.”

Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) and the Study of Planetary Atmospheres

The HET is particularly well suited to studying atmospheres on planets outside our solar system. Its high-resolution instrument, the Habitable-Zone Planet Finder spectrograph, is able to observe objects at near-infrared wavelengths. This includes the wavelength associated with helium, allowing astronomers to observe the gas escaping HAT-P-32b and other similar planets.

Another advantage of observing with HET is that it surveys the same sweep of sky each night. Unlike most other telescopes, which tilt up and down, the HET's 10- by 11-meter mirror is always tilted at 55 degrees above the horizon. This can lead to high-precision, long-timeline observations of the same swath of sky each night.

“Because we can observe the system every night for several days in a row, we can detect physically large structures like this one,” said Zhang. “Other planets might also have extended escaping atmospheres waiting to be discovered through similar monitoring.”

The HET is a joint project of the University of Texas at Austin, the Pennsylvania State University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, and Georg-August Universitaet Goettingen. The HET is named in honor of its principal benefactors, William P. Hobby and Robert E. Eberly.

The HET Exospheres Project is funded by the NASA Exoplanets Research Program. The HET Habitable-Zone Planet Finder team is supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, the NASA Astrobiology Institute, and the Heising-Simons Foundation.

 

- END -

 

Media Contact:

Emily Howard

Communications Manager, McDonald Observatory

emily.howard@austin.utexas.edu

512-475-6763

 

Science Contacts:

Zhoujian Zhang

NASA Sagan Fellow, University of California, Santa Cruz

zhangdirac@gmail.com

 

Caroline Morley

Assistant Professor, Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin

cmorley@utexas.edu

 

Morgan MacLeod

Clay Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

morgan.macleod@cfa.harvard.edu

Searching for an Atmosphere on the Rocky Exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 c

,

Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA)-led group of astronomers searched for an atmosphere on rocky exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 c. Though the planet is nearly identical in size and temperature to Venus, its atmosphere has turned out to be very different. By analysing the heat emitted from the planet, they conclude it may only have a tenuous atmosphere with minimal carbon dioxide. However, this measurement is also consistent with a barren rocky planet without any significant atmosphere. This work contributes to our understanding of how the atmospheres of rocky planets orbiting low-mass stars can withstand their strong stellar winds and intense UV radiation.

“The nearby TRAPPIST-1 planetary system is currently the best candidate to study the atmospheres of rocky, Earth-like planets orbiting a red dwarf star,” says Sebastian Zieba, a student at MPIA in Heidelberg, Germany. He is the primary author of new research on TRAPPIST-1 c, published June 19 in the journal Nature.

Located at a distance of about 40 light-years away, TRAPPIST-1 hosts seven Earth-sized rocky planets, with up to three of them in the habitable zone. This means the radiation from the central star would produce enough heat to allow for water in a liquid form. As TRAPPIST-1 c is not located in this habitable zone, astronomers suspected it to be a Venus analogue.

Low-Mass Stars Can Erode Planetary Atmospheres

Although relatively cool on the outside, many such stars exhibit strong stellar winds and intense UV radiation over an extended period of their lifetime, potentially damaging and eroding their planets’ atmospheres. “We wanted to find out if TRAPPIST-1 c may have escaped that fate and could have retained a substantial atmosphere, and perhaps even be similar to the planet Venus in the Solar System,” Zieba explains.

The planet’s gravitational pull at the surface, which is 10% higher than that of Earth, should help retain its atmosphere. Like Venus, TRAPPIST-1 c’s diameter and mass values are a close match with those of Earth. Furthermore, the radiation it experiences from its central star is nearly identical to that of Venus.

“On Venus, we think it was hot enough to evaporate its oceans into steam, and then lose all the water to space,” says Caroline Morley, assistant professor at The University of Texas at Austin. She is a contributing author and led the modeling for this study. “Carbon dioxide is much harder to lose, so now the atmosphere of Venus is dominated by carbon dioxide.”

The task of characterizing the atmospheres of rocky, Earth-sized planets is a challenging endeavour, even for the JWST. Therefore, the team combined their observations with model calculations to find the most likely range of atmospheric properties matching the data.

The extent, pressure and composition of an atmosphere decides the temperature of a planet depending on the light it receives from its star. Conversely, the temperature determines how much infrared light the planet emits. This way, infrared measurements combined with models provide clues about the atmosphere and its composition.

“I generated models of TRAPPIST-1 c’s atmosphere, creating simulated planets with different thicknesses of atmosphere,” says Morley. “From a Venus-like atmosphere with a crushing 100-bar surface pressure to a thin Mars-like atmosphere with a tenuous atmosphere. Comparing our observations to the models lets us infer what the atmosphere is like on the planet.”

TRAPPIST-1 c Is Not Like Venus

“We can definitely rule out a thick and Venus-like atmosphere,” says Laura Kreidberg, the lead scientist of the JWST observing program and a co-author and director at MPIA. She heads the Atmospheric Physics of Exoplanets (APEx) Department. Defying the astronomers’ expectations, the temperatures “only” reach as high as 110 degrees Celsius (230 Fahrenheit, 380 Kelvin), up to 390 degrees lower than on Venus. The infrared light emitted by TRAPPIST-1 c does not match a Venusian atmosphere, rich in carbon dioxide causing a strong greenhouse effect.

In fact, the data is inconsistent with any kind of thick atmosphere rich in carbon dioxide, with surface pressures higher than ten times that of Earth. While results published on TRAPPIST-1 b earlier this year showed it to be lacking any atmosphere, similar to Mercury, TRAPPIST-1 c suggests that this planetary system is not a Solar System analogue.

TRAPPIST-1 c May Have a Thin Atmosphere

Does TRAPPIST-1 c at least have a thin gas envelope? To explore that possibility, the scientists calculated the statistical likelihood of a set of atmospheric parameters to match the observations. The atmospheric model involved a range of surface pressures and mixtures of an oxygen (O2) dominated atmosphere with varying traces of carbon dioxide (CO2).

“We expect a high abundance of oxygen with some carbon dioxide for hot rocky planets orbiting low-mass stars,” explains Zieba. Planets like TRAPPIST-1 c should possess an atmosphere containing carbon dioxide and water vapour early on in their evolution. Over time, the stellar radiation breaks up the water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. While the highly volatile hydrogen gradually escapes into open space, the heavier oxygen molecules remain, leading to an oxygen-rich atmosphere with traces of carbon dioxide.

As it turns out for TRAPPIST-1 c, the model reflecting that assumption is consistent with a wide range of oxygen-carbon dioxide mixtures and surface pressures between 1% and 100% of Earth’s sea level values. This result raises the hope for TRAPPIST-1 c and other sufficiently heavy rocky planets around cool low-mass stars to sustain an atmosphere over a significant fraction of the stellar lifetime, as the star TRAPPIST-1 is at least as old as the Sun.

Nevertheless, those results need verification with additional data. “Observations of thin, rocky-planet atmospheres push JWST to its limits,” Kreidberg admits. The measured signals are faint, and many properties are still unknown, leading to uncertainties. In the case of TRAPPIST-1 c, atmospheric models are not the only ones that match the data. A barren rock with a surface layer of material weathered from stellar irradiation explains the observations equally well.

Observations Are Challenging, Even for JWST

While JWST is undoubtedly the most powerful space observatory ever launched, it is still very difficult to catch the heat signature of a small, moderately warm and rocky planet along with imprints of a surrounding atmosphere.

TRAPPIST-1 c is tidally-locked, always facing its central star with the same side. This leads to two distinct hemispheres - one in constant day, and another in eternal night. The planet’s rotation is locked to its trajectory around the star, and as a result, both a day and a year last approximately 2.42 Earth-days on TRAPPIST-1 c. In addition, its orbit is oriented in such a way that from our perspective it repeatedly passes in front of its star.

At the halfway point of TRAPPIST-1 c’s revolution, the star TRAPPIST-1 covers the planet, completely hiding it from our telescopes for about half an hour. However, just before and after the planet vanishes, it presents its hot and fully-lit dayside for astronomers to observe. This is the signal the team was searching for, though any hint of a thin atmosphere would be diminutive at best.

Next Steps

“I'm excited about what comes next!” says Morley. “Now we go back and observe the planet in different ways to learn more about its atmosphere – if there is one.”

Additional JWST observations are needed to distinguish between a barren rocky planet and one with a tenuous atmosphere. By measuring the light emitted by TRAPPIST-1 c over a broad wavelength range, the astronomers can catch the small absorption signatures of gases in the atmosphere.

Another option is to employ the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT), currently under construction in the Chilean Atacama Desert. When complete, it will be the world’s largest telescope, with mirrors that span 25 meters and a resolution ten times greater than the Hubble Space Telescope. 

If an atmosphere was present on one of these closely-orbiting exoplanets, it would be an encouraging sign, signalling that these tenuous gases can endure the harsh light of red dwarf stars after all.

Acknowledgements

The MPIA researchers involved in the study are Sebastian Zieba (also Leiden Observatory, The Netherlands), Laura Kreidberg and Lorena Acuña (also Aix-Marseille University, France). Caroline Morley at The University of Texas at Austin (USA) led modeling for the study.

The astronomers observed TRAPPIST-1 c as part of the JWST General Observer (GO) Program 2304, “Hot Take on a Cool World: Does TRAPPIST-1c Have an Atmosphere?” (PI: Laura Kreidberg).

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is the world’s leading observatory for space exploration. JWST is an international programme led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).

JWST’s Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI), built by a European consortium of research institutions, is a multi-purpose scientific instrument for infrared wavelengths between five and 28 microns. It combines an imaging camera with a spectrograph. With the support of industrial partners, MPIA provided the mechanisms of all wavelength range steering elements, such as filter and grating wheels, and led MIRI’s electrical design.

The following research institutes are involved in this study:

Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Heidelberg, Germany; Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Cité, CEA, CNRS, AIM, France; University of Liège, Belgium; The University of Texas at Austin, USA; Stanford University, USA; Boston University, USA; Peking University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, CNES, Institut Origines, LAM, Marseille, France; University of Washington, USA; NASA Nexus for Exoplanet System Science, University of Washington, Seattle, USA; Arizona State University, Tempe, USA; Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, USA; Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, USA; Laboratoire d’astrophysique de Bordeaux, Université Bordeaux, CNRS, Pessac, France; Observatoire astronomique de l’Université de Genève, Versoix, Switzerland; Centre Vie dans l’Univers, Université de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland; NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, USA

New Era of Exoplanet Discovery Begins with Images of ‘Jupiter’s Younger Sibling’

, ,

BY MARC AIRHART

A team led by astronomers at The University of Texas at Austin has captured images of the lowest-mass extrasolar planet ever discovered that has both a direct mass measurement and an orbit similar to the giant planets in our own solar system. It’s also among the first ever discovered using a technique called astrometry, which relies on subtle movements of a host star over many years to provide insights about orbiting companions, including planets.

“When we processed the observations in real time at the telescope to carefully remove the glare of the star, the planet immediately popped out and became increasingly apparent the longer we observed,” said Kyle Franson, a UT Austin astronomy graduate student and lead author of the paper describing the team’s findings in the journal Astrophysical Journal Letters.

The UT Austin-led group captured direct images of AF Lep b, a planet about three times the mass of Jupiter orbiting AF Leporis, a young sun-like star about 87.5 light years away. They took a series of deep images of the planet starting in December 2021, and two other teams also captured images of the same planet since then.

“This is the first time this method has been used to find a giant planet orbiting a young analog of the sun,” said Brendan Bowler, an assistant professor of astronomy at UT Austin and senior author on the study. “This opens the door to using this approach as a new tool for exoplanet discovery.”

Despite having a much smaller mass than its host star, an orbiting planet causes a star’s position to wobble slightly around the center of mass of the planetary system. Astrometry uses this shift in a star’s position on the sky relative to other stars to infer the existence of orbiting planets. Franson and Bowler identified the star AF Leporis as one that might harbor a planet, given the way it had moved during 25 years of observations from the Hipparcos and Gaia satellites.

To directly image the planet, the UT Austin team used the W.M. Keck Observatory’s 10-meter telescope in Hawaii equipped with adaptive optics, which corrects for fluctuations caused by turbulence in the atmosphere, and a special instrument called a vector vortex coronagraph, which suppresses light from the host star. The planet AF Lep b is about 10,000 times fainter than its host star and is located at a distance of about 8 times the Earth-sun distance.

“Imaging planets is challenging,” Franson said. “We only have about 15 examples, and we think this new ‘dynamically informed’ approach will be much more efficient compared to blind surveys which have been carried out for the past two decades.”

The two most common ways to find extrasolar planets involve observing slight, periodic dimming of the starlight if a planet happens to regularly pass in front of the star — like a moth spiraling around a porchlight — and measuring minute changes in the frequencies of starlight that result from the planet tugging the star back and forth along the direction to Earth. Both methods tend to work best with large planets orbiting close to their host stars, and both methods are indirect: we don’t see the planet, we only see how it influences the star.

The method of combining direct imaging with astrometry could help astronomers find extrasolar planets that were hard to find before with other methods because they were too far from their host star, were too low mass, or didn’t have orbits that were edge on as seen from Earth. Another benefit of this technique is that it allows astronomers to directly measure a planet’s mass, which is difficult with other methods at wide orbital distances.

Bowler said the team plans to continue studying AF Lep b.

“This will be an excellent target to further characterize with the James Webb Space Telescope and the next generation of large ground-based telescopes like the Giant Magellan Telescope,” Bowler said. UT Austin is a founding partner of GMT, which is expected to regularly discover planets like AF Lep b. “We’re already planning more sensitive follow-up efforts at longer wavelengths to study the physical properties and atmospheric chemistry of this planet.”

Two other teams used the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile to take images of the same planet in fall 2022 and published their results in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics (Mesa, et al. and De Rosa, et al.).

Other authors from UT Austin are Yifan Zhou, Lauren Biddle, Marvin Morgan, Aniket Sanghi, Quang Tran and Trevor Wolf. Authors from other institutions are Tim Pearce, Daniella Bardalez Gagliuffi, Timothy Brandt, Justin Crepp, Trent Dupuy, Jacqueline Faherty, Rebecca Jensen-Clem and Christopher Theissen.

This research was supported by the National Science Foundation, NASA, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Heising-Simons Foundation and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.

NASA Keck time is administered by the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute. Data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory from telescope time allocated to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration through the agency's scientific partnership with the California Institute of Technology and the University of California. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

Webb Telescope Detects Most Distant Active Supermassive Black Hole

, ,

BY MARC AIRHART

Researchers have discovered the most distant active supermassive black hole to date with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The galaxy, CEERS 1019, existed about 570 million years after the big bang, and its black hole is less massive than any other yet identified in the early universe.

In addition to the black hole in CEERS 1019, the researchers identified two more black holes that are on the smaller side and existed 1 billion and 1.1 billion years after the big bang. JWST also identified eleven galaxies that existed when the universe was 470 million to 675 million years old. The evidence was provided by JWST’s Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) Survey, led by Steven Finkelstein, a professor of astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. The program combines JWST’s highly detailed near- and mid-infrared images and data known as spectra, all of which were used to make these discoveries.

“Looking at this distant object with this telescope is a lot like looking at data from black holes that exist in galaxies near our own,” said Rebecca Larson, a recent Ph.D. graduate at UT Austin, who led the study. “There are so many spectral lines to analyze!”

The team has published these results in several initial papers in a special edition of The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

CEERS 1019 is notable not only for how long ago it existed, but also for the surprising size of its black hole. It clocks in around 9 million solar masses, far less than other black holes that also existed in the early universe and were detected by other telescopes, but larger than expected for so early in cosmic history. Those behemoths typically contain more than 1 billion times the mass of the sun – and they are easier to detect because they are much brighter. The black hole within CEERS 1019 is more like the black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy, which is 4.6 million times the mass of the sun.

Though smaller, this black hole existed so much earlier that it is still difficult to explain how it formed so soon after the universe began. Researchers have long known that smaller black holes must have existed earlier in the universe, but it wasn’t until JWST began observing that they were able to make definitive detections.

Not only could the team untangle which emissions in the spectrum are from the black hole and which are from its host galaxy, they could also pinpoint how much gas the black hole is ingesting and determine its galaxy’s star-formation rate.

The team found this galaxy is ingesting as much gas as it can while also churning out new stars. They turned to the images to explore why that might be. Visually, CEERS 1019 appears as three bright clumps, not a single circular disk.

“We’re not used to seeing so much structure in images at these distances,” said CEERS team member Jeyhan Kartaltepe, an associate professor of astronomy at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. “A galaxy merger could be partly responsible for fueling the activity in this galaxy’s black hole, and that could also lead to increased star formation.”

These are only some of the first groundbreaking findings from the CEERS Survey.

“Until now, research about objects in the early universe was largely theoretical,” Finkelstein said. “With Webb, not only can we see black holes and galaxies at extreme distances, we can now start to accurately measure them. That’s the tremendous power of this telescope.”

In the future, it’s possible JWST’s data may also be used to explain how early black holes formed, revising researchers’ models of how black holes grew and evolved in the first several hundred million years of the universe’s history.

The James Webb Space Telescope is an international program led by NASA with its partners, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.

More Extremely Distant Black Holes and Galaxies

The CEERS Survey is expansive, and there is much more to explore. Team member Dale Kocevski of Colby College in Waterville, Maine, and the team quickly spotted another pair of small black holes in the data. The first, within galaxy CEERS 2782, was easiest to pick out. There isn’t any dust obscuring JWST’s view of it, so researchers could immediately determine when its black hole existed in the history of the universe – only 1.1 billion years after the big bang. The second black hole, in galaxy CEERS 746, existed slightly earlier, 1 billion years after the big bang. Its bright accretion disk, a ring made up of gas and dust that encircles its supermassive black hole, is still partially clouded by dust.

“The central black hole is visible, but the presence of dust suggests it might lie within a galaxy that is also furiously pumping out stars,” Kocevski explained.

Like the one in CEERS 1019, the two other newly described black holes (in galaxies CEERS 2782 and CEERS 746) are also “light weights” – at least when compared with previously known supermassive black holes at these distances. They are only about 10 million times the mass of the sun.

“Researchers have long known that there must be lower mass black holes in the early universe. Webb is the first observatory that can capture them so clearly,” Kocevski said. “Now we think that lower mass black holes might be all over the place, waiting to be discovered.”

Before JWST, all three black holes were too faint to be detected.

“With other telescopes, these targets look like ordinary star-forming galaxies, not active supermassive black holes,” Finkelstein added.

JWST’s sensitive spectra also allowed these researchers to measure precise distances to, and therefore the ages of, galaxies in the early universe. Team members Pablo Arrabal Haro of the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab and Seiji Fujimoto, a postdoctoral researcher and Hubble fellow at UT Austin, identified 11 galaxies that existed 470 million to 675 million years after the big bang. Not only are they extremely distant, the fact that so many bright galaxies were detected is notable. Researchers theorized that JWST would detect fewer galaxies than are being found at these distances.

“I am overwhelmed by the amount of highly detailed spectra of remote galaxies Webb returned,” Arrabal Haro said. “These data are absolutely incredible.”

These galaxies are rapidly forming stars but are not yet as chemically enriched as galaxies that are much closer to home.

“Webb was the first to detect some of these galaxies,” explained Fujimoto. “This set, along with other distant galaxies we may identify in the future, might change our understanding of star formation and galaxy evolution throughout cosmic history,” he added.

The team published several initial papers about CEERS Survey data in a special edition of The Astrophysical Journal Letters on July 6: “A CEERS Discovery of an Accreting Supermassive Black Hole 570 Myr after the Big Bang: Identifying a Progenitor of Massive z > 6 Quasars,” led by Larson, “Hidden Little Monsters: Spectroscopic Identification of Low-Mass, Broad-Line AGN at z > 5 with CEERS,” led by Kocevski, “Spectroscopic confirmation of CEERS NIRCam-selected galaxies at z≃8−10,” led by Arrabal Haro, and “CEERS Spectroscopic Confirmation of NIRCam-Selected z ≳ 8 Galaxy Candidates with JWST/NIRSpec: Initial Characterization of their Properties,” led by Fujimoto.

This was adapted from a news release by the Space Telescope Science Institute.

JWST Awards 148 Hours Observing Time to University of Texas Astronomer

, ,

BY EMILY HOWARD

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has awarded 148 hours of observing time to a group of scientists led by John Chisholm, assistant professor of astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. He is co-principal investigator on the selected proposal, along with Hakim Atek at the Institut D'Astrophysique de Paris. “That’s over six days on the telescope,” says Chisholm. And only one hour less than the proposal that was awarded the most amount of time.

Getting time on JWST is very competitive. Astronomers around the world submit proposals for what they would like to observe with the telescope and for how much time. For its second year of observations, JWST received 1,601 proposals. Of those the size of Chisholm’s, only one in seven were approved.

“I am honored and excited that our proposal was selected,” says Chisholm. “Now we are waiting for the telescope to start observing the part of the sky we are interested in, likely next spring.”

Chisholm and his team plan to:

  • Find the most distant galaxies ever observed, and
  • Take a census of distant galaxies that existed less than a billion years after the Big Bang.

“The faint galaxies that we are targeting have never been observed before, but they are expected to be the building blocks of more massive galaxies at later times,” explains Chisholm. “How many galaxies there are will reveal crucial information on the presence of dark matter; how the first galaxies formed stars and built up their masses; and basic properties of our Universe.”

How They’ll View Early Galaxies

Chisholm’s team will rely on an astronomical effect called “gravitational lensing” to view galaxies present in the early Universe. Gravitational lensing occurs when a supermassive object, like a cluster of galaxies, warps the gravitational field around itself. When light travels through the gravitational field, it is distorted, bent around the supermassive object, and made to look larger and brighter than it would otherwise.

When astronomers look at the area around the supermassive object, where gravitational lensing is occurring, it’s like looking through a magnifying glass to see the smaller, more distant objects in the background. Thanks to this lensing effect, astronomers are able to study early galaxies that would otherwise be too faint and distant to see with current technology.

Using JWST to Study the Early Universe

Chisholm’s team will observe the gravitational lensing occurring around the supermassive galaxy cluster Abell S1063.

Though this area has been studied with other telescopes, JWST will be able to view it with unprecedented precision and depth. This is thanks to several features. For one, JWST has a large, 6.5-meter (23.1-foot) mirror, which is able to collect more of the light emitted from faint, distant objects. This allows astronomers to detect hard-to-find objects and view them clearly.

JWST is also able to view objects in infrared wavelengths, which is particularly important when studying the early Universe. As the Universe expands, light emitted by stars in shorter ultraviolet and visible wavelengths stretches into the longer wavelengths of infrared light. This means the light from objects present in the early Universe is very stretched, and only visible to instruments that can capture infrared wavelengths.

“Our goal is to obtain a view of the faintest galaxies in the early Universe,” says Chisholm. “These observations will likely be the deepest that JWST will ever be able to take.” Using gravitational lensing, paired with JWST’s impressive capabilities, Chisholm’s team will capture the earliest glimpse of our Universe yet detected.

JWST’s second year of observations starts in July 2023. Chisholm and his team expect the telescope to be able to start monitoring the area around Abell S1063 in May 2024.

Acknowledgements

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is the world’s leading observatory for space exploration. JWST is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).

The title of the awarded proposal is "JWST's GLIMPSE: gravitational lensing & NIRCam imaging to probe early galaxy formation and sources of reionization." Its investigators include: Hakim Atek (CoPI), Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris; John Chisholm (CoPI), The University of Texas at Austin; Johan Pierre Richard, Centre de Recherche Astrophysique de Lyon; Iryna Chemerynska, Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris; Pascal Oesch, University of Geneva, Department of Astronomy; Jean-Paul Richard Kneib, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne; Danielle Berg, The University of Texas at Austin; Marta Volonteri, Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris; Floriane Leclercq, The University of Texas at Austin; Ryan Endsley, The University of Texas at Austin; Rui Marques-Chaves, University of Geneva, Department of Astronomy; Charlotte Mason, University of Copenhagen, Niels Bohr Institute; Rychard Bouwens, Universiteit Leiden; Lukas Jonathan Furtak, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; Maxime Trebitsch, University of Groningen; Rohan Naidu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Alberto Saldana Lopez, University of Geneva, Department of Astronomy; Daniel P. Stark, University of Arizona; Miroslava Dessauges-Zavadsky, University of Geneva, Department of Astronomy; Ivo Labbe, Swinburne University of Technology; Rachel Bezanson, University of Pittsburgh; Joakim Rosdahl, Centre de Recherche Astrophysique de Lyon; Jeremy Blaizot, Centre de Recherche Astrophysique de Lyon; Daniel Schaerer, University of Geneva, Department of Astronomy; Priya Natarajan, Yale University; Anahita Alavi, California Institute of Technology.

 

- END –

Media Contact:

Emily Howard

Communications Manager, McDonald Observatory

emily.howard@austin.utexas.edu

512-475-6763

Chemical Cartography Reveals the Milky Way’s Spiral Arms

BY EMILY HOWARD

AUSTIN, Texas – Keith Hawkins, assistant professor of astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin, has used chemical cartography – also known as chemical mapping – to identify regions of the Milky Way’s spiral arms that have previously gone undetected. His research, published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, demonstrates the value of this pioneering technique in understanding the shape, structure, and evolution of our home Galaxy.

Chemical maps of the Galaxy show how the elements of the periodic table are distributed throughout the Milky Way. They enable astronomers to identify the location of celestial objects based on their chemical composition rather than the light they emit. Though the idea of chemical cartography has been around for a while, astronomers have only recently been able to gain significant results from the technique. That’s thanks to increasingly powerful telescopes coming online.

“Much like the early explorers, who created better and better maps of our world, we are now creating better and better maps of the Milky Way,” says Hawkins. “Those maps are revealing things we thought to be true, but still need to check.”

We’ve known since the 1950s that the Milky Way is a spiral galaxy. However, its precise form, structure, and even the number of its arms has been a matter of ongoing investigation. That’s because we live inside of our home Galaxy and are unable to travel far enough to see it from an outsider’s perspective. “It’s like being in a big city,” explains Hawkins. “You can look around at the buildings and you can see what street you’re on, but it’s hard to know what the whole city looks like unless you’re in a plane flying above it.”

Our limited view of the Milky Way hasn’t prevented astronomers from creating well-informed models of it; or artists from drawing beautiful illustrations of it. “But,” says Hawkins, “I wanted to find out how accurate those models and illustrations actually are. And to see if chemical cartography could reveal a clearer view of the Milky Way’s spiral arms.”

Mapping the Milky Way

One traditional way to map the Milky Way is by identifying concentrations of young stars. As the Milky Way rotates, dust and gas in its spiral arms compress, prompting the birth of new stars. So, where there is an abundance of young stars, it’s predicted that there is also an arm.

Astronomers can locate young stars by detecting the light they emit. But sometimes clouds of dust can obscure stars, making it difficult for even the best telescopes to observe their light. As a result, some regions of the Milky Way’s arms have yet to be discovered.

Chemical cartography helps astronomers fill in the missing pieces.

It does so by relying on an astronomical concept called “metallicity.” Metallicity refers to the ratio of metals to hydrogen present on a star’s surface. In astronomy, any element on the periodic table that isn’t hydrogen or helium is called a “metal.” Young stars possess more metals than older stars, and therefore have a higher metallicity. This is because they formed later in the history of our universe, when more metals existed.

After the Big Bang, the only elements in existence were hydrogen, helium, and scant traces of a few metals. In their cores, the first generation of stars fused hydrogen and helium into more and more complex metals (that is, heavier and heavier elements on the periodic table), until they finally died or exploded. But out of chaos comes life. These explosions ejected metals into their surroundings, where they were used as building blocks for the next generation of stars.

As the cycle of stellar birth and destruction repeats, each subsequent generation of stars is enriched with more complex metals than the one before it, giving it a higher and higher metallicity. In theory, the Milky Way’s spiral arms, which contain an abundance of young stars, should have a higher metallicity than the regions between them.

Comparing Maps

To create his map, Hawkins identified the distribution of metallicity in the Milky Way. He focused on the area around our sun for which this data exists – a view of up to 32,600 light years. Areas with an abundance of metal-rich objects were expected to line up with spiral arms and those with a scarcity of metal-rich objects to line up with the spaces in between the arms.

When he compared his own map to others of the same area of the Milky Way, the spiral arms lined up with one another. What’s more, because Hawkins’ map identifies the spiral arms based on metallicity rather than the light emitted by young stars, new regions showed up that had previously gone uncharted.

“A big takeaway,” says Hawkins, “is that the spiral arms are indeed richer in metals. This illustrates the value of chemical cartography in identifying the Milky Way’s structure and formation. It has the potential to fully transform our view of the Galaxy.”

Gaia Space Telescope Revolutionizes Study of Our Galaxy

As our telescopes become more powerful, so too does the promise of chemical cartography.

For his research, Hawkins analyzed data from the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) and Gaia space telescope. New data from Gaia (Data Release 3) was particularly insightful. That’s because Gaia offers the most precise and comprehensive survey of the Milky Way to date, including of its chemical composition.

Since it launched in 2013, Gaia has monitored around two billion objects. Astronomers are now able to expand their research from thousands of objects to billions, and for a much larger area of the Galaxy.

“The sheer volume of data available from Gaia allows us to do chemical cartography at a galactic scale now,” says Hawkins. “Data on both the positions for billions of stars and their chemical makeup wasn’t available until recently.”

So far, Gaia has provided chemical data for the largest area of the Milky Way to date. However, this still only accounts for about one percent of the Galaxy. As Gaia continues to survey the heavens, and as new telescopes come online, astronomers can increasingly use chemical cartography to understand fundamental properties of our home Galaxy. These lessons can, in turn, be applied to other galaxies and the universe as a whole. As Hawkins explains, “It’s a completely new era.”

Acknowledgements

Gaia is a European Space Agency (ESA) mission. The spacecraft is controlled from the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC, Darmstadt, Germany) using the three ground stations Cebreros (Spain), Malargüe (Argentina) and New Norcia (Australia). Science operations are conducted from the European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC, Villafranca, Spain). The Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC) processes the raw data that are published in one of the largest stellar catalogues ever made.

The Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) is operated and managed by the National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

– END –

 

Media Contact

Emily Howard

Communications Manager, McDonald Observatory

512-475-6763

emily.howard@austin.utexas.edu

 

Science Contact

Keith Hawkins

Assistant Professor, Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin

keithhawkins@utexas.edu

Mapping Everything Everywhere All At Once

,

The Local Volume Mapper (LVM) Instrument has seen first science light. LVM is one of the three mappers that make up the fifth phase of the SDSS’s ambitious all-sky, multi-epoch spectroscopic survey. This new instrument will create a spectroscopic map of the Milky Way and other nearby galaxies.

“This is not just a new instrument – it is an entirely new observatory that we created as part of SDSS,” said Juna Kollmeier, Director of the fifth and current phase of the SDSS.  “Integral field spectroscopy (IFS) is part of the rugged frontier of 21st century astronomical observations. I am awed and humbled by the achievements of this talented and dedicated international team!”

LVM is the first spectroscopic survey to cover such a large area of the sky in a homogenous way. What makes it new is its approach to mapping the sky. While previous surveys have focused on individual stars, quasars, and galaxies, LVM will observe the “interstellar medium” (ISM) – the gas and dust that fills in the space between stars. The survey will examine this gas and how it interacts with the stars not just in the Milky Way, but also in our galactic companions the Magellanic Clouds, and several other nearby galaxies in the Local Group.

“We have always looked at individual objects in the Milky Way,” said Niv Drory of The University of Texas at Austin and program head of the LVM project. “Now, we look at everything. No gaps, no selection effects – we observe the whole sky.”

The first step toward completing this ambitious all-sky mapping project has begun, with the first science observations of the new Local Volume Mapper Instrument (LVM-I), located at Las Campanas Observatory high in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. The innovative instrument and telescope design will allow astronomers to use the Milky Way as an astrophysical laboratory to understand how stars form and inject energy, momentum, and chemical elements into their local surroundings. This energy cycle is essential for understanding the physics of galaxy formation.

LVM-I consists of four custom-built telescopes. One telescope performs science observations, while the other three are devoted to real-time calibration observations. A massive fiber bundle, consisting of 2,000 optical fibers, carries the visible light from the telescopes to three spectrographs where the light is separated into different frequencies and analyzed.

The LVM telescopes work like a fly’s eye, in which thousands of individual small lenses separate the light from patches of sky to collect “spectra”, which are measurements of the amount of light that the gas and stars emit at different frequencies. Researchers turn these measurements into a graph that they can read to decode information about the source. This fly’s eye approach allows LVM to take spectra of thousands of neighboring patches over an entire area of the sky at once.

“LVM is the first application of this technique to the entire Milky Way, and is the first step towards a spectroscopic survey of the entire sky,” said Evelyn Johnston, the Survey Operations Scientist for LVM, of University of Diego Portales in Santiago, Chile. “We will be able to resolve star forming regions less than one light-year across, giving us unprecedented detail of these important structures.”

“This comprehensive view of these nearby systems is only possible with a unified survey program such as SDSS,” said Kathryn Kreckel of Heidelberg University, the Survey Scientist for Local Volume Mapper.

Now that the facility has been built, and science commissioning has begun, the next step is to begin full science operations.  Observations will continue until 2027, covering the Milky Way and several other Local Group galaxies. The result will be a dense spectral map that can be compared to our current theories of galaxy formation and evolution to test how energy and chemicals are cycled through the interstellar medium through stars.  This process of star formation and feedback is critical to understanding galaxies across all cosmic epochs.  The local volume mapper will provide an essential local laboratory to unravel this process.

Acknowledgements

The Local Volume Mapper Leadership Team includes LVM Program Head: Niv Drory; LVM Instrument Lead: Nick Konidaris, LVM Project Manager: Stefanie Wachter; LVM Telescope Scientist: Tom Herbst; LVM Survey Scientists: Guillermo Blanc, Kathryn Kreckel; LVM Software Development Team: José Sanchéz-Gallego, Soojong Pak, Florian Briegel; Nebular Diagnostics & Chemical Abundances Working Group Chairs: José Eduardo Méndez Delgado, Nimisha Kumari; Star Formation & Feedback Working Group Chairs: Tony Wong, Maren Cosens; Stellar Populations Working Group Chairs: Bruno Dias, Sebastian F. Sanchez; LVM Pipeline Development: Alfredo J Mejía-Narváez, Hector Javier Ibarra-Medel, Sebastian F. Sanchez, Amy M Jones, Jorge K. Barrera-Ballesteros; LVM Operations, QA, Data Releases: Evelyn Johnston, Dmitry Bizyaev, Dhanesh Krishnarao.

Funding for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey V has been provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Heising-Simons Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and the Participating Institutions. SDSS acknowledges support and resources from the Center for High-Performance Computing at the University of Utah. The SDSS web site is www.sdss.org.

SDSS is managed by the Astrophysical Research Consortium for the Participating Institutions of the SDSS Collaboration, including the Carnegie Institution for Science, Chilean National Time Allocation Committee (CNTAC) ratified researchers, the Gotham Participation Group, Harvard University, Heidelberg University, The Johns Hopkins University, L’Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam (AIP), Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie (MPIA Heidelberg), Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik (MPE), Nanjing University, National Astronomical Observatories of China (NAOC), New Mexico State University, The Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), the Stellar Astrophysics Participation Group, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, University of Arizona, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Toronto, University of Utah, University of Virginia, and Yale University.

This piece is based on a press release from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS).

-END-

 

Media Contact

Emily Howard

Communications Manager, McDonald Observatory

emily.howard@austin.utexas.edu

 

Science Contacts

Niv Drory

Local Volume Mapper Program Head

Senior Research Scientist, The University of Texas at Austin

drory@astro.utexas.edu

 

Keith Hawkins

Scientific Spokesperson, SDSS-V

Assistant Professor of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin

keithhawkins@utexas.edu

Astronomers Confirm Maisie’s Galaxy is Among Earliest Ever Observed

BY MARC AIRHART

Thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers racing to find some of the earliest galaxies ever glimpsed have now confirmed that a galaxy first detected last summer is in fact among the earliest ever found. The findings are in the journal Nature.

Follow-up observations since first detection of Maisie’s galaxy have revealed that it is from 390 million years after the Big Bang. Although that’s not quite as early as the team led by University of Texas at Austin astronomer Steven Finkelstein first estimated last summer, it is nonetheless one of the four earliest confirmed galaxies observed.

“The exciting thing about Maisie’s galaxy is that it was one of the first distant galaxies identified by JWST, and of that set, it’s the first to actually be spectroscopically confirmed,” said Finkelstein, a professor of astronomy at UT Austin, an author of the Nature paper and the principal investigator for the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science Survey (CEERS). He named the galaxy after his daughter as it was discovered on her birthday.

Watch a video simulating a flight from Earth to Maisie’s galaxy

The latest analysis was led by first author Pablo Arrabal Haro, a postdoctoral research associate at the National Science Foundation’s National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory. Besides Finkelstein, co-authors from UT Austin are Caitlin Casey, Micaela Bagley, Katherine Chworowsky and Seiji Fujimoto.

The CEERS team is currently evaluating about 10 other galaxies that might be from an era even earlier than Maisie’s.

Objects in space don’t come printed with a time stamp. To infer when the light we observe left an object, astronomers measure its redshift, the amount that its color has been shifted due to its motion away from us. Because we live in an expanding universe, the farther back in time we look, the higher an object’s redshift.

The original estimates of redshifts (and hence times after the Big Bang) were based on photometry, the brightness of light in images using a small number of wide frequency filters. Those estimates were made using data collected by CEERS during its originally allotted time for the telescope’s first observing season. To get a more accurate estimate, the CEERS team applied for follow-up measurements with JWST’s spectroscopic instrument, NIRSpec, which splits an object’s light into many different narrow frequencies to more accurately identify its chemical makeup, heat output, intrinsic brightness and relative motion. According to this latest spectroscopic analysis, Maisie’s galaxy is at a redshift of z=11.4.

This study also looked at CEERS-93316, a galaxy originally found in publicly available CEERS data by a University of Edinburgh-led team and was initially estimated to have been observed at a jaw-dropping 250 million years after the Big Bang. On further analysis, the team found that CEERS-93316 has a more modest redshift of z=4.9, which corresponds to about 1 billion years after the Big Bang.

It turns out that hot gas in CEERS-93316 was emitting so much light in a few narrow frequency bands associated with oxygen and hydrogen that it made the galaxy appear much bluer than it really was. That blue cast mimicked the signature Finkelstein and others expected to see in very early galaxies. This is due to a quirk of the photometric method that happens only for objects with redshifts of about 4.9. Finkelstein says this was a case of bad luck.

“This was a kind of weird case,” Finkelstein said. “Of the many tens of high redshift candidates that have been observed spectroscopically, this is the only instance of the true redshift being much less than our initial guess.”

Not only does this galaxy appear unnaturally blue, it also is much brighter than our current models predict for galaxies that formed so early in the universe.

“It would have been really challenging to explain how the universe could create such a massive galaxy so soon,” Finkelstein said. “So, I think this was probably always the most likely outcome, because it was so extreme, so bright, at such an apparent high redshift.”

This research was supported by NASA, the Space Telescope Science Institute, the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, the Leverhulme Trust, the Science and Technology Facilities Council, UK Research and Innovation, and the Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo.

West Texas Businesses Preserve Night Sky – One Light Bulb at a Time

, , , , ,

BY EMILY HOWARD

McDonald Observatory’s Dark Skies Initiative recognizes five West Texas businesses and public organizations for adopting night sky friendly lighting practices. The Alpine Visitor Center, Alpine Public Library, Marfa Visitor Center, RoadRunner Travelers RV Park in Terlingua, and Ghost Town Casitas hotel in Terlingua all worked with the Observatory to reduce disruptive lighting on their properties and help protect the region’s famous night skies.

"We're fortunate to have such a special place out here,” says Coleman Davis, owner of Ghost Town Casitas. “And we are more than happy to help play a role in preserving dark skies for everyone.”

West Texas has long been a popular travel destination, thanks in part to its night skies. Many of the region’s top attractions – McDonald Observatory, Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, and more – feature public programs that connect visitors to wide open, star-filled skies.

However, as tourism increases, it threatens to dim those stars. “There have been many concerns within the local community that with growing tourism and more development comes more light pollution,” says Stephen Hummel, Dark Skies Initiative coordinator at McDonald Observatory. “That light pollution impacts the charm of what drew people to this area in the first place.”

That light pollution can also impact McDonald Observatory’s ability to conduct scientific research.

McDonald Observatory Helps Properties Improve Lighting

To help protect the night sky it depends upon, the Observatory established the Dark Skies Initiative in 2011 to raise awareness and adoption of night sky friendly lighting practices in Jeff Davis, Brewster, Presidio, Culberson, Pecos, Reeves, and Hudspeth counties.

Recommended outdoor lighting practices include:

  • Shielding lightbulbs and aiming them down
  • Choosing amber-colored lights
  • Limiting the intensity of light
  • Turning off lights when they are not needed

The Dark Skies Initiative works with properties to implement these night sky friendly lighting practices. And in 2021, it established a recognition program to certify those that do. Since then, it has certified 19 properties, ranging from vacation rentals, to courthouses, to oil and gas facilities.

As awareness of the initiative grows, an increasing number of the organizations catering to the tourism industry are taking steps to ensure their properties don’t impact the star-filled views that bring many of their visitors. “Thanks to these properties using night sky friendly lighting,” says Hummel, “they are not only helping to preserve our dark skies, but also the broader economy of the region.”

Protecting the Darkest Skies in the Continental U.S.

McDonald Observatory and the five most recent properties recognized by its Dark Skies Initiative all reside within the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve. Covering more than 15,000 square miles in West Texas and North Mexico, the reserve is the largest dark sky area in the world certified by DarkSky International. It features the darkest night skies in the continental United States.

In addition to its appeal to visitors, the low levels of light pollution have positive impacts on the Observatory’s ability to conduct its research; the health of humans, wildlife, and the environment; and the area’s natural beauty.

“Alpine is really proud of the Visitor Center updates,” says Chris Ruggia, director of tourism for the City of Alpine. “And we especially love that we can put some skin in the game towards protecting our night sky in the largest dark sky reserve in the world!”

Nominate – or Become – a Night Sky Friendly Property

If you have or know of a property that follows night sky friendly lighting practices, you can nominate it to be recognized by the Dark Skies Initiative. Nominees do not need to perfectly conform to the recommended lighting guidelines to be considered – McDonald Observatory can provide guidance and assistance.

The Observatory hopes to eventually work with each of its neighbors in the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve. As Hummel explains, “It only works if everyone is involved and engaged in preserving the night sky.”

- END –

 

Contacts

Emily Howard

Communications Manager, McDonald Observatory

emily.howard@austin.utexas.edu

512-475-6763

 

Stephen Hummel

Dark Skies Initiative Coordinator, McDonald Observatory

stephenhummel@utexas.edu

432-426-4170

McDonald Observatory Invites Ecological Research as a Texas Field Station

,

BY EMILY HOWARD

FORT DAVIS, Texas – McDonald Observatory is proud to become the newest member of The University of Texas at Austin Texas Field Station Network. This Network represents a collection of sites spread across the state that are used by the University for scientific research, environmental monitoring, and conservation efforts.

The Observatory joins five other current sites in the Network: Stengl Lost Pines Biological Station in Smithville, Brackenridge Field Laboratory in Austin, The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, the Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas, and the White Family Outdoor Learning Center in Dripping Springs. An additional site—the Hill Country Field Station—will begin construction soon. Each provides a distinct view into an ecosystem representative of the Lone Star State, from coastal regions to piney woods.

Now, that mix also includes the West Texas desert. Located in the Davis Mountains near Fort Davis, McDonald Observatory sits atop 650 acres of predominately undisturbed land in the Chihuahuan Desert. This is considered the most diverse desert in the Western Hemisphere and one of the most diverse arid regions in the world. The site is also part of the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve — 15,000 square miles that feature the darkest night skies in the continental United States.

“It is inspiring to envision the lands of the Observatory contributing to a deeper understanding of our environment,” says Taft Armandroff, director of McDonald Observatory. “Historically, we have been UT’s home for telescopes and instruments to study stars, galaxies, planets, and the universe.”

Though best known as a center for astronomical research, McDonald Observatory has a long tradition of supporting a diverse range of scientific inquiry, albeit unofficially. “At a modest level, UT researchers who study plants, animals, and ecosystems have collected samples and data at the McDonald Observatory site,” says Armandroff. “We are now expanding and formalizing that role by joining UT’s Field Station Network.”

Impacts to McDonald Observatory

Though its new designation as a University field station is likely to bring additional scientists and monitoring equipment to the area, the Observatory does not anticipate a substantial influx of either.

Nor will its new role impact the Observatory’s mission to advance an understanding of the Universe through research and education. “We are working out detailed policies and procedures for field station researchers who will use McDonald Observatory lands without any interference with astronomical observations,” says Armandroff.

Becoming a University field station does, however, invite valuable and ongoing research on the distinct ecosystem within which the Observatory resides and geological features unique to the area. Such research can support conservation efforts while spurring greater investment in the site’s facilities. “As the Observatory becomes important to areas beyond astronomical research,” says Armandroff, “its value to UT Austin and the State of Texas grows.”

UT’s Growing Field Station Network

Four years ago, UT Austin had only two biological field stations: Stengl Lost Pines Biological Station in Smithville and Brackenridge Field Laboratory in Austin. The establishment of additional sites represents a commitment to the University’s strategic plan, which advances the state’s role as a leader in energy and environment-related study.

Since 2021, the University has added four sites officially to the field station network: The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, the Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas, the White Family Outdoor Learning Center in Dripping Springs, and now McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis.

The seventh site, the Hill Country Field Station, will be located on the Pedernales River near the Hays and Travis County lines.

- END –

 

Media Contact

Emily Howard

Communications Manager, McDonald Observatory

emily.howard@austin.utexas.edu

512-475-6763

Observatory Celebrates Board of Visitors at Summer Meeting

, , ,

The 2023 Board of Visitors Summer Meeting took place July 14-15 at McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis, Texas.

Over two hundred and fifty Board of Visitors members and guests gathered at the Observatory to learn about cutting-edge science, enjoy VIP access to the telescopes, and connect with friends - old and new - under the wide-open skies of West Texas.

At the event, the Board of Visitors welcomed five new members. Thank you for joining us! And thank you to all who attended the event. We were delighted to see so many of you in person.

About the Board of Visitors

The Board of Visitors is one of The University of Texas at Austin’s oldest and most respected donor groups. Members live across Texas and beyond, united by a love of and commitment to the field of astronomy.

Over time, Board of Visitors members have helped us accomplish great things through their generous contributions. This ranges from funding chairs, professorships, and graduate student fellowships, to helping with private contributions to build the magnificent Hobby-Eberly Telescope, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment, the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center, and much more.

To learn about ways to support the Observatory, visit mcdonaldobservatory.org/support.

Connecting with the Power of Spectroscopy

The theme of this summer’s meeting was “The Power of Spectroscopy.” With spectroscopy, the light of stars and galaxies is broken into a spectrum, with the amount of light at different wavelengths indicating how energy is absorbed, emitted, or scattered by different substances. Much of what we measure about stars, galaxies, and other components of the universe is done with spectroscopy.

Through science talks and discussion groups, meeting attendees connected with the fascinating science, recent accomplishments, and upcoming developments in spectroscopic research and instrumentation underway at McDonald Observatory and The University of Texas Department of Astronomy.

Science Talks

Studying the Cosmic Web Directly, for the First Time: The Unique Power of the HET and VIRUS

Detection of the Cosmic Web is one of the holy grails of astronomy.” – Gary Hill

The galaxies in our Universe are connected to one another by filaments of primordial gas and dark matter. This structure, known as the Cosmic Web, is notoriously difficult to detect. Gary Hill, research professor and chief astronomer at McDonald Observatory, shared how the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and its Visible Integral-Field Replicable Unit Spectrograph (VIRUS) are uncommonly capable at detecting the Cosmic Web and how their observations are leading to new insights.

Gas Dancing in the Starlight: Revealing the Hidden Secrets of the Orion Nebula in the Infrared with IGRINS at McDonald Observatory

IGRINS is coming back to McDonald in 2024. Understandably, I’m very excited.” – Kyle Kaplan

After visiting other observatories around the world, the Immersion GRating INfrared Spectrometer (IGRINS) instrument will return to its home base at McDonald Observatory next year. Research Fellow Kyle Kaplan, explained how IGRINS helps astronomers like himself learn about how stars form and interact with their surroundings.

Our Chemically Diverse Milky Way

If you want to study how the Milky Way formed, evolved, and is structured, you have to get pretty clever.” - Catherine Manea

Though the Milky Way is our home Galaxy, much of it is still unknown to us. That’s because we live inside of it and are unable to view it from an outsider’s perspective. Ph.D. Candidate Catherine Manea shared how astronomers are overcoming this obstacle by studying the chemical compositions of stars. In doing so, they are uncovering the history and present-day structure of our Galaxy.

Science Discussion Groups

The Power of the New VIRUS2 Instrument for the Harlan J. Smith Telescope

Research Scientist Hanshin Lee and Chief Astronomer Gary Hill discussed the development of the new Visible Integral-Field Replicable Unit Spectrograph instrument (VIRUS2), which will soon be installed on the Harlan J. Smith Telescope. It will gather spectroscopic data for a broad range of wavelengths in a particularly large patch of sky, opening up new areas in the study of nearby galaxies.

Opening the Eyes of Students with Summer Research Projects at McDonald Observatory

Steven Janowiecki, Hobby-Eberly Telescope science operations manager and resident astronomer, discussed the summer student research projects he has mentored over the years as part of a partnership with The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Through these projects, students gain a strong foundation in how to do astronomy research and experience a lasting impact on their career interests and trajectories.

The Wootton Center for Astrophysical Plasma Properties: Disrupting Astronomy

Professor Don Winget shared the work underway at The University of Texas at Austin’s Wootton Center. By creating cosmic conditions in the lab (for example, the interior of the sun), the Center is able to test long-held astronomical theories. This work, paired with powerful new instruments coming online, is ushering in a new, disruptive era of astronomical discovery.

Eclipses of Texas Expand McDonald Observatory Outreach

Over the next year, Texans will have an opportunity to experience two solar eclipses. An annular solar eclipse will cross the state on October 14, 2023, and a total solar eclipse will follow on April 8, 2024. Katie Kizziar, assistant director for education and outreach, discussed the science of eclipses and ways the McDonald Observatory is helping communities prepare.

Department of Energy Awards Wootton Center Grant for Research and Education

,

BY EMILY HOWARD

AUSTIN, Texas – The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has awarded The University of Texas at Austin’s Wootton Center for Astrophysical Plasma Properties (WCAPP or Wootton Center) a $6 million grant to continue its research and help train the next generation of scientists. This is the second time the WCAPP has received the award (read about the first), bringing the total amount of NNSA funding to $13 million to date.

In addition to The University of Texas at Austin, NNSA’s Stewardship Science Academic Alliances (SSAA) Centers of Excellence program selected eight other universities to receive its grants. WCAPP is the only recipient that’s dedicated to the study of astronomy.

NNSA funds are primarily used to support scientists – in particular postdocs and graduate students – pursuing the education and training necessary to maintaining the U.S. nuclear stockpile and developing renewable energy sources. Because there are many similarities between the conditions within nuclear explosions, reactors, and the cores of stars, much of this expertise is possible through the study of astrophysics – in particular spectroscopy, atomic physics, and plasma physics.

Creating Cosmic Conditions on Earth

WCAPP scientists use the Z Pulsed Power Facility (Z machine) at Sandia National Laboratories and the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to replicate cosmic conditions here on Earth. “We create the conditions in the interior of the sun, the centers of rocky planets, and around supermassive black holes,” says Don Winget, UT Austin professor of astronomy and director of WCAPP.

The Z machine contains the world’s most powerful X-ray source and the NIF has the world’s most powerful laser system. Both are capable of generating settings of extreme temperature and pressure by delivering an intense burst of energy to a small target. “For now,” says Winget, “it’s the only way to glimpse what the interiors of astronomical objects are like.”

This represents a shift in the way astronomy is usually approached. Traditionally, it has largely been an observational science, with researchers building theories based on phenomena they witness in the Universe. Through their work on the Z machine and NIF, WCAPP researchers are able to transform astronomy into an experimental science and investigate whether established theories hold up when tested.

In the five years covered by the SSAA grant, and beyond, WCAPP plans to devote a significant amount of time to testing astronomical theories. “We look forward to studying extrasolar planets and their interiors. Also, learning about the interior composition of neutron stars. We don’t know the relationship between the pressure, density, and temperature in there,” says Winget. “Every experiment we do, we create conditions we’ve never explored before. And that’s exciting.”

Acknowledgements

The Wootton Center for Astrophysical Plasma Properties is a collaboration between The University of Texas at Austin; UT’s McDonald Observatory; the Z machine at Sandia National Laboratories; the University of Nevada, Reno; and the University of Colorado.

-END-

 

Media Contact

Emily Howard

Communications Manager

McDonald Observatory and UT Department of Astronomy

emily.howard@austin.utexas.edu

512-475-6763

The Giant Magellan Telescope’s Final Mirror Fabrication Begins

, ,

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. The Giant Magellan Telescope begins the four-year process to fabricate and polish its seventh mirror, the last required to complete the telescope’s 386-square-meter (1,266-square-foot) light collecting surface, the world’s largest and most challenging optics ever produced. Together, the mirrors will collect more light than any other telescope in existence, allowing humanity to unlock the secrets of the Universe by providing detailed chemical analyses of celestial objects and their origin.

Last week, the University of Arizona Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab closed the lid on nearly 20 tons of the purest optical glass inside a one-of-a-kind oven housed beneath the stands of the Arizona Wildcats Football Stadium. The oven will heat the glass to 1,165°C (2,129°F) while spinning, so as it melts the glass is forced outward to form the mirror’s curved paraboloid surface. Measuring 8.4 meters (27.6 feet) in diameter—about two stories tall when standing on edge—the mirror will cool over the next three months before moving into the polishing stage.

At 50 million times more powerful than the human eye, “the telescope will make history through its future discoveries,” shares Buell Jannuzi, principal investigator for the fabrication of the Giant Magellan Telescope primary mirror segments, director of Steward Observatory, and head of the Department of Astronomy at the University of Arizona. “We are thrilled to be closing in on another milestone in the fabrication of the Giant Magellan Telescope.”

The most recently completed primary mirror is ready for integration into a giant support system prototype early next year for final optical performance testing. This testing will serve as the dress rehearsal for all seven primary mirrors. Once assembled, all seven mirrors will work in concert as one monolithic 25.4-meter (83.3-foot) mirror—a diameter equal to the length of a full-grown blue whale—resulting in up to 200 times the sensitivity and four times the image resolution of today’s most advanced space telescopes.

The Giant Magellan Telescope will be the first extremely large telescope to complete its primary mirror array. With strong operational infrastructure completed at the telescope site in Chile, focused manufacturing is taking place on the telescope’s critical subsystem before starting on the enclosure.

“The telescope is a monumental achievement in not only scientific study but also international collaboration,” shares Taft Armandroff, director of The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory, a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope. “Its design, construction, operation, and funding are made possible by a consortium of top universities in the US and partners worldwide.” Parts and instruments made across the globe will come together in the Atacama Desert of Chile for final assembly.

 “We are in an important stage of fabrication, with much of the manufacturing happening in the United States,” shares Robert Shelton, president of the Giant Magellan Telescope. The 39-meter (128-foot) tall telescope structure is being manufactured with 2,100 tons of American steel at a newly built manufacturing facility in Rockford, Illinois, and fabrication of the telescope’s first of seven adaptive secondary mirrors—a one for one pair with each of the seven primary mirrors—is underway.

When complete, the Giant Magellan Telescope will be the most powerful telescope on Earth. “The combination of light-gathering power, efficiency, and image resolution will enable us to make new discoveries across all fields of astronomy,” shares Rebecca Bernstein, chief scientist for the Giant Magellan Telescope. “We will have a unique combination of capabilities for studying planets at high spatial and spectral resolution, both of which are key to determining if a planet has a rocky composition like our Earth, if it contains liquid water, and if its atmosphere contains the right combination of molecules to indicate the presence of life.”

The telescope is expected to see first light by the end of the decade, and will equip Texas astronomers with amazing tools to answer some of humanity’s most pressing questions: Where did we come from? Are we alone in the Universe?

The Giant Magellan Telescope is made possible by a consortium of universities and science institutions. Members include Arizona State University, Astronomy Australia Limited, Australian National University, Carnegie Institution for Science, the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), Harvard University, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI), Smithsonian Institution, Texas A&M University, The University of Texas at Austin, University of Arizona, University of Chicago, and Weizmann Institute of Science.

Based on a press release by the Giant Magellan Telescope.

- END - 

 

Media Contacts

Ryan Kallabis

Director of Communications & Outreach

Giant Magellan Telescope

rkallabis@gmto.org

626-204-0554

 

Emily Howard

Communications Manager

The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory

emily.howard@austin.utexas.edu

512-475-6763

Permian Basin Area Foundation Supports McDonald Observatory Exhibit Renovations

,

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.

Since the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center first opened in 2002, an estimated 1.5 million people have interacted with its exhibits. “They’ve held up well,” says Katie Kizziar, assistant director for education and outreach at McDonald Observatory. “But since then, there have been major advances in scientific discovery. Add to that our growing attendance numbers and it became clear that making some updates would help us serve the public even more effectively.”

McDonald Observatory has launched a $5 million campaign to upgrade and renovate its visitor spaces. Upgrades to the visitor experience will include exhibit renovations, facility upgrades, and an expansion of its outdoor public spaces. With the help of Permian Basin Area Foundation’s $260,000 grant, exhibit renovations will be the first step.

Current exhibits share:

  • How astronomers, through a method called spectroscopy, collect starlight, break it into a spectrum of colors, and analyze the spectrum to learn about stars, galaxies, and other components of the universe
  • A real-time spectrum of the light from our closest star, the Sun
  • The importance of dark night skies and ways to lower light pollution
  • The history of McDonald Observatory and its contributions to the field of astronomy

Support from Permian Basin Area Foundation and other donors will enable McDonald Observatory to update some of its current exhibits while adding new topics.

When complete, renovations will add information about:

  • The abundance of planets outside of our solar system
  • The characteristics and evolution of galaxies
  • The lives of stars
  • The mysteries of dark matter and dark energy
  • The Giant Magellan Telescope and the next generation of scientific discovery this amazing instrument will make possible

Public Outreach at the Observatory

McDonald Observatory is considered a leader in public education and outreach. “Most active research observatories are not as accessible to the public, nor do they offer the wide range of programs we are able to provide,” explains Taft Armandroff, director of the McDonald Observatory.

That’s because, in addition to its commitment to research and higher education, the Observatory’s mission is to contribute to the public understanding of astronomy and to inspire Texas schoolchildren.

In a typical year, 75,000 people visit the site, making it a top destination in the region. Daytime tours provide front row access to the telescopes and research they support, while evening star parties evoke the wonder and awe of seeing night filled with endless stars.

Additional outreach includes educational tours and activities for K-12 students, workshops and lesson plans for teachers, star party livestreaming for astronomy enthusiasts, and more. McDonald Observatory also produces StarDate, the longest running science radio program in the United States.

About Permian Basin Area Foundation

Organized in 1989, Permian Basin Area Foundation’s mission is to facilitate the creation of permanent charitable funds in partnership with many donors and to provide grants to address community needs and enrich the quality of life in the Permian Basin. It uses these resources to respond to emerging and changing needs and to sustain existing nonprofit organizations through grants. The Foundation provides a flexible vehicle for donors with varied philanthropic desires. In so doing, the Foundation serves as a steward for individuals, families, foundations, and organizations, which entrust assets to its care.

To learn more about Permian Basin Area Foundation, visit pbaf.org. To make your own donation to McDonald Observatory’s exhibits renovation project, visit give.utexas.edu.

- END –

Media Contacts:

Emily Howard

Communications Manager, McDonald Observatory

emily.howard@austin.utexas.edu

512-475-6763

 

Katie Kizziar

Assistant Director for Education and Outreach, McDonald Observatory

ktk@austin.utexas.edu

McDonald Observatory Celebrates October Solar Eclipse

, , , ,

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. (See the eclipse path here.)

What is an annular eclipse?

The Moon’s distance from Earth varies by roughly 31,000 miles (50,000 km). If an eclipse occurs when the Moon is farther away than average, the Moon isn’t quite wide enough to completely cover the Sun. That leaves a “ring of fire” around the Moon.

In April 2024, Texas will experience a second solar eclipse. However, during the next eclipse, the Moon will be close enough to cover the Sun. This will result in a total solar eclipse.

Helping the State Prepare for October’s Eclipse

In the months leading up to the October solar eclipse, McDonald Observatory was busy at work educating patrons and partners about the astronomical event. Funding from the Abell-Hanger Foundation helped to support this work, including:

  • Publishing a special edition of StarDate magazine dedicated to the October and April solar eclipses.
  • Presenting about the eclipses at local events.
  • Holding training sessions for educators, community volunteers, and event planners. These sessions were attended by over 100 people.
  • Distributing 96,500 solar viewers directly to the public and through community partners, including Girl Scouts of America, Alpine Public Library, Midland Independent School District, Midland County Libraries, and Midland Health Department.
  • Hosting or participating in public eclipse celebrations at McDonald Observatory, Blakemore Planetarium in Midland, and the UT Austin campus. Thousands attended these events, which included family-friendly activities and free eclipse viewers.

In the News

With the help of state news outlets, experts from McDonald Observatory and UT Austin helped educated the public about the science of solar eclipses, how to experience them safely, and community viewing opportunities.

Highlights of annular solar eclipse coverage:

Up Next: A Total Solar Eclipse in April

In just seven months, Texas will experience a second eclipse!

On April 8, a total solar eclipse will travel from Eagle Pass, near Mexico, to the Arkansas border. Along the way, it will be visible from western San Antonio, most of Austin, and all of Waco, Dallas, and Fort Worth (see the path here).

During a total solar eclipse, people within the “path of totality” will see the Moon completely cover the Sun’s disk. When the Sun is covered – a moment called “totality” – people in the path will be able to see the Sun’s feathery corona radiating outward.

Many consider total solar eclipses to be more dramatic than annular solar eclipses. To start planning your April 8 viewing, visit our eclipse guide at www.mcdonaldobservatory.org/eclipse.

Teacher Workshops at McDonald Observatory

, ,

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.

Workshops provided a collective 1,440 hours of Continuing Professional Education credits. We estimate 3,600 students could benefit from materials covered in the trainings this school year. 

Summer 2023 Workshops

Participants experienced inquiry-based activities aligned with science and mathematics teaching standards, practiced astronomy skills under the Observatory’s famously dark skies, and worked with nationally recognized astronomers. 

  • Mysteries of the Universe: Dark Matter, Galaxies & More – The mystery of dark matter and how it relates to the emergence and evolution of cosmic structure.  
  • Galaxy Formation: The Faint Frontier – How galaxies form and evolve, what distant galaxies were like in the past, and how the James Webb Space Telescope is helping astronomers study the early Universe.
  • Searching for ET: Planetary Habitability and Exoplanets – What new planetary systems are telling us about habitability and the possibility of life in the Universe.
  • Eclipses and Planetary Systems – The characteristics and properties of our own and other planetary systems, eclipse science, and how to safely view eclipses. This workshop helped prepare educators for the solar eclipses crossing Texas in October 2023 and April 2024.
  • Explore Our Solar System – The Sun and Moon, their characteristics, and the reason eclipses occur. Activities covered how to read star charts and how to make models of the night sky, solar system, and Moon phases.

An Immersive Experience

Each workshop took place over a period of four days and included both day and night instructional sessions, daytime tours, and evening observing (weather permitting) that lasted until late hours.

There was a lot of learning packed into long hours. Even so, some teachers choose to get up as early as 5:00 a.m. to look at the Milky Way on their own.

Teachers were provided onsite housing, meals, and workshop materials. Except for transportation, all expenses were covered by grant and endowment funding, plus a modest participant fee. 

Workshops in 2024

In the coming year, McDonald Observatory will hold more teacher workshops. To read full workshop descriptions and access the application form, please visit mcdonaldobservatory.org/teachers/profdev

There is a separate workshop application form for the winter workshop and the summer workshops.

Winter Workshop

Application deadline: December 12

  • All About Stars, Including Ours, February 2-4 - Learn about stars in general, and the Sun specifically. Try out our favorite scientific models, visit our research telescopes, and use our 36-inch telescope to observe of some wintertime celestial favorites that illustrate the various stages in a star’s life.

Summer Workshops

Application deadline: February 12

  • Explore Our Solar System, June 10-13 - Learn about the Sun and Moon, their characteristics, and the reason eclipses occur. Activities will cover how to read star charts and how to make models of the night sky, solar system, and Moon phases.
  • Searching for ET: Planetary Habitability / Exoplanets, June 24-27 – Astronomers are finding and learning about new planets around other stars all the time. What do we know about these exoplanets and how do we know what we know? Explore what these new planetary systems are telling us about habitability and the possibility of life in the Universe.
  • Galaxies and Cosmology, July 5-8 – What were the first stars and galaxies like? What is "dark matter," and how does it influence the cosmos, from our own Milky Way Galaxy to the largest scales we can observe? Learn how scientists are attempting to answer these questions. Plus, explore how galaxies form and evolve through hands-on activities. 
  • Lights, Color, Optics! Exploring the Properties of Photons, July 10-13 - Astronomers use optics, color, and properties of light to analyze distant objects. We will perform hands-on, engaging classroom activities related to reflection, refraction, and diffraction to learn how scientists use the mighty photon to better understand our Universe.

All workshops include a tour of McDonald Observatory and opportunities to learn how astronomers use the research telescopes to explore the Universe and make ground-breaking discoveries.

Geminid Meteor Shower Peaks Night of December 13/14

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.

McDonald Observatory is not hosting any special activities for the Geminids. But if you find yourself in the area, the low levels of light pollution in the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve within which we reside make it an excellent spot to experience this and other sky watching events.

The Geminids At a Glance

  • Dates: November 19-December 24
  • Predicted Peak: Around 2:00 a.m. December 14
  • Meteors Per Hour: Under optimal conditions, under especially dark skies, far away from city lights, skywatchers may see up to 120 meteors per hour during the peak of the shower
  • Source: Asteroid 3200 Phaeton
  • Moon: A new moon occurs on December 12, meaning there will be little moonlight interfering with the peak of the Geminids this year

When and Where to Look
The Geminids will peak around 2:00 a.m. on the morning of December 14. That’s when the radiant of the meteor shower – the point from which the meteors appear to "rain” into the sky – will be highest in the sky. For the Geminids, that point is near the constellation Gemini (hence the shower’s name). However, you don’t need to find Gemini to enjoy this shower. Meteors will be visible throughout the sky, and throughout the night.

To See More Meteors, Seek Darkness
For best viewing, find a spot well away from the glow of city lights. Lie back or position yourself so the horizon appears at the peripheral edge of your vision, with the stars and sky filling your field of view. Enjoy!

White light, such as from a cell phone or standard flashlight, can make it hard for your eyes to adjust to the dark. Instead, we recommend using a red light to get around as it will not interfere with your night vision. We also recommend viewing the shower from a location where oncoming car headlights will not shine your way.

Visit StarDate.org for more meteor shower tips.

What Causes the Geminids?
Unlike most meteor showers, the Geminid shower is the product of an asteroid, rather than a comet. The asteroid responsible for the Geminids is 3200 Phaeton.

Both asteroids and comets orbit our Sun. Asteroids are big hunks of rock mixed with ice, whereas comets are big balls of ice mixed with some rock. As a comet approaches the Sun, ice and debris vaporize off of it to form a tail. Asteroids don’t sprout visible tails. However, as is the case of 3200 Phaeton, they can have a tail of debris following in their wake.

When Earth passes through the tail of a comet or asteroid, that tail’s debris burns up in our atmosphere. The result is a beautiful meteor shower.

Tag Us on Social
If you capture any pictures of the Geminid meteor shower, we’d love to see them! Tag McDonald Observatory on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (X).

Discovery of Planet Too Big for Its Sun Throws Off Models of Solar System Formation

,

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. 

In a paper November 30, 2023, in the journal Science, a team of researchers from The University of Texas at Austin, Penn State University, and other science institutions worldwide join in reporting the discovery of a planet more than 13 times as massive as Earth orbiting the “ultracool” star LHS 3154, which itself is nine times less massive than the Sun. The mass ratio of the newly found planet with its host star is more than 100 times higher than that of Earth and the Sun.

The finding reveals the most massive known planet in a close orbit around an ultracool dwarf star, the least massive and coldest stars in the universe. The discovery goes against what current theories would predict for planet formation around small stars and marks the first time a planet with such high mass has been spotted orbiting such a low-mass star. 

“Nature is a lot cleverer than we are!” said William Cochran, research professor at The University of Texas at Austin and co-author on the paper. “Planet formation can take place in a lot of circumstance we had not necessarily expected.”
 
“This discovery really drives home the point of just how little we know about the Universe,” added Suvrath Mahadevan, Verne M. Willaman Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at Penn State and another co-author on the paper. “We wouldn’t expect a planet this heavy around such a low-mass star to exist.”

Stars are formed from large clouds of gas and dust. After the star is formed, the gas and dust remain as disks of material orbiting the newborn star, which can eventually develop into planets.

“The planet-forming disk around the low-mass star LHS 3154 is not expected to have enough solid mass to make this planet,” Mahadevan said, “but it’s out there, so now we need to reexamine our understanding of how planets and stars form.”
 
Cutting-Edge Instrumentation Is Key in Search for Exoplanets
The researchers spotted the oversized planet, named LHS 3154b, using an astronomical spectrograph on the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory. The instrument, called the Habitable Zone Planet Finder or HPF, was built at Penn State by a team of scientists led by Mahadevan. It was designed to detect planets orbiting the coolest stars outside our solar system with the potential for having liquid water on their surfaces, a key ingredient for life. 

While such planets are very difficult to detect around stars like our Sun, the low temperature of ultracool stars means that planets capable of having liquid water on their surface are much closer to their star relative to Earth and the Sun. This shorter distance between these planets and their stars, combined with the low mass of the ultracool stars results in a detectable signal announcing the presence of the planet. 

“Think about it like the star is a campfire. The more the fire cools down, the closer you’ll need to get to that fire to stay warm,” Mahadevan explained. “The same is true for planets. If the star is colder, then a planet will need to be closer to that star if it is going to be warm enough to contain liquid water. If a planet has a close enough orbit to its ultracool star, we can detect it by seeing a very subtle change in the color of the star’s spectra or light as it is tugged on by an orbiting planet.” 
 
“The trick is not detecting planets of this mass,” said Cochran, “But doing so around such a low mass star. As you go down in stellar mass, the total brightness of the star drops precipitously. And most of the light it gives off comes out in the infrared region of the spectrum.” The HPF provides some of the highest precision measurements to date of such infrared signals from nearby stars. 

“Making the discovery with HPF was extra special, as it is a new instrument that we designed, developed, and built from the ground-up for the purpose of looking at the uncharted planet population around the lowest mass stars” said Guðmundur Stefánsson, NASA Sagan Fellow in Astrophysics at Princeton University and lead author on the paper, who helped develop HPF and worked on the study as a graduate student at Penn State. “Now we are reaping the rewards, learning new and unexpected aspects of this exciting population of planets orbiting some of the most nearby stars.”

The instrument has already yielded critical information in the discovery and confirmation of new planets, Stefánsson explained, but the discovery of the planet LHS 3154b exceeded all expectations. 

Discovery Challenges Theories of Planet Formation
“Based on current survey work with the HPF and other instruments, an object like the one we discovered is likely extremely rare, so detecting it has been really exciting,” said Megan Delamer, astronomy graduate student at Penn State and co-author on the paper.
 
In the case of the massive planet discovered orbiting the star LHS 3154, the heavy planetary core inferred by the team’s measurements would require a larger amount of solid material in the planet-forming disk than current models would predict, Delamer explained. 

“Our current theories of planet formation have trouble accounting for what we’re seeing,” she said. 
 
The finding also raises questions about prior understandings of the formation of stars, as the dust-mass and dust-to-gas ratio of the disk surrounding stars like LHS 3154, when they were young and newly formed, would need to be ten times higher than what was observed in order to form a planet as massive as the one the team discovered. 
 
“What we have discovered provides an extreme test case for all existing planet formation theories,” Mahadevan said. “This is exactly what we built HPF to do, to discover how the most common stars in our galaxy form planets – and to find those planets.”

Acknowledgements
Penn State authors on the paper are Suvrath Mahadevan, Eric Ford, Brianna Zawadzki, Fred Hearty, Andrea Lin, Lawrence Ramsey, and Jason Wright. The University of Texas at Austin authors are Brendan Bowler, William Cochran, Michael Endl, Gary Hill, and Gregory Zeimann. Other authors on the paper are Joshua Winn of Princeton University, Yamila Miguel of the University of Leiden, Paul Robertson and Rae Holcomb of the University of California Irvine, Shubham Kanodia of the Carnegie Institution for Science, Caleb Cañas of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Joe Ninan of India’s Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Ryan Terrien of Carleton College, Chad Bender of The University of Arizona, Scott Diddams, Connor Fredrick and Andrew Metcalf of the University of Colorado, Samuel Halverson of California Institute of Technology’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Andrew Monson of the University of Arizona, Arpita Roy of Johns Hopkins University, and Christian Schwab of Australia ‘s Macquarie University.
 
The work was funded by the Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds at Penn State, the Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation and the Heising-Simons Foundation.

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) is a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, Pennsylvania State University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, and Georg-August Universitaet Goettingen. The HET is named in honor of its principal benefactors, William P. Hobby and Robert E. Eberly.

The HET Habitable-Zone Planet Finder team is supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, the NASA Astrobiology Institute, and the Heising-Simons Foundation.

-END-

Media Contact
Emily Howard
Communications Manager 
The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory 
emily.howard@austin.utexas.edu
 

Ghostlike Dusty Galaxy Reappears in James Webb Space Telescope Image

,

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.

Astronomers with the COSMOS-Web collaboration have identified the object AzTECC71 as a dusty star-forming galaxy. Or, in other words, a galaxy that’s busy forming many new stars but is shrouded in a dusty veil that’s hard to see through — from nearly 1 billion years after the Big Bang. These galaxies were once thought to be extremely rare in the early universe, but this discovery, plus more than a dozen additional candidates in the first half of COSMOS-Web data that have yet to be described in the scientific literature, suggests they might be three to 10 times as common as expected.

“This thing is a real monster,” said Jed McKinney, a postdoctoral researcher at The University of Texas at Austin. “Even though it looks like a little blob, it’s actually forming hundreds of new stars every year. And the fact that even something that extreme is barely visible in the most sensitive imaging from our newest telescope is so exciting to me. It’s potentially telling us there’s a whole population of galaxies that have been hiding from us.”

If that conclusion is confirmed, it could mean the early universe was much dustier than previously thought.

The team published its findings in The Astrophysical Journal.

The COSMOS-Web project — the largest initial JWST research initiative, co-led by Caitlin Casey, an associate professor at UT — aims to map up to 1 million galaxies from a part of the sky the size of three full moons. The goal in part is to study the earliest structures of the universe. The team of more than 50 researchers was awarded 250 hours of observing time during the James Webb Space Telescope’s first year and received a first batch of data in December 2022, with more coming in through January 2024.

A dusty star-forming galaxy is hard to see in optical light because much of the light from its stars is absorbed by a veil of dust and then re-emitted at redder (or longer) wavelengths. Before JWST, astronomers sometimes referred to them as “Hubble-dark galaxies,” in reference to the previously most-sensitive space telescope.

“Until now, the only way we’ve been able to see galaxies in the early universe is from an optical perspective with Hubble,” McKinney said. “That means our understanding of the history of galaxy evolution is biased because we’re only seeing the unobscured, less dusty galaxies.”

This galaxy, AzTECC71, was first detected as an indistinct blob of dust emission by a camera on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii that sees in wavelengths between far infrared and microwave. The COSMOS-Web team next spotted the object in data collected by another team using the ALMA telescope in Chile, which has higher spatial resolution and can see in infrared. That allowed them to narrow down the location of the source. When they looked in the JWST data in the infrared at a wavelength of 4.44 microns, they found a faint galaxy in exactly the same place. In shorter wavelengths of light, below 2.7 microns, it was invisible.

Now, the team is working to uncover more of these faint galaxies from the James Webb Space Telescope.

“With JWST, we can study for the first time the optical and infrared properties of this heavily dust-obscured, hidden population of galaxies,” McKinney said, “because it’s so sensitive that not only can it stare back into the farthest reaches of the universe, but it can also pierce the thickest of dusty veils.”

The team estimates that the galaxy is being viewed at a redshift of about 6, which translates to about 900 million years after the Big Bang.

Acknowledgements

Study authors from UT Austin are McKinney, Casey, Olivia Cooper (a National Science Foundation graduate research fellow), Arianna Long (a NASA Hubble fellow), Hollis Akins and Maximilien Franco.

Support was provided by NASA through a grant from the Space Telescope Science Institute.

2024 Summer Internship Applications Due 2/15

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.

McDonald Observaotry hosts visitors from around the world. Our staff provide them with access to some of our largest research telescopes, daytime views of the Sun and stunning views of the night sky. 

About the Internship

The internship is an opportunity to develop public speaking skills, share knowledge of astronomy and physics, and spend time with world class telescopes at a major observatory... all while enjoying some of the darkest night skies in the United States!

As an intern you will:

This is a paid position, 40 hours per week. In addition to an hourly wage of $15-20 depending on experience, the internship includes on-site housing and the option to purchase meals from the Astronomers Lodge. Dinnertime at the Lodge is an excellent opportunity to make contacts with researchers, graduate students, and professors from UT and around the world. Interns are not required to stay at the Lodge, but no housing stipend is provided for offsite accommodations. 

Qualifications

Applicants should have completed AST 307 or an equivalent course in introductory astronomy (for science and engineering majors) and must have a valid class “C” driver’s license with a current three-year driving record.

Our ideal candidate will be:

  • Engaging and outgoing
  • Comfortable with public speaking
  • Enthusiastic about learning and science communication
  • Somewhat knowledgeable about amateur telescopes and equipment

The position requires driving a shuttle van for tours, climbing stairs, and working outdoors in low light and various weather conditions. This position is security sensitive. McDonald Observatory is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer committed to diversity.

Timeline

  • Application deadline is February 15
  • A candidate will be chosen by March 30
  • The exact dates of the internship are flexible, but must be a minimum of two consecutive months. It can start as early as May 13, 2024, and can run through August 17, 2024.

How to Apply

Send a resume and letter of interest to Judy Meyer at teachers@mcdonaldobservatory.org. Questions are also welcome via email.
 

LightSound Workshops Make April’s Eclipse More Accessible to Visually Impaired

,

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.

The devices built during this and other LightSound workshops held nationwide will be donated to viewing events ahead of the April 8 total solar eclipse.

"It was a great success," said Allyson Bieryla, an astronomer at Harvard University who led the workshops.

What Is a LightSound Device?

Bieryla helped develop the LightSound device as a tool to increase access to the 2017 total solar eclipse. It uses a technique called sonification, which is the process of converting data (or light intensity in this case) to sound. As the Moon eclipses the Sun during a solar eclipse the sunlight begins to dim and the LightSound device outputs a change in musical tone.

See one in action here!

The device can be attached to headphones for a personal experience or to a speaker for group listening.

Get Involved

The LightSound Project’s goal is to build over 750 devices before the April eclipse. For information on upcoming workshops, visit the LightSound website or send the LightSound team an email.

If you or someone you know would benefit from a LightSound device, you can request one through the project's website.

This work is supported by the Simons Foundation and is part of its In the Path of Totality initiative.

 

Media Contact
Emily Howard
Communications Manager
McDonald Observatory
512-475-6763
news@mcdonaldobservatory.org

Discovery of Unexpected Ultra-Massive Galaxies May Not Rewrite Cosmology, But Still Leaves Questions

, ,

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.

“The development of objects in the Universe is hierarchical. You start small and get bigger and bigger,” said Julian Muñoz assistant professor of astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin and co-author on a recent paper that tests changes to the cosmological model. “JWST is observing galaxies that are comparable to our own, but very early. That’s a challenge.”

Muñoz and a team of astronomers at Johns Hopkins University concluded that revising the standard cosmological model isn’t necessary. However, to account for the overabundance of ultra-massive galaxies, astronomers may have to revisit what they understand about how the first galaxies formed and evolved.

Their findings were published today in Physics Review Letters.

New Telescopes Lead to New Insights
Cosmology studies the origin, evolution, and structure of our Universe, from the Big Bang to the present day. The most widely accepted model of cosmology is called the Lambda Cold Dark Matter (ΛCDM) model or the “standard cosmological model.” While it is very well-informed, much about the early Universe has remained theoretical because astronomers could not observe it completely, if even at all. 

Launched in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope was pivotal in developing and refining the standard cosmological model. It observes the Universe in ultraviolet, visible, and some near-infrared wavelengths of light. However, this makes it better at seeing some things than others. For example, Hubble is well equipped to view smaller galaxies, which often contain higher populations of young, ultraviolet-emitting stars and less dust, which tends to absorb shorter wavelengths. 

Launched in late 2021, JWST provides an important complement to Hubble’s capabilities. By observing in the near- and mid-infrared wavelengths, not only is JWST able to see farther than any other telescope, it is also able to detect objects that are invisible to Hubble.

“We’re opening a window to the unknown,” said Muñoz. “We are now able to test our theories about the Universe where we haven’t been able to before. And hopefully one day soon we’ll have the same insight on this period that we do on others.”

Testing Changes to the Standard Cosmological Model
Shortly after the Big Bang, things weren’t perfectly uniform. Tiny variations in the density of energy and matter had a momentous impact on the future structure and evolution of the Universe. Regions with greater density attracted more matter due to gravity, eventually leading to the formation of bigger and bigger structures. 

To become so big so quickly, the ultra-massive galaxies observed by JWST would, in theory, only be possible if more of these higher-density regions had developed right after the Big Bang. This would require changing the standard cosmological model.

Muñoz and his team tested this hypothesis.

They picked a range of cosmic time for which both JWST and Hubble observations are available. This corresponded to roughly 500-800 million years after the Big Bang. Within this range, they identified the most massive galaxies available in the JWST data and calculated the minimum and maximum amount of change to the early density of the Universe that would be needed for them to form.

They also calculated how many smaller galaxies would result from this hypothetical change. “The fluctuation that would make more ultra-massive galaxies would, in theory, create more of the smaller ones, too,” explained Muñoz. “But that’s not what we see.” When reviewing the number of galaxies observed by Hubble in the same time range, it did not align with the team’s calculations. “We showed that you cannot change cosmology enough to explain this abundance problem, given that Hubble’s observations would also be affected.”

So why is JWST finding so many ultra-massive galaxies? One possibility is that they contain supermassive black holes. These black holes would heat up nearby gas, making the galaxies appear brighter and therefore more massive than they really are. Or the galaxies may not actually be in the early Universe at all, but look like they are because dust is causing their color to look redder than it would otherwise. Light stretches out and becomes redder as it travels through space, so this shift would make the galaxies appear farther away than they are.

In short, more research is needed. “We’re observing something new,” said Muñoz. “New machine. New regions. Exciting things happen!” 

Acknowledgements
Study authors are Nashwan Sabti at Johns Hopkins University, Julian Muñoz at The University of Texas at Austin, and Marc Kamionkowski at Johns Hopkins University. Research was made possible with funding from the Horizon Fellowship from Johns Hopkins University, the UT Austin Department of Astronomy Board of Visitors, the National Science Foundation, and the Simons Foundation.

Media Contact
Emily Howard
Communications Manager
McDonald Observatory
512-475-6763
news@mcdonaldobservatory.org

Giant Magellan Telescope Expands Global Science Impact with Taiwanese Partner

, ,

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. ASIAA's inclusion expands the consortium to 14 international research institutions, of which UT Austin is a founding partner, underscoring Giant Magellan’s significance to the global astronomy community and the consortium’s commitment to prioritizing global collaboration for the advancement of science.

“We are thrilled to welcome ASIAA into our international consortium of distinguished partners,” said Dr. Walter Massey, board chair of the Giant Magellan Telescope. “Together, our consortium combines worldwide science expertise and engineering acumen to create a project that benefits all walks of research relating to the universe. This collective investment in the Giant Magellan Telescope is a testament that science can transcend boundaries and bind humanity together for good.”

The astronomical research and instrumental development capabilities in Taiwan have received international recognition. ASIAA will contribute expertise in areas such as low noise and compact detector electronics, precision detector characterization technology, precision laser cutting technology, and many others. "The Giant Magellan partnership is stronger with the enthusiasm, financial resources, and scientific ideas of ASIAA,” said Dr. Taft Armandroff, director of UT Austin’s McDonald Observatory. “We all look forward to heightened scientific collaboration between ASIAA and the Giant Magellan Telescope partner institutions, including UT Austin.” These contributions will prove invaluable once the telescope is commissioned in the early 2030s.

“ASIAA is delighted to be a part of the Giant Magellan Telescope consortium, and the Taiwanese scientific community is prepared to contribute its expertise while also benefiting from the wealth of knowledge within the consortium,” said Dr. Ue-Li Pen, the director of ASIAA. “Joining one of the thirty-meter-class telescopes has been a long-term aspiration for Taiwanese astronomers, and Giant Magellan is considered the most suitable project for this endeavor. The collaboration between ASIAA and the Giant Magellan Telescope establishes a robust foundation for astronomical research in Taiwan, with a particular emphasis on nurturing the development of new generations in the field. We also anticipate that this project will deepen collaboration between Taiwan and the six other countries in the consortium.” 

Construction of the telescope advances rapidly in the Chilean Atacama Desert and in labs around the world. Over the past year, fabrication commenced on the seventh and final primary mirror in Arizona, while manufacturing of the 39-meter-tall mount structure began in Illinois. Progress includes completion of the first of seven mirror covers in Germany, and near completion of the telescope’s first adaptive secondary mirror in France and Italy. Other advancements were made on a suite of high-resolution imagers and spectrographs in Arizona, Australia, California, Massachusetts, South Korea, and Texas.

“UT Austin’s Department of Astronomy and McDonald Observatory are developing the GMTNIRS instrument for the Giant Magellan Telescope, in collaboration with the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute,” said Armandroff. “GMTNIRS is an infrared spectrograph with high spectral resolution and wide wavelength coverage. Exoplanets and star-forming regions are examples of what the Giant Magellan Telescope will study with GMTNIRS.”

These optical technologies will enable the Giant Magellan to boast a remarkable tenfold increase in resolution compared to the Hubble Space Telescope and deliver up to 200 times the power of today’s best telescopes. The breakthrough technologies will empower scientists worldwide, offering unparalleled insights into the evolution of the universe, the origins of chemical elements, and the discovery of life on distant exoplanets for the first time.

News of ASIAA’s inclusion into the Giant Magellan Telescope’s international consortium was celebrated by elected officials in the United States dedicated to scientific advancements, democratic values, and international partnerships.

US Senator of Arizona and former NASA Astronaut Mark Kelly emphasized how science collaborations can strengthen international relations. “Arizona has long been a leader in astronomy and optical research, and thanks to key contributions from the University of Arizona and Arizona State University, the Giant Magellan Telescope will lead the way making the next generation of discoveries in astronomy,” said Senator Kelly. “We welcome the newest collaborators from Taiwan to the Giant Magellan consortium and look forward to strengthening ties between Arizona and Taiwan through our shared commitment to democracy, education, and innovation.”

US Congressman of Texas and Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Michael T. McCaul, also emphasized the significance of supporting large international research initiatives. “I’m glad our friends in Taiwan have joined this important project, which includes top-notch research institutions like Texas A&M and The University of Texas,” said Congressman McCaul. “The Giant Magellan Telescope will be a ground-breaking observatory that will expand our knowledge of the universe and enable the US to maintain its dominance in ground-based optical and infrared astronomy.” 

ASIAA joins Arizona State University, Astronomy Australia Ltd., Australian National University, Carnegie Institution for Science, Harvard University, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, São Paulo Research Foundation, Smithsonian Institution, Texas A&M University, The University of Texas at Austin, University of Arizona, University of Chicago, and the Weizmann Institute of Science in building the Giant Magellan Telescope.

 

-END-

 

Media Contacts
Emily Howard
Communications Manager
McDonald Observatory
512-475-6763
news@mcdonaldobservatory.org

Ryan Kallabis
Giant Magellan Telescope
Director of Communications and Outreach
626-204-0554
rkallabis@gmto.org

Mei-Yin Chou
Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica
EPO Project Scientist
886-2-2366-5415
cmy@asiaa.sinica.edu.tw

Multimedia
Multimedia assets and media usage statement available here until March 21, 2024.
 

National Science Board Announces Federal Investment Recommendation

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

On February 22, 2024, the National Science Board (NSB) released a statement and resolution regarding National Science Foundation’s (NSF) funding prospects for the U.S. Extremely Large Telescope Program (US-ELTP). The statement recognized the program as “the top recommendation for NSF’s ground-based initiatives” and affirms that “the Board stands ready to help the [NSF] agency meet this important, ambitious, and visionary goal for U.S. science and leadership.”

In response, the Giant Magellan Telescope released the following statement:

“The National Academies’ Astro2020 Decadal Survey highlighted the transformational science the US-ELTP would enable. U.S. astronomy plays a vital role in advancing our understanding of the universe and federal investment is a critical aspect of maintaining the nation’s global leadership and advancing compelling science. We respect the National Science Board’s recommendation to the National Science Foundation and remain committed to working closely with the NSF and the astronomical community to ensure the successful realization of the highest recommendation of the Decadal Survey, which will enable cutting-edge research and discoveries for years to come.”

The NSB announcement follows closely after the Giant Magellan Telescope welcomed Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA) into its international consortium, expanding the consortium to 14 universities and research institutions. Membership now includes 8 universities and research institutions representing 6 states from the U.S. and 6 universities and research institutions from Australia, Brazil, Chile, Israel, South Korea, and Taiwan.

Of the approved total project cost of $2.54 billion submitted to the NSF, the Giant Magellan Telescope’s consortium has collectively committed more than $850 million. More than 60% of this funding share comes from U.S.-based members of the consortium.

Based on a news release from the Giant Magellan Telescope.

- END - 

Media Contact:
Ryan Kallabis
Director of Communications & Outreach
Giant Magellan Telescope 
rkallabis@gmto.org
626-204-0554

April 8 Partial Eclipse at McDonald Observatory

, ,

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. 

McDonald Observatory and surrounding communities are outside the path of totality, so will only see a partial eclipse. “We’ll have a pretty deep eclipse, about 90%.” explains Rachel Fuechsl, programs manager at McDonald Observatory. “But that last 10% makes a huge difference.”

Those lucky enough to experience totality are in for a treat. They will watch the sky darken, feel temperatures drop, and see stars and planets become visible in the midday sky. During totality, the Sun’s outer atmosphere, its corona, will be visible and look like delicate, feathery tendrils radiating outwards. “When I saw the eclipse in 2017, it was the shortest three minutes of my life,” Fuechsl says. “It’s such a wondrously weird feeling.”

Texas cities within the path of totality include Eagle Pass, Del Rio, western San Antonio, Austin, Waco, and Dallas-Fort Worth. The closer you are to the center line, the longer totality will last – almost four and a half minutes at its maximum. “Anywhere along that path will get an amazing view,” says Lara Eakins, senior program coordinator for The University of Texas at Austin’s Department of Astronomy. “You don’t want to be at 99.9%.”

For those who have the option, McDonald Observatory recommends traveling to experience the event. However, if you haven’t made your plans yet, keep in mind that many eclipse tourists will be making this same trip. That can mean heavy traffic, high prices, and booked hotels. “You have to take into account that you and everyone else is trying to get to these good spots,” explains Eakins. 

Those staying in the West Texas area are invited to celebrate the eclipse at McDonald Observatory. There, the partial eclipse will start at 12:09 p.m., peak at 1:27 p.m., and end at 2:47 p.m. At its maximum, the Moon will cover 90.9% of the Sun.

The Observatory will have telescopes set up for solar viewing, educational activities and demos, and a livestream of the eclipse from within the path of totality. General Admission includes an eclipse viewer and access to all eclipse activities. Residents of Jeff Davis, Brewster, and Presidio counties receive free General Admission with valid proof of residency.

No matter where you experience the eclipse, it is vital to follow safe viewing practices. Outside the path of totality, you must use adequate eye protection at all times. This can include eclipse viewers or glasses. Check to ensure yours are certified ISO 12312-2 and free of scuffs, holes, or other flaws. If you still have some from October’s annular eclipse, and they are in good condition, you can reuse those.

Inside the path of totality, it is safe to look at the eclipse with your naked eye when the Sun is completely covered by the Moon. “But that’s it!” warns Eakins. At all other times, it is unsafe to look at the eclipse without protection.

To help ensure communities are prepared to safely experience this event, McDonald Observatory has distributed educational handouts and over 100,000 eclipse viewers through community partners. It has also held training sessions for anyone interested in hosting their own viewing event. A recording of this training is available at mcdonaldobservatory.org/eclipse.

Whether yours will be a partial or a total eclipse, it is sure to be a memorable sight. To get the most out of it, visit mcdonaldobservatory.org/eclipse for more information, resources, and helpful links. For additional safety tips, visit eclipse.aas.org.

UT Researcher Leading Project for NASA New Space Telescope

BY ESTHER ROBARDS-FORBES

NASA’s newly announced space telescope project, UVEX (Ultra Violet EXplorer), will have researchers from The University of Texas at Austin leading several key projects as the mission examines how galaxies and stars evolve. 

The estimated $300 million UVEX telescope is expected to launch in 2030 and will examine ultraviolet light sources in the universe. UT astronomer Danielle Berg will lead the UV galaxy spectroscopy portion of the UVEX mission. Its charge includes selecting and observing nearby, small, faint galaxies whose chemical makeup make them otherwise difficult to see, offering a first glimpse of galaxies with conditions similar to those in the early universe. The UVEX observations are specially designed to target traces of carbon and oxygen in the pristine extragalactic laboratories, with the hopes of better understanding the events that produce these life-essential elements. The insights could provide new ideas about the seeds of the first stars and galaxies. 

The team’s work comprises approximately 10% of the overall mission for the new telescope. Berg and her colleagues are already hard at work preparing to take advantage of the new space telescope’s cutting-edge technology by using existing galactic imaging surveys in conjunction with ground-based telescopes at the McDonald Observatory to select the best candidates for UVEX to study. 

“A lot of people are familiar with the Hubble Space Telescope and the incredible images we’ve taken with  it,” said Danielle Berg, assistant professor of astronomy and core faculty member in UT’s new Cosmic Frontier Center. “But that equipment is nearly 35 years old. We don’t know how much longer it’s going to last, and it doesn’t really have the capabilities we need to view these very faint galaxies. UVEX will be able to image the entire sky and go 10 times deeper and with better spatial resolution. It will provide a huge leap forward in terms of what we can discover and learn.”

In addition to conducting a high-resolution all-sky imaging survey and a study of the chemical enrichment in the smallest galaxy building blocks, UVEX will be able to quickly point toward sources of ultraviolet light in the universe to capture transient events. This will enable it to capture energetic cosmic events, such as massive stars exploding as supernova at the ends of their lives, tidal disruption events where a black hole rips apart a companion star and the explosions that follow bursts of gravitational waves caused by merging neutron stars and black holes. The telescope will also use its ultraviolet spectrograph to study massive stars. Leading up to the launch, Berg and her team will utilize the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, a 10-meter telescope designed for spectroscopy and based at UT’s West Texas observatory, to identify promising candidates to study.

“With McDonald Observatory supporting the mission, we have some of the best telescopes in the world helping to select the very best sample before launch and following it up to collect additional data alongside UVEX after launch,” Berg said. 

The telescope’s ultraviolet survey will complement data from other missions conducting wide surveys in this decade, including the Euclid mission led by ESA (European Space Agency) with NASA contributions, and NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, set to launch by May 2027. Together, these missions will help create a modern, multi-wavelength map of our universe, according to NASA’s press release. 

UVEX is different from the James Webb Space Telescope, which launched in 2021 and also boasts UT Cosmic Frontier Center astronomers as project leads. While UVEX observes light in the ultraviolet spectrum of galaxies in our cosmic backyard, James Webb observes the ultraviolet light emitted from very distant galaxies in the early universe that has been shifted to redder infrared wavelengths as it travels through the expanding Universe. In this sense, UVEX will provide the detailed ultraviolet maps of star-forming galaxies needed to interpret the distant signals received with James Webb.

“We’re excited to study some extremely high-energy galaxies and answer some questions about what is powering the phenomena we’re seeing,” Berg said. “We can learn so much about the early universe by studying these low-mass, chemically young galaxies.” 

The UVEX mission’s principal investigator is Fiona Harrison at Caltech in Pasadena, California. Other institutions involved in the mission include University of California at Berkeley, Northrop Grumman and Space Dynamics Laboratory.

UT Astronomy Graduate Student Receives Fellowship to Study Exoplanets

The Heising-Simons Foundation has awarded Quang Tran, Ph.D. candidate in The University of Texas at Austin’s Department of Astronomy, one of its eight prestigious 51 Pegasi b Fellowships this year.

Established in 2017, the fellowship provides postdoctoral scientists the opportunity to conduct theoretical, observational, and experimental research in planetary astronomy. From improving our understanding of planetary system formation and evolution, to advancing new technologies for detecting other worlds, fellows make a unique contribution to the field.

“Exoplanet studies are operating on different physical scales and timescales,” Tran says. “Bridging them can provide a much fuller picture of evolution, especially for giant planets that are easier to find—with implications for all planets.”

As a 51 Pegasi b Fellow, Tran will receive $430,000 over three years to conduct independent research on young gas giant exoplanets. Catching them in the act of becoming Hot Jupiters (classes of gas giant exoplanets physically similar to Jupiter with high surface-atmosphere temperatures) would help explain how these massive orbs wind up shockingly close to their parent stars. However, their notoriously active stars mimic and mask planet signals, making it hard to detect them. Tran compares the “noisy” light of these still-developing stars to the sounds of a screaming human baby.

Tran realized he could decrease stellar activity noise significantly by using infrared frequencies. He demonstrated this approach using the Habitable-Zone Planet Finder at UT Austin’s McDonald Observatory, one of the few instruments capable of capturing near-infrared wavelengths at high precision and resolution.

By finding and characterizing more giant exoplanets in this way, Tran aims to clarify the nature and timing of Hot Jupiters as they migrate toward their host stars. What he learns may explain conflicting results across prevailing theories, models, and observations.

“Today we have some advanced techniques and statistical frameworks for modeling exoplanets—but people are getting different results,” explains Tran. “We need more observations and new methods to robustly characterize these systems and understand what might be missing from existing theories and models.”

During his fellowship, Tran will combine existing surveys of young stars to locate enough giant exoplanets in this age range for meaningful comparisons with older planets of similar size and proximity to their host stars. He will also apply his near-infrared radial velocity technique with photometry from the TESS space telescope and statistical modeling to measure the masses for this largest-ever sample of young, giant planets.

In doing so, Tran will extend the timeline of observed planets’ formation backward—and bring forward understanding of their histories, and our own.

Tran will receive a Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Texas at Austin in Spring 2024. “It’s important to me to appreciate the choice and freedom I have to be a scientist exploring questions about the universe,” Tran says, “and how far I’ve come, thanks to my mom, who brought me to the U.S. at age 3, after she spent seven years in a Malaysian refugee camp escaping the poverty that followed the Vietnam War.”

In Fall 2024, Tran will start a postdoctoral position at Yale University.

About McDonald Observatory

domes with star trails

McDonald Observatory is a research unit of The University of Texas at Austin and one of the world's leading centers for astronomical research, teaching, and public education and outreach. Observatory facilities are located atop Mount Locke and Mount Fowlkes in the Davis Mountains of West Texas, which offer some of the darkest night skies in the continental United States. Additionally, the observatory is a partner in the Giant Magellan Telescope under construction in Chile. McDonald's principal research telescopes include:

The Giant Magellan Telescope

The Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) now under construction in Chile is the first in a new generation of extremely large telescopes. Its seven mirrors will span 25 meters. UT Austin is a founding partner in the collaboration which includes several other U.S. universities and partner institutions from around the world. The telescope is expected to see first light in the next decade. More information is available at the project website.

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope

With its 10-meter mirror, the HET is one of the world's largest optical telescopes. First dedicated in 1997, the telescope underwent a complete and extensive upgrade in 2017. The HET is optimized for spectroscopy, the decoding of light from stars and galaxies to study their properties. This makes it ideal for searching for planets around other stars, as well as probing distant galaxies, exploding stars, black holes, and more. This telescope is critical to a major study of dark energy, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX). The HET is a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen.

The Harlan J. Smith Telescope

Constructed 1966-68, the Smith Telescope has a 2.7-meter (107-inch) mirror, which was the third largest in the world when built. The telescope is used every clear night of the year.

The Otto Struve Telescope

Constructed 1933-39, the Struve Telescope was the first major telescope to be built at McDonald Observatory. Its 2.1-meter (82-inch) mirror was the second largest in the world at the time. The telescope is still in use today.

Other Telescopes

McDonald also operates several one-meter class telescopes. These include MONET/North, a node of the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, as well as 0.9-meter (36-inch) and 0.8-meter (30-inch) telescopes. Additionally, the Observatory is home to the 0.8-meter (30-inch) McDonald Laser Ranging Station operated by UT Austin's Center for Space Research, a 20-inch telescope operated by Boston University, and a 0.45-meter automated telescope that is part of the ROTSE collaboration.

Public Education and Outreach

McDonald Observatory operates a multi-faceted international public outreach program. At the on-site Frank N. Bash Visitors Center, outreach events include star parties, public tours, K-12 teacher and student activities, and more. McDonald also produces the StarDate radio program, StarDate magazine, the StarDate Online website, and special programs for hundreds of elementary and secondary teachers across the United States.

Land Acknowledgment

We would like to acknowledge that we operate on the Indigenous lands of Turtle Island, the ancestral name for what now is called North America. Moreover, we would like to acknowledge the Alabama-Coushatta, Caddo, Carrizo/Comecrudo, Coahuiltecan, Comanche, Kickapoo, Lipan Apache, Tonkawa and Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo, and all the American Indian and Indigenous Peoples and communities who have been or have become a part of these lands and territories in Texas.

Fact Sheets

The two large domes in the foreground house the 2.1-meter (82-inch) Otto Struve

About McDonald Observatory

McDonald Observatory, a research unit of The University of Texas at Austin, is one of the world's leading centers for astronomical research, teaching, and public education and outreach.

HETDEX: The Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment

McDonald Observatory and its partners are preparing for a major experiment to define dark energy, that mysterious force that's causing the universe's expansion to speed up.

Architecture of the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center

The Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory takes its design cues from the early inhabitants of the southwest and their astronomical traditions.

About the Donors to the Visitors Center

Classroom Activities & Resources

These engaging, TEKS aligned activities create opportunity for K-12 students to explore astronomy, physics and chemistry in the classroom.

Shadow PlayPDF icon183K pdf
Subjects: Our Solar System
Grade Levels: K-5

Everything has a shadow! Shadows illustrate how three-dimensional objects can be viewed in two dimensions. Younger students learn about the Sun’s relative motion in the sky as they experiment with shadows.

Modeling the Night SkyPDF icon387K pdf
Subjects: Our Solar System, Observing the Sky
Grade Levels: K-5

Students explore the Earth and Sun's postions in relation to the constellations of the ecliptic with a small model. They explore the motions of the Earth and inner planets in a larger classroom-size model. A very interactive and fun activity.

Observing the MoonPDF icon276K pdf
Subjects: Our Solar System, Observing the Sky
Grade Levels: K-5

Does the Moon always look the same? Does it's surface look different at different times? Students explore these questions by making drawings of the moon at different times.

Scale Distances in the Solar SystemPDF icon 104K pdf
Subjects: Our Solar System
Grade Levels: K-5

Using a long thin strip of paper, students first try to guess the relative distances between the Sun, solar system members, and Pluto. Afterwards the teacher instructs them to fold the paper in a special sequence to discover the proper spacing.

Solar System Size Scale Model DemoPDF icon 84K pdf
Subjects: Our Solar System
Grade Levels: K-5

A reference sheet that provides information on how to create a demonstration using a basketball, volleyball, softballs, marbles, and other objects to demonstrate the relative sizes of the planets in our solar system.

Seeing the Invisible: Dust in the Universe
Subjects: Tools of the Astronomer, Electromagnetic Radiation
Grade Levels: K-5, 6-8, 9-12

Dust is all around us: at home, on Earth, and in space. Explore the properties of dust and the astronomical research of dust in space with these three grade-appropriate inquiry based activities from McDonald Observatory.

Planet Tours
Subjects: Our Solar System
Grade Levels: 6-8

In this creative activity, students learn about an object in our solar system and create a travel brochure or advertisement to attract future space tourists to their exotic destination. Engages students with both facts and imagination.

Solar System SciencePDF icon95K pdf
Subjects: Our Solar System
Grade Levels: 6-8

Students explore and compare planets in our solar system. Each student becomes the 'ambassador' for a planet and prepares by researching their planet, then meets with other ambassadors to form new mini-solar systems.

Rock Cycle
Subjects: Our Solar System
Grade Levels: 6-8

After learning about Earth's rock cycle and the basic characteristics of objects in the solar system, students can consider how to extend this concept to other worlds beyond Earth.

Equatorial SundialPDF icon156K pdf
Subjects: Observing the Sky
Grade Levels: 6-8

One of astronomy's first tools to measure the flow of time, a sundial is simply a stick that casts a shadow on a face marked with units of time. There are many types of sundials; an equatorial sundial is easy to make and teaches fundamental astronomical concepts.

Scale ModelsPDF icon111K pdf
Subjects: Our Solar System
Grade Levels: 6-8

What are the relative sizes and distances of objects in the solar system? Students create two 'mystery objects' out of play-dough to learn about scale models.

Reflective Solar Cooker
Subjects: Our Solar System, Electromagnetic Radiation
Grade Levels: 6-8

Students build a reflective solar cooker that uses the Sun's energy to cook marshmallows. This activity requires adult supervision.

Telescope Technology
Subjects: Tools of the Astronomer
Grade Levels: 6-8, 9-12

Large telescope designs have changed significantly over the last few decades, with an growing emphasis on using segmented mirrors. This activity series consists of 4 challenges that students complete to discover how and why astronomers design and use segmented mirror telescopes.

Sunspots
Subjects: Our Solar System
Grade Levels: 6-8, 9-12

Sunspots are some of the most notable features of the Sun. Use a telescope to track the changes in position and shape of sunspots over time. This activity requires adult supervision.

Sunspot AnatomyPDF icon538K pdf
Subjects: Our Solar System
Grade Levels: 6-8, 9-12

Sunspots are much more than just tiny dark spots on the Sun. This activity covers the characteristics of sunspots and uses the concepts of scale to teach students to grasp the size of these dynamic magnetic events.

Exploring Black Holes
Subjects: Galaxies and Cosmology, Stars
Grade Levels: 9-12

What is a black hole? How do astronomers find them? What's an event horizon? Take your students on a quest for these answers in these activities that use the Black Hole Encyclopedia.

Make Your Own Galaxy
Subjects: Galaxies and Cosmology
Grade Levels: 9-12

What is a spiral galaxy? How are its components arranged? Do stars collide? Do galaxies collide? Help your students explore these concepts with this hands-on galaxy activity that uses simple calculations.

Journey Into Spectroscopy
Subjects: Tools of the Astronomer
Grade Levels: 9-12

A spectroscope is an observing instrument that reveals the color components of a light source. Students will construct their own spectroscope as they explore and observe spectra of familiar light sources. Extension activities expand their understanding of different kinds of spectra and sharpen their observing skills.

Color of Stars
Subjects: Stars
Grade Levels: 9-12

Students observe colors in the flame of a burning candle to explore connections between matter, light, color, and temperature — basic concepts of matter and energy. They elaborate on these basic concepts in a new context of astronomy and stars. The second half of the activity investigates star colors and relative sizes.

Super Gelatin
Subjects: Tools of the Astronomer
Grade Levels: 9-12

Can gelatin (like Jell-O) change the speed of light? Students investigate the refraction properties of gelatin to calculate its index of refraction and discover that as the light travels through the gelatin, its speed and wavelength also change. This activity offers students a challenge to find the index of refraction of an everyday, intriguing, translucent substance outside the standard listing of materials and refraction indexes.

Astro-Madness
Subjects: Tools of the Astronomer
Grade Levels: 9-12

In this activity, students learn about the different telescopes and instruments that are available at McDonald Observatory. They use this information to assist a group of scientists in deciding which of McDonald Observatory's resources will best suit their projects. Each "problem situation" requires critical thinking. We recommend following this activity with TAC.

Telescope Allocation Committee
Subjects: Tools of the Astronomer
Grade Levels: 9-12

This activity acquaints the students with the telescopes and instruments available at an astronomical observatory: McDonald Observatory. Students serve as members of the Telescope Allocation Committte (TAC) to review (sometimes amusing) research proposals from imaginary astronomers, and then write acceptance/rejection letters to the astronomers.

Delta, Delta, Delta
Subjects: Tools of the Astronomer
Grade Levels: 9-12

In this experiment, students construct an equilateral triangle using graph paper, pencil, protractor and a ruler. They also make a "laser triangle" using a laser pointer and front-silvered mirrors. Students can use the geometric properties of an equilateral triangle combined with their understanding of the Law of Reflection to decide how to place the mirrors at each vertex so that the "laser triangle" fits their equilateral triangle.

Hot Air
Subjects: Tools of the Astronomer
Grade Levels: 9-12

Students witness light refracting through air everyday. On hot days, "ripples" rise from the ground or roadways. Stars twinkle in the night sky. The Sun looks squashed on the horizon at sunrise and sunset. Students can explore the interaction between air and light through this "Hot Air" activity in order to understand more complicated everyday phenomena.

Mirror, Mirror
Subjects: Tools of the Astronomer
Grade Levels: 9-12

In this activity, students test the Law of Reflection based on experimental evidence. However, the back-silvered glass mirrors present a twist. As light travels from air into glass, it changes direction (refracts), reflects off the shiny metal back coating, then changes direction again upon emerging from the glass. The reflected ray may not match up with students' expectations, and offers them a challenge to work out what happened as the light traveled into and out of the mirror.

The Milky Way
Subjects: Observing the Sky, Galaxies and Cosmology
Grade Levels: 9-12

Stretching across the dark night sky, not easily visible when the Moon is in the sky, is a faint irregular glowing strip of light. For thousands of years peoples of various cultures tried to explain what they saw, sometimes using stories. In this activity students create their own stories about our galaxy, the Milky Way.

Stars and GalaxiesPDF icon107K pdf
Subjects: Galaxies and Cosmology, Stars
Grade Levels: 9-12

Galaxies contain billions of stars. Students apply the concepts of scale to grasp the distances between stars and galaxies to investigate the questions: Do galaxies collide? If so, do the stars within them collide?

Coma Cluster of Galaxies
Subjects: Galaxies and Cosmology
Grade Levels: 9-12

Students learn the basics of galaxy classification and grouping, then use Hubble Space Telescope images to discover the 'morphology-density effect' and make hypotheses about its causes.

Elliptical OrbitsPDF icon228K pdf
Subjects: Our Solar System
Grade Levels: 9-12

For thousands of years astronomers tried to model the motion of objects in the sky using circles or combinations of cirlces. Then in 1609, Johannes Kepler proved that the shape of planetary orbits are actually ellipses. Learn to draw ellipses and calculate their basic properties using Kepler's three laws.

Multiwavelength Astronomy
Subjects: Electromagnetic Radiation, Galaxies and Cosmology
Grade Levels: 9-12

Students review basic concepts about the electromagnetic spectrum, and then do activites about false-color imaging, Wien’s law, and galactic astronomy. They will combine all of this knowledge to see how observing galaxies at different wavelengths enables astronomers to gather huge amounts of fascinating information about galactic structure and composition.

Lives of Stars
Subjects: Stars
Grade Levels: 9-12

This activity is an opportunity for students to learn about the fundamental characterisitcs of stars and their life cycles. Students perform a play as members take the role of several different stars. As the play progresses, students develop an understanding of the most fundamental concepts in stellar astronomy.

Navigating the Night Sky
Subjects: Observing the Sky
Grade Levels: 9-12

What is in the sky tonight? How do you know where and when to look for a certain star? This activity introduces star maps and star wheels as tools for learning about the night sky.

Waves
Subjects: Electromagnetic Radiation
Grade Levels: 9-12

A background lesson on the physics of waves. Students use slinkies to discover the properties of transverse and longitudinal waves. Next the teacher demonstrates wave superposition using sound editing free software and a musical instrument.

Interview With a White Dwarf
Subjects: Stars
Grade Levels: 9-12

This activity is an opportunity for students to apply their knowledge and understanding of the gas law, conservation of energy, and forces to stellar evolution. Students perform as members of an interview with our Sun at the end of its star-life, in the white dwarf stage. Students follow the life story of this white dwarf via text, plots, and pictures. For each evolution stage, they review the properties of the star and calculate a few others.

Properties of White Dwarfs
Subjects: Stars
Grade Levels: 9-12

Astronomers determine the properties of white dwarfs based on observations using a telescope and light sensitive instruments. Students will follow many of the same steps astronomers do to find the basic properties of a white dwarf. During their investigation, students will draw on mathematics skills (algebra) and geometry concepts.

Age of the Milky Way
Subjects: Stars
Grade Levels: 9-12

A white dwarf is the final stage in the life of a star like the Sun that slowly cools down by radiating light. Knowing how the white dwarf’s temperature changes with time (cooling), astronomers can deduce the age of the white dwarf. By observing lots of white dwarfs and calculating their temperatures, astronomers can estimate the age of the Galaxy. Students learn about cooling curves by measuring the temperature decline in boiling water and extend those concepts to cooling white dwarfs.

Exploring Light: The Optics of Diffraction
Subjects: Electromagnetic Radiation
Grade Levels: 9-12

Astronomers use diffraction of light to disperse (or spread out) colors of light from astronomical light sources into a spectrum. The spectrum is then used to measure the physical characteristics of that source. This activity provides an opportunity for hands-on understanding of the phenomenon of diffraction of light.

Other Ways to Give

Corporate Sponsorship

Corporate sponsors can have an enormous impact on McDonald Observatory’s education and outreach programs while also connecting with brand recognition to McDonald Observatory fans, friends, and audiences. For information on current sponsorship opportunities, please contact Katie Kizziar, Assistant Director for Education & Outreach.

Endowments and Gift Planning

Endowed gifts and gifts made to the Observatory through gift planning create a legacy and support the Observatory for generations to come.

By contributing to or establishing an endowment, you can support McDonald Observatory’s work in education and outreach in perpetuity. For information, please contact McDonald Observatory Director of Development Keary Kinch at 202-270-1601.

Matching Gifts

More than a thousand corporations will match employee gifts to a non-profit organization. When giving to McDonald Observatory, please check to see if your employer supports employee giving at our Matching Gift Information site.

 

Orion Circle

Orion Circle members on the 107-inch telescope catwalk.

Orion Circle and Orion Supernova members make a significant contribution to our continued education and outreach efforts with an annual gift of $500 or $1,000, or above. Orion members also meet once a year for a special, invitation-only festival in West Texas, hosted by the McDonald Observatory Director, Taft Armandroff. The program typically includes tours, talks, dinner, and telescope viewing. It is a wonderful opportunity to connect with McDonald Observatory education and outreach programs and staff and to celebrate science education and inspiration. 

Orion Festival is scheduled for September 21, 2024. 

To do the most you can to improve science education nationwide — and to gain access to the most current Observatory news and events — become an Orionid today.

Orion Circle $500

Orion Circle Supernova $1,000

 

All members enjoy:

  • a 10% discount at the McDonald Observatory Gift Shop
  • a 20% discount on Guided Tours and Special Viewing Nights
  • advanced notice of Special Viewing Nights on the 36-inch and 82-inch telescopes via the Friends of McDonald Observatory email newsletter
  • free general admission to the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center exhibit hall
  • access to the Astronomers Lodge, on Mt. Locke, for overnight room reservations, subject to availability
  • an $8 discount on an annual print subscription to StarDate magazine

Please note: Complimentary Star Party passes and discounted program passes are subject to availability. Contact the membership office by emailing friends@mcdonaldobservatory.org to reserve your passes in advance.

 

*Friends of McDonald Memberships are nontransferable, and cannot be shared between households. Memberships are not refundable. Benefits subject to change; reservations required for all programs and Astronomers Lodge accommodations. Please e-mail friends@mcdonaldobservatory.org for more information.

Special Viewing Nights

Struve dome at sunset

On select nights throughout the year, the Visitors Center offers special viewing programs on our large research telescopes. These programs have limited capacity and offer amazing views in an intimate and historic setting.

Public viewing on the 36-inch Telescope

Special Viewing Nights on the 36-inch provide fabulous views in a small group setting. Located a few steps from the Astronomers Lodge on Mount Locke, the 36-inch Telescope is a staff and visitor favorite. Passes are $100/person.


Public viewing on the Otto Struve 82-inch (2.1m) telescope 

The 82-inch Special Viewing Night takes place on the original McDonald Observatory telescope, the 2.1m Otto Struve Telescope. It is one of the largest and finest telescopes in the world through which routine public viewing is conducted. Experience this unique program yourself! Passes are $150/person.


People often ask which Special Viewing Night program is best for visitors with little or no telescope experience. These programs are appropriate for visitors of any experience level (our staff are happy to assist beginners as needed). The Otto Struve 82-inch is one of the largest telescopes in the world routinely made available for public viewing. The 36-inch Telescope is larger than many people have ever had the opportunity to experience. We're confident that you'll be impressed with the views no matter your level of experience.

In order to ensure the safety of our visitors and staff, guests under the age of 8 are not permitted to attend Special Viewing Nights. Families with children under 8 are encouraged to attend our Star Party program.

Before you sign up, be sure to check out our remote location. Overnight accommodations at the Astronomers Lodge may be available for participants. We will connect you to the lodge to book a room if you are interested. Friends of McDonald Observatory receive advanced notice of the Special Viewing schedule, which is published every four months. 

 

Special Viewing Night on the 36" Telescope

The 0.9-meter (36-inch) Telescope at McDonald Observatory. Credit: Kevin Mace/Mc

Our 36-inch (0.9m) research telescope is a powerful window on the universe, providing outstanding views of planets, star clusters, nebulae and galaxies.

Targets vary with season, but some of our favorites are planets such as Jupiter and Saturn, globular clusters such as M13 and nebulae such as M42 (the Orion Nebula). We’re also sure to visit some galaxies far, far away! The program is designed to provide views of a wide variety of types of objects to give visitors a taste of all the Universe has to offer.

The Special Viewing Night is limited to 14-15 people and lasts approximately 2.5 hours. The intimate setting, small group size and amazing views make the Special Viewing Night on the 36” telescope a favorite among visitors and staff alike!

The 36" Telescope is located near the summit of Mt. Locke. Overnight accommodations at the Astronomers Lodge may be available for participants. We will connect you to the lodge to book a room if you are interested.

Before you sign up, be sure to check out our remote location.

If you are attending more than one program at the Observatory, please book your SVN as a separate reservation to ensure you receive the proper program documentation for all reserved programs.

Teacher Workshops

Teachers participating in hands-on classroom activities

McDonald Observatory offers a spectacular setting for teacher workshops in the Davis Mountains of West Texas.

Workshops take place over four days and three nights and include telescope tours, discussions with resident researchers, and nighttime observations.  Educators experience inquiry-based activities aligned with science and mathematics teaching standards, practice astronomy skills under the Observatory’s dark skies, and work with nationally recognized astronomy educators.  Participants receive Continuing Professional Education credits.

Summer 2024 Workshops

The deadline for applications has passed. Any workshop applications submitted now will be added to workshop waitlists.

 

 

Workshop Dates Grades
Explore Our Solar System  Jun 10-13 K-8
Searching for ET: Planetary Habitability/Exoplanets Jun 24-27 5-12
Galaxies and Cosmology Jul 5-8 6-12
Lights, Color, Optics! Exploring the Properties of Photons Jul 10-13 8-12

 

June 10-13, 2024
Workshop Title: Explore Our Solar System
Grades K-8
20 Continuing Education Units

Workshop Description:

Join us as we explore our solar system through hands-on, minds-on activities that you can use in your classroom. Learn about the sun and moon, their characteristics and apparent motion, including eclipses. Explore properties and motions of planets. Make and use classroom models of the night sky, the solar system, moon phases, star charts and more. At night, observe the sky with the unaided eye and view a variety of celestial objects through telescopes. Tour McDonald Observatory and learn how astronomers use the research telescopes to explore the universe and make ground-breaking discoveries.

This workshop is supported in part by educational endowments to McDonald Observatory. Lodging, meals, and instructional materials are covered by the modest workshop fee. Teachers are responsible for their own transportation.

 

June 24-27, 2024
Workshop Title: Searching for ET: Planetary Habitability and Exoplanets
Grades 5-12
20 Continuing Education Units

Workshop Description:

Astronomers are finding and learning about new planets around other stars all the time. What do we know about these exoplanets and how do we know what we know? Explore what these new planetary systems are telling us about habitability and the possibility of life in the universe. Explore properties and motions of planets, both in our Solar System and beyond. Build and use classroom models of the night sky, the solar system, moon phases, star charts and more. Participants will also engage in night-time telescope observations and tour McDonald Observatory to learn how astronomers use research telescopes to explore the Universe and make ground-breaking discoveries.

This workshop is supported in part by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. Lodging, meals, and instructional materials are covered by the modest workshop fee. Teachers are responsible for their own transportation.

 

July 5-8, 2024
Workshop Title: Galaxies and Cosmology
Grades 6-12
20 Continuing Education Units

Workshop Description:

Our Universe is filled with galaxies from near to far, along with other mysterious components (dark matter and dark energy). What were the first stars and galaxies like? What is this "dark matter," and how does it influence the cosmos, from our own Milky Way Galaxy, its formation, and its neighborhood to the largest scales we can observe? Explore how galaxies form and evolve and what distant galaxies were like in the past. We will perform hands-on, engaging classroom activities related to cosmology, dark matter, and galaxies to learn how scientists are attempting to answer these questions. Participants will also tour McDonald Observatory and engage in night-time observations to learn how astronomers use research telescopes to explore the Universe and make ground-breaking discoveries.

This workshop is supported in part by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. Lodging, meals, and instructional materials are covered by the modest workshop fee. Teachers are responsible for their own transportation.

 

July 10-13, 2024
Workshop Title: Lights, Color, Optics! Exploring the Properties of Photons
Grades 6-12
20 Continuing Education Units

Workshop Description:

Astronomers use optics, color and properties of light to analyze distant objects. In this workshop we will perform hands-on, engaging classroom activities related to reflection, refraction and diffraction to learn how scientists use the mighty photon to better understand our Universe. Participants will also tour McDonald Observatory and engage in night-time observations to learn how astronomers use research telescopes to explore the Universe and make ground-breaking discoveries.This workshop is supported in part by educational endowments to McDonald Observatory. Lodging, meals, and instructional materials are covered by the modest workshop fee. Teachers are responsible for their own transportation.

 

More Information

On-Site Workshops

On-site workshops take place over four days at McDonald Observatory in West Texas, beginning in the evening of the first day, and ending at noon on the last day.  Participants are provided with housing, either at the Astronomers’ Lodge on Mount Locke or in other local lodging facilities.  Lodging will be in single occupancy rooms.  The $100 workshop fee covers your portion of the cost of room, meals, and workshop materials.  Payment is due upon acceptance in order to reserve a place in the workshop.  Teachers are responsible for their own transportation to and from McDonald Observatory.

All programs include both day and night instructional sessions, materials, daytime tours, evening observing (weather permitting), lodging and meals.  Please be aware that some of the telescope observing activities will last until late hours.

If you have any questions or want to learn more, please send an inquiry to teachers@mcdonaldobservatory.org

 

 

Rebecca Gale Telescope Park

Amphitheater & telescope park

The original Public Observatory was dedicated in July of 1988 and was made possible through the generous donations of these Friends of McDonald Observatory: Mrs. W. Jean Kachelries, Mrs. Patsy Steves and the Marshall Steves, Jr., family, and Mr. Edwin Wiegand.  This facility was in use at the original W.L. Moody Visitors Center, opened in 1982.  In early 2002, all visitor center operations were moved to our current, larger, and more modern facility, the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center, which includes the Rebecca Gale Telescope Park.

The centerpieces of the Rebecca Gale Telescope Park are two 20-foot Ash domes that currently house a RCOS 16" Ritchey-Chrétien telescope donated by Mr. Wayne Rosing of the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, and a 22" classical cassegrain donated by the late Larry Forrest of Austin, Texas. Mr. Forrest also donated a 22" Newtonian telescope, which is utilized in the telescope park along with an exquisite 8" fixed eyepiece scope designed, built, and donated by the late John Gregory. The Alva Carlton family donated funds for our JMI NGT-12.5 12.5" telescope, and we also utilize several other 12" & 8" reflectors commercially available from Orion Telescopes, Mag1 Instruments, Celestron Telescopes, and Meade Instruments, including a Meade LX-90 generously donated by Frank and Bonnie McElvaney.

Also located in the telescope park is a unique 18" telescope known as the Wren-Marcario Accessible Telescope, or WMAT. This telescope is the result of many years of R&D, and its main feature is a wheelchair-accessible fixed eyepiece. Regardless of where the telescope is pointed on the sky, the eyepiece is in a stationary location. Computer control also allow fast target acquisition for individual objects, or quick tours of the sky for a list of objects. The WMAT is named in honor of George B. Wren II (1917-1993), and Mike Marcario (1954-1998), and made possible by donations from Wayne Rosing and Dorothy Largay, Mike and Shirley Marcario, Mike I. and Dee Jones, Bill and Becky Wren, and anonymous donors. The telescope was dedicated at the Observatory on July 17, 2010.

The latest addition to the telescope park is a 20" telescope located in another Ash dome.  This telescope was jointly designed and built by Dr. Alan Y. Chow and Wayne Rosing, is owned by Dr. Chow, and is on loan for visitor center usage during public star parties and other viewing programs.  The telescope, based on a RCOS design and mounted on a Planewave Instruments L-600 Direct Drive Mount, can be robotically operated from a remote location or used locally from the telescope park. In addition to Dr. Chow, other major supporters of this project include Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope, Wayne Rosing and Dorothy Largay, the estate of Leopold Tedesco, and the Frank & Susan Bash Endowed Chair for the Director of the McDonald Observatory.  For more information, see the official press release.

In addition to these main telescopes, we also deploy several other telescopes for use at the public Star Parties in the Telescope Park area (staff permitting).

Friends of McDonald

Friends of McDonald Observatory provide important support for a broad range of education and outreach efforts through an annual tax-deductible gift. Join McDonald Observatory and The University of Texas at Austin in our mission to spark curiosity about astronomy and science while increasing the public understanding of the Universe.

All Members Enjoy:

  • a 10% discount at the McDonald Observatory Gift Shop
  • a 20% discount on Guided Tours and Special Viewing Nights
  • advanced notice of Special Viewing Nights on the 36-inch and 82-inch telescopes via the Friends of McDonald Observatory email newsletter
  • free general admission to the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center exhibit hall
  • access to the Astronomers Lodge, on Mt. Locke, for overnight room reservations, subject to availability
  • a $10 discount on an annual print subscription to StarDate magazine

Please note: Complimentary Star Party passes and discounted program passes are subject to availability. Contact the membership office by emailing friends@mcdonaldobservatory.org to reserve your passes in advance.

Individual Membership $50

Complimentary Star Party passes for one (1) member cardholder every time you visit us. Advance reservations are necessary and subject to availability.

Team Membership $75

Individual benefits for two (2) members of the same household.

Family Membership $100

Individual benefits for up to four (4) members of the same household

Membership in the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) Passport Program

Annual membership in the North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association

Family Plus Membership $175

Family benefits, plus two (2) additional guest admissions to the Visitors Center and accompanying Star Party passes to share with family and friends

​​​​Orion Circle $500

Family benefits, plus:

  • Four (4) invitations to the annual Orion Festival and Director’s Dinner at the Observatory
  • Same-day access to StarDate Radio
  • Recognition in the McDonald Observatory Education & Outreach impact report

Orion Circle Supernova $1,000

Family Plus benefits, plus:

  • Six (6) invitations to the annual Orion Festival and Director’s Dinner at the Observatory
  • Same-day access to StarDate Radio
  • Recognition in the McDonald Observatory Education & Outreach impact report

 

 

*Friends of McDonald Memberships are nontransferable, and cannot be shared between households. Memberships are not refundable. Benefits subject to change; reservations required for all programs and Astronomers Lodge accommodations. Please e-mail friends@mcdonaldobservatory.org for more information.

Gift Planning

domes with star trails

Individuals who wish to support McDonald Observatory and the important work of improving science education may find gift planning to be an excellent way to make a charitable contribution tailored to their own unique circumstances and financial needs.

Membership in the Texas Leadership Society follows for anyone giving to McDonald Observatory and UT Astronomy through estate planning.

A planned gift may meet your goals and benefit your family by:

  • Bringing immediate and deferred tax advantages to you and your heirs
  • Creating an income for you and your family for life, with tax deductions
  • Enabling you to give property or real estate to charity, while avoiding capital gains taxes
  • Establishing a legacy during your lifetime
  • Enabling you to give a more significant gift than could otherwise be made, while also taking care of your family and heirs

For information on how to achieve your financial goals, while supporting McDonald Observatory and the work of improving science education, please talk to your financial advisor. You may also contact the University of Texas Gift Planning Office for additional resources, or to talk to gift planning specialists.

The Weather at the Observatory

A view of the valley outside of Fort Davis from the top of Mount Locke on December 24th, 2011. Note that, while the valley floor was free of snow, Mt. Locke was mostly frozen over. Temperatures at the Observatory are frequently 10 or more degrees (F) lower than the surrounding areas. (Frank Cianciolo / McDonald Observatory)

Temperatures vary quite a bit at our elevation (6,300-6,800 feet above sea level) and are usually much cooler than other areas of Texas. For summer make sure you bring a light jacket and long pants. For Fall, Winter, and early Spring programs, layer your attire and bring a warm coat, thermals, gloves, and something to keep your head warm.

Some useful weather links to help plan your visit to the Observatory:

Monthly climate data, 1935-2012, are listed below. Please note that low and high temperatures (Fahrenheit) are averages; therefore, the low temperature on a particular night can be much lower (20's or teens in winter for example):

Month Avg High Record High Avg Low Record Low Avg Rain (in) Avg Snow (in)
Jan 54 80 32 -10 0.68 1.9
Feb 57 79 34 -6 0.49 0.8
Mar 64 88 38 4 0.4 0.2
Apr 71 94 45 11 0.5 0.1
May 79 96 52 26 1.63 0
Jun 85 104 58 36 2.49 0
Jul 83 100 59 40 3.82 0
Aug 81 104 58 40 3.69 0
Sep 77 96 54 29 2.95 0
Oct 71 94 48 13 1.61 0.1
Nov 61 82 39 8 0.61 0.4
Dec 54 80 34 -2 0.6 1.2

Source: Western Regional Climate Center

 

Visitors Center weather station current conditions:

 

Dark Skies Initiative

McDonald Observatory collaborates with local communities and businesses to promote nighttime lighting that keeps light on the ground and out of the sky. 

About Light Pollution:

Why Are We Loosing the Night Sky?

Why Are We Losing the Night Sky? "It's Okay To Be Smart." PBS/YouTube video featuring Joe Hanson (11:29).

What is light pollution?

Light pollution is any adverse effect of artificial light at night, including sky glow, impaired visibility from glare, light trespass, energy waste, and more. 

Does it really matter?

YES! Light pollution wastes energy and money, disrupts global wildlife and ecological balance, has been linked to negative consequences in human health, and negatively affects our ability to do astronomy.

Effects of Light Pollution:

• COSTS: Billions of dollars per year in electricity costs are wasted shining light upward at night. 

• ENERGY CONSUMPTION: Most of the energy required to power all of the wasted light comes from burning fossil fuels, contributing to other types of pollution.

• HEALTH: New studies point to dramatic health consequences from the disruption of the natural human day/night cycle. Unnatural light at night affects hormone production and suppresses the immune system.

• SAFETY: Vision is impaired by "glare" from overly bright light sources, reducing sensitivity to fine details and color perception, especially in elderly people. Brighter lights cause shadows to appear darker.

• THE ENVIRONMENT: Artificial light at night has been shown to disrupt the mating, migration, and hunting behaviors of many different species, and therefore the ecological system as a whole.

• LOSS OF NIGHTTIME SKY: The view of stars and dark night skies is rapidly being lost. Generations are growing up having never seen the Milky Way. Sky glow resulting from artificial lighting dramatically hinders the science of astronomy.

What can I do?

A WIN-WIN SOLUTION to light pollution! By changing outdoor lighting practices, you can prevent light pollution while putting more light where you want it using less electricity. 

The Solutions: Night-Sky Friendly Lighting Practices

1. Shielding: Lights fixtures should be shielded such that the light source is not visible from above or from off-property. Lights should be aimed down at the ground. 

2. Color: Light sources should have a color temperature of 2,700K or below (soft white / amber).

3. Intensity: Light sources should not emit more light than is necessary. 

4. Timing: Lights should have a clear purpose. Lights that are not serving their purpose, such as business signs or decorative lights after hours, should be turned off, put on a timer to turn off automatically, or only activated temporarily with a motion sensor.

START WITH YOUR OWN HOME AND BUSINESS: Lead by example in adopting good lighting practices. Put your own house in order first. If everyone would simply keep their own light on their own property, the problems of light pollution would largely disappear.


SPREAD THE WORD:  The solution to light pollution is 90% education and awareness, and 10% hardware. Identify examples of good lighting in your community and show them to your friends and neighbors. Once people see it, they can't un-see it. Once they understand the implications for cost savings and improved visibility, they are far more likely to adopt good lighting practices on their own.

 

The Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve

McDonald Observatory helped establish an International Dark Sky Reserve (DSR) in the Big Bend region of far West Texas and Northern Mexico. The reserve encompasses almost 10 million acres of land. 

Employment Opportunities with McDonald Observatory

HET with Mt. Locke background

Administrative Associate - McDonald Observatory

Job Description: This position provides administrative support to McDonald Observatory's West Texas operations. The McDonald Observatory is a major astronomical research observatory located 16 miles from Fort Davis, Texas (440 miles from the UT Austin campus), and this position is located at the observatory. This position reports to the executive assistant in the Superintendent's office and works closely with the Austin Business Office.

For more information on this position and to apply, please see the full job posting here.


Equipment and Fleet Mechanic/Technician - McDonald Observatory

Job Description: Performs journey-level maintenance and repair of university vehicles and equipment.

For more information on this position and to apply, please see the full job posting here.


HET Optomechanical Technician - McDonald Observatory

Job Description: This position Serves as the technical resource for the optical systems of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET), including optical maintenance such as cleaning, metrology, coating removal, computer maintenance of the Segment Alignment Maintenance System (SAMS), and basic mechanical maintenance for the mirror supports. This position is located at the Observatory, which is a major astronomical research unit of The University of Texas and located 16 miles from Fort Davis, Texas (440 miles from the UT Austin campus).

For more information on this position and to apply, please see the full job posting here.


HET Mechanical Engineering Associate - McDonald Observatory

Job Description: This position provides science instrumentation support, preventative maintenance, repairs, and system-level design and engineering support for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory. This position is located at the Observatory, which is a major astronomical research unit of The University of Texas and located 16 miles from Fort Davis, Texas (440 miles from the UT Austin campus).

For more information on this position and to apply, please see the full job posting here.


Hobby-Eberly Telescope Mechanical Engineer - McDonald Observatory

Job Description: This position leads a small team of technicians and performs mechanical engineering maintenance, design, and performance improvements on the Hobby-Eberly Telescope’s (HET) equipment and facility infrastructure. This position reports to the HET Facility Manager at the McDonald Observatory site near Ft. Davis, Texas.

For more information on this position and to apply, please see the full job posting here.


K-12 Education Specialist, McDonald Observatory Visitors Center

Job Description: 

This position supports and advances the education and public outreach mission of McDonald Observatory and the University of Texas. Develops and delivers K12 program materials and content, and supports the K12 education program. Conducts evening and daytime programming for visitors, including public and private groups. Assists with community activities, special projects, events, and programs on and off-site.

For more information on this position and to apply, please see the full job posting here.


Maintenance Worker II - McDonald Observatory

Job Description: Provides semi-skilled level work in various technical trades in the maintenance and repair of a remote research facility's buildings, telescope equipment, housing, and other systems.

For more information on this position and to apply, please see the full job posting here.


Part Time

Event Worker, Frank N. Bash Visitors Center - McDonald Observatory 


Shifts: 10-18 hours per week Tu-Sa

McDonald Observatory seeks enthusiastic and friendly individuals to serve as Event Workers who will support our Visitors Center operations by sharing their curiosity, knowledge, and excitement about science with Observatory visitors of all ages. Primary duties include: 

  • positive and energetic interaction with visitors,
  • helping with opening, clean up and closing.
  • supporting Program Facilitators and Program Specialists 
  • checking in visitors for programs, ushering guests to seats,
  • selling program passes, and assisting with sales in the Gift Shop.

Interested parties with experience may also operate telescopes, present short talks, facilitate “Pop Up Lab” experiences for visitors, or present long-form visitor programs such as Solar Viewings and Guided Tours.

Qualifications

Previous cash handling and register experience; excellent verbal and written communication skills; proficiency with common computer software; ability to work well with others and with limited supervision; willingness to learn and take on new tasks; Bilingual a plus.

To apply for a part time position with the Visitors Center, complete the application linked below.


McDonald Observatory is part of The University of Texas at Austin. The Observatory and Visitors Center are located near Fort Davis, Texas. Positions are security sensitive; conviction verification conducted on applicant selected. 


Volunteer Opportunities with the Visitors Center 

Dark Skies Video

In this three-minute video, learn the causes and effects of light pollution, and discover ways to preserve dark skies. For more information, see our Dark Skies page

Credit: McDonald Observatory/Univ. of Texas-Austin

Annual Fund Payment

When to Visit

There is no single best answer to this question, but there are a few factors to keep in mind:

The Moon

If you plan on attending an evening program, consider the phase of the Moon. A bright Moon changes what you can see in the night sky. Several days before First Quarter and 3 or 4 days past Full, bright moonlight limits our ability to see fainter stars and the Milky Way. You can check a calendar of Moon phases at StarDate Online to help you make your plans. For exact phase dates & times, go to the U.S. Naval Observatory's moon-phase page.

Other timing factors to consider:

the Summer sky has different objects visible than the Winter night sky

Sunset is later in Summer and evening programs take place 9:30-11:30 PM

Sunset is earlier in the Winter and evening programs take place 7:00-9:00 PM

We have a rainy season July-August and there is a higher chance of cloudy or rained out evening programs. You can check out links to some of our favorite weather information sites to help plan. 

Check the program calendar for upcoming events and activities.

Where to Stay

For information on lodging in the Fort Davis area, check out the Fort Davis Chamber of Commerce site.

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment

A scientific revolution is underway. It will tell us more about the universe than we have ever known before, because it will tell us what makes up almost three-quarters of all the matter and energy in the universe. It will tell us if the laws of gravity are correct, and reveal new details about the Big Bang in which the universe was born.

The subject of this revolution is dark energy, a mysterious force that is causing the universe to expand faster as it ages. And one of the leaders in the revolution is HETDEX — the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment — at The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory. HETDEX will be the first major experiment to probe dark energy. Its observations will narrow the list of possible explanations for dark energy, and may even provide the final answer.

HETDEX will combine the immense light-gathering power of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, the world’s third largest, with an array of new instruments for analyzing the light from distant galaxies.

During three years of observations, HETDEX will collect data on at least one million galaxies that are 9 billion to 11 billion light-years away, yielding the largest map of the universe ever produced. The map will allow HETDEX astronomers to measure how fast the universe was expanding at different times in its history. Changes in the expansion rate will reveal the role of dark energy at different epochs. Various explanations for dark energy predict different changes in the expansion rate, so by providing exact measurements of the expansion, the HETDEX map will eliminate some of the competing ideas.

More information, as well as videos, podcasts, and high-resolution images related to this project are available at its dedicated website, hetdex.org.

Virtual Visits

Students participate in a video conference learning session with Observatory staff.

Take your K-12 classroom on a virtual field trip to the McDonald Observatory! We invite students and teachers to join McDonald Observatory remotely from home or school for these exciting educational experiences.

PARTICIPATE IN AN UPCOMING PROGRAM

Find our programs and register at Connect2Texas. (Use the filter to find McDonald Observatory, University of Texas). Registration closes 3 days prior to any program.


Sun + Moon + Earth = Eclipse!

Join McDonald Observatory as we explore the Sun, Earth, Moon system. After discussing gravity and orbits, students will experience Moon phases before discussing Eclipses. Get your students ready for the Eclipse event Texas will experience in April 2024.

Two sessions on Friday, April 5. One at 10:00 a.m. and another at 1:00 p.m. Register at Connect2Texas. (Use the filter to find McDonald Observatory, University of Texas). Registration closes 3 days prior to any program.

Sun + Moon + Earth = Eclipse! (grades 3-12)

ExciteSpace! Observe the Sun

McDonald Observatory is a great place to observe the stars, and during the school day, the star that we are able to observe is ‘our’ star, the Sun.   In this program, students will observe our Sun in real time (weather permitting) using a K-12 dedicated telescope.  They will have the opportunity to make drawings of the sun and make STEM connections in astronomy.

Download Drawing Sheet and TEKS

Register at Connect2Texas. (Use the filter to find McDonald Observatory, University of Texas). Registration closes 3 days prior to any program.

Observe the Sun (grades PreK-4)

Observe the Sun (grades 3-12)
 


ExciteSpace! Meet Mr. McDonald

Come visit McDonald Observatory without leaving your home or classroom! Learn about Mr. McDonald, who loved nature and science. Explore what happens here and how astronomers use telescopes to study all kinds of things in the universe. Students will be guided on a virtual tour of the 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope, and we will discuss together the things that make McDonald Observatory a great place to do astronomy.

Download TEKS

Register at Connect2Texas. (Use the filter to find McDonald Observatory, University of Texas). Registration closes 3 days prior to any program.

Check back later for scheduled live programs, or see below to request a recording.


ExciteSpace! Super Big Telescope Tour

Explore the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, a 10-meter telescope that uses 91 mirrors to observe the universe! Follow the light path from the sky into our instruments, made possible by creative engineering. Students will take a virtual tour of the HET, including images and videos, guided by a live educator.

Download TEKS

Register at Connect2Texas. (Use the filter to find McDonald Observatory, University of Texas). Registration closes 3 days prior to any program.

SuperBig Telescope Tour (grades 3-6

INQUIRE ABOUT VIRTUAL VISITS

If you have any questions or wish to schedule a Custom Videoconference program, please send an inquiry to teachers@mcdonaldobservatory.org

Cell Phone Coverage and WiFi

Cell phone service in our area is spotty to non-existent.

Depending on your carrier, service is generally available in Fort Davis, Alpine, and Marfa, but there are significant dead zones in between.

Most areas of the Observatory do not have cellular phone service, and the Visitors Center does not provide public WiFi service in our facilities.

During evening programs, we prohibit the use of any electronic devices (smart phones, tablet computers, iPods, etc) that have a light-emitting screen in our telescope park and amphitheater areas. Your best views of the night sky are possible only when your eyes are fully dark-adapted, and even at minimum brightness setting, these devices are too bright to maintain dark adaptation.

82-inch Special Viewing Night

The 2.1-meter (82-inch) Otto Struve Telescope at the University of Texas McDonal

The historic 82-inch (2.1m) Otto Struve Telescope has been a valuable and sought-after research tool since 1939. Its size and location under the dark West Texas skies contribute to its ability to provide some of the most awe-inspiring telescopic views in the world.

Targets vary with season, but some of our favorites are planets such as Jupiter and Saturn, galaxies like the Whirlpool Galaxy, globular clusters such as M13 and nebulae such as M42 (the Orion Nebula). This Special Viewing Night lasts approximately 2.5 hours. During the program, our staff assist visitors with viewing, answer questions and share their passion for astronomy with our guests. We think you’ll agree the stunning views, intimate setting and small group size make for an experience you won’t soon forget! Passes are $150 per person.

The 82-inch Telescope is located at the summit of Mt. Locke.  Overnight accommodations at the Astronomers Lodge may be available for participants.  We will connect you with the lodge to book a room if you are interested. Before you sign up, be sure to check out our remote location

Tip:  The 82-inch Telescope is one of the largest telescopes in the world routinely made available for public viewing.  The views are breathtaking in their own right, but can be better appreciated if you have looked through a smaller telescope to provide some context.  We suggest attending a Star Party beforehand so that you can see the difference.

 

Star Party Averages

Visitors enjoying a star party at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald

All programs are subject to capacity limits. Twilight Programs & Star Parties typically sell out and our Daytime Programs frequently sell out during busy periods like Spring Break. To ensure program participation, make advance reservations using the online system.


Those who have been to Star Parties in the past may know how popular these programs can be. The following table shows the average attendance per Star Party for each month. Expected weather can be a large factor influencing crowd size at any given Star Party. Major holidays also typically bring much larger than average crowds. Texas school systems Spring Break is our busiest time of the year. 

Month Average Star Party
January  142
February  231
March  547
April  285
May  277
June  364
July  406
August  311
September  193
October  302
November  291
December  239

 

We may be in the "middle of nowhere" but we do see some large crowds!

Visiting the Observatory with young children

Evening programs are appropriate for all ages. Please keep children with you at all times. This is especially important when it is dark and might be difficult to find people.

We ask visitors to use their walking feet and stay on paths at all times. The ground is rough and rocky. Please do not climb on the stone walls for your safety and that of our facility.

We are in the Chihuahuan Desert and are surrounded by desert inhabitants. There are desert plants here on the grounds of the observatory that may have stickers (cactus and agave). There are desert animals in this area, too. Once the weather gets warm, keep an eye out for snakes on paved areas once the sun has set. If you encounter animals, please remember that they are wild and should not be approached.

Shoes that light up are fun! But when the lights are too bright, they interfere with other people’s enjoyment of the evening programs. We will offer to cover up the shoe lights with removable tape.

For the safety of all of our guests, minors must be accompanied by an adult (18 or over) on all of our public programs.

Explore Our Solar System Workshop

Dear Educator,

The McDonald Observatory Visitors Center is proud to host your upcoming Professional Development Workshop. I hope our web site provides the information you need to prepare for your workshop. If you have any concerns or questions after reviewing the workshop information, please don't hesitate to call or email me directly.
See links on the sidebar to the right for pages detailing:

• Workshop "general information" document
• Mt. Locke summit, TX state highway maps
• Suggested packing list
• Workshop agenda
• Participant list including email addresses (consider a carpool)
• Listing of phone numbers to leave at home, should anyone need to contact you.
• Permission form for workshop photographs. (Please complete and bring it with you.)
• Emergency treatment information form. (Please complete and bring it with you.)

This year, our workshop will begin On Friday, August 4 at 8:00 PM with an informal get-acquainted time, a short activity, and then you may join the public star party that begins at 9:45 PM.  If for any reason you cannot arrive on time, please call the Visitors Center classroom at 432-426-4152 and let us know. If you arrive late, the information desk attendant will direct you to the classroom. You will be staying either at the Astronomers Lodge (AL) located at the summit of Mount Locke at McDonald Observatory, or at a local lodging facility. Once lodging has been assigned to participants, you will be notified of your assignment and given check-in details.
We will have a pre-workshop orientation Zoom meeting on June 30 at 6:00 pm Central Daylight Time.  Details will be emailed to participants, and the meeting will be recorded for those who cannot attend.

We are excited to offer this one-of-a-kind opportunity to explore, discover, make new friends, and experience the fascinating field of astronomy. We'll see you soon!

Clear Skies!

Judy Meyer, Ph.D.
K12 Education Program Coordinator
432-426-4153
meyerj@utexas.edu

Explore Our Solar System - More Information

Summit of Mt. Locke

Pre-Workshop Orientation

You are invited to join other workshop participants in a pre-workshop orientation meeting that will be held via Zoom on Friday, June 30 at 6:00 PM Central Daylight Time.  You will receive an email containing the Zoom link for the meeting. This will be a chance to have your questions answered and meet other workshop participants.  The orientation meeting will be recorded for those who are unable to attend.

Location

The University of Texas McDonald Observatory is located 6,800 feet elevation atop Mt. Locke and Mt. Fowlkes in the heart of the Davis Mountains of West Texas.

Although every person reacts differently to high altitude environments, you might experience shortness of breath because of our modestly high altitude; therefore, please take your time and avoid strenuous physical exertion. Due to the high altitude and dry climate, we suggest that you drink plenty of water while at the observatory.

Transportation

Workshop participants are responsible for making her/his own travel arrangements to and from McDonald Observatory.

Driving

If you are traveling east on Interstate10 from El Paso, take Highway 118 south at Kent for the 39-mile scenic drive to the observatory. Remember that the Observatory is on Central Time (El Paso is on Mountain Time - one hour behind the Observatory). If you are traveling west on Interstate 10, take Highway 17 south at Balmorhea to Fort Davis, then Highway 118 north 14 miles to Mt. Locke. If you're coming from the Big Bend National Park, take Highway 118 north through Alpine and Fort Davis to the Observatory. If you are traveling west on Interstate 20 take Highway 17 south at Pecos to Balmorhea (following I-10 for 1 mile) and Fort Davis, then Highway 118 north 16 miles to Mt. Locke.

Flying

The closest commercial airports are in Midland and El Paso. From either Midland or El Paso, you need to rent a car. The drive to the Observatory is approximately 3.5-hours either from Midland or El Paso if you take it casually. Remember that the Observatory is on Central Time (El Paso is on Mountain Time - one hour behind the Observatory).

Lodging

You will be staying either in the McDonald Observatory Astronomers Lodge (AL) or in a local lodging facility. Reservations have been made for you for single-occupancy rooms.  The room reservation is for you only.  You will be informed by email of your room assignment and check-in instructions approximately two weeks before your workshop.

If you choose to arrive in the area before the first day of your workshop, or if you are bringing additional people with you, please plan on arranging and paying for your own accommodations.  Your workshop fee covers the three nights of your workshop; you will be responsible for paying for any additional nights.  If you would like to select your own accommodation from those in the region, information on local accommodations, restaurants, and activities can be found on the Fort Davis Chamber of Commerce website.

Check-out

The workshop officially ends with a noon lunch on the final day. Plan to check out of your room that morning before our workshop resumes at 10:00 AM.

Workshop Day/Night

Our workshop begins at 8:00 P.M. in the Visitors Center classroom. The Visitors Center is closed at that time, but we will have a staff member outside to meet you.  We will begin with a social time, a short activity, and then you will be welcome to join the public Star Party that begins at 9:45 PM.

Please review your workshop agenda. We want to immerse you in this unique science environment, so it is important to arrive each morning with a “day pack” since you will spend most of your time in the Visitors Center classroom. Remember to include your jacket, flashlight (don't forget the extra batteries), medications, camera, power cords, and anything you may need throughout the day. Please refer to the Suggested Packing List for recommended items to bring each day.

If you arrive early on the first day, explore the Visitors Center, which opens each day at noon. Workshop participants receive free admission during the workshop period. The Astronomy Gift Shop and the Exhibit Hall are available to you while you wait.

The Visitors Center has a small staff refrigerator and basic first aid cabinet in an office next to the classroom. Since others share the refrigerator, it is important to limit its use by storing only what is necessary, such as important medications. You may purchase soft drinks, water, and snacks at the gift shop in the Visitors Center, and water is always available to participants, so bring a water bottle.

Meals

Meals will be provided by the Astronomers Lodge.  While we make every attempt to accommodate special dietary needs, the Astronomers Lodge cannot guarantee that all food has been produced in a facility that does not process peanuts.  Please let us know before your workshop if you have dietary restrictions, so that AL staff will be able to plan for your needs.

Emergency Phone Contact While You're Out of Town

There is no cell phone reception at the Visitors Center and limited cell phone access in the area, but during your workshop you will have wi-fi access. Many of our teachers keep in touch with family via text message.

You can be reached at one of the following three phone numbers:

The main phone number in the classroom, where you will be most of the time, is 432-426-4152 and there is voice mail at this phone.

The number for the Visitors Center information desk, available from noon-5:00 P.M., is 432-426-3640 ext. 0.

The main phone number during business hours on weekdays for McDonald Observatory is 432-426-3263.

Long distance phone calls can be made from an observatory telephone only with a calling card. Please print the Contact Numbers document and leave a copy at home, should anyone need to contact you.

Weather

At nearly 7,000 feet above sea level, the weather at McDonald Observatory is difficult to predict and highly variable. Summer mornings and evenings are chilly, so we recommend bringing a jacket or windbreaker, and perhaps a sweatshirt. Sunscreen is a must at this altitude. To check out the current weather conditions at the Observatory, go to this web page, also linked on our workshop web page.

Due to the high altitude and dry climate we suggest that you drink plenty of water while at the observatory. Many people like to use body lotion and lip balm for this climate. Closed-toe shoes are safer for the evening observing experiences and tours.

Medical Emergencies

Please complete the emergency information form and bring it with you. There is no need to send it before you leave. McDonald Observatory has several staff trained in First Aid to assist with medical emergencies, and there are AED devices in every building.  Our workshop will begin with a short safety orientation.

Photo-release permission form

Please complete the photo-release permission form and bring it with you. We might photograph a portion of the workshop to inform others of our experience together and we may wish to include the images in brochures or web sites.

Incidental Expenses

Meals will be provided during the workshop, but bring enough money to cover any incidentals or souvenirs you might wish to purchase. There is a fantastic gift shop at the Visitors Center with a great deal to choose from. If you find material or items you would like to use in the classroom, you can avoid paying tax if you can provide your school ID and Texas tax-exempt number. The gift shop will accept VISA, MC, & DISCOVER cards, but cannot accept a school PO.

Astronomy Field Trips FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

 

If you don’t find the answer you’re looking for, please contact us.

How far ahead of time should I reserve my program?
We require all groups to register for Astronomy Field Trips at least six weeks in advance.  

How many students can I bring?
Our programs can accommodate up to 70 students, with any groups over 35 being split. For groups taking part in the Astronomy Field Trip, we charge for a minimum of 12 students, although you may bring fewer.  If your group is only taking part in the evening Star Party and not the daytime Astronomy Field Trip, we charge for a minimum of 25 students.

How many adults should I bring?
We require at least one adult for every 10 students. We offer free admission to up to one adult per five students. Additional adults will be charged $9 for the daytime program and $20 for the Star Party program. All adults attending the program are expected to serve as chaperones, directly supervising student behavior.

Can we eat at the Observatory?
The Frank N. Bash Visitors Center does not have a cafe but box lunches can be requested from the Astronomer's lodge ($10-15/person). Your group is also welcomed to bring a sack lunch. We have outdoor seating, but no indoor eating spaces. In the case of bad weather, students will need to eat on the bus. You will have an opportunity to indicate your meal plans when submitting your application. Please note the closest fast food options are in Alpine, TX, about 1 hour away.

How do we get to the Observatory?
Most groups bring a bus or teachers/parents drive private vehicles. Please remember that your vehicles must be available during your entire visit. Directions to McDonald Observatory

Where do we stay?  Where do we eat?  What else is there to do in the area?
There are a number of places to stay, eat and learn in this part of Texas! If you are planning to explore some of the area surrounding the Observatory, we recommend visiting the Fort Davis Chamber of Commerce website. Please note that, although there are food options in Fort Davis, the closest fast food options are in Alpine, TX, about 1 hour away.

What happens if we need to bring more or fewer students at the last minute?
We understand that sometimes your group shrinks or grows at the last minute. Please let us know about changes to your group size as soon as you can. If your group is taking part in evening programs and your number increases, be aware that public programs have limited capacity and additional tickets may not be available for those evening programs. If your group is taking part in evening programs and your number decreases, please let us know as soon as you can, so we can make your unused reserved spots in those programs available to others who might want to join.

 

Some of my students’ parents would like to take part in this field trip.  Can we bring extra parents?

Yes, we would love to have them here! All adults who join the group visit are asked to serve as chaperones, actively helping with student management. We require one adult chaperone for every ten students, and we offer free admission to one adult for every five students. Additional chaperones will be charged $9 for the daytime program and $20 for the Star Party program.

If you have parents who want to experience McDonald Observatory public programs during your school visit, they can learn about, reserve, and pay for public programs here. Please note that it is not possible for a parent to serve as a group chaperone and participate in daytime public programs at the same time.

If your student group is participating in our Star Party and you have additional parents or families who would like to join, please have those families make their own reservations here.

 

I have a home school group of mixed student ages and their parents.  Would this program work for us?
Of course! Our education staff are able to adjust to different age ranges and abilities. Please fill out the registration form here. If you have any additional questions please contact us, and we’ll see what we can do that will work for your unique group of teachers and learners.

What financial assistance is available?
Title I schools in Texas are eligible for a discounted price. For our local schools, located in Jeff Davis, Presidio and Brewster counties, we have full scholarships available. We gratefully acknowledge the National Science Foundation, Education & Outreach Endowments, the Abell-Hanger Foundation, Harry W. Bass Jr. Foundation, Fash Foundation, Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation, the Semmes Foundation, the Stillwater Foundation, and Friends of the McDonald Observatory & Orion Circle.

2024 Summer Teacher Workshop Fee Payment

The two large domes in the foreground house the 2.1-meter (82-inch) Otto Struve

This page is for educators participating in a McDonald Observatory 2024 Summer workshop. Accepted educators who have completed registration may submit the $100 workshop fee below.
 
Cancellation policy
• Cancellations received MORE than 30 days before the first day of the workshop will be fully refunded.
• If you fail to appear for your workshop, or cancel LESS than 30 days before the first day of the workshop, program fees will not be refunded.
 
Please have the date of your workshop and a MasterCard, Visa or Discover card ready. If you are submitting a deposit on behalf of more than one workshop participant, enter each educator name for each workshop date.


Submit your deposit by following these steps:

1. Find the first day of your workshop from the calendar below.

2. Click on the date of the first day of the workshop. Make sure the correct workshop title and date appear.

3. In the "Persons" box, enter the number of educators submitting a fee for this workshop. If you need to submit another deposit for a different educator and workshop, click the "Book Additional Programs" button.

4. If information shown is correct, click "Continue."

5. Enter your customer information and credit card details. Important: Please provide the name(s) of the educator(s) in the "Comments" box if different than credit card.

6. Confirm all information is correct and complete the process by clicking "book."

Marc Wetzel Retires as Observatory’s Senior Outreach Co-Ordinator for K-12 Programs

students prepare to observe the sun at McDonald Observatory

A group of students prepare to observe the sun with McDonald Observatory Sr. K-12 Education Program Coordinator, Marc Wetzel.

January 25, 2021 

After 31 years working in public outreach at McDonald Observatory, Marc Wetzel is retiring to pursue other interests at the end of this month.

“It has been an outright honor and privilege to grow at McDonald Observatory.” Wetzel said. He stressed that the education and outreach team’s “commitment to excellence is the reason McDonald Observatory has been and continues to be the gold-standard for astronomical research, K-12 education, teacher professional development, and public programs.”

McDonald Observatory education and outreach programs aim to increase awareness of the universe and encourage exploration. Marc Wetzel’s energy and enthusiasm in fulfilling this mission has influenced many programs at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center during his three decades with McDonald. Among the most significant, he cited the growth of teacher workshops. During the summer, McDonald Observatory hosts a series of multi-day, immersion-style professional development workshops for K-12 educators. The workshops provide teachers a chance to meet astronomers, observe the night sky, and take astronomy and space science ideas and activities back to their classrooms.

Additionally, Wetzel was fundamental in developing Live From McDonald Observatory videoconference programs and has given scores of classroom presentations via remote connection, which have reached thousands of students all over the United States. These K-12 programs are generously underwritten through support from educational endowments, foundations, and individual donors, which enables the Observatory to offer them at little to no cost. 

Katie Kizziar, Assistant Director for Education and Outreach, shared that “Marc has built an amazing foundation for educational programs at McDonald Observatory and we expect that they will continue to shine long into the future.” Though this is a big change for the organization, she notes that “staff are confident and excited about the future of K-12 programs thanks to Marc’s leadership and guidance.”

Wetzel credited much of his success at McDonald to training he received from his mentors. “My work and efforts have always been to carry on the incredible legacy of Dr. Mary Kay Hemenway and the visionary leadership of Sandra Preston,” he said. Hemenway pioneered the K-12 teacher training program at McDonald that Wetzel ultimately led, and Preston oversaw all of the observatory’s wide-ranging outreach efforts for 38 years, retiring in 2016.

In his own retirement, Wetzel plans to begin a second career. He is relocating to Washington state to study nursing, saying “I want to move my scientific exploration and passion from space down to Earth.”

 

Recognition Program

Night Sky Friendly Lighting Recognition Program

McDonald Observatory recognizes our neighbors that help protect our night sky by following recommended outdoor lighting practices. Thank you to the residents, businesses, and organizations who are Night Sky Friendly!

Night Sky Friendly outdoor lighting keeps light on the ground and out of the sky, helping to preserve the exceptional night skies Far West Texas is famous for. It’s also better for business: night sky friendly lighting designs improve visibility and safety, and can be more cost effective than traditional designs. Recipients of the Night-Sky Friendly recognition receive two 5" x 5" window stickers, a 11" x 17" poster to display, and will be recognized here and in local media where appropriate.


Lighting Principles

McDonald Observatory has the following recommendations for outdoor lighting:

1. Light fixtures should be shielded such that the bulb or light source is not visible from above or from off-property. Lights should be aimed down at the ground. 

2. The light sources should have a color temperature of 2,700K or below (soft white / amber).

3. Lights should not emit more light than is necessary. The total output should not exceed 50,000 lumens per net acre for businesses or public spaces, or 25,000 lumens per net acre for residential areas.

4. Lights that are not in use, including business signs or decorative lights after hours, should be turned off, put on a timer to turn off automatically, or only activated temporarily with a motion sensor.

5. Fixtures must comply with existing county or municipal lighting ordinances.


Nominations

Do you know of or represent a business, organization, or residence that is night-sky friendly?

Nominate them here!

McDonald Observatory will consider nominations in the following Texas counties and the cities within:

  • Jeff Davis
  • Brewster
  • Presidio
  • Culberson
  • Pecos
  • Reeves
  • Hudspeth

Nominees do NOT need to perfectly conform to the recommended lighting guidelines in order to be considered. McDonald Observatory is happy to provide assistance and guidance on lighting practices to anyone interested, regardless of location. 

Nominees will be notified within 3-5 days with follow-up information and to arrange an in-person review of their outdoor lighting. An in-person review by a trained staff member or volunteer is required in order to be recognized.

Recognized locations are required to notify McDonald Observatory of any significant changes to their outdoor lighting, and reply to an annual check-in.


 

Lighting Questions & Contact

Do you have a question, issue, or concern about outdoor lighting?

 

 


 

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to the FAQs

What are night-sky friendly lights?

 

In general, night-sky friendly lights help reduce light pollution and save energy by directing the light they produce to the ground where it is needed.

Night-sky friendly lights have the following properties:

  • Shielding: The light bulb or light source should not be visible from the property boundary or off-property. Lights should be aimed down, with fixtures parallel to the ground. 
  • Color: The light sources should have a color temperture of 2,700K or below (soft white/ amber).
  • Intensity: Lights should not emit more light than is necessary. The total output should not exceed 50,000 lumens per net acre for businesses or public spaces, or 25,000 lumens per net acre for residential areas. (Add up lumens of each bulb).
  • Timing: All lights should have a clear purpose for being on. Lights that are not in use, including business signs or decorative lights after hours, should be turned off, put on a timer to turn off automatically, or only actived temporarily with a motion sensor.

Where can I buy night-sky friendly light fixtures?

 

The International Dark Sky Assocation is a good resource and provides a seal of approval to light fixtures. When shopping for light fixtures, look for shields which are flush or extend below the bottom of the bulb. Some fixtures may have shields that are too short to be effective. If you can see the bulb or light source from the edge of the property, it is not shielded well enough to protect night skies. 

Wall-mounted floodlights, such as PAR-style lights commonly found on many homes and businesses (see examples image), can easily be made night-sky friendly by using a PAR38 size shielded fixture with an undersized PAR20 bulb, and tilted downwards. 

Pay attention to the lumens a bulb emits when shopping. For most outdoor residential applications, it is usually not necessary to exceed 1000 lumens per bulb, and values around 500 lumens are typically more than enough. A lower lumen output can be used with a shielded fixture because the light is more focused. 


There are bad lights in my community. What should I do?

 

First, educate yourself on the benefits of night-sky friendly lights and consequences of light pollution. This video is a good starting place. Make sure your own home or business uses night-sky friendly lights before approaching a neighbor or community member about their lights.  

Contact the owner of the property. Be polite and provide resources to support your explanations. In most cases, people are unaware that their lights are causing a problem. The goal is to make a friend, not an enemy. Check to see if your area has an outdoor lighting ordinance, but don’t start the conservation by highlighting a violation. Avoid making blunt accusations and stay positive.

It may be useful to provide examples of night-sky friendly lights. This could be your property or one of McDonald Observatory’s Recognized Businesses and Organizations. You could also consider providing a sample light fixture for them to install as a demonstration. 

Ask the property owner for their advice for solving the problem. Hear their ideas and address concerns directly. For example, they may have concerns about safety or security. You could remind them that our goal is a dark night sky, not a dark ground. Night-sky friendly lights are safer because they produce less glare and more evenly illuminate obstacles.

If you live in an area with an outdoor lighting ordinance, you may choose to report violations to your local government. Copies of outdoor lighting ordinances in West Texas are available on our Additional Resources page. Reporting ordinance violations should be a last resort. We strongly advise against reporting if the property owner has not been made aware of a possible code violation or are making a good faith effort to improve. 

In general, asking a Code Enforcement Officer or Observatory staff member to address a community member may be interpreted as an escalation and could generate hostility. It is most effective for individuals to address neighbors and community members personally, especially if you already know them. Alternatively, if talking to your neighbor is ineffective, you can write a letter expressing your concerns and bring the issue to the attention of the relevant county or city commissioner, mayor, or judge. 

For more information on how to approach a community member about their lights, see this helpful page by the IDA. You may also contact us to get advice on additional resources for West Texas. Observatory staff can help provide information and educational programs related to preserving dark skies. However, we do not have authority to enforce lighting ordinances.


How can I help protect the night sky?

 

The most helpful thing you can do is use night-sky friendly lighting in your own home or business, and tell your friends and neighbors to do the same. 

If you're already practicing good lighting, you can help support our efforts by donating to the Dark Skies Initiative fund (select "McDonald Observatory" and "Dark Skies Initiative" in the drop-down menus). These funds will go towards upgrading and replacing light fixtures in the area, and promoting awareness of good lighting practices. You can also apply for our Recognition Program if you are in West Texas. 

You can also get involved in your local community by joining a chapter of the International Dark Sky Association, or join local grassroots efforts such as the West Texas Friends of the Night Sky or Big Bend Conservation Alliance. 


Are night-sky friendly lights more expensive?

 

Although shielded light fixtures may be slightly more expensive than simple bare bulbs, by directing the light to the ground, night-sky friendly lights waste less light and energy. In most traditional lighting designs, 30% or more of the light produced is wasted by shining into the sky. Because night-sky friendly lights are more effective at putting light where it is needed, less energy can be used to obtain the same levels of illumination, resulting in long-term cost savings. Reducing illumination levels to prevent over-lighting can also result in energy savings. 

Some fixtures can be made night-sky friendly with simple adjustments like aiming them down. In the majority of residential lighting sitauations, night-sky friendly options are plentiful and cheap. 

In certain cases, McDonald Observatory will help offset the cost of improving light fixtures in Far West Texas using donated funds allocated for this purpose. Contact us for more information. 

To further reduce the cost of improving light fixtures, the utility provider AEP (American Electric Power) will install fixtures for free on public structures if provided with a night-sky friendly light. 


Isn't it less safe to use dimmer lights?

 

Contrary to popular belief, brighter isn't always safer. Bright white lights aimed outwards produce glare that decreases visibility and produces dark shadows where obstacles can hide. Bright lights also ruin our eye's natural ability to adapt to ambient conditions, which makes transitions between differently lit areas more dangerous. Night-sky friendly designs have been shown to be safer by providing more even illumination and by eliminating glare.

Most property crimes occur during daytime hours, and some studies have shown that providing more light at night may actually increase the likelihood of some crimes and accidents. Lights are not the top deterrent for criminal activity. 


How are the lighting ordinances in West Texas enforced?

 

Enforcement of lighting ordinances is the responsibility of the municipalities or counties that enact them. By state law the seven counties surrounding McDonald Observatory are required to have lighting ordinances in place to help protect the sky. These ordinances are separate from but overlap efforts related to the proposed Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve, which includes further measures to protect the night sky. 

  • Jeff Davis
  • Presidio
  • Brewster
  • Reeves
  • Pecos
  • Hudspeth
  • Culberson

Within these counties are numerous municipalites which each have their own versions of outdoor lighting ordinances, such as Alpine, Marfa, Presidio, Valentine, and other cities. Unincorportated communities such as Fort Davis, Terlingua, Marathon, and others are subject to the county level ordinances. Copies of some of these ordinances can be found on the Additional Resources page.

Lighting ordinances almost always include a grandfathering clause, which states that fixtures installed before a certain date (usually the date the ordinance was enacted) are not subject to the ordinance, or only will be subject to the ordinance after a certain time period after being enacted. In most cases, that time period is 5 years. For Jeff Davis, Presidio, and Brewster Counties, and all municipalties within, all lights will need to be in compliance by 2026 when the grandfathering clauses expire.  All new or replacement light fixtures installed must be compliant with the ordinance now. 

While enforcement measures vary, in most cases violations are punishable by a fine determined by the municipality or county. Cases of violations are usually addressed as a result of a complaint to the county or code enforcement; police generally do not patrol streets to look for violations. In general, the role of these ordinances is to raise awareness of lighting practices and create recommendations for best practice rather than punish violators. Violators are notified by the county or municipality and given time to address the problem before any enforcement action is taken or fine issued.


 

 

 

 

Dark Sky Reserve

A Dark Sky Reserve is a land possessing exceptional quality of starry nights that is specifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, or cultural value. The International Dark Sky Association (IDA) certifies areas as dark sky places.

The Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve (DSR) is a partnership between many communities, parks, businesses, and conservation groups in Texas and Mexico to help protect our shared night sky through better outdoor lighting. Covering over 15,000 square miles, the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve is the largest IDA-certified reserve in the world and the first to cross an international boundary.

The goal of the DSR is to protect the night sky from the spread of light pollution through the use of night-sky friendly lighting practices. 


Benefits

 

  • Environment: All life on Earth, including human beings, evolved to the rhythm of the day & night cycle. Light pollution disrupts this rhythm and can have severe negative consequences for ecosystems. The DSR helps to preserve nocturnal environments for plants, animals, and humans alike. 
  • Safety: Night sky friendly lighting designs provide more even illumination and eliminate glare, which means visibility is improved over traditional designs. The DSR helps make communities safer and more pleasant places to live and visit. 
  • Energy: Every year in the world, billions of dollars worth of electricity are wasted by shining light into the sky rather than directing it to where it is needed. Night-sky friendly lights keep light on the ground and out of the sky, and are more efficient than most common designs. 
  • Research: Astronomical research depends on having dark skies. At McDonald Observatory, highly sensitive equipment can detect as few as a dozen photons from distant galaxies billions of light years away. The DSR ensures that astronomical research, as well as biological research into nocturnal ecosystems, can continue to be successful. 
  • Culture: The night sky in the Big Bend region is as iconic as the silhouette of the Chisos mountains, or the wide open spaces of the Mitchell Flat. It is a part of the identity of the region, and has been a part of human culture for countless generations. The DSR ensures that this iconic feature is not relegated to history books. 
  • Tourism: Astro-tourism is an increasingly important part of the local economy, and growing in popularity worldwide. Hundreds of thousands of visitors come to the region each year and see the night sky. The DSR ensures this continues in a sustainable and respectful manner. 

 

 

A fisheye view of the night sky from Big Bend National Park, showing low levels of light pollution. Image Credit: Stephen Hummel


Structure

 

The DSR is composed of two types of areas: core areas and peripheral areas. Both areas have dark skies and are subject to lighting requirements. 

The core areas are lands set aside for conservation, recreation, or research.  The core areas represent pristine nocturnal environments that need the most protection, and thus are subject to more stringent outdoor lighting requirements. Core areas are surrounded by peripheral areas. The core areas are the Nature Conservancy's Davis Mountains Preserve and the McDonald Observatory campus.

The peripheral areas serve as a buffer to the core areas. They include populated areas and towns, as well as numerous parks and protected lands in both Texas and Mexico. Some portions of the peripheral area may be just as dark as the core areas. Lighting ordinances are in place in the peripheral areas to help keep light pollution at a minimum, although the requirements are not as strict as in the core areas. 

The DSR overlaps several other previously existing IDA-certified dark sky places: Big Bend National Park, Black Gap Wildlife Management Area, Big Bend Ranch State Park, and Sierra la Rana. 

 

 


Action

 

As part of the DSR and broader Dark Skies Initiative, McDonald Observatory and many partners take the following actions: 

  1. Monitoring light pollution levels and sky quality across the region
  2. Taking routine inventory of public light fixtures
  3. Advising and assisting communities and businesses on outdoor lighting choices
  4. Helping offset the cost of lighting retrofits on public buildings
  5. Recognizing businesses and organizations that demonstrate night-sky friendly practices
  6. Promoting awareness of night-sky friendly practices via events and social media 

Want to get help preserve our night sky? You can start by using night-sky friendly lights at home and encouraging your friends to do the same. You can also help support our efforts by donating to the Dark Skies Initiative fund. These funds will go towards upgrading and replacing light fixtures in the area and promoting awareness of good lighting practices. You can also apply for our Lighting Recognition Program if you are in West Texas. 

Want to get more involved? Consider joining a chapter of the International Dark Skies Association, or local grassroots efforts such as the Big Bend Conservation Alliance and West Texas Friends of the Night Sky. You can also become a volunteer Dark Skies Steward for Texas Parks and Wildlife, or help the parks through the Texas Master Naturalist program. If you want to help McDonald Observatory with data collection or outreach efforts, feel free to contact us. 

 


McDonald Observatory thanks the following counties and municipalities for updating their lighting practices and ordinances to support the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve:

 

Brewster County

Jeff Davis County

Presidio County

Reeves County

City of Alpine

City of Balmorhea

City of Marfa

City of Presidio

City of Valentine

 

Astronomy Field Trips

Teachers, register your classroom for an Astronomy Field Trip in Fort Davis, TX.

Register for an Astronomy Field Trip

If you are not a school group, please find our public program offerings here or our group reservations page here.

Telescope Exploration

A field trip to McDonald Observatory will immerse your students in astronomy at an active research facility.

Students will explore 3 research telescopes: a radio telescope, the 2.7m Harlan J. Smith telescope, and the 10m Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET). Modified to be grade level appropriate, students will investigate the science of astronomy. At the radio telescope, students will discuss the idea of light and the limitations of our eyes. After a short drive (5 min) up Mount Locke to the 2.7m telescope, students will ascend to the dome floor to observe telescope motion and learn how telescopes collect light. The last stop will bring students to the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the largest telescopes in the world. Students will explore the engineering of a multi-mirror telescope and be inspired by the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment.
 

Extended: See the Sun

If your time allows, add an additional learning opportunity for your students to experience a live exploration of the Sun (weather permitting, of course). For groups 35 or fewer, students will work outside safely operating solar telescopes and searching for sun spots. For larger groups (up to 70), students will explore the Sun in our theater where live solar images are projected on a screen.
 

Star Party

Enjoy the Universe after sunset! When you sign your group up for a Star Party, you’ll be joining our regular public program at a special student rate. Your chaperones will escort students to the amphitheater behind the Visitors Center at dusk for an introduction to our sky before enjoying live telescope views. Students will see an assortment of deep space objects through the numerous telescopes used for public outreach.  Schools requesting ONLY the Star Party will be charged for a minimum of 25 students.

 

ASTRONOMY FIELD TRIP

PER STUDENT

TITLE I

Telescope Exploration

Extended: See the Sun

* Extra Adults

$5

$7

$9

$3

$4

$9

ASTRONOMY FIELD TRIP: Star Party

PER STUDENT

TITLE I

Students

$5

$5

* Extra Adults

$20

$20

* Adult Chaperones Free (up to 1 adult per 5 students; no fewer than 1 adult per ten students

 

Register for an Astronomy Field Trip

Please register for your Astronomy Field Trip six weeks in advance.

Days Offered: Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Tuesdays and Saturdays by special request only.

Time: 10:00 am Central Time

Length: 2 hours. 3 hours for the Extended

The minimum size for an Astronomy Field Trip is six students. The minimum cost for the Astronomy Field Trip with or without the Star Party is based on 12 students. The minimum cost for the Star Party only is based on 25 students.

No Astronomy Field Trips will be offered:

• May 25 through August 12, 2024
• November 11-30, 2024
• December 16, 2024 through January 7, 2025

School groups may choose to reserve public program passes during these dates. 

Dark Skies Resources

 

Browse this collection of useful links and resources for information on why and how to implement better lighting, the effects of light pollution, and more.

Be sure to see our FAQ & Contact page for additional information. 

Oil & Gas Lighting

Click Here to download our Recommended Lighting Practices for Oil and Gas Operators

Night-Sky Friendly Lights aren't just about protecting views of stars. They're better for worker safety and cost efficiency, too. 

Worker Safety: When working in a dangerous environment at night, it is natural to assume that more light is always better. However, over-lighting can decrease visibility and create dangerous situations. Lights aimed at a high angle can cause glare, forcing worker's eyes to adapt to bright conditions, thus losing their ability to see well in shadows. Glare can also prevent workers from seeing objects behind the light source. Eliminating glare results in improved visiblity and worker safety.

Aiming lights down, shielding them, using less intense lights, and avoiding harsh blue-white lights can eliminate glare. 

Cost Savings: A light fixture that allows light into the sky is simply wasting energy and money. Aiming lights down reclaims that energy and directs it to where it can be useful. Using shielded lights and aiming them down, and using less intense (lower wattage) lights, can result in significant cost savings. By mounting lights high and aiming them low, fewer poles and fixtures are necessary to illuminate the area, resulting in further savings. Implementing these changes from the start typically costs nothing over traditional methods. 

 

McDonald Observatory thanks the Apache Corporation for their support of our Dark Skies Initiative. 

 

 

 

 

Buy Passes for Programs

Amphitheater with Milky Way

Passes

Do you plan to visit McDonald Observatory during the busy Spring Break 2024 period (March 9-16, 2024)?  We offer an expanded programs schedule during this peak visitation time.

 

Join us for the following activities at the McDonald Observatory Frank N Bash Visitors Center.

Daytime activities 

Evening activities 

 

All programs are subject to capacity limits and frequently sell out. We recommend reserving passes at least three weeks ahead of your program.

Programs may be cancelled at any time due to weather or public health concerns. Evening programs take place mostly outdoors.

 

Prices

  Adults DISCOUNT: Military
Senior (65+)
Locals
Students (5+)
Children under 5

General Admission

Guided Tours

Solar Viewings

Star Party

$3

$10

$5

$25

$3*

$8*

$5

$20

$3

$5

$5

$5

*Locals (residents of Jeff Davis, Brewster, and Presidio counties) receive free General Admission and Guided Tours with valid proof of residency.

UT & Military Discount:  The Visitors Center offers a discount to our UT colleagues with a current valid UT ID. To receive this discount, simply enter any passes for current UT students, staff, or faculty under the Discount category. Active-duty military should also select the Discount category.


Group Passes

Are you visiting with a GROUP (15+ people)? Please see our Group Reservations page.

Teachers - planning for a K-12 school visit? Please see our K-12 Visits page.


Important: McDonald Observatory, part of the University of Texas at Austin, is located 450 miles west of Austin and is on Central Time.

Use the tools below to buy passes. The system defaults to one adult pass. If you don't need that pass, click the number field and select zero. Please include all members of your party in your reservation (including children of any age). For the safety of all of our guests, minors must be accompanied by an adult (18 or over) on all of our public programs. Contact us for more information or to ask about accommodations.


Directions to the Visitors Center


Please note: the Observatory and Visitors Center are located 450 miles from Austin and are on Central Time


Frank N. Bash Visitors Center
3640 Dark Sky Drive
McDonald Observatory, TX;79734

432-426-3640
877-984-7827 (recorded information, toll-free)

Driving

Traveling East on Interstate 10 from El Paso: take Highway 118 south at Kent for the 39-mile scenic drive to the observatory. Remember that the Observatory is on Central Time (El Paso is on Mountain Time - one hour earlier than the Observatory).

Traveling West on Interstate 10: take Highway 17 south at Balmorhea to Fort Davis, then Highway 118 north 16 miles following the signs to the Observatory.

From Big Bend National Park: take Highway 118 from Terlingua north through Alpine and Fort Davis to the Observatory. Approximately 112 miles.

Automotive Fuel (Gasoline/Diesel)

There are no fuels available at the Observatory.  The nearest standard fueling stations are in Fort Davis, 15 miles away.

Electric Vehicle Charging

There are no electric vehicle chargers at the Observatory, however there are some in the Fort Davis-Alpine-Marfa area.  Consult a service such as PlugShare, and please check with the listed providers before making your trip.

Flying

The closest commercial airports are El Paso International (190 miles) and Midland International (177 miles). Although you can count on roughly 2.5 to 3 hour drives from either, when driving from El Paso you'll lose an hour going from Mountain time (El Paso) to Central time (McDonald). For private aviation there are airstrips in Marfa and Alpine (both about 40 miles from the Observatory). 

Where to stay

Fort Davis is the nearest town to the Observatory and boasts a number of hotels, motels, and B&Bs. The Fort Davis Chamber of Commerce maintains an extensive list of area accommodations. Additionally, the Chamber sites of Alpine (~ 45 miles) and Marfa (~ 37 miles) also list area lodging.

Cancellation / Reschedule / Refund Policy

What if I need to cancel?

 

If you need to cancel your plans for any reason, please do so at least 3 days before your scheduled program. We will refund the cost of your reservation, minus a $3 processing fee. The processing fee is applied per reservation, not per individual ticket. If you cancel less than 3 days prior to your scheduled program, we are not able to offer a refund. Refunds are not available for previously rescheduled reservations.

You may contact the visitors center at reservations@mcdonaldobservatory.org or 432-426-3640 (Tuesday - Saturday 12-5 pm; we are not currently able to staff the phones on other days or at other times).

If you or anyone in your party are not feeling well, please DO NOT visit. Contact our reservations team and we will be happy to assist you.

 

Can I transfer my ticket to a different date and/or time?

 

If you need to reschedule, please let us know at least 3 days in advance of your scheduled program. We are able to reschedule to another date within our reservation system if there are sufficient passes available to accommodate your request. Otherwise, we will be happy to process a cancellation and refund, less a $3 processing fee. Refunds are not available for previously rescheduled reservations.

 

What if it is cloudy on my Star Party night?

 

Unfortunately, not every night is clear. Occasionally a clear evening clouds over, a cloudy evening clears off, or the evening alternates between clear and cloudy conditions. We make every effort to appropriately plan based on the best available satellite and weather radar information. We will take every reasonable opportunity to do telescope viewing with guests. Program refunds are offered (less a $3 processing fee) when conditions do not look promising. Your program host will explain the options for that evening at the start of the Star Party program.

When conditions don't allow for telescope viewing, we offer various indoor live talks and demonstrations: virtual sky tours with sky simulation software, video/animations, and images from ground-based and space-based telescopes, demonstrations of principles of spectroscopy as it applies to research conducted at McDonald Observatory, and others. Many of our visitors who have joined both clear-night and cloudy-night programs tell us that they learned as much about astronomy and more about how astronomers know so much about the Universe during a cloudy-night Star Party.

 

What if my program is canceled due to bad weather or other reasons?

 

In the event your program is cancelled by the Visitors Center, we will waive any processing fee and refund your full reservation amount.

 

No-shows of those with a reservation for a scheduled program will neither be refunded nor rescheduled.

 

Special Considerations

Please let us know how we can help you get the most out of your visit. Below is a summary of information related to common questions. If you have questions or if your concerns are not addressed by the information provided, please contact the Information Desk at (432) 426-3640.

Altitude Sensitivity
Blind or Visually Impaired
Deaf or Hearing Impaired
Emergency Response
Parking at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center
Respiratory Issues
Restrooms
Service Animals
Wheelchairs/Transport Chairs

 

Altitude Sensitivity

The Visitors Center is located at 6,235 ft. above sea level, and some portions of our public programs may take place at elevations around 6,800 ft. Some people experience varying symptoms related to altitude sensitivity. These symptoms may include fatigue, headache, nausea, and dizziness. Limit physical activity until you are fully adjusted to the altitude, and drink plenty of water. If you experience discomfort during a public program, let your presenter know, and they can assist you.

Blind or Visually Impaired

We are able to provide accommodation to visitors with limited or no sight through a variety of tactile graphics, models, and other resources. Please notify us ahead of your visit so that we can prepare resources for your planned activities. 

Low Light

Lighting levels are kept low at all evening programs to provide the best possible views of the night sky for all visitors. Your eyes will need time to adjust to the low light levels; please refrain from using white flashlights in the Telescope Park. Red lighting is provided throughout the Telescope Park and Ampitheater, and all telescope operators carry red flashlights. Staff are happy to provide assistance navigating the Telescope Park in low light conditions.

Deaf or Hearing Impaired

Assistive Listening

Assistive listening devices are available free of charge for all public programs. These devices consist of a small wearable receiver and earpiece or T-Coil loop. If you would like an assistive listening device, please notify the Information Desk attendant prior to the start of your program. Our staff will instruct you on how to operate the device. Please return assistive listening devices to the Information Desk at the conclusion of your program. 

Scripts

Written scripts are available to accompany Solar Viewing and Guided Tours.  Target information cards are available to accompany telescope views.  Please notify us in advance if you would like these resources, so we can have them ready for your use.

Sign Interpretation

We cannot guarantee availability of sign interpretation services for all programs, but we will make every effort to accommodate such requests.  To request sign interpretation, please contact us via email at least one month before the date of your program. 

Emergency Response

The Observatory will contact 911 in the event emergency response is required. Portable defibrillators are located at all facilities regularly accessed by the public. Program presenters are trained in emergency procedures and will assist you in the event of a building evacuation.

Parking at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center

Accessible parking is provided in the main parking lot at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center. Please note the distances to various areas around the Visitors Center.

Respiratory Issues

The high altitude at our location can aggravate some respiratory conditions. If you require supplementary oxygen, an asthma inhaler, or other such device, be sure to bring these items with you on any programs you attend. Portable oxygen units are permitted on all programs.

Restrooms

Wheelchair accessible restrooms are available at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center.

Service Animals

In accordance with federal regulations, trained service animals accompanying their handlers/owners are welcome inside of the Visitors Center and at all of our public programs. UT policy, in accordance with the State Attorney's General Office, does not allow pets (including emotional, comfort, or other therapy/support animals) in Observatory buildings or in indoor/at outdoor public program venues.

Wheelchairs/Transport Chairs

Two wheelchairs and several transport chairs are available for use at the Visitors Center free of charge. Notify the attendant at the Information Desk if you need access to a chair. Be aware that the walk from the Visitors Center to the Amphitheater (see distances here) is inclined rising 15 ft from the Visitors Center building to the Amphitheater building. All public entrances at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center are wheelchair accessible.

Pet Policy

As much as most of us would love to welcome our four-legged furry friends, UT policy, in accordance with the State Attorney's General Office, does not allow pets (including emotional, comfort, etc., therapy/support animals) in Observatory buildings or in indoor/at outdoor public program venues. In accordance with federal regulations, trained service animals accompanying their handlers/owners are welcome.

Reservation Confirmation Emails

Please be sure to check your spam/junk folder and/or add "reservations@webreserv.com" to your address book as an approved email contact before making your reservations to avoid missing your confirmation email. You may also send an email to our staff who can send you a PDF copy of the confirmation. 

Evening Programs

Visitors enjoying a star party at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald

Do you plan to visit McDonald Observatory during the busy Spring Break 2024 period (March 9-16, 2024)?  We offer an expanded programs schedule during this peak visitation time.

Check the calendar for programs and start times.

Star Party

Enjoy night sky constellation tours in the Helen S. Martin Star Amphitheater and views of celestial objects through a number of telescopes in the Rebecca Gale Telescope Park behind the Visitors Center. Star Parties are approximately two hours in length and are fun for the entire family.

In the event that weather is likely to prevent views of the night sky, Visitors Center reservations staff will contact (via text and email) program participants to explain available options. Please be sure to include your mobile phone number and email address when making your reservation. 

Reschedules and Refunds:  On cloudy nights, refunds (minus a $3 processing fee) may be offered. Refunds may only be claimed on the night of the program. Except for weather emergencies (flooding, snow, ice, etc), no-shows will not be rescheduled or refunded.


Special Viewing Nights

On select nights throughout the year, the Visitors Center offers special viewing programs on our large research telescopes. These programs have limited capacity and offer amazing views in an intimate and historic setting on the smmit of Mt. Locke.


Group Reservations are available for 15 or more people. Astronomy Field Trips are available for school visits.

Important: McDonald Observatory, part of the University of Texas at Austin, is located 450 miles west of Austin and is on Central Time.

The reservation system defaults to one adult pass; please remove that pass if not needed. Please include all members of your party in your reservation (including children of any age).

For the safety of all of our guests, minors must be accompanied by an adult (18 or over) on all of our public programs. Contact us for more information or to ask about accommodations.


Daytime Programs

In this aerial view, the two large domes in the foreground are the 2.1-meter Str

Do you plan to visit McDonald Observatory during the busy Spring Break 2024 period (March 9-16, 2024)?  We offer an expanded programs schedule during this peak visitation time.

The Visitors Center is open 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Check the calendar for programs and start times.

General Admission:

Explore the Visitors Center exhibit gallery and gift shop and take a self-guided tour of both summits. 


Solar Viewing:

This theater-based program includes live views of the sun (weather permitting) as well as a discussion of the formation, visible features, and the future of the Sun. On not-so-clear days, previously-captured video and stills are used. This is typically a 45-50 minute program.


Guided Tours:

Experience an up-close look at large research telescopes at McDonald Observatory. The program includes general admission to the Visitors Center and a guided tour of two of our research telescopes (approximately 90-120-minutes). 

Group Reservations are available for 15 or more people. Astronomy Field Trips are available for school visits.

* Residents of Jeff Davis, Brewster, and Presidio counties receive free General Admission and Guided Tour passes with valid proof of residency. 

Please include all members of your party in your reservation, including children of any age. For the safety of all of our guests, minors must be accompanied by an adult (18 or over) on all of our public programs. Contact us for more information or to ask about accommodations.

Group Reservations

Amphitheater with Milky Way

Group Passes

Groups of 15 or more visitors may receive special discounts for passes to McDonald Observatory Guided Tours and Star Party programs. Discounted Group passes include all of the activities in regular programs and admission. Group passes may be requested by completing the Group Reservation Request Form, our staff will contact you to complete a reservation.
 

Group Reservation Request Form

What Qualifies as a Group? To be considered a group and receive discounted group rates, you must have at least 15 people, make reservations at least two weeks in advance, and complete payment at least one week before the scheduled visit. For safety purposes, we ask that visitors adhere to a minimum of one adult for every five youth under the age of 18 in a group.
 
Educators! Want to Book A Field Trip? Please visit our School Group Visits section.
 
Please Note: Program passes will sell out in advance of holidays such as Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring Break, and Memorial Day, and July 4th. Plan holiday group visits at least 6 months in advance. Prices subject to change.

 

A 50% deposit is required for your group, which will serve as your reservation confirmation.  Full payment is required no less than one week before your program(s).  Cancellations processed more than three days before your program will be refunded less a $25 processing fee.  For cancellations less than three days before your program, we are unable to issue a refund.

Please include all members of your party in your reservation request (including passes for children of any age). Contact us for more information.

Programs may be cancelled at any time due to weather or public health concerns. Evening programs take place mostly outdoors.

 

Pricing

GUIDED TOUR PRICE PER
PERSON
GROUP PRICE PER PASS
(for groups of 15+)
Adult $10 $9
Seniors/Students/Active Military, UT Staff $8 $7
Children under 5 $5 $5
Tri-County Locals free free

 

STAR PARTY PRICE PER
PERSON
GROUP PRICE PER PASS
(for groups of 15+)
Adult $25 $22
Seniors/Students/Active Military, UT Staff $20 $18
Children under 5 $5 $5
Tri-County Locals $20 $18

 

OTHER PASSES
(Non-Discounted, ALL ages)
PRICE PER
PERSON
General Admission
     Includes Self-Guided Tour
$3 (Free for locals and Friends of the Observatory)
Solar Viewing Program
     Includes General Admission
$5

Tri-County Locals include residents of Jeff Davis, Brewster, or Presidio counties with valid proof of residency.

Health & Safety

What We’re Doing to Help Keep You Safe

  • All areas of the Visitors Center, including exhibits, restrooms, and high-touch areas, are cleaned regularly.
  • Hand sanitizing stations are available throughout the Visitors Center.
  • Air purifiers are in use throughout the building.
  • We encourage staff and visitors to follow all applicable CDC guidelines for mask wearing and social distancing.


Health and Safety Requirements for Visitors

  • Do not visit if you have symptoms of COVID-19, have been diagnosed with COVID-19 within the past 14 days, or have been in close contact (within 6 feet for 10 minutes or more) with someone infected with or experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 within the past 14 days. We will happily reschedule or refund your passes with no charges.
  • Use hand sanitizer, which will be available at stations throughout the building.
  • Follow directions from staff and signage about guidelines for use of facilities.

 

Orion Festival

The 2.1-meter (82-inch) Otto Struve Telescope at the University of Texas McDonal

Saturday, April 15, 2023

Special guests, including Friends of McDonald Observatory Orion Circle and Supernova members, are invited to a celebration of science learning, education & outreach. The afternoon program includes tours and presentations about this scientific gem of Texas. The evening schedule features dinner hosted by Observatory Director, Taft Armandroff, followed by a special viewing program on the original Otto Struve 82-inch (2.1 m) telescope.

Invitations to come. Please email friends@mcdonaldobservatory.org or call 512-472-3303 for more information.

Dark Skies Festival Community Nights

April 29-30, 2022

 

McDonald Observatory invites residents of Far West Texas to join us for special Star Party programs on April 29th and 30th, 2022, as part of the Dark Skies Festival. Tickets are discounted to $5 per person for all age groups. Reservations are required and capacity is limited!

While capacity is limited for the Star Party programs, no tickets or reservations are required to attend daytime events at the Dark Skies Festival. 

This offer is only valid for residents of Jeff Davis, Presidio, Brewster, Hudspeth, Culberson, Reeves, and Pecos counties, and all municipalities within. If the address used while booking the reservation is not within this area, proof of residency is required in the form of a driver's license upon check-in. Not a resident? Head to our Star Party page to make reservations and use the discount code "DarkSkies" for 50% off. 

Program Overview

Enjoy night sky constellation tours and views of celestial objects at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center. The program begins at 9:15pm, but arrive earlier to participate in more events during the Dark Skies Festival. The Star Party program is approximately 2 hours in length. Please dress for the weather; the program takes place completely outdoors. 

Your Star Party tickets also include special events! Arrive early to participate. 

  • Friday, April 29th: Twilight performance of the Cielo String Quartet, 8pm-9pm
  • Saturday, April 30th: Twilight interactive program on our solar system, 8pm-8:30pm, followed by Space Trivia, 8:30pm-9pm. Suitable for all ages. 

McDonald Observatory thanks the Apache Corporation for their support of the Dark Skies Festival. 

 

 

 

April 8 Total Solar Eclipse

Path of totality for the April 2024 total solar eclipse. Outside of the path of totality, a partial solar eclipse will be visible in all of contiguous U.S. Image credit: NASA.

On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will travel across North America, with the Moon surrounded by the Sun’s delicate corona. Texas will be a great spot to experience it – the state is in the "path of totality" and typically enjoys clear, cloud-free weather.

McDonald Observatory is not in the path of totality. However, we will be able to see a partial solar eclipse. 

Jump to a section of this page:

What Is a Solar Eclipse?

Solar Eclipse Safely

Where and When to View It

What to Look For

Experience the Eclipse with Us

Training Sessions: How to Host a Viewing Event

Additional Resources

Connect with an Expert

What Is a Solar Eclipse?

When the Moon orbits Earth, it sometimes moves between the Sun and Earth. When it does, the Moon casts a shadow on Earth that either fully or partially blocks the Sun’s light in some areas. This is a solar eclipse.

We are able to experience solar eclipses because of an incredible astronomical coincidence: the apparent sizes of our Sun and Moon are both the same when seen from Earth. This is because, although the Sun is roughly 400 times larger in diameter than the Moon, the Moon is also 400 times closer to us than the Sun.

There are four types of solar eclipses:

  1. Total solar eclipse: The Moon passes between the Earth and Sun, completely covering the Sun’s disk along a narrow path. You must be within that narrow path to experience a total solar eclipse.
  2. Annular solar eclipse: The Moon’s distance from Earth varies by roughly 31,000 miles (50,000 km). If an eclipse occurs when the Moon is farther away than average, the Moon isn’t quite wide enough to completely cover the Sun. That leaves a “ring of fire” around the Moon.
  3. Hybrid solar eclipse: On rare occasions, the beginning and end of a solar eclipse can be annular, with a total eclipse sandwiched in between.
  4. Partial solar eclipse: When the Moon blocks only a part of the Sun it creates a partial eclipse. All solar eclipses include partial phases, while some eclipses offer only partial coverage, with the Moon-Sun alignment not quite precise enough for a total or annular period.

Solar Eclipse Safely

If you are inside the path of totality, it is safe to look at the eclipse with your naked eye during the brief moment when the Moon entirely covers the Sun (totality). At all other times, it is unsafe to look at the eclipse without adequate eye protection. Be sure to put your eclipse viewers/glasses back on before totality ends!

If you are outside the path of totality, there is never a time when it is safe to look at the eclipse without adequate eye protection

Adequate protection includes:

  • Eclipse glasses and viewers: Make sure they meet an international standard of eye protection (ISO 12312-2), are certified, and are free of scratches or other flaws.
  • Welder’s glass: No. 13 or 14 welder’s glass provide both protection and visibility.

Visit the American Astronomical Society’s website to learn about eclipse eye safety.

Where and When to View It

This interactive map lets you look up when the solar eclipse will be visible (if at all) from any given location:

Another resource for looking up the eclipse path is the Totality app (free).

Approximate eclipse times for Texas cities (there will be minor variations in times based on the observer’s location in each city)

City Eclipse Begins Totality Begins Totality Ends Eclipse Ends Duration of Totality
Eagle Pass 12:10 p.m. 1:27 p.m. 1:31 p.m. 2:51 p.m. 4 min 24 sec
Fredericksburg 12:15 p.m. 1:32 p.m. 1:37 p.m. 2:56 p.m. 4 min 24 sec
Austin (western) 12:17 p.m. 1:36 p.m. 1:38 p.m. 2:58 p.m. 1 min 44 sec
Waco 12:20 p.m. 1:37 p.m. 13:42 p.m. 3:00 p.m. 4 min 12 sec
Dallas 12:23 p.m. 1:40 p.m. 1:44 p.m. 3:02 p.m. 3 min 51 sec

 

When choosing a viewing location, consider:

  • Weather: Check if the location historically has clear, cloud-free skies on the date of the eclipse. The night before, check the forecast and have an alternate viewing site in mind if yours will be clouded out.
  • Lodging: Hotels along the path of totality will fill up quickly. Book yours well in advance.
  • Traffic: Traffic will be heavy, so plan your route in advance and allow plenty of time to reach your viewing site.

What to Look For

Those who have seen a total eclipse say nothing else compares. If you are lucky enough to be within the path of totality, here are some of the things you may experience: 

Just Before (and After) Totality
The temperature of the air will drop and the light will dim.

  • Creatures may act as though it’s dusk. This can include birds going to roost and crickets chirping.
  • Streetlights may come on.
  • Sunlight shining through pinholes, such as tree leaves, will project crescent shapes onto the ground.
  • Rapidly moving, long, dark shadows, called “shadow bands,” will be visible on the ground and sides of buildings. This is caused by the Earth’s atmosphere distorting the sunlight in the same way it causes starlight to twinkle.
  • The last specks of light, called Baily’s Beads, will be visible around the edge of the Sun. They correspond to where valleys are present on the Moon’s surface. This phenomenon is short-lived and may not last long enough to notice.

During Totality
The Moon must cover the Sun completely for you to experience the effects of totality. If the Moon covers 99.9% of the Sun, that is still only a partial eclipse. 
When the Moon blocks 100% of the Sun:

  • The Sun’s corona (its outer atmosphere) will be visible. It will look like delicate, feathery tendrils radiating outwards.
  • You may see bright pink spots at the Sun’s edges. These are gigantic loops of plasma rising from the Sun’s surface, called “prominences.” Their color is thanks to glowing hydrogen gas.
  • Bright stars and planets may be visible in the sky.
  • The light will be dim and you may be surrounded by a 360-degree sunset.

Experience the Eclipse with Us

McDonald Observatory and UT Austin representatives will be onsite for eclipse events in:

  • Austin, The University of Texas at Austin (1 min 48 sec of totality): UT is planning a viewing experience for the University community. Stations located across campus will distribute viewing glasses and share eclipse information. More details coming soon to eclipse.utexas.edu.
  • Austin, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (2 min of totality): The Wildflower Center will have educational demonstrations that explore plants’ interactions with the Sun and eclipses.
  • AustinLong Center for the Performing Arts (1 min 44 sec of totality): The Long Center and Simons Foundation, as part of its In the Path of Totality initiative, are hosting a free eclipse viewing party on the Long Center lawn and H-E-B Terrace. Participants can check out a replica of the McDonald Observatory's Hobby-Eberly Telescope. RSVP required. 
  • Fort Davis, McDonald Observatory (no totality): Although we will only see a partial eclipse, we are preparing for visitors who want to experience it at McDonald Observatory. We will have telescopes set up for solar viewing, educational activities, and demos.

Be sure to check in advance with these and any other event locations for information on entry requirements, parking/transportation, and more. Eclipse viewings are likely to draw a crowd!

Training Sessions: How to Host a Viewing Event

McDonald Observatory is providing online training (via Zoom) for K-12 educators, community volunteers, and others who are planning to host their own viewing events. Workshops cover the science of eclipses, how to experience them safely, and tips for hosting an event.

After the workshop, McDonald Observatory will send educational materials to attendees. Some event locations will be selected to receive physical materials including eclipse viewers and StarDate Eclipse Guides.

Upcoming sessions:

 

Additional Resources

 

StarDate Radio (produced by McDonald Observatory) will also create a special feature audio program about the eclipse that will be distributed to event partners throughout the state along with Public Service Announcements to help promote and educate a large audience about this special event.

Training sessions and resources are available thanks to generous support from the Abell-Hanger Foundation and Friends of McDonald Observatory

Connect with an Expert

 

Mysteries of the Universe Workshop

Dear Educator,

The McDonald Observatory Visitors Center is proud to host your upcoming Professional Development Workshop. I hope our web site provides the information you need to prepare for your workshop. If you have any concerns or questions after reviewing the workshop information, please don't hesitate to call or email me directly.
See links on the sidebar to the right for pages detailing:

• Workshop "general information" document
• Mt. Locke summit, TX state highway maps
• Suggested packing list
• Workshop agenda
• Participant list including email addresses (consider a carpool)
• Listing of phone numbers to leave at home, should anyone need to contact you.
• Permission form for workshop photographs. (Please complete and bring it with you.)
• Emergency treatment information form. (Please complete and bring it with you.)

This year, our workshop will begin on Monday, June 12 at 8:00 PM with an informal get-acquainted time, a short activity, and once it gets dark, our staff will hold a private star party for the group.  If for any reason you cannot arrive on time, please call the Visitors Center classroom at 432-426-4152 and let us know. You will be staying either at the Astronomers Lodge (AL) located at the summit of Mount Locke at McDonald Observatory, or at a local lodging facility. Once lodging has been assigned to participants, you will be notified of your assignment and given check-in details.
We will have a pre-workshop orientation Zoom meeting on May 13 at 4:00 pm Central Daylight Time.  Details will be emailed to participants, and the meeting will be recorded for those who cannot attend.

We are excited to offer this one-of-a-kind opportunity to explore, discover, make new friends, and experience the fascinating field of astronomy. We'll see you soon!

Clear Skies!

Judy Meyer, Ph.D.
K12 Education Program Coordinator
432-426-4153
meyerj@utexas.edu

Eclipses and Planetary Systems Workshop

Dear Educator,

The McDonald Observatory Visitors Center is proud to host your upcoming Professional Development Workshop. I hope our web site provides the information you need to prepare for your workshop. If you have any concerns or questions after reviewing the workshop information, please don't hesitate to call or email me directly.
See links on the sidebar to the right for pages detailing:

• Workshop "general information" document
• Mt. Locke summit, TX state highway maps
• Suggested packing list
• Workshop agenda
• Participant list including email addresses (consider a carpool)
• Listing of phone numbers to leave at home, should anyone need to contact you.
• Permission form for workshop photographs. (Please complete and bring it with you.)
• Emergency treatment information form. (Please complete and bring it with you.)

This year, our workshop will begin On Saturday, July 29, 2023, at 8:00 PM with an informal get-acquainted time, a short activity, and then you may join the public star party that begins at 9:45 PM.  If for any reason you cannot arrive on time, please call the Visitors Center classroom at 432-426-4152 and let us know. If you arrive late, the information desk attendant will direct you to the classroom. You will be staying either at the Astronomers Lodge (AL) located at the summit of Mount Locke at McDonald Observatory, or at a local lodging facility. Once lodging has been assigned to participants, you will be notified of your assignment and given check-in details.
We will have a pre-workshop orientation Zoom meeting on June 30 at 5:00 PM Central Daylight Time.  Details will be emailed to participants, and the meeting will be recorded for those who cannot attend.

We are excited to offer this one-of-a-kind opportunity to explore, discover, make new friends, and experience the fascinating field of astronomy. We'll see you soon!

Clear Skies!

Judy Meyer, Ph.D.
K12 Education Program Coordinator
432-426-4153
meyerj@utexas.edu

Galaxy Formation: The Faint Frontier Workshop

Dear Educator,

The McDonald Observatory Visitors Center is proud to host your upcoming Professional Development Workshop. I hope our web site provides the information you need to prepare for your workshop. If you have any concerns or questions after reviewing the workshop information, please don't hesitate to call or email me directly.
See links on the sidebar to the right for pages detailing:

• Workshop "general information" document
• Mt. Locke summit, TX state highway maps
• Suggested packing list
• Workshop agenda
• Participant list including email addresses (consider a carpool)
• Listing of phone numbers to leave at home, should anyone need to contact you.
• Permission form for workshop photographs. (Please complete and bring it with you.)
• Emergency treatment information form. (Please complete and bring it with you.)

This year, our workshop will begin on Saturday, June 17 at 8:00 PM with an informal get-acquainted time, a short activity, and then you may join the public star party that begins at 9:45 PM.  If for any reason you cannot arrive on time, please call the Visitors Center classroom at 432-426-4152 and let us know. If you arrive late, the information desk attendant will direct you to the classroom. You will be staying either at the Astronomers Lodge (AL) located at the summit of Mount Locke at McDonald Observatory, or at a local lodging facility. Once lodging has been assigned to participants, you will be notified of your assignment and given check-in details.
We will have a pre-workshop orientation Zoom meeting on May 13 at 5:00 PM Central Daylight Time.  Details will be emailed to participants, and the meeting will be recorded for those who cannot attend.

We are excited to offer this one-of-a-kind opportunity to explore, discover, make new friends, and experience the fascinating field of astronomy. We'll see you soon!

Clear Skies!

Judy Meyer, Ph.D.
K12 Education Program Coordinator
432-426-4153
meyerj@utexas.edu

Mysteries of the Universe - More Information

Summit of Mt. Locke

Pre-Workshop Orientation

You are invited to join other workshop participants in a pre-workshop orientation meeting that will be held via Zoom on Saturday, May 13 at 4:00 PM Central Daylight Time.  You will receive an email containing the Zoom link for the meeting. This will be a chance to have your questions answered and meet other workshop participants.  The orientation meeting will be recorded for those who are unable to attend.

Location

The University of Texas McDonald Observatory is located 6,800 feet elevation atop Mt. Locke and Mt. Fowlkes in the heart of the Davis Mountains of West Texas.

Although every person reacts differently to high altitude environments, you might experience shortness of breath because of our modestly high altitude; therefore, please take your time and avoid strenuous physical exertion. Due to the high altitude and dry climate, we suggest that you drink plenty of water while at the observatory.

Transportation

Workshop participants are responsible for making her/his own travel arrangements to and from McDonald Observatory.

Driving

If you are traveling east on Interstate10 from El Paso, take Highway 118 south at Kent for the 39-mile scenic drive to the observatory. Remember that the Observatory is on Central Time (El Paso is on Mountain Time - one hour behind the Observatory). If you are traveling west on Interstate 10, take Highway 17 south at Balmorhea to Fort Davis, then Highway 118 north 14 miles to Mt. Locke. If you're coming from the Big Bend National Park, take Highway 118 north through Alpine and Fort Davis to the Observatory. If you are traveling west on Interstate 20 take Highway 17 south at Pecos to Balmorhea (following I-10 for 1 mile) and Fort Davis, then Highway 118 north 16 miles to Mt. Locke.

Flying

The closest commercial airports are in Midland and El Paso. From either Midland or El Paso, you need to rent a car. The drive to the Observatory is approximately 3.5-hours either from Midland or El Paso if you take it casually. Remember that the Observatory is on Central Time (El Paso is on Mountain Time - one hour behind the Observatory).

Lodging

You will be staying either in the McDonald Observatory Astronomers Lodge (AL) or in a local lodging facility. Reservations have been made for you for single-occupancy rooms.  The room reservation is for you only.  You will be informed by email of your room assignment and check-in instructions approximately two weeks before your workshop.

If you choose to arrive in the area before the first day of your workshop, or if you are bringing additional people with you, please plan on arranging and paying for your own accommodations.  Your workshop fee covers the three nights of your workshop; you will be responsible for paying for any additional nights.  If you would like to select your own accommodation from those in the region, information on local accommodations, restaurants, and activities can be found on the Fort Davis Chamber of Commerce website.

Check-out

The workshop officially ends with a noon lunch on the final day. Plan to check out of your room that morning before our workshop resumes at 10:00 AM.

Workshop Day/Night

Our workshop begins at 8:00 P.M. in the Visitors Center classroom. The Visitors Center is closed on Mondays, but we will have a staff member outside to meet you.  We will begin with a social time, a short activity, and then you will be treated to a private star party once it becomes dark.

Please review your workshop agenda. We want to immerse you in this unique science environment, so it is important to arrive each morning with a “day pack” since you will spend most of your time in the Visitors Center classroom. Remember to include your jacket, flashlight (don't forget the extra batteries), medications, camera, power cords, and anything you may need throughout the day. Please refer to the Suggested Packing List for recommended items to bring each day.

If you arrive early on the first day, explore the Visitors Center, which opens each day at noon. Workshop participants receive free admission during the workshop period. The Astronomy Gift Shop and the Exhibit Hall are available to you while you wait.

The Visitors Center has a small staff refrigerator and basic first aid cabinet in an office next to the classroom. Since others share the refrigerator, it is important to limit its use by storing only what is necessary, such as important medications. You may purchase soft drinks, water, and snacks at the gift shop in the Visitors Center, and water is always available to participants, so bring a water bottle.

Meals

Meals will be provided by the Astronomers Lodge.  While we make every attempt to accommodate special dietary needs, the Astronomers Lodge cannot guarantee that all food has been produced in a facility that does not process peanuts.  Please let us know before your workshop if you have dietary restrictions, so that AL staff will be able to plan for your needs.

Emergency Phone Contact While You're Out of Town

There is no cell phone reception at the Visitors Center and limited cell phone access in the area, but during your workshop you will have wi-fi access. Many of our teachers keep in touch with family via text message.

You can be reached at one of the following three phone numbers:

The main phone number in the classroom, where you will be most of the time, is 432-426-4152 and there is voice mail at this phone.

The number for the Visitors Center information desk, available from noon-5:00 P.M., is 432-426-3640 ext. 0.

The main phone number during business hours on weekdays for McDonald Observatory is 432-426-3263.

Long distance phone calls can be made from an observatory telephone only with a calling card. Please print the Contact Numbers document and leave a copy at home, should anyone need to contact you.

Weather

At nearly 7,000 feet above sea level, the weather at McDonald Observatory is difficult to predict and highly variable. Summer mornings and evenings are chilly, so we recommend bringing a jacket or windbreaker, and perhaps a sweatshirt. Sunscreen is a must at this altitude. To check out the current weather conditions at the Observatory, go to this web page, also linked on our workshop web page.

Due to the high altitude and dry climate we suggest that you drink plenty of water while at the observatory. Many people like to use body lotion and lip balm for this climate. Closed-toe shoes are safer for the evening observing experiences and tours.

Medical Emergencies

Please complete the emergency information form and bring it with you. There is no need to send it before you leave. McDonald Observatory has several staff trained in First Aid to assist with medical emergencies, and there are AED devices in every building.  Our workshop will begin with a short safety orientation.

Photo-release permission form

Please complete the photo-release permission form and bring it with you. We might photograph a portion of the workshop to inform others of our experience together and we may wish to include the images in brochures or web sites.

Incidental Expenses

Meals will be provided during the workshop, but bring enough money to cover any incidentals or souvenirs you might wish to purchase. There is a fantastic gift shop at the Visitors Center with a great deal to choose from. If you find material or items you would like to use in the classroom, you can avoid paying tax if you can provide your school ID and Texas tax-exempt number. The gift shop will accept VISA, MC, & DISCOVER cards, but cannot accept a school PO.

 

Searching for ET - More Information

Summit of Mt. Locke

Pre-Workshop Orientation

You are invited to join other workshop participants in a pre-workshop orientation meeting that will be held via Zoom on Saturday, May 27 at 5:00 PM Central Daylight Time.  You will receive an email containing the Zoom link for the meeting. This will be a chance to have your questions answered and meet other workshop participants.  The orientation meeting will be recorded for those who are unable to attend.

Location

The University of Texas McDonald Observatory is located 6,800 feet elevation atop Mt. Locke and Mt. Fowlkes in the heart of the Davis Mountains of West Texas.

Although every person reacts differently to high altitude environments, you might experience shortness of breath because of our modestly high altitude; therefore, please take your time and avoid strenuous physical exertion. Due to the high altitude and dry climate, we suggest that you drink plenty of water while at the observatory.

Transportation

Workshop participants are responsible for making her/his own travel arrangements to and from McDonald Observatory.

Driving

If you are traveling east on Interstate10 from El Paso, take Highway 118 south at Kent for the 39-mile scenic drive to the observatory. Remember that the Observatory is on Central Time (El Paso is on Mountain Time - one hour behind the Observatory). If you are traveling west on Interstate 10, take Highway 17 south at Balmorhea to Fort Davis, then Highway 118 north 14 miles to Mt. Locke. If you're coming from the Big Bend National Park, take Highway 118 north through Alpine and Fort Davis to the Observatory. If you are traveling west on Interstate 20 take Highway 17 south at Pecos to Balmorhea (following I-10 for 1 mile) and Fort Davis, then Highway 118 north 16 miles to Mt. Locke.

Flying

The closest commercial airports are in Midland and El Paso. From either Midland or El Paso, you need to rent a car. The drive to the Observatory is approximately 3.5-hours either from Midland or El Paso if you take it casually. Remember that the Observatory is on Central Time (El Paso is on Mountain Time - one hour behind the Observatory).

Lodging

You will be staying either in the McDonald Observatory Astronomers Lodge (AL) or in a local lodging facility. Reservations have been made for you for single-occupancy rooms.  The room reservation is for you only.  You will be informed by email of your room assignment and check-in instructions approximately two weeks before your workshop.

If you choose to arrive in the area before the first day of your workshop, or if you are bringing additional people with you, please plan on arranging and paying for your own accommodations.  Your workshop fee covers the three nights of your workshop; you will be responsible for paying for any additional nights.  If you would like to select your own accommodation from those in the region, information on local accommodations, restaurants, and activities can be found on the Fort Davis Chamber of Commerce website.

Check-out

The workshop officially ends with a noon lunch on the final day. Plan to check out of your room that morning before our workshop resumes at 10:00 AM.

Workshop Day/Night

Our workshop begins at 8:00 P.M. in the Visitors Center classroom. The Visitors Center is closed at that time, but we will have a staff member outside to meet you.  We will begin with a social time, a short activity, and then you will be welcome to join the public Star Party that begins at 9:45 PM.

Please review your workshop agenda. We want to immerse you in this unique science environment, so it is important to arrive each morning with a “day pack” since you will spend most of your time in the Visitors Center classroom. Remember to include your jacket, flashlight (don't forget the extra batteries), medications, camera, power cords, and anything you may need throughout the day. Please refer to the Suggested Packing List for recommended items to bring each day.

If you arrive early on the first day, explore the Visitors Center, which opens each day at noon. Workshop participants receive free admission during the workshop period. The Astronomy Gift Shop and the Exhibit Hall are available to you while you wait.

The Visitors Center has a small staff refrigerator and basic first aid cabinet in an office next to the classroom. Since others share the refrigerator, it is important to limit its use by storing only what is necessary, such as important medications. You may purchase soft drinks, water, and snacks at the gift shop in the Visitors Center, and water is always available to participants, so bring a water bottle.

Meals

Meals will be provided by the Astronomers Lodge.  While we make every attempt to accommodate special dietary needs, the Astronomers Lodge cannot guarantee that all food has been produced in a facility that does not process peanuts.  Please let us know before your workshop if you have dietary restrictions, so that AL staff will be able to plan for your needs.

Emergency Phone Contact While You're Out of Town

There is no cell phone reception at the Visitors Center and limited cell phone access in the area, but during your workshop you will have wi-fi access. Many of our teachers keep in touch with family via text message.

You can be reached at one of the following three phone numbers:

The main phone number in the classroom, where you will be most of the time, is 432-426-4152 and there is voice mail at this phone.

The number for the Visitors Center information desk, available from noon-5:00 P.M., is 432-426-3640 ext. 0.

The main phone number during business hours on weekdays for McDonald Observatory is 432-426-3263.

Long distance phone calls can be made from an observatory telephone only with a calling card. Please print the Contact Numbers document and leave a copy at home, should anyone need to contact you.

Weather

At nearly 7,000 feet above sea level, the weather at McDonald Observatory is difficult to predict and highly variable. Summer mornings and evenings are chilly, so we recommend bringing a jacket or windbreaker, and perhaps a sweatshirt. Sunscreen is a must at this altitude. To check out the current weather conditions at the Observatory, go to this web page, also linked on our workshop web page.

Due to the high altitude and dry climate we suggest that you drink plenty of water while at the observatory. Many people like to use body lotion and lip balm for this climate. Closed-toe shoes are safer for the evening observing experiences and tours.

Medical Emergencies

Please complete the emergency information form and bring it with you. There is no need to send it before you leave. McDonald Observatory has several staff trained in First Aid to assist with medical emergencies, and there are AED devices in every building.  Our workshop will begin with a short safety orientation.

Photo-release permission form

Please complete the photo-release permission form and bring it with you. We might photograph a portion of the workshop to inform others of our experience together and we may wish to include the images in brochures or web sites.

Incidental Expenses

Meals will be provided during the workshop, but bring enough money to cover any incidentals or souvenirs you might wish to purchase. There is a fantastic gift shop at the Visitors Center with a great deal to choose from. If you find material or items you would like to use in the classroom, you can avoid paying tax if you can provide your school ID and Texas tax-exempt number. The gift shop will accept VISA, MC, & DISCOVER cards, but cannot accept a school PO.

Galaxy Formation - The Faint Frontier - More Information

Summit of Mt. Locke

Pre-Workshop Orientation

You are invited to join other workshop participants in a pre-workshop orientation meeting that will be held via Zoom on Saturday, May 13 at 5:00 PM Central Daylight Time.  You will receive an email containing the Zoom link for the meeting. This will be a chance to have your questions answered and meet other workshop participants.  The orientation meeting will be recorded for those who are unable to attend.

Location

The University of Texas McDonald Observatory is located 6,800 feet elevation atop Mt. Locke and Mt. Fowlkes in the heart of the Davis Mountains of West Texas.

Although every person reacts differently to high altitude environments, you might experience shortness of breath because of our modestly high altitude; therefore, please take your time and avoid strenuous physical exertion. Due to the high altitude and dry climate, we suggest that you drink plenty of water while at the observatory.

Transportation

Workshop participants are responsible for making her/his own travel arrangements to and from McDonald Observatory.

Driving

If you are traveling east on Interstate10 from El Paso, take Highway 118 south at Kent for the 39-mile scenic drive to the observatory. Remember that the Observatory is on Central Time (El Paso is on Mountain Time - one hour behind the Observatory). If you are traveling west on Interstate 10, take Highway 17 south at Balmorhea to Fort Davis, then Highway 118 north 14 miles to Mt. Locke. If you're coming from the Big Bend National Park, take Highway 118 north through Alpine and Fort Davis to the Observatory. If you are traveling west on Interstate 20 take Highway 17 south at Pecos to Balmorhea (following I-10 for 1 mile) and Fort Davis, then Highway 118 north 16 miles to Mt. Locke.

Flying

The closest commercial airports are in Midland and El Paso. From either Midland or El Paso, you need to rent a car. The drive to the Observatory is approximately 3.5-hours either from Midland or El Paso if you take it casually. Remember that the Observatory is on Central Time (El Paso is on Mountain Time - one hour behind the Observatory).

Lodging

You will be staying either in the McDonald Observatory Astronomers Lodge (AL) or in a local lodging facility. Reservations have been made for you for single-occupancy rooms.  The room reservation is for you only.  You will be informed by email of your room assignment and check-in instructions approximately two weeks before your workshop.

If you choose to arrive in the area before the first day of your workshop, or if you are bringing additional people with you, please plan on arranging and paying for your own accommodations.  Your workshop fee covers the three nights of your workshop; you will be responsible for paying for any additional nights.  If you would like to select your own accommodation from those in the region, information on local accommodations, restaurants, and activities can be found on the Fort Davis Chamber of Commerce website.

Check-out

The workshop officially ends with a noon lunch on the final day. Plan to check out of your room that morning before our workshop resumes at 10:00 AM.

Workshop Day/Night

Our workshop begins at 8:00 P.M. in the Visitors Center classroom. The Visitors Center is closed at that time, but we will have a staff member outside to meet you.  We will begin with a social time, a short activity, and then you will be welcome to join the public Star Party that begins at 9:45 PM.

Please review your workshop agenda. We want to immerse you in this unique science environment, so it is important to arrive each morning with a “day pack” since you will spend most of your time in the Visitors Center classroom. Remember to include your jacket, flashlight (don't forget the extra batteries), medications, camera, power cords, and anything you may need throughout the day. Please refer to the Suggested Packing List for recommended items to bring each day.

If you arrive early on the first day, explore the Visitors Center, which opens each day at noon. Workshop participants receive free admission during the workshop period. The Astronomy Gift Shop and the Exhibit Hall are available to you while you wait.

The Visitors Center has a small staff refrigerator and basic first aid cabinet in an office next to the classroom. Since others share the refrigerator, it is important to limit its use by storing only what is necessary, such as important medications. You may purchase soft drinks, water, and snacks at the gift shop in the Visitors Center, and water is always available to participants, so bring a water bottle.

Meals

Meals will be provided by the Astronomers Lodge.  While we make every attempt to accommodate special dietary needs, the Astronomers Lodge cannot guarantee that all food has been produced in a facility that does not process peanuts.  Please let us know before your workshop if you have dietary restrictions, so that AL staff will be able to plan for your needs.

Emergency Phone Contact While You're Out of Town

There is no cell phone reception at the Visitors Center and limited cell phone access in the area, but during your workshop you will have wi-fi access. Many of our teachers keep in touch with family via text message.

You can be reached at one of the following three phone numbers:

The main phone number in the classroom, where you will be most of the time, is 432-426-4152 and there is voice mail at this phone.

The number for the Visitors Center information desk, available from noon-5:00 P.M., is 432-426-3640 ext. 0.

The main phone number during business hours on weekdays for McDonald Observatory is 432-426-3263.

Long distance phone calls can be made from an observatory telephone only with a calling card. Please print the Contact Numbers document and leave a copy at home, should anyone need to contact you.

Weather

At nearly 7,000 feet above sea level, the weather at McDonald Observatory is difficult to predict and highly variable. Summer mornings and evenings are chilly, so we recommend bringing a jacket or windbreaker, and perhaps a sweatshirt. Sunscreen is a must at this altitude. To check out the current weather conditions at the Observatory, go to this web page, also linked on our workshop web page.

Due to the high altitude and dry climate we suggest that you drink plenty of water while at the observatory. Many people like to use body lotion and lip balm for this climate. Closed-toe shoes are safer for the evening observing experiences and tours.

Medical Emergencies

Please complete the emergency information form and bring it with you. There is no need to send it before you leave. McDonald Observatory has several staff trained in First Aid to assist with medical emergencies, and there are AED devices in every building.  Our workshop will begin with a short safety orientation.

Photo-release permission form

Please complete the photo-release permission form and bring it with you. We might photograph a portion of the workshop to inform others of our experience together and we may wish to include the images in brochures or web sites.

Incidental Expenses

Meals will be provided during the workshop, but bring enough money to cover any incidentals or souvenirs you might wish to purchase. There is a fantastic gift shop at the Visitors Center with a great deal to choose from. If you find material or items you would like to use in the classroom, you can avoid paying tax if you can provide your school ID and Texas tax-exempt number. The gift shop will accept VISA, MC, & DISCOVER cards, but cannot accept a school PO.

Spring Break 2024 Information

The Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory at dusk.

 

During Spring Break, we offer an altered schedule of modified programming in order to serve as many visitors as possible.  

The following is valid March 9-16, 2024

 

Daytime Activities

The Visitors Center will operate from 12pm to 5pm Tuesday through Saturday. Daytime programs and activities take place during this timeframe.

General Admission
General Admission provides access to the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center and the summits of Mt. Locke and Mt. Fowlkes during regular daytime Visitors Center hours (12pm-5pm). In the Visitors Center, you can enjoy exhibits about our history, the science of astronomy, and the importance preserving dark skies. On Mt. Locke, you’ll be greeted by some of the most stunning views in Texas, and a small visitors gallery at the 107-inch Harlan J. Smith Telescope provides information about the telescope and the science done there. On Mt. Fowlkes, you’ll be able to see one of the world’s largest telescopes, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, from the George T. Abell Gallery.  General Admission is $3 per person.  We strongly encourage you to purchase General Admission passes online to guarantee your access on the day of your visit.  Please note that the Solar Viewing, Guided Tour and Star Party include General Admission.

Solar Viewing
Explore live views of the Sun (weather permitting) with our experienced guides. Safe, filtered views are projected onto the big screen in our Theater. You will potentially see sunspots, solar prominences and maybe even a solar flare!  This program lasts approximately 30 minutes, and tickets are $5 for all ages.  General Admission is included.

• March 9, 2024 at: 12:45 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:15 p.m., 3:00 p.m.
• March 12-16, 2024 at: 12:45 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:15 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 3:45 p.m., 4:30 p.m.

 

Guided Tour
Guided Tours visit the dome floor of the 107-inch Harlan J. Smith Telescope.  Your guide will help you explore the telescope’s history, operation, and science.  The tour lasts about 75 minutes, and tickets are $5-$10 depending upon age group.  General Admission is included.

• March 9-16, 2024 at: 12:30 p.m., 1:15 p.m., 2:00 p.m, 2:45 p.m.

 

Evening Activity -- Star Party

Our Star Parties are the best way to enjoy the dark West Texas sky, and they are our most popular programs.

Star Parties include a Constellation Tour, which provides an entertaining and educational tour of the night sky as seen with the unaided eye.  We’ll also offer telescope views of several targets, such as the Moon, planets, star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies, weather permitting.  The Star Party lasts about two hours, and tickets are $5-$25 depending upon age group.

• March 9, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. (Central Standard Time)
• March 12-16, 2024 at 8:45 p.m. (Central Daylight Time)


Important Notes

  • Monitor the weather at the Observatory and dress for outdoor activities, cold and/or windy conditions are not unusual.  
  • Programs may be altered or canceled at any time due to weather or public health concerns.
  • McDonald Observatory is located 450 miles west of Austin and is on Central Time.
  • The Observatory site, including the Visitors Center, is closed to the public on Sundays and Mondays.
  • Food service is not available.
  • There is no cell service or public WiFi at the Visitors Center.

 

 

Eclipses and Planetary Systems - More Information

Summit of Mt. Locke

Pre-Workshop Orientation

You are invited to join other workshop participants in a pre-workshop orientation meeting that will be held via Zoom on Friday, June 30 at 5:00 PM Central Daylight Time.  You will receive an email containing the Zoom link for the meeting. This will be a chance to have your questions answered and meet other workshop participants.  The orientation meeting will be recorded for those who are unable to attend.

Location

The University of Texas McDonald Observatory is located 6,800 feet elevation atop Mt. Locke and Mt. Fowlkes in the heart of the Davis Mountains of West Texas.

Although every person reacts differently to high altitude environments, you might experience shortness of breath because of our modestly high altitude; therefore, please take your time and avoid strenuous physical exertion. Due to the high altitude and dry climate, we suggest that you drink plenty of water while at the observatory.

Transportation

Workshop participants are responsible for making her/his own travel arrangements to and from McDonald Observatory.

Driving

If you are traveling east on Interstate10 from El Paso, take Highway 118 south at Kent for the 39-mile scenic drive to the observatory. Remember that the Observatory is on Central Time (El Paso is on Mountain Time - one hour behind the Observatory). If you are traveling west on Interstate 10, take Highway 17 south at Balmorhea to Fort Davis, then Highway 118 north 14 miles to Mt. Locke. If you're coming from the Big Bend National Park, take Highway 118 north through Alpine and Fort Davis to the Observatory. If you are traveling west on Interstate 20 take Highway 17 south at Pecos to Balmorhea (following I-10 for 1 mile) and Fort Davis, then Highway 118 north 16 miles to Mt. Locke.

Flying

The closest commercial airports are in Midland and El Paso. From either Midland or El Paso, you need to rent a car. The drive to the Observatory is approximately 3.5-hours either from Midland or El Paso if you take it casually. Remember that the Observatory is on Central Time (El Paso is on Mountain Time - one hour behind the Observatory).

Lodging

You will be staying either in the McDonald Observatory Astronomers Lodge (AL) or in a local lodging facility. Reservations have been made for you for single-occupancy rooms.  The room reservation is for you only.  You will be informed by email of your room assignment and check-in instructions approximately two weeks before your workshop.

If you choose to arrive in the area before the first day of your workshop, or if you are bringing additional people with you, please plan on arranging and paying for your own accommodations.  Your workshop fee covers the three nights of your workshop; you will be responsible for paying for any additional nights.  If you would like to select your own accommodation from those in the region, information on local accommodations, restaurants, and activities can be found on the Fort Davis Chamber of Commerce website.

Check-out

The workshop officially ends with a noon lunch on the final day. Plan to check out of your room that morning before our workshop resumes at 10:00 AM.

Workshop Day/Night

Our workshop begins at 8:00 P.M. in the Visitors Center classroom. The Visitors Center is closed at that time, but we will have a staff member outside to meet you.  We will begin with a social time, a short activity, and then you will be welcome to join the public Star Party that begins at 9:45 PM.

Please review your workshop agenda. We want to immerse you in this unique science environment, so it is important to arrive each morning with a “day pack” since you will spend most of your time in the Visitors Center classroom. Remember to include your jacket, flashlight (don't forget the extra batteries), medications, camera, power cords, and anything you may need throughout the day. Please refer to the Suggested Packing List for recommended items to bring each day.

If you arrive early on the first day, explore the Visitors Center, which opens each day at noon. Workshop participants receive free admission during the workshop period. The Astronomy Gift Shop and the Exhibit Hall are available to you while you wait.

The Visitors Center has a small staff refrigerator and basic first aid cabinet in an office next to the classroom. Since others share the refrigerator, it is important to limit its use by storing only what is necessary, such as important medications. You may purchase soft drinks, water, and snacks at the gift shop in the Visitors Center, and water is always available to participants, so bring a water bottle.

Meals

Meals will be provided by the Astronomers Lodge.  While we make every attempt to accommodate special dietary needs, the Astronomers Lodge cannot guarantee that all food has been produced in a facility that does not process peanuts.  Please let us know before your workshop if you have dietary restrictions, so that AL staff will be able to plan for your needs.

Emergency Phone Contact While You're Out of Town

There is no cell phone reception at the Visitors Center and limited cell phone access in the area, but during your workshop you will have wi-fi access. Many of our teachers keep in touch with family via text message.

You can be reached at one of the following three phone numbers:

The main phone number in the classroom, where you will be most of the time, is 432-426-4152 and there is voice mail at this phone.

The number for the Visitors Center information desk, available from noon-5:00 P.M., is 432-426-3640 ext. 0.

The main phone number during business hours on weekdays for McDonald Observatory is 432-426-3263.

Long distance phone calls can be made from an observatory telephone only with a calling card. Please print the Contact Numbers document and leave a copy at home, should anyone need to contact you.

Weather

At nearly 7,000 feet above sea level, the weather at McDonald Observatory is difficult to predict and highly variable. Summer mornings and evenings are chilly, so we recommend bringing a jacket or windbreaker, and perhaps a sweatshirt. Sunscreen is a must at this altitude. To check out the current weather conditions at the Observatory, go to this web page, also linked on our workshop web page.

Due to the high altitude and dry climate we suggest that you drink plenty of water while at the observatory. Many people like to use body lotion and lip balm for this climate. Closed-toe shoes are safer for the evening observing experiences and tours.

Medical Emergencies

Please complete the emergency information form and bring it with you. There is no need to send it before you leave. McDonald Observatory has several staff trained in First Aid to assist with medical emergencies, and there are AED devices in every building.  Our workshop will begin with a short safety orientation.

Photo-release permission form

Please complete the photo-release permission form and bring it with you. We might photograph a portion of the workshop to inform others of our experience together and we may wish to include the images in brochures or web sites.

Incidental Expenses

Meals will be provided during the workshop, but bring enough money to cover any incidentals or souvenirs you might wish to purchase. There is a fantastic gift shop at the Visitors Center with a great deal to choose from. If you find material or items you would like to use in the classroom, you can avoid paying tax if you can provide your school ID and Texas tax-exempt number. The gift shop will accept VISA, MC, & DISCOVER cards, but cannot accept a school PO.

Searching for ET: Planetary Habitability and Exoplanets Workshop

Dear Educator,

The McDonald Observatory Visitors Center is proud to host your upcoming Professional Development Workshop. I hope our web site provides the information you need to prepare for your workshop. If you have any concerns or questions after reviewing the workshop information, please don't hesitate to call or email me directly.
See links on the sidebar to the right for pages detailing:

• Workshop "general information" document
• Mt. Locke summit, TX state highway maps
• Suggested packing list
• Workshop agenda
• Participant list including email addresses (consider a carpool)
• Listing of phone numbers to leave at home, should anyone need to contact you.
• Permission form for workshop photographs. (Please complete and bring it with you.)
• Emergency treatment information form. (Please complete and bring it with you.)

This year, our workshop will begin on Saturday, June 24 at 8:00 PM with an informal get-acquainted time, a short activity, and then you may join the public star party that begins at 9:45 PM.  If for any reason you cannot arrive on time, please call the Visitors Center classroom at 432-426-4152 and let us know. If you arrive late, the information desk attendant will direct you to the classroom. You will be staying either at the Astronomers Lodge (AL) located at the summit of Mount Locke at McDonald Observatory, or at a local lodging facility. Once lodging has been assigned to participants, you will be notified of your assignment and given check-in details.

We will have a pre-workshop orientation Zoom meeting on May 27 at 5:00 pm Central Daylight Time.  Details will be emailed to participants, and the meeting will be recorded for those who cannot attend.

We are excited to offer this one-of-a-kind opportunity to explore, discover, make new friends, and experience the fascinating field of astronomy. We'll see you soon!

Clear Skies!

Judy Meyer, Ph.D.
K12 Education Program Coordinator
432-426-4153
meyerj@utexas.edu

2022 Outreach Impact Report


2022 Impact Report by McDonald Observatory

Educators Night

Saturday, August 19, 2023

FREE star party passes for all West Texas educators.

Calling all classroom teachers from Texas Education Regions 18 & 19 - Bring your family out to enjoy the star party program and learn more about McDonald Observatory K-12 education programs.

Register with the discount code TeachStars and bring your school ID for free admission for you and your family. 

 

Digital Community Guidelines

Commenting Guidelines

These guidelines apply to comments on our blog posts, our social media pages including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and our YouTube channel.

  • Keep the comments relevant to the topic, so that we can have this open space for everyone to share.
  • Comments are monitored. They’ll stay up if they stick to the topic and contribute to the conversation. We’ll delete them if they contain or link to abusive, obscene, defamatory, or irrelevant material, threats, or spam. Repeated posts will also be deleted. Keep it on point.
  • Also, the comments can’t be used as ad space, so please don’t endorse, promote or solicit on behalf of a product or service.

Volunteer

The two large domes in the foreground house the 2.1-meter (82-inch) Otto Struve

If you love astronomy, enjoy working with people–or both–we would love to work with you! Volunteers help in invaluable ways and create a welcoming atmosphere at the Frank N Bash Visitors Center, in addition to keeping a safe environment for all. Qualifications to become a volunteer include:

  • At least 18 years of age or older.
  • Interested to help observatory visitors and assist visitor center staff as needed.
  • Willing to answer questions or solve visitor problems in a friendly and engaging manner.
  • Accustomed to learning from and working with people of all types and opinions.
  • Able to keep an open and accessible attitude.
  • Live in, or regularly visit, the Fort Davis (or tri-county) area.
  • Complete the volunteer application.
  • Agree to and pass a criminal background check.
  • Able to complete initial volunteer training within 2 months of the application date.

McDonald Observatory welcomes members of the West Texas community who are cheerful, kind, helpful, empathetic, patient, service–oriented, and want to spend time in an astronomy-loving community. Volunteers work with other science-interested adults and will be trained on site during their first few visits.

Volunteer Application

Telescope Operator Volunteer Role Description 

Benefits of Being a Volunteer

The value of volunteer service is truly immeasurable to us. As a thank you, the Visitors Center extends the following benefits to volunteers:

  • Ten percent discount at the Gift Shop
  • Invitations to exclusive events 
  • Ongoing recognition
  • Access to staff knowledge

Plus, you may gain a few new skills, develop a friendship or two and of course have fun!

For further information about the McDonald Observatory volunteer program or assistance applying to be a volunteer, please contact Shannon Rudine at 432-426-3640.

Dark Sky Week 2024

May 7-11, 2024

Join McDonald Observatory in celebrating Dark Skies May 7-11, 2024 with special tours, science lectures, film screening, solar viewing, star parties, and more. In addition to our regular programming, the following special activities are offered. 

Residents of Brewster, Culberson, Jeff Davis, Hudspeth, Pecos, Reeves, and Presidio counties may reserve free passes for programs May 7-11, 2024 using the discount code BigBendSky at checkout. 

Tuesday, May 7, 2024

12:30 p.m. Hobby-Eberly Telescope TourGo behind the scenes at one of the world’s largest telescopes!  This special access tour of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope is co-hosted by a member of the telescope’s engineering staff and visits the telescope’s dome floor.  General admission to the Visitors Center is included.  Duration is approximately 75 minutes.  Transportation from the Visitors Center to the summit of Mt. Locke is provided.

8:15 p.m. Dark Skies Talk - Ryan Cantrell, McDonald Observatory Visitor Center Program Specailist 

9:30 p.m. Star Party

Wednesday, May 8, 2024

4:00 p.m. Dark Skies for Nature Talk - Kaylee French, Nature Conservancy 

9:00 p.m. Astrophotography Lab part I

Thursday, May 9, 2024 

12:30 p.m. Hobby-Eberly Telescope Tour

Go behind the scenes at one of the world’s largest telescopes!  This special access tour of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope is co-hosted by a member of the telescope’s engineering staff and visits the telescope’s dome floor.  General admission to the Visitors Center is included.  Duration is approximately 75 minutes.  Transportation from the Visitors Center to the summit of Mt. Locke is provided.

4:00 p.m. Dark Skies Talk - Rachel Fuechsl, McDonald Observatory Visitor Center Program Manager

9:00 p.m. Astrophotography Lab part II

Friday, May 10, 2024

4:00 p.m. Dark Skies for Studying Astronomy - Catherine Manea, Univeristy of Texas at Austin Astronomy PhD student 

8:15 p.m. Dark Skies for Studying our Galaxy - Keith Hawkins, Univeristy of Texas at Austin Astronomy Professor

9:30 p.m. Star Party

Saturday, May 11, 2024

12:00 p.m. Storytime with Amy Jackson, author of Cassandra and the Night Sky in the exhibit hall. 

12:30 p.m. Otto Struve 82-inch Telescope TourTravel back in time to see the first telescope built at McDonald Observatory! The 82-inch Guided Tour includes admission to the Visitors Center, as well as a guided tour of the 82-inch Otto Struve telescope.  Guests will visit the dome building and observing floor, learning about the history of the Observatory and operation of the 82-inch telescope, then and now. Duration is approximately 75 minutes. The 82-inch Telescope is not wheelchair accessible.  Transportation from the Visitors Center to the summit of Mt. Locke is provided.

4:00 p.m. Dark Skies for the Big Bend - Stephen Hummel, McDonald Observatory Dark Skies Iniaititive Coordinator 

8:15 p.m. film screening: The Stars At Night. This screening is free. Passes will be distributed first come first served at the Visitor Center admissions desk before the screening.

9:30 p.m. Star Party 


The International Dark-Sky Association hosts Dark Sky Week April 2-8, 2024 to raise awareness about light pollution’s many negative effects. Learn more at idsw.darksky.org

Learn more about the Dark Skies Initiative and efforts to preserve the night skies over McDonald Observatory and how you can help.

Special thanks to Apache Corporation for their support and partnership to preserve the night skies over Far West Texas and to create the Preserving Dark Skies exhibit at the McDonald Observatory Frank N. Bash Visitors Center. Visit to learn more about how to protect our night skies and how you can support this important conservation effort.

 

82-inch telescope tours

HET Tours

Dark Sky Week 2024 Talks

Talks will be ticketed on a first come first served basis at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center. Inquire at the admissions desk. The indoor theater has a capacity of 90 people for each talk. 

Tuesday, May 7, 2024 - Ryan Cantrell

How & Why to Preserve Dark Skies 

Ryan Cantrell is a Program Facilitator at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center. He provides guided tours, telescope viewing, and visitor presentations at McDonald Observatory.

Wednesday, May 8, 2024 - Kaylee French

Preserving Dark Skies for Nature

Kaylee French is the West Texas Education and Outreach Coordinator for The Nature Conservancy. She is responsible for creating and implementing all interpretive, educational, and outreach programs for natural resources on TNC’s six West Texas Preserves and assists in the management, maintenance, and conservation of these Preserves by working with visitors, volunteers, staff, and partnering researchers. She is additionally responsible for assisting with the stewarding of TNC’s conservation easements, including annual monitoring of properties. French’s career interest and passion is fostering knowledge, appreciation, respect, and a love for nature for all generations.

Thursday, May 9, 2024 - Rachel Fuechsl 

How & Why to Preserve Dark Skies 

Rachel Fuechsl is the Public Programs Manager at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center. She oversees all of the visitor programs at McDonald Observatory.

Friday, May 10, 2024 – Catherine Manea 

Studying Astronomy Under Dark Skies

Catherine Manea is a PhD candidate in astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. She uses the observatory for her research into galactic formation.

Friday, May 10, 2024 – Keith Hawkins

Uncovering our Galaxy within Dark Skies

Keith Hawkins is an Associate Professor of Astronomy at the University of Texas at Austin. He is primarily interested in a field called 'Galactic Archaeology' which is aimed at exploring the Milky Way Galaxy’ formation, evolution and structure. Keith uses stellar spectroscopy as his primary astrophysical tool. In addition to research, Keith supervises graduate students and teaches astronomy courses. Outside of teaching, Keith is deeply interested in mentoring students and changing the way that we encourage underrepresented minorities in the STEM fields.   

Saturday, May 11, 2024 - Stephen Hummel 

Preserving Dark Skies at McDonald Observatory

Stephen Hummel is the Dark Skies Initiative Coordinator at McDonald Observatory and aa member of the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve coordinating board. His work focuses on measuring and monitoring sky quality over and around the observatory as well as collaborating with local partners in preservation efforts.

Saturday, May 11, 2024 - Amy Jackson 

Book reading & The Stars At Night film introduction

Amy is passionate about sharing the night sky with others and preserving it for generations to come. Through founding her business Starry Sky Austin in 2010, Amy has been providing astronomy education and outreach to Austin, TX, the surrounding communities and beyond and contributing to the field of dark sky conservation in Texas. In 2017, Amy became an ambassador for NoirLab’s Astronomy in Chile Educator Ambassador Program and released her first children’s book written to inspire children to learn about the night sky “Cassandra and the Night Sky”. Amy holds a bachelors in physics from the University of Houston, a Master of Science Teaching Earth and Space Science from Rice University and a Master of Science in Geography from Texas State University where she won a Freeman Fellowship for the installation of a permanent Sky Quality Meter at Texas State University's Freeman Center. Her research focuses on light pollution in Texas.

Saturday, May 11, 2024 - Johnathan Jackson 

The Stars At Night film introduction

Jonathan is a photographer, cinematographer, broadcast video producer based in Austin, Texas. Jonathan divides his time between being the Creative Content Producer for the Austin City Limits television show and working on a myriad of videography projects. Jonathan is the Director of Photography for The Stars At Night film. He captured many of the Milky Way time-lapses used in the film, interviews, and astronomy scenes.

Beginning Astrophotography Workshop

May 8-9 and June 5-6, 2024

Learn how to produce stunning photos under the dark skies at McDonald Observatory. This workshop is intended only for beginners in astrophotography or photography in general. The daytime portion of the program will consist of the basics of astrophotography, types of cameras, lenses, focusing, setup, processing images, and daytime practice. After sunset, you will use these tools under the dark skies of McDonald Observatory.

For the May workshop, the Milky Way will not be well placed for photographing until well after midnight. Although the program is scheduled to end at midnight, you are welcome to stay up as late as you want.  For the June workshop, the Milky Way will be rising at about 11pm local time.

Attendees will have the option of staying on site at the Astronomers Lodge (details to follow later) or at an offsite location in the area.


Required for participation in this program:

• Digital single lens reflex or mirrorless camera with an interchangeable lens.  Point-and-shoot and smart phone cameras are not suitable for astrophotography in this form.

• Detailed manual for your camera, either printed or electronic.

• Sturdy tripod and the hardware to attach your camera(s) to the tripod.

• Laptop (strongly preferred) or tablet with which to process images, including (if applicable) a card reader for transferring images to a laptop or tablet.

Optional but useful for participation:

• External intervalometer (if your camera does not have a built-in intervalometer)

• Remote shutter release

• Star tracker


We will use Adobe Lightroom (Classic) for image processing during the workshop.  If you have or can obtain a license, that would be optimal.  If not, a free 7-day trial license is available (please do not download more than a few days before our workshop so that you will have access to Lightroom while you're here). In either case, please ensure that Adobe Lightroom will run on whatever device, laptop or tablet, that you plan to bring.

To better structure our program, please complete the following brief survey to help us gauge our attendees experience levels. The workshop will be limited to 10 people.

Astrophotography Lab

May 8-9 and June 5-6, 2024

Learn how to produce stunning photos under the dark skies at McDonald Observatory. This workshop is intended for beginners in astrophotography or photography in general. The daytime portion of the program will consist of discussions on the basics of astrophotography, types of cameras, lenses, focusing, setup, processing images, and daytime practice. After sunset, you will use these tools under the dark skies of McDonald Observatory.

For the May workshop, the Milky Way will not be well placed for photographing until well after midnight. Although the program is scheduled to end at midnight, you are welcome to stay up as late as you want.  For the June workshop, the Milky Way will be rising at about 11:00 p.m. local time.

Attendees will have the option of staying on site at the Astronomers Lodge (details to follow after registration) or at an offsite location in the area.


Required for participation in this program:

  • Digital single lens reflex or mirrorless camera with an interchangeable lens.  Point-and-shoot and smart phone cameras are not suitable for astrophotography in this form.
  • Detailed manual for your camera, either printed or electronic.
  • Sturdy tripod and the hardware to attach your camera(s) to the tripod.
  • Laptop (strongly preferred) or tablet with which to process images, including (if applicable) a card reader for transferring images to a laptop or tablet.

 

Optional but useful for participation:

  • External intervalometer (if your camera does not have a built-in intervalometer)
  • Remote shutter release
  • Star tracker

We will use Adobe Lightroom (Classic) for image processing during the workshop.  If you have or can obtain a license, that would be optimal.  If not, a free 7-day trial license is available (please do not download more than a few days before our workshop so that you will have access to Lightroom while you're here). In either case, please ensure that Adobe Lightroom will run on whatever device, laptop or tablet, that you plan to bring.

Space Glow Kids T-shirt

Black shirt with the glow-in-the dark solar system. Size small and medium comes with three snap-on space ships.

West Texas Time Machine

Creating the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. In vibrant color — the epic adventure of an astronomical scientific instrument. Learn about the inspiring design that made it possible and the feats of ingenious engineering and construction that made it a reality.

Night Sky Dial

Locate constellations and prominent binocular objects all year round with the Chandler night sky dial. Works for latitudes between 30 and 40 degrees, which includes most of the United States.

Longhorn Stars Tee Shirt

Burnt orange t-shirt with the McDonald Observatory's 3 domes done in black and with the Longhorn done as stars in the night sky. Wording McDonald Observatory The University of Texas at Austin in white below the design.

Longhorn Stars Kids Tee Shirt

Burnt orange t-shirt with the McDonald Observatory's 3 domes done in black with the Longhorn done as stars in the night sky. Wording McDonald Observatory The University of Texas at Austin in white lettering below the design.

McDonald Observatory Logo T-Shirt

The McDonald Observatory Logo two black mountains with two different blue and white star trails above the mountains. The wording McDonald Observatory Fort Davis, Texas at the bottom of the design. On a black Gildan Softstyle 100% cotton t-shirt.

Star Party Tee Shirt

Our colorful unique Star Party design on an athletic gray Canvas brand soft style t-shirt.

Logo Hooded Sweatshirt

The McDonald Observatory Logos two black mountains with two different blue and white star trails above the mountains.  The wording McDonald Observatory Fort Davis, Texas at the bottom of the design. On a black Gildan brand hooded sweatshirt.

Advice from the Night Sky Mug

Advice from the Night Sky mug by Earth Sun Moon is a 15oz white mug with our custom photo of the 2.7m Harlan J Smith 107" telescope dome at night on one side. The other side offers the following advice: See the big picture. Be a star. Keep looking up. Don't be afraid of the dark. Stay full of wonder. Expand your horizons. Turn off the lights! Followed at the bottom with our logo.Photo by Ethan Tweedie Photography

McDonald Observatory Comet T-shirt

The artwork for this shirt was created by Aaron Bates. It depicts Mt. Fowlkes with the 10m Hobby-Eberly telescope and Mt. Locke with the 27m Harlan J. Smith and 2.1m Otto Struve telescopes with a comet in the sky.Text includes: McDonald Observatory, Fort Davis, Texas, The University of Texas at Austin and Davis Mountains. Emblem text includes: McDonald Observatory Est. 1939. The back of the shirt our 3 1/2"x2 1/2" McDonald Observatory, Fort Davis, Texas logo printed on it. This shirt is 100% cotton Hanes Nano-T in black.

McDonald Observatory See America T-shirt

The artwork for this shirt was created for the See America project by Aaron Bates. The art depicts the 2.1m Otto Struve telescope in a dark sky with the Milky Way. Text includes: See America, McDonald Observatory, Fort Davis, Texas. Emblem text includes: McDonald Observatory Est. 1939. The back of the shirt has our 3 1/2"x2 1/2" McDonald Observatory Fort Davis, Texas logo printed on it. The shirt is 100% cotton Hanes Nano-T in blue.

McDonald Observatory Celestial Bandana

This 21"x21" 100% cotton bandana is navy blue with light blue hand-drawn whimsical constellations and cadmium yellow stars created by Scott McKowen. McDonald Observatory Fort Davis, Texas appears in one corner of the bandana.

McDonald Observatory Shooting Star Cap

Light denim blue with a white star with a rainbow spectrum trail. The words McDonald Observatory curved under the star design. The words Fort Davis, Texas on the back arched above the sdjustable denim strap.

McDonald Observatory Logo Cap

Black cotton twill cap with our logo patch on the front. Adjustable strap on the back.

McDonald Observatory See America Mug

The artwork for this mug was created for the See America project by Aaron Bates. The art depicts the 2.1m Otto Struve telescope in a dark sky with the Milky Way. Text includes: See America, McDonald Observatory, Fort Davis, Texas. Emblem text includes: McDonald Observatory Est. 1939. The design is printed on an 18 ounce black mug.

McDonald Observatory Comet Mug

The artwork for this mug was created by Aaron Bates. It depicts Mt. Fowlkes with the 10m Hobby-Eberly telescope and Mt. Locke with the 2.7m Harlan J Smith and 2.1m Otto Struve telescopes with a comet in the sky. Text includes: McDonald Observatory, Fort Davis, Texas, The University of Texas at Austin and Davis Mountains. Emblem text includes: McDonald Observatory Est. 1939.  The design is printed on an 18 ounce black mug.

Advice from the Night Sky T-shirt

Advice from the Night Sky t-shirt by Earth Sun Moon is a 100% cotton Gildan navy blue shirt with our custom photo of the 2.7m Harlan J Smith telescope dome at night. Text includes: Advice from the Night Sky, McDonald Observatory, See the big picture, Be a star, Keep looking up, Don't be afraid of the dark, Stay full of wonder, Expand your horizons, Turn off the lights! Our logo is printed in white on the left sleeve.Photo by Ethan Tweedie Photography.

Dark Energy T-Shirt

The front of our Dark Energy t-shirt features the dark energy equation of Dr. Karl Gebhardt Professor of Astrophysics at The University of Texas at Austin. The back of the shirt features our Star Trail Mountains logo in full color just below the collar and the tag line "Might not be dark. Might not be energy." The t-shirt is Canvas brand soft style in charcoal gray.

The Universe Puzzle

The Universe 1000 pieces. Puzzle measures approximately 28 in. x 20 in. Each piece fits firmly together! Linen-textured surface reduces glare. Sturdy, premium blue puzzle board. Full sized poster of finished puzzle included.

McDonald Observatory Pewter Ornament

Oval pewter ornament with the Otto Struve and Harlan J Smith Domes in white and pewter with greenery in the background. The HET dome in white and pewter in the foreground with the wording McDonald Observatory Fort Davis, TX.

McDonald Observatory Pottery Ornament

Handcrafted, glaze-engraved pottery ornament by DeNeen Pottery. Features the Otto Struve, Harlan J. Smith and HET domes outlined in navy withthe wording McDonald Observatory Fort Davis, Texas

McDonald Observatory Patch

Our mountain star trail logo with the wording McDonald Observatory Fort Davis, Texas on an iron-on patch.

McDonald Observatory Sticker Set

Three sticker set featuring our star trail logo, our comet design with the Otto Struve, Harlan J Smith, and HET domes, and our Preserve Dark Skies See America, and our Greater Big Bend International Dark SkyReserve stickers.

McDonald Observatory Koozie Set

Set of three koozies featuring our star trail logo printed in white on heather gray, purple, and navy.

Women in Science Puzzle

Women in Science Puzzle 500 interlocking pieces. Thie jigsaw puzzle features colorful portraits of fifteen trailblazing women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics--from well-known pioneers like Marie Curie and Ada Lovelace to other inspiring but unsung heroines. Featuring art by the New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Rachel Ignotofsky, this puzzle is the perfect gift for budding scientist and anyone who wishes to champion the great contributions women have made to all branches of science. Include poster to use as reference.

Constellation Memory Game

Based on familiar constellations, this memory game includes illustrations of the zodiac signs plus 24 additional star patterns including Cygnus, Orion, Pegasus, and more. Kids of all ages can enjoy playing games and learning from the accompanying booklet about the stories, legends, and myths that help illuminate the constellations. 72 cards (36 pairs). 40 page booklet. Ages 3 to 103.

Day at the Museum Space Puzzle

Day at the Museum Space puzzle 48 pieces, ages 4 and up. Great for learning and play. Beautifully illustrated. 

Young Astronomer's Discovery Tour McDonald Observatory

McDonald Observatory's Young Astronomer's Discovery Tour booklet is a cat-guided tour and activity book for ages 5 and up. Comes with a pack of 6 colored pencils.

Night Sky Playing Cards

Learn about the night sky while playing your favorite games. Each card features it own constellation. The suit represents the best season for viewing.

Exoplanets

by Michael Summers and James TrefilDiamond worlds, super Earths, pulsar planets, and the new search for life beyond our solar system.

Dome Socks

Custom socks featuring artisit rendition of the Otto Struve dome. These socks are made using the finest combed cotton sourced from the southeastern United States. Designed in Austin, Texas by Sock Club. Manufactured in North Carolina. 75% Cotton, 21% Nylon, 4% Lycra.

Venus Plush

Venus Plush by Celestial Buddies. 

Mars Plush

Mars Plush by Celestial Buddies.

Moon Plush

Moon Plush by Celestial Buddies

Neptune Plush

Neptune Plush by Celeatial Buddies

The Nature of Space and Time

The Nature of Space and Time by Stephen Hawking and Roger Penrose. With an afterword by the authors.Einstein said that the most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible. But was he right? Can the quantum theory of fields and Einstein's general theory of relativity, the two most accurate and successful theories in all of physics, be united into a single quantum theory of gravity? Can quantum and cosmos ever be combined? In "The Nature of Space and Time", two of the world's most famous physicists--Stephen Hawking " A Brief History of Time" and Roger Penrose "The Road to Reality" debate these questions.In the afterword, the authors outline now their positions have increasingly diverged on a number of key issues, including the spatial geometry of the universe, inflationary versus cyclic theories of the cosmos, and black-hole information-loss paradox. Though much progress has been made, Hawking and Penrose stress that physicists still have further to go in their quest for a quantum theory of gravity.

McDonald Observatory Hiking Stick Medallion

Featuring our star trail logo.

McDonald Observatory Logo Pin

Featuring our star trail logo.

Mercury Plush

Mercury Plush by Celestial Buddies

Uranus Plush

Uranus Plush by Celestial Buddies

Women in Science

Women in Science 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World Written and Illustrated by Rachel IgnotofskyA charmingly illustrated and education book, "Women in Science" highlights the contributions of fifty notable women to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) from the ancient to the modern world. Full of striking, singular art, this fascinating collection also contains infographics about relevant topics such as lab equipment, rates of women currently working in STEM fields, and an illustrated scientific glossary. The trailblazing women profiled include well-known figures like primatologist Jane Goodall, as well as lesser know pioneers such as Katherine Johnson, the African American physicist and mathematician who calculated the trajectory of the 1969 Apollo 11 mission to the moon. "Women in Science" celebrates the achievements of the intrepid women who have paved the way for the next generation of female engineers, biologist, mathematicians, doctors, astronauts, physicists, and more!

What We See In The Stars

What We See in the Stars by Kelsey OseidSunlight is starlight. On Venus a day is longer than a year. The North Star won't alway be the North Star. Shadows are darker on the moon. April's full moon is called the Pink Moon. Amazing facts and the stories behind them are explained in this beautifully illustrated tour of our solar system. Combining mythology, history, and science, "What We See in the Stars" covers the night sky's most brilliant celectial bodies--constellations, planets, comets, the moon, and the Milkyu Way--as well as less familiar features like the outer objects, nebulae, and deep space. Readers and stargazers of all ages interested in outer space will delight in this charming journey through the cosmos.

McDonald Observatory Knit Cap

Black cotton knit beanie with McDoonald Observatory Fort Davis, Texas embrodiered in silver gray thread.

Saturn Plush

Saturn plush by Celestial Buddies

McDonald Observatory Metro Mug

14 oz black mug featuring our star trail logo.

ABCs of Space

By Chris Ferrie and Julia Kregenow, PhDAn ABC book that grows with your reader. Three levels of learning last from beginner to beyond. Level 1: Start with the basics! Level 2: Build curiosity! Level 3: Explore and grow! Board book.

Sun Plush

Sun Plush by Celestial Buddies

Solar System Long Puzzle

Panoramic Solar System Puzzle. 1000 pieces over 3 feet wide.

Good Night Solar System

Written by Adam Gamble and Mark Jasper, illustated by Andy Elkerton.Board book about the Solar System.

Good Night Galaxy

Written by Adam Gamble and Mark Jasper, illustrated by Cooper Kelly.Board book about the galaxy.

Pleiades Sweatshirt

Navy crewneck sweatshirt with an artist rendition of the Pleiades star cluster. McDonald Observatory mountain star trail logo printed on the back.

McDonald Observatory Long Sleeve T-Shirt

Navy garment dyed long sleeve t-shirt with an artist rendition of McDonald Observatories 3 large domes with the wording McDonald Observatory, Fort Davis Texas printed on the back of the shirt. The front features our mountain star trail logo printed small on the left chest.

A Day On The International Space Station

Written by Larry SwerdloveTake turns reading! Parent's page and child's page. Helps make reading fun & easy!In this book readers will learn all about living on the International space Station. What do astronauts do all day? What is it like to always be floating, even when you are sleeping or trying to exercise? How do astronauts eat, and can they take a bath? What is it like wearing a 300 pound space suit? ow was the space station built, and how do you train to become an astronaut and go into space?

Star Lore

Written by William Tyler OlcottMyths, Legends, and FactsGenerations of readers, stargazers, and fireside dreamers have delighted in this guide to the myths and legends surrounding the stars and constellations. Originally published in 1911, William Tyler Olcott's beloved classic offers captivating retellings of ancient celestial lore from aroind the world."Star Lore" recounts the origins and histories of star groups as well as the stories of individual constellations: Pegasus, the winged horse; Ursa Major, the Greater Bear; the seven daughters of Atlas know as the Pleiades; the hunter Orion, accompanied by his faithful dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor; the signs of the Zodiac; the minor constellations such as the ship Argo, the Giraffe, and the Unicorn.Fifty-eight black-and-white images include photographs of the actual stars as well as scenes from their related myths portrayed by Michelangelo, Rubens, Veronese, and other artists. This edition features a new introduction by astronomer Fred Schaaf, in addition to an extensive appendix and index.

Constellations Activity Book

by Ryan Jacobson and Shane NitzscheStargazing is a fascinating hobby that parents and children can share. Introduce kids to 26 of the most interesting and well known constellations through dot-to-dots and other creative activities. Then head outside to find those interesting characters in the night sky. Can you spot Orion's belt and Scorpius's tail? Book features: 26 constellation dot-to-dots. Mazes, word finds and many more great activities. Easy-to-follow instructions for finding the constellations. The mythology behind each constellation. Flash cards to help learn the constellations by sight.

Einstein Astonomy Sign

Glow in the dark metal sign featuring Einstein riding a bicycle on the galaxy. Speed Limit 299.792,458 M/S

Universe Astronomy Sign

Glow in the dark metal sign Historic Landmark Center of the Universe.

The Grand Design

by Stephen Hawking and Leonard MlodinowWhen and how did the universe begin? Why are we hear? What is the nature of reality? Is the apparent "grand design" of our universe evidence of a benevolent creator who set things in motion - or does science offer another explanation? In this startling and lavishly illustrated book, Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow present the most recent scientific thinking about these and other abiding mysteries of the universe, in nontechnical language marked by brilliance and simplicity. According to quantum theory, the cosmos does not have just a single existence or history. The authors explain that we ourselves are the product of quantum fluctuations in the early universe, and show how quantum theory predicts the "multiverse" - the idea that ours is just one of many universes that appeared spontaneously out of nothing, each with different laws of nature. They conclude with a riveting assessment of M-theory, an explanation of the laws governing our universe that is currently the only viable candidate for a "theory of everything": the unified theory that Einstein was looking for, which, if confirmed, would represent the ultimate triumph of human reason.

Night Sky A Field Guide To The Constellations

by Jonathan PoppeleMake stargazing more fun that ever! Includes all 88 constellations. A simple approach: Focus on one constellation at a time, instead of dizzying charts. Ensure success: Start with the easy-to-find constellations and work toward the more difficult ones. Use what's familiar: Learn to identify constellations in relation to the Big Dipper, the North Star, and the top of the sky. Mythology and more: Fascinating facts, interesting tidbits, detailed information about the planets and solar system, and more. Revised and updated: More constellations, new photographs, new discoveries, and an introduction to the 24 constellations of the far southern sky. Bonus: a small red LED flashlight is included--it allows you to enjoy the book while helping you retain your night vision!

Einstein For Beginners

by Joseph Schwartz & Michael McGuinnessAmusing, irreverent, sophisticated, and highly accessible, "Einstein for Beginners" is the perfect introduction to Albert Einstein's life and thought. Reaching back as far as Babylon ( for the origins of mathematics) and the Etruscans (who thought they could handle lightning), this book takes us through the revolutions in electrical  communications and technology that made the theory of relativity possible. In the process we meet scientific luminaries of imperial Germany, as well as Galileo, Faraday, and Newton; we learn why moving clocks run slower than stationary ones and why nothing can go faster than the speed of light; and we follow Albert's thought as he works his way toward E = mc2, the most groundbreaking equation of the twentieth century.

A Briefer History of Time

by Stephen Hawking with Leonard MlodinowStephen Hawking's worldwide bestseller "A Brief History of Time" remains a landmark volume in scientific writing. But for years readers have asked for a more accessible formulation of its key concepts--the nature of space and time, the role of God in creation, and the history and future of the universe. "A Briefer History of Time is Professor Hawking's response. Although "briefer," this book is much more than a mere explanation of Hawking's earlier work. "A Briefer History of Time" both clarifies and expands on the great subjects of the original, and records the latest developments in the field--from string theory to the search for a unified theory of all forces of physics. Thirty-seven full color illustrations enhance the text and make "A Briefer History of Time" an exhilarating and must-have addition in its own right to the great literature of science and ideas.

Heavenly Bodies Youth Tee

Constellation cover the front and back of this shirt. Glow-in-the-dark. With our mountain and star trails logo name drop printed in white on the left sleeve. 100% cotton black tee shirt.

Stellar Cartography Adult Tee

Multi-colored glow-in-the-dark star chart printed on 100% cotton black tee shirt. Our mountain and star trail logo name drop is printed in white on the left sleeve. CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE IS SIZE L.

Above & Below

By Crocodile Creek. 48 piece puzzle 20"x27" for ages 4 and up.A world above! A world below! A wonderful puzzle for learning and play.

Milky Way Puzzle

200 piece Galaxy puzzle 16"x16" for ages 8 and up. Featuring photography from the NASA Archives.

Solar Cell

By Tedco Toys. For ages 9 and up. Includes everything you need to get this holographic disk spinning: Holographic Disk, PV Cell, Motor and Learning Guide. Learn about Photovoltaics and convert radiant energy into mechanical movement.

The Universe Puzzle

By MasterPieces Inc.1000 pieces 26.75"x19.25" ages 14 and up. Images courtesy of NASA. Bonus poster included.

Our Solar System Puzzle

By MasterPieces Inc. 1000 pieces 26.75"x19.25" ages 14 and up. Images courtsey of NASA. Bonus poster included.

Blast Off Puzzle

By Crocodile Creek. 12 pieces, 9"x12" for ages 2 and up.

McDonald Observatory Shot Glass

Clear glass with wave pattern and blue tinted bottom. Features our mountain star trail logo printed in blue.

How It Began

By Chris Impey.This vibrant, eye-opening tour of the history of the universe takes us out in space and back in time from the familiar sights of the night sky to the dazzling strange aftermath of the Big Bang. Traveling to the brink of modern cosmology, Chris Impey illuminates such mind-bending concepts as invisible dimensions, timelessness, and multiple universes. In the process, he brilliantly describes the astronomical clues that scientist have used to solve mysteries about the origins and development of our universe.

the Little Book of Exoplanets

By Joshua Winn.For centuries, people have speculated about the possibility of planets orbiting distant stars, but only sine the 1990s has the technology allowed astronomers to detect them. At this point, more that five thousand such exoplanets have been identified, with the pace of discovery accelerating after the launch of NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite and the Webb Space Telescope. In "The Little Book of Exoplanets", Princeton astrophysicist Joshua Winn offers a brief and engaging introduction to the search for exoplanets and the cutting-edge science behing recent findings. In doing so, he chronicles the dawn of a new age of discovery--one that has rapidly transformed astronomy and our broader understanding of the universe.Scientist now know that many Sun-like stars hostntheir own systems of planets, some of which may resemble our solar system and include planets similar to Earth. But, Winn tells us, the most remarkable discoveries so far have been of planets with unexpected and decidedly un-Earth like properties, which have upended what we thought we knew about the origins of planetary systems. Winn provides an inside view of the sophisticated detective work astronomers perform as they find and study exoplanets and describes the surprising--sometimes downright bizarre--planets and systems they have found. He explains how these discoveries are revolutionizing astronomy, and he explores the current status and possible future of the search for another Earth. Finally drawing on his own and other scientists' work, he considers how the discovery of exoplanets and their farawy solar sysrems changes our perspectives on the universe and our place in it.

Planetarium

By Heebie JeebiesBuild your own planetarium and rotate the constellation plate until it matches the date and time. Have the direction you are facing (North, South, East, West) pointed towards you. Then use the chart to find out which constellations you can see in the sky!Illustrated instructions, 29 pieces for ages 8 and up. 

Sparkle Scratch Art

By Crocodile CreekScratch & Create! Includes 10 galaxy sparkle sheets, 5 sparkle sheets, 1 stencil sheet, and 2 wooden stylus. For ages 5 and up.

Help Make a Difference in Science Education

Girl looking through telescope during lunar viewing.

Thousands of visitors a year, K-12 teachers and students, and millions of others learn from McDonald Observatory and StarDate programs. With your support as a Friend of McDonald Observatory, we can work to improve K-12 science education and help students of all ages become citizen scientists.

Make a tax-deductible gift to the annual fund 

Give a one-time tax-deductible gift in support of the Observatory's work in K-12 science education and outreach.

Join or renew membership as a Friend of the Observatory 

Make a gift to support K-12 science education and receive a year of member benefits.

Make a gift to last a lifetime

Make a contribution to the Education and Outreach endowment. Leave a legacy, and support the Observatory in perpetuity.

And don’t forget: Ask your company to match your gift!

Contact us

For membership or gift questions, please email friends@mcdonaldobservatory.org.

Learning Opportunities

Located high in the Davis Mountains of West Texas, just northwest of the charming town of Fort Davis, McDonald Observatory offers a unique setting for teacher workshops, classroom field trips, and other educational activities held throughout the year. 

 

 

 

 

News from the Observatory

75th Anniversary

A Texas Landmark for 75 yearsCelebrating Discovery Since 1939

 

The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory, dedicated May 5, 1939, turns 75 this year!

 

The Observatory plans a full year of activities around the state to celebrate. Events have already begun, and will run through August 2014. Plans include a speakers series featuring McDonald Observatory astronomers in multiple cities, an Open House at the Observatory, and more.

View the Timeline

Scroll through the history of McDonald Observatory from the 1920s until today. Read up on construction, personalities, and major discoveries. More »

Read the Stories

Share your memories and photos of McDonald Observatory on our interactive blog. We want to hear from visitors, astronomers, staffers — everyone! More »

Support the Celebration

Help us continue to produce great education and outreach programs by giving a one-time gift, joining the Friends of McDonald Observatory, or becoming an anniversary sponsor. More »

 

Home Page

Visit McDonald Observatory

Aerial view of McDonald Observatory.


Do you plan to visit McDonald Observatory during the busy Spring Break 2024 period (March 9-16, 2024)?  We offer an expanded programs schedule during this peak visitation time.

McDonald Observatory is accessible to the public Tuesday – Saturday 12-5 pm, and is closed on Sunday and Monday. All visitors must check in at the Frank N Bash Visitor Center.  Check the calendar for available program passes, which are subject to capacity limits. 

The Observatory and Visitors Center are located 450 miles from Austin and are on Central Time.

Frank N. Bash Visitors Center
3640 Dark Sky Drive
McDonald Observatory, TX  79734
(432) 426-3640


 

 

Sixth Mirror Cast for Giant Magellan Telescope

two men kneel on boards a top crushed glass for mirror casting pointing at material

The University of Texas at Austin and other GMT partners the fabrication of the sixth of seven of the world’s largest monolithic mirrors. These mirrors will allow astronomers to see farther into the universe with more detail than any other optical telescope before.

Planet Orbiting Nearby Barnard's Star Disproved

Astronomers have disproved a 2018-announced planet orbiting Barnard’s Star, the second-closest star to our Sun. The findings are based on observations with the Habitable Zone Planet Finder instrument on the Hobby-Eberly Telescope.

Observatory Mourns Death of World-Renowned Physicist Steven Weinberg

Physicist Steven Weinberg sits at desk

Physicist Steven Weinberg, January 28, 2008. Credit: Larry Murphy, The University of Texas at Austin

Nobel laureate Steven Weinberg, a professor of physics and astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin, has died. He was 88.

Support the Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve

McDonald Observatory seeks letters of support to help with designating more than 15 million acres in West Texas and Northern Mexico as a Dark Sky Reserve. 

Supernova Reveals Secrets to Texas-led Team of Astronomers

SN2014C

New results will help astronomers better understand the process of how massive stars live and die. 

Weizmann Institute of Science Joins University of Texas at Austin, Partners in Giant Magellan Telescope Project

The new partnership reinforces that completing the largest and most powerful optical-infrared telescope ever engineered is a top priority for the global scientific community. The unprecedented abilities of the Giant Magellan Telescope coupled with the Weizmann Institute of Science’s world-leading scientific expertise and resources in astrophysics will revolutionize the way humanity understands the universe and our place in it.

Weizmann Institute of Science Joins UT Austin in GMT Project

The new partnership reinforces that completing the largest and most powerful optical-infrared telescope ever engineered is a top priority for the global scientific community. 

Strangely Massive Black Hole Found in Satellite Galaxy

Astronomers at McDonald Observatory have discovered an unusually massive black hole in at the heart of one of the Milky Way's satellite galaxies that could signal changes in our understanding of galaxy evolution.

Probing the Secrets of Dead Stars and Planetary Remnants

 Zach Vanderbosch has spent nearly 300 nights at McDonald Observatory studying the dead stars known as white dwarfs, and the orbiting disks of debris made up of these stars’ former planets. He will receive his PhD this month.

Bill Wren, Tireless Promoter of Dark Skies, Retires from McDonald Observatory

After more than three decades of sharing astronomy with the public and working to protect dark skies from light pollution, Bill Wren has retired from McDonald Observatory.

GMT Awards Contract for Telescope Enclosure

The partners of the Giant Magellan Telescope announced they have awarded IDOM, a renowned engineering and architecture firm based in Spain, a contract to complete the telescope enclosure design by 2024. UT Austin is a founding partner of the GMT.

McDonald creates world's largest International Dark Sky Reserve

McDonald Observatory, The Nature Conservancy, and the International Dark-Sky Association are pleased to announce the certification of the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve. Protecting this resource benefits not only astronomical research, but also wildlife, ecology and tourism.

Observatory Holds Dark Skies Festival April 29-30

Amphitheater with Milky Way

McDonald Observatory will hold its first Dark Skies Festival Friday, April 29, and Saturday, April 30. The festival will include daytime and evening events for the whole family, plus the debut of the new “Preserving Dark Skies” exhibit. 

Historic telescope construction on track with help from UT astronomers

GMT

Scientists at The University of Texas at Austin are playing an instrumental role in the construction of the largest optical telescope in the world.  

Investment from UT Austin, Other Partners Accelerates Construction of Giant Magellan Telescope

The Giant Magellan Telescope is a next-generation telescope that will yield important discoveries on topics such as galaxies in the early universe and Earth-sized planets orbiting nearby stars. The University of Texas at Austin is investing an additional $45 million in the GMT, which brings the university’s total commitment to $110.3 million.

Stars Shed Light on Why Stellar Populations Are So Similar in Milky Way

Scientists have uncovered what sets the masses of stars, a mystery that has captivated astrophysicists for decades. Their answer? Stars, themselves.

Wide View of Early Universe Hints at Galaxy Among the Earliest Ever Detected

Two new images from JWST show what may be among the earliest galaxies ever observed. Both images include objects from more than 13 billion years ago. 

Hobby-Eberly Telescope celebrates 25 years of science

HET with star trails

One of the world's largest optical telescopes, the Hobby-Eberly telescope (HET) at The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory has reached a milestone — 25 years of service.

Postdoctoral Fellow in UT Astronomy Receives Inaugural NAS Science Communication Award

A woman wearing a gold sweater with curly black hair smiles

Arianna Long, a NASA Hubble Postdoctoral Fellow at The University of Texas at Austin, was awarded one of the inaugural Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communication from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 

McDonald Observatory featured on The Shape of Texas

Explore how our built environment holds our history, reflects our diverse cultures and projects our ambitions for the future in North Texaas public media, KERA's “The Shape of Texas” video series.

Amateur Scientists Have Helped Astronomers Identify Nearly a Quarter-Million Galaxies

More than 10,000 amateur scientists in 85 countries have been helping HETDEX with a historically ambitious and massive galaxy-mapping mission. Join this volunteer force for a unique project that could reveal for the first time the nature of dark energy. 

Cosmic Dawn III Recreates the Early Universe Epoch of Reionization in Unprecedented Detail

The Cosmic Dawn ("CoDa") Project, an international team of astrophysicists, recently reached a new milestone – CoDa III – the first trillion-element simulation of how the universe evolved in its first billion years. 

Texas Science Festival Will Inspire Texans Through Scientific Discovery

logo for Texas Science Festival 2023. dark blue background with burnt orange semi circle and text: impact + ideas to transform lives. University of Texas at Austin logo in white

2023 Texas Science Festival from February 21 to March 4, offers the opportunity to engage with, understand, and become invigorated by scientific discovery. Check out the schedule for details on virtual Deep Sky Tours, discussons about JWST research, and more.

Hobby-Eberly Telescope Uncovers Galaxy Gold Mine in First Large Survey

Using supercomputers and the help of thousands of citizen scientists around the world, researchers with The University of Texas at Austin have now revealed the locations of more than 200,000 new astronomical objects.

Work with McDonald Observatory

McDonald Observatory is currently hiring for positions located at the Observatory near beautiful Fort Davis, Texas. Join our team! 

First Images from JWST’s Largest General Observer Program

The first epoch of COSMOS-Web observations obtained with the NIRCam instrument on Jan. 5-6, 2023. Image credit: COSMOS-Web/Kartaltepe, Casey, Franco, Larson, et al./RIT/UT Austin/CANDIDE. 

This first snapshot of COSMOS-Web contains about 25,000 galaxies — an astonishing number larger than even what sits in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field,” said Caitlin Casey, associate professor of astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin and co-principal investigator of COSMOS-Web.

McDonald Observatory Celebrates One-Year Anniversary of Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve

McDonald Observatory and numerous partners join in celebrating the first anniversary of the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve. 

Stunning Image of Cassiopeia A from JWST

Cassiopeia A is the youngest known remnant from an exploding, massive star in our galaxy, which makes it a unique opportunity to learn more about how such supernovae occur. 

JWST Images Challenge Theories of How Universe Evolved

Images of six candidate massive galaxies, seen 500-800 million years after the Big Bang. Image credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/I. Labbe

Hefty young galaxies defy the reigning model of cosmology, called "dark energy + cold dark matter"

Two Eclipses Across Texas

Over the next year, Americans will have the opportunity to experience not one, but two solar eclipses. On October 14, 2023, an annular solar eclipse will travel from Oregon to Texas, encircling the Moon with a brilliant “ring of fire.” And on April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will travel from Texas to Maine, with the Moon surrounded by the Sun’s delicate corona.

Learn about these solar eclipses, where and how to view them, events, training, and more.

Searching for Supernovae in HETDEX Data

In the search for supernovae, astronomers must comb through a wealth of data. Automated photometric surveys find millions of possible supernovae every night. This is far too many for astronomers to manually review each one and identify which may merit additional observation.

Summer Star Parties at McDonald Observatory

telescope viewing at star party

The Frank N. Bash Visitors Center hosts public star parties at McDonald Observatory four nights a week in June and July. Book your reservations in advance!

Astronomers Observe Giant Tails of Helium Escaping Jupiter-Like Planet

A team of astronomers has used observations from the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory to discover some of the longest tails of gas yet observed escaping a planet. The planet, HAT-P-32b, is nearly twice the size of Jupiter and losing its atmosphere through dramatic jets of helium unfurling before and behind it as it travels through space. These tails are more than 50 times the length of the planet’s radius.

Searching for an Atmosphere on the Rocky Exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 c

Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA)-led group of astronomers searched for an atmosphere on rocky exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 c. Though the planet is nearly identical in size and temperature to Venus, its atmosphere has turned out to be very different. By analysing the heat emitted from the planet, they conclude it may only have a tenuous atmosphere with minimal carbon dioxide.

New Era of Exoplanet Discovery Begins with Images of ‘Jupiter’s Younger Sibling’

A team led by astronomers at The University of Texas at Austin has captured images of the lowest-mass extrasolar planet ever discovered that has both a direct mass measurement and an orbit similar to the giant planets in our own solar system. It’s also among the first ever discovered using a technique called astrometry, which relies on subtle movements of a host star over many years to provide insights about orbiting companions, including planets.

Webb Telescope Detects Most Distant Active Supermassive Black Hole

Researchers have discovered the most distant active supermassive black hole to date with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The galaxy, CEERS 1019, existed about 570 million years after the big bang, and its black hole is less massive than any other yet identified in the early universe.

JWST Awards 148 Hours Observing Time to University of Texas Astronomer

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has awarded 148 hours of observing time to a group of scientists led by John Chisholm, assistant professor of astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. He is co-principal investigator on the selected proposal, along with Hakim Atek at the Institut D'Astrophysique de Paris. “That’s over six days on the telescope,” says Chisholm. And only one hour less than the proposal that was awarded the most amount of time.

Chemical Cartography Reveals the Milky Way’s Spiral Arms

Keith Hawkins, assistant professor of astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin, has used chemical cartography – also known as chemical mapping – to identify regions of the Milky Way’s spiral arms that have previously gone undetected. His research, published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, demonstrates the value of this pioneering technique in understanding the shape, structure, and evolution of our home Galaxy.

Mapping Everything Everywhere All At Once

The Local Volume Mapper (LVM) Instrument has seen first science light. LVM is one of the three mappers that make up the fifth phase of the SDSS’s ambitious all-sky, multi-epoch spectroscopic survey. This new instrument will create a spectroscopic map of the Milky Way and other nearby galaxies. “We have always looked at individual objects in the Milky Way,” said Niv Drory of The University of Texas at Austin and program head of the LVM project. “Now, we look at everything. No gaps, no selection effects – we observe the whole sky.”

Astronomers Confirm Maisie’s Galaxy is Among Earliest Ever Observed

Thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers racing to find some of the earliest galaxies ever glimpsed have now confirmed that a galaxy first detected last summer is in fact among the earliest ever found. The findings are in the journal Nature. Follow-up observations since first detection of Maisie’s galaxy have revealed that it is from 390 million years after the Big Bang. Although that’s not quite as early as the team led by University of Texas at Austin astronomer Steven Finkelstein first estimated last summer, it is nonetheless one of the four earliest confirmed galaxies observed.

West Texas Businesses Preserve Night Sky–One Light Bulb at a Time

McDonald Observatory’s Dark Skies Initiative recognizes five West Texas businesses and public organizations for adopting night sky friendly lighting practices. The Alpine Visitor Center, Alpine Public Library, Marfa Visitor Center, RoadRunner Travelers RV Park in Terlingua, and Ghost Town Casitas hotel in Terlingua all worked with the Observatory to reduce disruptive lighting on their properties and help protect the region’s famous night skies.

McDonald Observatory Invites Ecological Research as a Texas Field Station

McDonald Observatory is proud to become the newest member of The University of Texas at Austin Texas Field Station Network. This Network represents a collection of sites spread across the state that are used by the University for scientific research, environmental monitoring, and conservation efforts.

Department of Energy Awards Wootton Center Grant for Research and Education

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has awarded The University of Texas at Austin’s Wootton Center for Astrophysical Plasma Properties (WCAPP) a $6 million grant to continue its research and help train the next generation of scientists. This is the second time the WCAPP has received the award, bringing the total amount of NNSA funding to $13 million to date.

The Giant Magellan Telescope’s Final Mirror Fabrication Begins

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. The Giant Magellan Telescope begins the four-year process to fabricate and polish its seventh mirror, the last required to complete the telescope’s 386-square-meter (1,266-square-foot) light collecting surface, the world’s largest and most challenging optics ever produced.

Permian Basin Area Foundation Supports McDonald Observatory Exhibit Renovations

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.

McDonald Observatory Celebrates October Solar Eclipse

On Saturday, October 14, Texans experienced a rare 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 in the path of the annular eclipse. The whole state was able to see a partial eclipse. As the event unfolded, McDonald Observatory staff were present across the state helping communities understand the science and experience the beauty of the eclipse.

Discovery of Planet Too Big for Its Sun Throws Off Models of Solar System Formation

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.

“Nature is a lot cleverer than we are!” says William Cochran, research professor at UT Austin and co-author on the paper, published November 30. “Planet formation can take place in a lot of circumstance we had not necessarily expected.”

The discovery of this surprising planet-star pairing was made using cutting edge instruments on the McDonald Observatory's Hobby-Eberly Telescope.

LightSound Workshops Make April’s Eclipse More Accessible to Visually Impaired

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. The devices built during this and other LightSound workshops held nationwide will be donated to viewing events ahead of the April 8 total solar eclipse.

Discovery of Unexpected Ultra-Massive Galaxies May Not Rewrite Cosmology, But Still Leaves Questions

Ever since the James Webb Space Telescope 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.

April 8: Total Solar Eclipse to Cross Texas

On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will travel across North America, with the Moon surrounded by the Sun’s delicate corona. Texas will be a great spot to experience it – the state is in the "path of totality" and typically enjoys clear, cloud-free weather. McDonald Observatory is not in the path of totality. However, we will be able to see a partial solar eclipse.

Giant Magellan Telescope Expands Global Science Impact with Taiwanese Partner

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. ASIAA's inclusion expands the consortium to 14 international research institutions, of which UT Austin is a founding partner.

March 7 Livestream: Decoding Starbirth with Artificial Intelligence

Join us on Thursday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. CT for some live views from the McDonald Observatory as we talk with Dr. Stella Offner about her research and how she is using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to learn more about star formation.

National Science Board Announces Federal Investment Recommendation

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

Partial Eclipse Events at McDonald Observatory

On Monday, April 8, parts of North America will experience a total solar eclipse. To see it, you must be within the “path of totality,” a narrow band about 100 miles wide. McDonald Observatory and surrounding communities are outside the path of totality, so will only see a partial eclipse. Those staying in the West Texas area are invited to celebrate the eclipse with us!

UT Researcher Leading Project for NASA New Space Telescope

UT’s new Cosmic Frontier Center and McDonald Observatory will play key roles in aiding research into chemically young galaxies.

UT Astronomy Graduate Student Receives Fellowship to Study Exoplanets

The Heising-Simons Foundation has awarded Quang Tran, Ph.D. candidate in The University of Texas at Austin’s Department of Astronomy, one of its eight prestigious 51 Pegasi b Fellowships this year. Established in 2017, the fellowship provides postdoctoral scientists the opportunity to conduct theoretical, observational, and experimental research in planetary astronomy. 

Hobby-Eberly Telescope

HET at dusk

With its 11-meter (433-inch) mirror, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) is one of the world's largest optical telescopes. It was designed specifically for spectroscopy, the decoding of light from stars and galaxies to study their properties. This makes it ideal in searching for planets around other stars, studying distant galaxies, exploding stars, black holes and more.

Emily M, an engineer, works on the telescope from a lift bucket in a harness.

First dedicated in 1997, the telescope's unique design allowed for construction of a very large modern telescope at a fraction of the cost of similarly sized instruments. In 2016, a multiyear $40 Million upgrade was completed, expanding the telescope’s field of view to an area of sky 120 times larger than before.

Unlike most other telescopes, which tilt up and down in altitude, the HET's mirror is always tilted at 55 degrees above the horizon. However, the tracker mounted above the telescope moves in six directions, allowing the HET to study 70 percent of the visible sky. The 80-ton telescope rotates on a bed of air, using air cushions to lift and position the enormous instrument. 

The telescope's mirror looks like a honeycomb. It's made up of 91 hexagonal mirrors that form a reflecting surface measuring 11 by 10 meters. The segments must be aligned exactly to form a perfect reflecting surface for good observations. HET is classified as a 10-meter telescope, making it the third largest optical telescope in the world.

Looking at the 91 segments of HET's mirror through the open dome

The wide-field Hobby-Eberly Telescope focuses light into instruments including the Visible Integral-field Replicable Unit Spectrograph (VIRUS), the second generation Low Resolution Spectrograph (LRS2), the Habitable Zone Planet Finder and the second generation High Resolution Spectrograph (HRS2). The telescope is especially suited to conduct large survey projects using spectroscopy and take on the biggest challenges in astronomy today: unraveling the mystery of dark energy, probing distant galaxies and black holes, discovering and characterizing planets around other stars and much more.

The HET uses a queue scheduling process. Astronomers submit proposals for research and selected projects are scheduled for completion within a four-month period. Each night, a resident astronomer decides which project is best suited to be carried out, based on factors like priority ranking of the projects, weather, and Moon phase. Queue scheduling makes sure that the HET is used efficiently, and makes the telescope especially well-suited to studying targets of opportunity -- those events in the heavens that arise without warning, such as exploding stars.

HET is currently involved in the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX), a project to study dark energy, the mysterious force causing the universe’s rate of expansion to speed up. This survey looks back 11 billion years to determine if dark energy has changed over time.

The HET is a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, Pennsylvania State University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen.

Harlan J. Smith Telescope

Smith Telescope with clouds

The Harlan J. Smith Telescope The early 1960s saw the emergence of the Space Age, and NASA needed large new telescopes to survey the planets before spacecraft could be dispatched to study them. in detail. McDonald Observatory's new director, Harlan J. Smith, saw an opportunity. He convinced NASA to build one of those new telescopes at McDonald. The telescope brought new life and prestige to the observatory, helped recruit top young faculty members, and established McDonald as key player in the exploration of the solar system.

Planning began in 1964, and construction was completed in 1968 on Mount Locke. Built by Westinghouse for about $5 million, the new telescope was then the third largest in the world. Weighing in at 160 tons, it had a fused silica mirror 107 inches (2.7 m) wide that gave it a light-gathering power one-quarter million times greater than the unaided eye. It began regular observations in 1969.

The telescope's planetary studies played a significant role in preparing for more detailed exploration of the solar system by spacecraft and in understanding the results of those missions.

For almost a decade, the telescope also reflected a laser off mirrors left on the Moon by Apollo astronauts, in a program called “lunar laser ranging.” These results have helped refine the distance to the Moon and enabled a better understanding of its interior, and provided a test of Albert Einstein's theory of General Relativity. That program has since moved to a dedicated laser ranging telescope on neighboring Mount Fowlkes.

Today, many different instruments can be fitted onto the Smith Telescope, enabling many different types of astronomical observations. The telescope has been extensively used to study the compositions of stars, the motions of galaxies, and to search for planets around other stars in our galaxy. It continues to be used use every clear night of the year.

Harlan J. SmithHarlan J. Smith In 1995, the 107-inch telescope was re-named to honor Harlan J. Smith (1924-1991), who served as director of McDonald Observatory from 1963 to 1989. He was the first University of Texas director, after a partnership with the University of Chicago’s Yerkes Observatory ended. He started The University of Texas’ astronomy department in Austin, now one of the top 10 university astronomy programs in the United States.

Otto Struve Telescope

Struve Telescope with sunset

Struve Telescope with dome open. When the Otto Struve Telescope was completed in 1939, its dome housed the 82-inch (2.1-meter) telescope — then the second-largest in the world — and living and sleeping quarters for the astronomers who used the telescope. Today, these rooms serve as offices and a library.

With its heavy steel mounting and black, half-open framework, the Struve is not just a scientific instrument, but it is a work of art. Like other telescopes at McDonald, its mirror is periodically removed and freshly coated with aluminum to maintain its sharp view of the heavens.

Over its more than 80-year history, astronomers have used this telescope to study every type of astronomical object, from distant galaxies to stars in the Milky Way galaxy, to planets, moons, and other bodies of our solar system. It has made some important discoveries, including the discovery of Uranus’ fifth moon Miranda and Neptune’s moon second-largest moon, Nereid. It was used to discover carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of Mars, and methane in the atmosphere of Saturn’s giant moon Titan.

The telescope has received extensive upgrades over the years. It is now computer-controlled, and its instruments use electronic detectors to gather more light, allowing it see fainter and more-distant objects. With these updates, it's still in regular use.

University of Texas astronomers and graduate students use most of the telescope's time, but researchers from other institutions also get to experience it's beauty and its utility Although it's no longer among the world's largest, the Struve Telescope is still an important scientific instrument. It should continue to peer into the universe for many years to come.

Otto Struve, McDonald Observatory Director 1939-1963.Otto Struve In 1966, the telescope that had been simply known as "the 82-inch," was renamed for Otto Struve (1897-1963), the observatory’s first director who served from 1932 to 1947. He simultaneously directed the University of Chicago’s Yerkes Observatory. Struve’s own research involved spectroscopic observations of stars and gas in the Milky Way. For a time, he was editor of the prestigious Astrophysical Journal. He also served a term as president of the American Astronomical Society. After leaving Yerkes and McDonald, he went on to direct two other observatories.

0.8-meter Telescope

The dome of the 0.8-meter telescope.

McDonald Observatory is often cited for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the largest telescopes in the world. However, McDonald also hosts a number of smaller yet effective tools. The 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith and 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescopes are among these, but the smallest research telescope at McDonald Observatory is the 0.8-meter Telescope.

This small telescope owes its existence to one of its larger cousins. The 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope was completed in the late 1960s. That telescope's mirror was made out of fused silica (Quartz), the state-of-the-art material for telescope mirrors at the time. After the central hole was cut out of this large mirror (necessary to allow incoming light to travel into its science instruments), McDonald Observatory decided to use all the costly glass that was left over.

The control room of the 0.8-meter Telescope.The control room of the 0.8-meter Telescope. This left-over glass was cut in half, creating two 30-inch mirror blanks. One of them was used to create the mirror for the 0.8-meter Telescope. The mirror is five inches thick and weighs in at over 250 pounds. It sits at the end of a tube that is almost eight feet long. The entire telescope is housed in a dome that is 20 feet wide. Construction of the original 0.8-meter Telescope was completed in 1970.

One of the 0.8-meter Telescope's greatest advantages is its field of view. The telescope is able to observe a patch on the sky that is three-quarters of one degree across (the full moon is about one-half of a degree across). With this capability, the 0.8-meter Telescope is ideal for large search and survey projects.

Incidentally, the second mirror created from the left-over glass from the Smith Telescope serves as the primary mirror in McDonald Observatory's Mobile Laser Ranging System.

The telescope had undergone a refit as of November 2012.  

The new telescope tube, mirror box, and mount, along with ancillary systems were manufactured by OMI (Optical Mechanics Incorporated) during 2011/2012, and initially installed in the dome structure during Aug. - Sept. of 2012 by a team from OMI, and McDonald Austin/West Texas including the OS and PP staff, and Gordon Wesley from Austin.

The telescope installation, debug, and final commissioning were performed by McDonald West Texas staff between November 2012 and approximately May of 2013.  The telescope is now on the science calendar as a shared-risk resource for local operation.

The system is a hybrid, designed for local (in the dome), remote (via a network), and autonomous (robotic) operation.  It uses a distributed motion control system, including high-precision servo motors, absolute optical encoders, and multi-axis digital motion controllers on the RA/HA and DEC axis.  Both axes are steel-on-steel friction drives, utilizing a servo drive equipped with a hardened steel drive capstan, which directly engages a hardened steel drive roller.  This is a zero-backlash drive design, capable precision motion accurate to within 50nm.  The maximum slew rate is 24-radians/sec. (1375-degrees per second).

The telescope control system (TCS) is based on an open-systems solution, known as Talon.  Talon is written in C and a scripting module system used to integrate motion control devices.  The TCS supports full dome auto (the dome is encoded), planetarium-based, multi-catalog pointing (based on the open-systems XEphemeris), and uses a mesh-grid, high-precision pointing model that is continuously refined and extensible.

0.9-meter Telescope

The dome of the 0.9-meter Telescope.

The 0.9-meter Telescope at McDonald Observatory — commonly called “the 36-inch” — is a “light bucket.” It was designed to be used with a photometer, an instrument that measures the relative brightness of a star, and how that brightness changes over time. The mirror was made to collect as much light as possible, rather than to make detailed images. It was commissioned in the 1950s by the University of Chicago, which ran McDonald Observatory from 1932 to 1962. The telescope was completed in 1956. It was the second telescope to be completed at McDonald.

The rock that forms the dome-wall surrounding the telescope was quarried from the Eppenauer Ranch adjacent to the Observatory. The metal dome was constructed from materials left over from the 1938 construction of the 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope. McDonald Observatory employees built both the dome and the wall. The hydraulic platform floor inside the dome was built from a spare garage lift.

McDonald Observatory's 0.9-meter Telescope.McDonald Observatory's 0.9-meter Telescope. The telescope was used for professional observations for decades. But by the time the Hobby-Eberly Telescope was completed in 1997, the 0.9-meter was starting to get old and its technology was seriously out of date. Astronomers preferred using larger and more effective telescopes. But rather than let this telescope sit and collect dust, the Observatory had another idea: Use it for public and educational programs.

These public programs are called Special Viewing Nights. For these reservation-required events, small groups of participants get to use this large research grade telescope first hand.

On these Special Viewing Nights, the group travels from the Visitors Center to the road near the summit of Mount Locke, where the 0.9-meter dome sits. The program leader gives a short tour of the night sky, with an emphasis on the major constellations. The three-hour program includes telescope views of around a dozen objects, ranging from planets, to binary stars and star clusters, to galaxies.

In addition to Special Viewing Nights, the telescope has been used for Elderhostel events and teacher professional development programs.

McDonald Geodetic Observatory

The fast, fully-steerable 12-meter wide radio telescope at the base of Mount Locke is the newest addition to the McDonald Observatory campus. A new laser ranging telescope will be installed on Mount Fowlkes near the Hobby-Eberly Telescope dome (background, left). These instruments, along with ultra-precise Global Positioning System receivers (foreground), are the main components of the McDonald Geodetic Observatory.

The new observatory will focus on Geodesy - the science of Earth’s shape, gravity, and rotation - and how these change over time.

The McDonald Geodetic Observatory is a joint project by The University of Texas at Austin Center for Space Research, McDonald Observatory, and NASA’s Goddard Spaceflight Center.  It is part of a global effort to create a “terrestrial reference frame” for scientists — a collection of landmarks that all other locations on Earth can be measured against precisely. The project will help scientists better understand Earth with the potential to minimize the effects of geohazards such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, sea level changes, and landslides.

Led and managed by the Center for Space Research, the McDonald Geodetic Observatory will bring together scientists and engineers from many parts of the university, with diverse interests in space research, the study of global change, and the characterization of natural hazards. The team comes from UT’s Cockrell School of Engineering, Jackson School of Geosciences, and Applied Research Laboratory. The McDonald Observatory site and infrastructure belong to the College of Natural Sciences.

Mars and the Pleiades

The planet Mars and the Pleiades star cluster are teaming up right now. They stand due west as darkness falls, about a third of the way up the sky. Mars looks like a modest orange star. The dipper-shaped Pleiades is close to the right.

Vela

Vela, the sail of the ship that carried Jason and the Argonauts, flutters quite low across the south on early spring evenings, but only from south of about Dallas or Tucson. It features only a couple of moderately bright stars.

Bright Stars

A myriad colorful stars adorn the late-evening sky. Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, twinkles fiercely in the southwest. Regulus, the heart of the lion, stands high overhead. And Arcturus, in Bootes, the herdsman, is climbing in the east.

Crab Nebula

The Crab Nebula stands high in the west as night falls. It’s far above Aldebaran, the bright orange star that marks the eye of Taurus, the bull. The nebula is the debris from an exploded star and the brightest source of X-rays in the night sky.

New Moon

The Moon is “new” today as it crosses the imaginary line between Earth and Sun. It is lost from view in the Sun’s glare. It should return to view as the barest of crescents not long after sunset tomorrow.

Puppis

The constellation Puppis rows low across the south on early spring evenings. It represents the stern of the Argo, the boat that carried Jason and the Argonauts through many adventures. Most of its stars are faint, though.

Zeta Puppis

The brightest star of the constellation Puppis, the stern of the ship Argo, is a member of the hottest and heaviest class of stars, class O. There are no more than a few tens of thousands of these stars in the entire galaxy.

Moon, Mars, Aldebaran

The crescent Moon has two blushing companions the next couple of nights, the planet Mars and the star Aldebaran, the “eye” of the bull. The orange orbs are above the Moon this evening, with Aldebaran on the left and fainter Mars on the right.

Arcturus Stream

Arcturus, one of the brighter stars in the night sky, is low in the east as darkness falls and climbs high across the sky later on. It shines yellow-orange because its surface is fairly cool. The star is probably at least seven billion years old.

Big Dipper

This is a good time of year to watch the Big Dipper. It stands high in the northeast at nightfall, arcs high across the north at midnight, and is still well up in the northwest at dawn.

Cat’s Eye

The faint constellation Draco, the dragon, is in the northeastern at nightfall and slithers high across the north later on. One of its treasures is the Cat’s Eye Nebula, the glowing remains of a dying star.

First-Quarter Moon

The Moon is at first quarter at 2:06 p.m. CDT today as it aligns at a right angle to the line between Earth and the Sun. The Moon will rise early this afternoon and stand high in the sky at nightfall.

Pyxis and Antlia

The technology of the 18th century highlights the southern evening sky. Two faint constellations are named for devices of that time. Pyxis, the compass, is due south at nightfall, just above the horizon. Antlia, the air pump, is to its lower left.

Moon and Regulus

The Moon has a bright companion tonight: Regulus, the brightest star of Leo, the lion. It’s below the Moon at nightfall, and even closer to the Moon as they set in the wee hours of the morning.

Time Bombs

Several time bombs are in view this evening. The list includes most of the bright stars of Orion, which is low in the west, plus Spica, the brightest star of Virgo, in the southeast. All of these stars are destined to explode as supernovae.

Coma Berenices

A sprinkling of faint stars stands high in the east as night falls this evening, above brilliant Arcturus, the brightest star in that part of the sky. Those strands of stars are the main feature of Coma Berenices, the queen.

Coma Galaxy Cluster

The golden tresses of Queen Berenice adorn the sky on spring evenings — a spray of stars visible through binoculars high in the east at nightfall. If you look deep into the constellation, you will see thousands of galaxies that form the Coma Cluster.

Moon and Spica

Spica stands to the right or lower right of the Moon at nightfall. It consists of two big, heavy stars. One is more than 10 times as massive as the Sun, while the other is about seven times the Sun’s mass.

Full Moon

The Moon is full today. It stands opposite the Sun in our sky, so sunlight illuminates the entire lunar disk. The full Moon of April is known as the Grass Moon, Egg Moon, or Pink Moon.

Lyrid Meteors

The Lyrid meteor shower is building up this weekend. It should hit its peak in the wee hours of Monday or Tuesday. Unfortunately, though, the gibbous Moon will get in the way. Its glare will overpower all but the brightest meteors.

Moon and Antares

Antares, the leading light of Scorpius, will perch close below the Moon at first light tomorrow. The brilliant planet Jupiter will stand well to their left.

Moon and Jupiter

Look for the planet Jupiter quite close to the Moon late tonight. Jupiter will rise just below the Moon, after midnight. It looks like a brilliant star. They will be even closer at first light.

Moon and Planets

The giants of the solar system will flank the gibbous Moon at dawn tomorrow. Jupiter, the king of the planets, will stand to the right of the Moon, with fainter Saturn the same distance to the left of the Moon.

Moon and Saturn

Saturn is in great view late tonight. The solar system’s second-largest planet looks like a fairly bright star close to the Moon as they climb into sight in the wee hours of the morning, and even closer to the Moon at first light.

Hydra

Hydra, the water snake, is the largest of all the 88 constellations. It winds about a quarter of the way around the entire sky. And right now, the whole thing is in view after about 11 p.m., when its tail snakes into view in the southeast.

Crow and Cup

Corvus and Crater roll across the southern evening sky at this time of year. Corvus, the crow, resembles the sail of a boat, while fainter Crater, the cup, looks like a faint goblet. Both constellations sit on the back of Hydra, the water snake.

Alphard

Alphard is the brightest star of Hydra, the water snake, which wriggles most of the way across the southern sky as darkness falls. There are no other bright stars close to it. In fact, the name Alphard means “the Solitary One.

Hercules

Hercules climbs into good view in the east and northeast a couple of hours after sunset. His torso is outlined by a lopsided square of stars known as the Keystone.

Messier 3

Messier 3, a ball-shaped cluster of hundreds of thousands of stars, is high in the east at nightfall. It stands to the upper left of the bright star Arcturus, by a little more than the width of your fist held at arm’s length.

Moon and Venus

The crescent Moon and Venus, the “morning star,” will peek through the dawn twilight early tomorrow. They are quite low in the east about a half-hour before sunrise.

Cepheus

Cepheus, the king, is low in the north on March evenings. The constellation’s brightest stars form an outline that resembles a child’s drawing of a house.

Moon and Aldebaran

Aldebaran, the brightest star of Taurus, is to the upper left of the Moon at nightfall. The aging, bloated star represents the bull’s eye. A V-shaped pattern below the eye forms the rest of the bull’s face.

First-Quarter Moon

The Moon reaches first quarter tomorrow at 5:27 a.m. CDT. The Moon will line up at a right angle to Earth and the Sun, so sunlight will illuminate half of the lunar hemisphere that faces our way.

Green Flash

Earth’s atmosphere bends and splits sunlight, creating rainbows and other displays, including the rarely seen “green flash.” Under clear, clean skies it appears with the first burst of sunlight before sunrise or the last glimpse at sunset.

Little Bear

Ursa Minor, the little bear, wheels high across the north every night. Some of its brightest stars form the Little Dipper. The tip of the dipper’s handle is the North Star, Polaris.

Spinning Stars

The beautiful Pleiades is high in the west as night falls at this time of year. The star cluster looks like a tiny dipper. Right now, it stands above bright orange Mars by about the width of your fist held at arm's length.

Spring Triangle

Three bright stars form a tall triangle in the east by about 10 or 11 p.m. The brightest is yellow-orange Arcturus, the third-brightest star in the night sky. Spica is far to the right of Arcturus, with Regulus high above and to the right of Spica.

Moon and Regulus

Regulus, the brightest star of Leo, the lion, is just a whisker away from the Moon tonight. The bright star we see as Regulus has a tiny companion known as a white dwarf. It’s the dead core of a once-normal star.

Vernal Equinox

Spring begins in the northern hemisphere tomorrow as the Sun crosses the equator from south to north, a moment known as the vernal equinox.

More Vernal Equinox

The Moon will be full tonight, just hours after the start of spring in the northern hemisphere. It will be a “supermoon,” which means it will look a little bigger and brighter than average.

Moon and Spica

Look for the Moon climbing into good view by about 10 or 10:30 p.m. the next couple of nights. The bright star Spica will stand to the lower right of the Moon tonight, and to the upper right tomorrow night.

Pointing South

The Southern Cross creeps above the horizon for skywatchers in the far-southern United States. This small, kite-shaped pattern of stars climbs into view from Hawaii and southern Texas and Florida late in the evening.

Martian Spring

Spring begins in the northern hemisphere of Mars today. The planet continues to highlight the early evening sky. It’s about a third of the way up the western sky as night falls and looks like a moderately bright orange star.

Moon and Antares

Antares will stand to the lower left of the Moon at first light tomorrow. Although it looks like a single pinpoint, the orange heart of the scorpion consists of two stars. Both are far bigger and heavier than the Sun.

Chara

Canes Venatici, the hunting dogs, is in the east-northeast at nightfall. Its brightest star is Cor Caroli. Chara, the second-brightest star, stands above it. Chara is almost identical to the Sun.

Moon and Jupiter

Look for the Moon early tomorrow, with a brilliant companion close by: the planet Jupiter, which outshines everything in the night sky except the Moon and Venus. They stand side by side at first light.

Last-Quarter

The Moon is at last quarter tonight, three-quarters of the way through its month-long orbit around Earth. At last quarter, sunlight illuminates exactly half of the hemisphere facing our way, so it looks as though someone sliced the Moon in half.

Moon and Saturn

The planet Saturn stands close to the upper right of the Moon at first light tomorrow. It looks like a bright star. Saturn has dozens of moons of its own. Titan, the largest, has a thick atmosphere and lakes of liquid methane.

Young Star

One of the youngest stars in the galaxy is near the top right point of the “V” that forms the face of Taurus, the bull. In fact, T Tauri is only a few hundred thousand years old, so it’s still forming — it’s not yet shining as a true star.

Denebola

Denebola, from a name that means “the tail of the lion,” is the third-brightest star of Leo. It’s in the east as night falls, at the bottom of the figure that outlines the lion. It is almost twice as massive as the Sun and about 15 times brighter.

Moon and Venus

The Moon will stand quite low in the southeast at dawn tomorrow. The planet Venus, the brilliant “morning star,” will be close to the left or lower left. There’s not much time to watch them before daylight overpowers their glow.

NGC 4696

Today is Beltane, an ancient Celtic festival celebrated with bonfires. It is a cross-quarter day, which falls roughly half way between a solstice and an equinox. In many cultures, these dates marked the start of the seasons, so May 1 was the first day of summer.

Leo

Leo stands high in the south in early evening. A curved pattern of stars forms the lion’s head, mane, and forelegs, while a triangle of stars makes up his hindquarters and tail. When you put these two patterns together, they resemble a lion.

Northern Crown

The modest constellation Corona Borealis, the northern crown, climbs the eastern sky this evening. It is a delicate semicircle of seven stars that really does resemble a crown.

Eta Aquarid Meteors

The Eta Aquarid meteor shower should be at its peak in the wee hours of Monday morning, with perhaps a few dozen meteors per hour. But the shower is spread out, so you can see a fair number of meteors for a few nights before and after the peak.

Curtains

Orion is low in the west as night falls. Its brightest star, Rigel, is so low that you might not be able to see it. But Orion’s three-star belt is in view, parallel to the horizon. Bright Betelgeuse is above the belt, still in view at nightfall.

Moon and Aldebaran

Aldebaran, the bull’s bright eye, puts in one final good evening showing tonight. It is close below the Moon after sunset. It is so low in the sky that it would be hard to spot on its own. But Aldebaran’s proximity to the Moon will help it stand out.

Moon and Companions

The Moon anchors a pretty lineup this evening. The planet Mars looks like an orange star to the upper right of the Moon. El Nath, at the tip of one of the horns of the bull, is farther to the right of Mars. It is about the same brightness as Mars now.

Hercules Clusters

Two giant star clusters are visible in the constellation Hercules. Each consists of hundreds of thousands of stars packed into a ball that’s only a few dozen light-years across. Known as M13 and M92, they are in the northeastern sky at nightfall.

Izar

Izar, the second-brightest star of Bootes, is one of the most prominent binaries in the night sky. It stands to the left of brilliant Arcturus, the constellation’s brightest star, which is half way up the eastern sky at nightfall.

Big But Obscure

Hydra, the water snake, is the largest of the 88 constellations. It is so faint, though, that it is tough to see. It serpentines across the south tonight, all the way from Cancer to Libra.

Moon and Regulus

The first-quarter Moon tonight huddles close to Regulus, the heart of the lion. Regulus is to the left of the Moon at nightfall, and closer to the Moon at first light tomorrow. It will stand to the lower right of the Moon tomorrow night.

Kochab

The Little Dipper climbs high across the north on spring nights. It’s anchored Polaris, the North Star, at the tip of the dipper’s handle. The dipper’s second–brightest star, Kochab, is at the top right corner of the dipper’s bowl.

Pollux

Pollux, one of the “twins” of Gemini, is half-way up the western sky at nightfall, to the left of the other twin, Castor. Pollux is the brighter of the two and shines with an orange color. The color means its surface is much cooler than the Sun’s.

Castor

Pollux and Castor, the “twins” of Gemini, are high in the west as night falls, with Pollux to the left and Castor to the right. Castor is a system of at least six stars, divided into three close pairs.

Moon and Spica

The gibbous Moon stages an encounter with one of the brightest stars in northern skies tonight: Spica, the leading light of Virgo. Spica is below the Moon as night falls and will be even closer to the Moon as they set in the wee hours of the morning.

More Moon and Spica

Spica, the leading light of the constellation Virgo, will stand to the upper right of the Moon as night falls this evening. Spica consists of at least two stars, the larger of which is likely to explode as a supernova.

Rastaban

The eyes of the dragon shine a third of the way up the northeastern sky at nightfall. Eltanin is the brightest star of Draco, with third-ranked Rastaban above it. They circle high across the north during the night and are in the northwest at first light.

Full Moon

The Moon is full today. It reaches “full” when it lines up opposite the Sun, so sunlight fully illuminates the lunar hemisphere that faces our way. The full Moon of May is known as the Milk Moon, Flower Moon, or Corn Moon.

Moon and Jupiter

Jupiter is easy to find now because it is quite near the Moon. The planet looks like a brilliant star, to the lower left of the Moon as they climb into view late this evening, and about the same distance to the upper right of the Moon tomorrow night.

Moon and Planets

Jupiter, the solar system’s largest planet, rises to the upper right of the Moon late this evening. It looks like a brilliant star. The second-ranked planet, Saturn, follows them in the wee hours of the morning, well to the lower left of the Moon.

Moon and Saturn

Look for the Moon and a bright companion the next couple of mornings. The planet Saturn will be close to the upper left of the Moon at first light tomorrow, and closer to the right of the Moon on Thursday.

Ophiuchus

Ophiuchus, the serpent bearer, wheels high across the south tonight. It’s not that much to look at — only a few modest stars climbing above the scorpion.

Changing the Guard

Some of the brightest stars of winter are dropping from the evening sky. Low in the west at nightfall, look for bright white Procyon in Canis Minor, the little dog. The “twins” of Gemini, Pollux and Castor, are well to the upper right of Procyon.

Omega Centauri

Omega Centauri contains millions of stars packed into a ball a few dozen light-years across. It is bright enough to see with the eye alone, but only from the southern third of the U.S. It is quite low in the south about 11 p.m. and looks like a fuzzy star.

Last-Quarter Moon

The Moon will be at last quarter tomorrow, indicating that it is three-quarters of the way through its monthly cycle of phases. Sunlight will illuminate half of the lunar hemisphere that faces Earth.

Guitar Nebula

Cepheus, the king, is low in the north at nightfall. The constellation’s brightest stars form a shape that resembles a child’s drawing of a house.

Ceres at Opposition

Ceres, the largest member of the asteroid belt, puts in its best appearance of the year this week. It lines up opposite the Sun so it’s in the sky all night. It’s brightest for the year, too, although you need binoculars to find it.

Beta Scorpii

Beta Scorpii, a system of at least six stars, is at the left side of a row of stars that represents the head of Scorpius. It’s low in the southeast at nightfall, above Antares, the scorpion’s bright orange heart.

Rising Swan

Cygnus, the swan, rises in the northeast this evening. Its body appears parallel to the horizon. To find the swan, look for its brightest star, Deneb, low in the northeastern around 10 or 11 p.m.

M101

The beautiful galaxy M101 stands near the handle of the Big Dipper. A telescope reveals the face-on spiral, which is similar to our home galaxy, the Milky Way.

Libra

Libra stands to the upper right of Scorpius at nightfall, low in the southeast. Its outline shows a triangle of stars with two lines of stars dangling below. Libra is a set of balance scales held by the Greek goddess of justice, represented by nearby Virgo.

Draco

The evening sky is alive with creepy crawlers: snakes, a dragon, a lizard, and a scorpion. The most ancient is the dragon, Draco, which winds between Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. Almost 5,000 years ago its brightest star, Thuban, served as the Pole Star.

Head Cases

Hercules and Ophiuchus stand almost head to head in the east this evening. Each has a star with an Arabic name that means “the head.” In Hercules, it’s Ras Algethi (head of the kneeler); in Ophiuchus, Rasalhague (head of the serpent bearer).

Moon and Regulus

Regulus, the bright heart of Leo, the lion, stands quite close to the lower right of the Moon this evening. The bright star has a close companion that is far too faint and too close to Regulus for us to see it.

Jupiter at Opposition

The planet Jupiter is lining up opposite the Sun now. It rises around sunset and is low in the southeast as night falls. It scoots low across the south during the night, and sets in the southwest around sunrise. It’s brightest for the year, too.

Mizar and Alcor

The stars Mizar and Alcor stride high across the north on June evenings, at the middle of the Big Dipper’s handle. Mizar is the brighter one, with Alcor just a whisker away. They are so close that long-ago skywatchers thought of them as a horse and rider.

Jupiter at Opposition II

Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, is low in the southeast at nightfall. It looks like a brilliant star, outshining everything else in the night sky except the Moon. It moves low across the south during the night and sets at sunrise.

Moon and Spica

Spica, the leading light of the constellation Virgo, is to the lower right of the Moon as night falls. Spica consists of two big, bright, heavy stars. They are so close together that each one distorts the shape of the other, making them look like eggs.

Summer Triangle

The Summer Triangle is climbing into view in the eastern evening sky. Its highest and brightest point is the star Vega. The northern point is Deneb, the tail of the swan, while its southern point is Altair, the brightest star of the eagle.

Vega

Vega, the second-brightest star in the northern half of the sky, is in great view as we head toward summer. Vega is well up in the east-northeast as darkness falls and climbs high overhead later on.

Moon and Company

The Moon has two bright companions tonight. The star Antares stands to the lower right of the Moon as night falls, with the brilliant planet Jupiter about the same distance to the lower left of the Moon.

Beautiful Pairings

The full Moon and the planet Jupiter keep company tonight. Jupiter looks like a brilliant star to the upper right of the Moon at nightfall. Both worlds align opposite the Sun right now, so they qre in view all night.

Cygnus

Cygnus, the swan, is beginning its climb to prominence in the summer sky. It is low in the east and northeast a couple of hours after sunset. Its long, graceful body runs parallel to the horizon, with its wings stretched to either side.

Moon and Saturn

The planet Saturn appears just a whisker above the Moon as they climb into view in late evening. The giant planet looks like a bright star. It will be a little farther to the right of the Moon at first light tomorrow.

Messier 10

The star cluster Messier 10, in Ophiuchus, the serpent bearer, is in the southeast as night falls, well to the upper left of the brilliant planet Jupiter. Through binoculars, it looks like a hazy smudge of light.

Summer Solstice

Summer arrives in the northern hemisphere tomorrow morning. At that moment, known as the summer solstice, the Sun will stand farthest north for the entire year. It marks the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere.

More Solstice

While the northern hemisphere enjoys the beginning of summer today, the southern hemisphere is heading into winter. The June solstice is the longest day of the year north of the equator, but the shortest day south of it.

The Coathanger

The Coathanger, a pattern of 10 stars that looks like a coat hanger, is in the faint constellation Vulpecula, the fox. It lines up between the the bright star Altair, which is low in the east at nightfall, and brighter Vega, far to its upper left.

Massive Milky Way

The Milky Way is beginning its journey into summer’s evening skies. It arcs low across the east not long after nightfall. It’s anchored by teapot-shaped Sagittarius in the south, the graceful swan in the east, and W-shaped Cassiopeia in the north.

Last-Quarter Moon

The Moon will be at last-quarter before dawn tomorrow, so sunlight will illuminate half of the lunar hemisphere that faces Earth. The Moon is three-fourths of the way through its monthly cycle of phases.

Scutum

A small, faint “shield” of stars climbs high across the southern sky tonight. The constellation Scutum represents the coat of arms on the shield of John Sobieski, a 17th-century king of Poland and one of the country’s great heroes.

Doomed Giants

Three bright stars in this evening’s sky have a lot in common. Deneb, Antares, and Spica are among the biggest, brightest, and heaviest stars in the galaxy, and each will end its life with a titanic explosion known as a supernova.

Alphecca

Alphecca, the crown jewel of the northern celestial crown, stands almost straight overhead a couple of hours after sunset. It consists of two stars, although they are so close to each other that their light merges to form a single pinpoint.

Pleiades Rising

The Pleiades star cluster, the sparkly shoulder of Taurus, the bull, rises in the northeast about two hours before the Sun. Its brightest stars form a tiny dipper. Tomorrow, it will stand to the upper left of the crescent Moon.

Moon and Aldebaran

Aldebaran, the brightest star of Taurus, will stand below the Moon at first light tomorrow. Aldebaran represents the bull’s eye, and stands at one tip of a V-shaped pattern of stars that outlines his face.

Rasalhague

Rasalhague, the “head” of the serpent bearer, is high in the southeast at nightfall. It’s at the head of the stick figure that outlines Ophiuchus, which looks like a coffee urn. It stretches to the right and lower right of Rasalhague.

Baade’s Window

Sagittarius is low in the southeast at nightfall, with its stars forming the outline of a teapot. Just to the upper right of the spout is a region known as Baade’s Window. It is unusually free of dust, providing a good view deep into the Milky Way.

Solar Eclipse

The Moon will line up between Earth and the Sun today, blocking the Sun from view. Unfortunately, the eclipse will be visible only from parts of the southern hemisphere. The Sun will remain undimmed north of the equator.

Far From the Sun

On average, Earth is 93 million miles from the Sun. Over the year, though, that distance changes. Now, for example, we’re a million and a half miles farther than average. Tomorrow, in fact, Earth will be farthest from the Sun for the entire year.

Vega

Vega, one of the brightest stars of summer nights, stands high in the east as darkness falls this evening. It’s the brightest member of the Summer Triangle, a wide pattern that’s easy to pick out even through the murky skies of a city.

Ring Nebula

Vega, the brightest star of Lyra, is in the east as darkness falls. The remains of a star that was once like Vega stand to its lower right. Known as the Ring Nebula, it’s visible through telescopes, which show a bright outer band with a dark core.

Corona Borealis

The little constellation Corona Borealis, the northern crown, stands high atop the sky as darkness falls tonight. This prominent semicircle of stars is wedged between the bigger constellations Bootes and Hercules.

Saturn at Opposition

Saturn is shining at its best right now. The planet rises at sunset and remains in the sky all night. It’s passing closest to us for the year, too, so it’s at its brightest. It is low in the southeast as darkness falls and looks like a bright golden star.

Megastars

Several of the biggest, heaviest stars in the galaxy dot the sky at nightfall. Deneb, the tail of Cygnus, the swan, is in the east-northeast. Antares, the orange heart of Scorpius, is in the south. Spica, the leading light of Virgo, is in the southwest.

Saturn II

The planet is shining like a bright golden star. In fact, it’s at its brightest for the entire year. Saturn is low in the southeast as night falls, scoots across the south during the night, and sets around sunrise.

Cygnus

One of the favorite constellations of summer soars high across the sky this month: Cygnus. It stretches across the east and northeast at nightfall. Its brightest stars form the outline of a graceful swan, soaring through the Milky Way.

Dumbbell Nebula

The Dumbbell Nebula, a colorful bubble of gas expelled by a dying star, is in Vulpecula, the fox, which is high in the east at nightfall. The nebula is about halfway between Deneb and Altair, the stars that mark the bottom of the Summer Triangle.

Moon and Companions

Antares, the brightest star of the scorpion, stands below the Moon as night falls this evening. Brighter Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, is about the same distance to the lower left of the Moon.

Moon and Jupiter

Look for Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, close to the Moon tonight, shining like a brilliant star. The fragments of a shattered comet battered Jupiter 25 years ago this month, creating blemishes that were visible for months.

Delta Lyrae

Delta Lyrae is a prominent double star in Lyra, the harp. Binoculars reveal that one star looks red, while the other is blue. Although the stars appear close together, they are separated by more than 100 light-years.

Moon and Saturn

The Moon has a close, bright companion tonight: the planet Saturn. It is named for the Roman god of agriculture and plenty, who was honored with one of the most important festivals of the year.

Lunar Eclipse

A partial lunar eclipse will be visible across Africa, Antarctica, and most of Asia, Europe, and Australia today. North America will have to settle for an uneclipsed full Moon in the night sky.

The Wolf

Lupus, the wolf, is low in the south as darkness falls. The faint constellation represents an ancient king who was punished for trying to trick Zeus, the king of the Greek gods.

Summer Triangle

The Summer Triangle highlights the eastern sky as darkness falls. The triangle's brightest star, Vega, stands highest in the sky. Deneb marks the lower left corner of the triangle, with Altair at the lower right.

Zodiac

Several constellations of the zodiac stretch across the southern sky at nightfall. Leo nose dives toward the western horizon, Virgo stretches to its upper left, Scorpius is due south, and Sagittarius is climbing in the southeast.

Touchdown!

The first astronauts landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969. And this year the Moon is at its greatest separation from Earth for the month on the 50th anniversary of that date, roughly 13,000 miles farther than the average distance of 239,000 miles.

Dog Days

Mid-summer is called the Dog Days because the “dog star,” Sirius, appears near the Sun. Since Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky, ancient skywatchers associated it with especially hot days.

Starry Sky

When darkness falls tonight the sky will come alive with stars: the Summer Triangle up in the east, the scorpion low in the south, and the stars of spring sliding from view in the west.

Outcast Stars

The Big Dipper is in the northwest this evening, with the handle above the bowl. The five stars in the middle of the dipper are all related, but the stars at the tip of the handle and lip of the bowl move through the galaxy independently of the others.

Last-Quarter Moon

The Moon reaches last quarter at 8:18 p.m. CDT. It lines up at a right angle to the line between Earth and Sun, so sunlight illuminates exactly half of the lunar hemisphere that faces our way.

Distant Planet

The constellation Virgo is in the southwest at nightfall. Astronomers recently discovered a big, heavy planet orbiting one of its stars, HR 5183. The system is about 100 light-years away.

Moon and Aldebaran

The Moon will flirt with Aldebaran, the brightest star of Taurus, the next couple of mornings. The star will stand to the lower left of the Moon at first light tomorrow, and about the same distance to the upper right of the Moon the next day.

The Dolphin’s Snout

A pretty binary star system climbs across the southern sky on summer nights. Gamma Delphini represents the snout of Delphinus, the dolphin. The little constellation is in the east as night falls, with the snout on the left and the tail on the right.

Delta Scuti

As night falls, Scutum, the shield, stands above the teapot outline of Sagittarius. One of its stars, Delta Scuti, pulses in and out like a beating heart. That makes the star’s brightness vary by about 20 percent every 4.5 hours.

Messier 11

Messier 11 is a cluster that contains about 3,000 stars packed into a small volume of space. It’s in the southeast this evening, to the upper left of teapot-shaped Sagittarius. Under dark skies, M11 is just visible to the unaided eye.

Quiet Monster

The black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy is above the spout of the teapot formed by the constellation Sagittarius, which is low in the south at nightfall. The black hole is hidden behind thick clouds of dust, so it’s blocked from view.

New Moon

The Moon will be new tonight as it crosses the imaginary line between Earth and Sun. It will be hidden in the Sun’s glare. It will return to view as a thin crescent in the western sky after sunset on Friday.

Hidden Galaxy

The Milky Way, which is the subtle glow of the disk of our home galaxy, arcs across the sky on summer nights. It’s anchored in the south by the constellation Sagittarius, which forms the outline of a teapot.

Bright Jupiter

Jupiter, the solar system’s largest planet, stands about a third of the way up the southern sky at nightfall. It looks like a brilliant star and is the brightest object in the sky for most of the night.

Zodiacal Light

During moonless August mornings, a ghostly pyramid of light sometimes climbs from the eastern horizon. Called the zodiacal light, this pale glow is caused by sunlight reflecting off tiny dust grains in the plane of Earth’s orbit.

M51

M51, a system that consists of a large, bright galaxy and a smaller, fainter companion, is below the star at the end of the Big Dipper’s handle. It’s easily visible through modest telescopes. The dipper is high in the northwest this evening.

Moon and Spica

Spica is the leading light of the constellation Virgo and the 16th-brightest star in the night sky. It dazzles even though it is 250 light-years away. It perches to the lower left of the Moon this evening.

Deneb

Deneb, the brightest star of Cygnus, the swan, stands high in the eastern evening sky at this time of year. It forms the northernmost point of the big, bright Summer Triangle, so it’s easy to pick out.

First-Quarter Moon

The Moon reaches its first-quarter phase today at 12:31 p.m. CDT. It lines up at a right angle to the Sun, so sunlight will illuminate half of the lunar hemisphere that faces Earth.

Morning Mercury

Mercury stands low in the east-northeast as twilight begins to tint the sky the next few mornings. The little planet looks like a fairly bright star, but it is so low that you need a clear horizon to spot it.

Moon and Jupiter

The planet Jupiter, which looks like a brilliant star, stands quite close to the lower right of the Moon this evening. The bright orange star Antares, the heart of the scorpion, is farther along the same line.

Perseid Meteors

The Perseid meteor shower will be at its best the next few nights. This “rain” of comet dust has put on some good shows over the years, but this year’s won’t be one of them. The Moon will overpower all but its brightest “shooting stars.”

Moon and Saturn

The Moon tonight sets its sights on the second-biggest planet in the solar system. Saturn looks like a bright star to the left of the Moon as darkness falls. It will stand even closer above the Moon as they set in the wee hours of the morning.

Twinkles

Stars twinkle because Earth’s atmosphere bends their light. Different colors bend at different angles, so twinkling stars flash different colors. Twinkling also spreads a star’s light, turning it into a fuzzy blob when viewed through a telescope.

Venus on the Move

The planet Venus is passing behind the Sun as seen from Earth, so it is hidden from view. It will return as the brilliant “evening star” in October, with the exact date depending on your latitude.

Full Moon

The Moon will be full tomorrow at 7:29 a.m. CDT, as it lines up opposite the Sun. The full Moon of August is known as the Grain Moon, Green Corn Moon, or Sturgeon Moon.

Sigma Scorpii

The celestial scorpion curves above the southern horizon as night falls, with bright orange Antares as its heart. Faint Sigma Scorpii, to the right of Antares, consists of four stars, at least one of which will end its life as a supernova.

Starry Queen

Cassiopeia circles up across the northeastern sky this evening. The queen’s brightest stars form a letter W, making the constellation easy to find. All five of the stars in that pattern are much bigger, heavier, and brighter than the Sun.

Dog Days

The Dog Days of summer are either in full swing or just wrapping up. That’s because there’s no definition for the dates of the Dog Days. All we can say for sure is that they got their name from Sirius, the Dog Star, the brightest star in the night sky.

Starburst

If you can find an especially dark skywatching site as night falls, you’ll see the Milky Way arcing from teapot-shaped Sagittarius in the south, through the swan high in the east, and over to W-shaped Cassiopeia in the northeast.

Great Square

The Great Square of Pegasus stands low in the eastern sky at nightfall. It spans a large region, and is marked by the bright stars Alpheratz, Scheat, Markab, and Algenib.

Merging Galaxies

Hercules is high in the western sky on August evenings. One of its most interesting features is NGC 6052, a pair of spiral galaxies in the process of merging. Through a telescope, the galaxies look like a pair of spiders locked in mortal combat.

Vega

Vega, one of the closest and brightest stars in the night sky, stands straight overhead as darkness falls and drops to the northwest during the night. The name Vega comes from an Arabic name that means the eagle.

Aquila

Aquila, the eagle, soars high across the sky tonight, partially immersed in the glow of the Milky Way. Look beginning about an hour after sunset, when Aquila and its brightest star, Altair, are halfway up the southeastern sky.

Moon and Aldebaran

Look for the face of the bull at dawn tomorrow, to the right of the Moon. The bright star close to the Moon is Aldebaran, the bull’s eye. It moves through the galaxy alone. The other stars in the V-shaped face are members of the Hyades star cluster.

Scorpion and Archer

Scorpius and Sagittarius are in the south at nightfall. Look for the curving body of the scorpion just above the horizon, with orange Antares in its middle. Sagittarius is to the left of the scorpion, with its brightest stars forming a teapot.

Neptune

Neptune, the Sun’s most remote major planet, is nearing its best showing of the year. It climbs into view in early evening, at the western edge of Aquarius. It’s so faint, though, that you need a telescope to see it.

Solar Twin

18 Scorpii, a star that is a near twin to the Sun, stands high in the southwest at nightfall, far above Antares, the heart of the scorpion. 18 Scorpii is a few degrees hotter than the Sun and a little bit brighter and more massive.

Moon in the Beehive

The Moon will pass through a “beehive” early tomorrow. It will cross in front of M44, the Beehive star cluster, in Cancer, the crab. They will be low in the eastern sky at first light. Binoculars will reveal several of the cluster’s stars.

Big Dipper

The Big Dipper hangs in the northwest this evening, with its handle up high and its bowl below it, as though it were ready to take a dip from a celestial stream.

Stellar Nurseries

A huge stellar nursery climbs high across the sky at this time of year. It’s near Deneb, the bright star that marks the tail of Cygnus, the swan. It includes two bright gas clouds, the North America Nebula and Pelican Nebula, separated by a dark cloud.

Veil Nebula

The Veil Nebula is in the constellation Cygnus, which is high in the east as darkness falls. The nebula is not far from the tip of one of the swan’s wings. It is the aftermath of a supernova. Gas from the explosion is continuing to expand into space.

First to Saturn

The sparse Aurigid meteor shower should be at its peak tonight. The shower produces only a few “shooting stars.” The Moon is new, though, so each one should shine through the darkness.

Moon and Spica

Spica, the leading light of the constellation Virgo, stands well to the left or lower left of the Moon as evening twilight fades away. The star soon will disappear in the Sun’s glare.

Disappearing Acts

Two close neighbors are hiding in the sunlight right now. Mars is going first, passing behind the Sun today. Mercury will follow it tomorrow. Both will return to view next month: Mars in the dawn sky and Mercury in the evening sky.

Pegasus

The Great Square of Pegasus stands atop the eastern horizon a couple of hours after sunset. The square represents the body of Pegasus, the flying horse. It is turned at an angle as it rises, so it looks more like a diamond than a square.

Moon and Companions

Jupiter, the biggest planet in the solar system, stands well to the left of the Moon at nightfall. It is the brightest object in the sky at that time other than the Moon. The star Antares, the heart of the scorpion, is closer to the lower left of the Moon.

Moon and Jupiter

The giant planet Jupiter is easy to spot tonight. It looks like a brilliant star — brighter than any other star or planet that’s visible right now. And it stands quite close to the first-quarter Moon.

Neptune at Opposition

Neptune is at its best for the year. The planet will line up opposite the Sun next week, so it rises at sunset and stays in view all night. It’s brightest for the year, too. You need binoculars or a telescope to spot it, near the western edge of Aquarius.

Moon and Saturn

The ringed planet Saturn poses to the left of the Moon tonight. It looks like a bright golden star. The Moon will move to the other side of Saturn by tomorrow evening.

Moon and Saturn II

Look for Saturn to the right of the Moon tonight, shining like a bright star. Strong binoculars or a telescope will reveal its biggest moon, Titan, which looks like a tiny star near the giant planet.

Schedar

Cassiopeia is a third of the way up the northeastern sky as night falls. Its stars form a letter “W.” The brightest star, Schedar, is at the bottom right point of the W. It is a young star, but so massive that it’s already nearing its end.

Neptune Opposition II

Neptune, the most distant of the Sun’s major planets, is at opposition, as it lines in the opposite direction from the Sun. It is in the sky all night and shines brightest for the year, although you still need optical aid to pick it out.

M15

The globular cluster M15 arcs across the sky this evening. It is a family of more than a hundred thousand stars packed into a tight ball. M15 is in the east-southeast at nightfall, well to the upper right of the Great Square of Pegasus.

Messier 39

The star cluster Messier 39 stands high in the northeast at nightfall, to the lower left of Deneb, the bright star that marks the tail of Cygnus, the swan. A good pair of binoculars will allow you to see the entire cluster in a single view.

Harvest Moon

One of the most popular astronomical events of the year happens tonight: the Harvest Moon. It is the full Moon closest to the autumnal equinox, on September 23rd. The time of the full Moon is near midnight, when the Moon lines up opposite the Sun.

Sirius and Procyon

The stars Sirius and Procyon are in the east and southeast at first light. Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. Procyon is to the upper left. The name Procyon means “before the dog,” meaning it precedes Sirius, the Dog Star, into the sky.

Lacerta

Lacerta, the lizard, is high in the east-northeast at nightfall, outlined by a few puny stars. A decade ago, however, one of its stars produced the most powerful flare seen to that time. It was thousands of times stronger than any flare seen from the Sun.

BL Lacertae

BL Lacertae, a galaxy a billion light-years away, is firing a beam of energy in our direction — a “jet” of particles powered by a supermassive black hole. The galaxy is in the faint constellation Lacerta, which is in the northeast at nightfall.

Cepheus

Cepheus, the king, is a faint constellation not far from the Pole Star, Polaris. Look for it high in the north this evening. Its brightest stars look like a child’s drawing of a house, with a box of stars topped by a tall triangle.

Big Bear

The Big Dipper stands in the northwest this evening. The bowl is roughly parallel to the horizon and the handle extends skyward. The dipper is part of Ursa Major, the big bear. The bowl represents the bear’s rump and the handle is its tail.

Moon and Aldebaran

A bright star follows the Moon across the sky tonight. That seems appropriate, since its name, Aldebaran, means “the Follower.” The star will stand to the lower left of the Moon as they climb into view, around midnight, and closer to the Moon at dawn.

Big Galaxy

If you have nice, dark skies, look for the Milky Way crossing the sky this evening. The subtle glow of its myriad stars arcs high across the sky as darkness falls, and drops down the western sky later on.

Last-Quarter Moon

The Moon is at last quarter tonight. It is three-quarters of the way through its monthly cycle of phases, so it lines up at a right angle to the Earth-Sun line. At that angle, sunlight illuminates half of the lunar hemisphere that faces our way.

Autumnal Equinox

Day and night will be just about equal the next few days for the entire world. That’s because fall arrives in the northern hemisphere late tonight at the September equinox, which is the moment the Sun crosses the equator from north to south.

Celestial Sea

Even if you have cloudless skies this evening, a wet view awaits you — a swath of constellations related to water. They’re known as the “celestial sea.” They stretch across the southeast in early evening, and across the entire southern sky by midnight.

Vulpecula

A hard-to-see fox trots high across the sky on autumn evenings: the constellation Vulpecula. It is small and faint. But it is near the middle of the Summer Triangle, which is outlined by three bright stars.

Dumbbell Nebula

The Dumbbell Nebula, which represents the last gasp of a dying star, is in Vulpecula, the fox. The constellation is high overhead at nightfall. The nebula is about halfway between Deneb and Altair, the stars that mark one side of the Summer Triangle.

Milky Way, Dolphin

The Milky Way cuts the sky in half on autumn evenings. In the southeast, look for Delphinus, the dolphin. It is a distinctive little constellation swimming below the Milky Way, just to the left of Altair, the brightest star in Aquila, the eagle.

Winter Preview

You can already get a preview of the evening skies of winter in the hours before sunrise. Highlights include the constellations Orion and Gemini, along with Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, all of which are high in the sky at first light.

Venus Returns

Venus is trying to climb into view in the evening sky. The planet is very low in the west at sunset and sets well before twilight fades. It’s the brightest object in the sky other than the Sun and Moon, though, so it’s worth a try.

Moon and Venus

The planet Venus will stand to the lower right of the Moon shortly after sunset tonight, looking like a bright star just above the horizon. Venus will climb into better view by late next month, when it will reign as the “evening star.”

Dawn Hunter

Orion is in the south at dawn. It’s identified by the hunter’s “belt” of three fairly stars. The brightest stars in the constellation flank the belt: orange Betelgeuse to the upper left, and blue-white Rigel to the lower right.

Balanced Moon

The Moon is passing through Libra, the balance scales, early this evening. Antares, the heart of the scorpion, stands to the left of the Moon, with the brilliant planet Jupiter farther to the upper left of the Moon.

Moon and Companions

The Moon has a couple of impressive companions this evening. The brilliant planet Jupiter is to the upper left of the Moon as night falls, with Antares, the brightest star of the scorpion, closer to the lower left.

Moon and Jupiter

Jupiter shines quite close to the Moon tonight. The solar system’s largest planet looks like a brilliant star, and stands to the lower right of the Moon as darkness falls

Lyra

yra, the harp, stands high overhead as night falls, marked by its leading light, Vega, one of the brightest stars in the night sky. The constellation slides down the western sky later on.

Moon and Saturn

The Moon slides down the southwestern sky this evening. It’s accompanied by Saturn, the second-biggest planet in the solar system. Saturn looks like a bright star to the right of the Moon.

Circumpolar Stars

The Big Dipper is low in the northwest at nightfall, and in the northeast at first light tomorrow. And W-shaped Cassiopeia is just the opposite -- in the northeast at nightfall, and northwest at first light.

Fomalhaut

Fomalhaut, the “autumn star,” is low in the southeast as night falls. It stays low in the sky as it arcs across the south during the night. It’s the only bright star in its region of the sky, though, so it’s easy to pick out.

Summer Solstice

Summer arrives today in the northern hemisphere of Mars. The planet is just peeking into view in the dawn sky. It’s quite low in the east, so it’s hard to spot. It climbs higher each day, though, so it will be easier to see in a couple of weeks.

Aquarius

Autumn is prime viewing time for Aquarius, the water bearer. One of the 12 constellations of the zodiac, it appears low in the southeast at sunset and is visible throughout the night.

Evening Stars

A handful of bright stars fills the evening sky. Around 10 p.m., yellow Capella is low in the northeast, while bright white Fomalhaut is in the south. In the west, Deneb, Vega, and Altair form the Summer Triangle.

The Plow

Ursa Major hunkers low in the north on autumn evenings. Americans see its brightest stars as the Big Dipper. In England, though, these stars are seen as a plow. October is a good time to visualize a plow because it stands just above the horizon.

Altair

Altair, one of the members of the Summer Triangle, stands high in the south as darkness falls and drops down the western sky during the night. Altair is a couple of times wider and heavier than the Sun, so it’s hotter and brighter than the Sun.

Hunter’s Moon

Tonight is the night of the Hunter’s Moon. It’s the full Moon after the Harvest Moon, which appeared in September. Despite what many think, though, the Harvest and Hunter’s Moons aren’t any bigger and brighter than any other full Moons.

Hamal

The brightest star in Aries, the ram, sweeps across the eastern evening sky this month. Hamal is an orange-giant star about 75 light-years away. It is low in the east early this evening, to the upper left of the Moon.

Sending a Message

A group of scientists and musicians recently sent messages to GJ 273, a star system that’s about 12 light-years away. It’s near Procyon, the brightest star of Canis Minor, the little dog, which is high in the south-southeast at first light.

Capella

Capella, one of the brightest stars in the night, is in view in the northeast by mid-evening, far to the left of the Moon. It consists of two widely separated pairs of stars. One pair is bright, but the other is too faint to see without a telescope.

Moon and Aldebaran

Aldebaran, the eye of the bull, stands quite near the Moon tonight. The bright orange star will be close to the right of the Moon as they climb into good view, around 10 p.m., and a little farther below the Moon at dawn tomorrow.

Deneb Algedi

Capricornus, the sea goat, is in the south at nightfall. Its brightest stars form a wide triangle, with the star Deneb Algedi at the left point. Its name means “tail of the kid,” which references its position at the tail of the sea goat.

Orionid Meteors

Earth is running into a celestial sandstorm — a cloud of dust from Halley’s Comet. That produces the Orionid meteor shower. Unfortunately, though, the Moon is in the way, so only the brightest of the “shooting stars” will shine through.

Lingering Summer

A pair of astronomical markers of the summer season is still in view. As twilight begins to fade, look toward the southwest for the sinuous outline of Scorpius, the scorpion, with teapot-shaped Sagittarius to its upper left.

Last-Quarter Moon

The Moon is at last-quarter today. It lines up at a right angle to the line between Earth and the Sun, so sunlight illuminates half of the hemisphere that faces our way. The Moon is now three-fourths of the way through its month-long cycle of phases.

Moon and Regulus

Look for the Moon high in the sky at first light tomorrow. The bright star Regulus, which represents the heart of Leo, the lion, will stand below it.

AU Microscopii

The faint constellation Microscopium is low in the south at nightfall. One of its members, AU Microscopium, is a newborn red-dwarf star. The faint light is encircled by a disk of dust that could provide the raw materials for making planets.

Georgian Stars

Sandwiched between the big constellations Taurus, Cetus, and Eridanus is a small, extinct constellation that honored England’s King George II. Its brightest star, known today as Omicron 2 Eridani, is really three stars bound by gravity.

Moon and Mars

Mars is creeping into view in the early morning. It’s quite low in the east as twilight begins to paint the sky and looks like a moderately bright star. It will be easier to pick out tomorrow because it will stand just below the crescent Moon.

Time Travel

The star Aldebaran is low in the east by 10 p.m. It’s 65 light-years away, so the light we see from Aldebaran tonight left the star 65 years ago. The Pleiades star cluster is above Aldebaran. We see it as it looked near the start of the 17th century.

Galactic Twin

One of autumn’s sky highlights is the Andromeda Galaxy. It’s the most distant object that’s readily visible to the unaided eye -- about 2.5 million light-years away. It is in the east-northeast at nightfall and looks like a small, fuzzy patch of light.

Uranus at Opposition

The giant planet Uranus is at opposition. It rises around sunset and remains in the sky all night. Under a dark sky, it’s at the edge of naked-eye visibility. Most viewers, however, will need binoculars to pick it out, near the western corner of Aries.

Moon and Venus

Venus is continuing its slow return to view as the “evening star.” It stands to the lower right of the Moon about 30 minutes after sunset. The planet is quite low in the sky, though, so any obstructions along the horizon will block it from view.

Moon and Jupiter

Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, pairs up with the Moon this evening. The planet looks like like a brilliant star, close to the upper left of the Moon as night falls.

Halloween

A demon star will look down on trick-or-treaters tonight. It is called Algol, from the Arabic name Ras al Ghul, which means “head of the demon.” It is in the constellation Perseus, which climbs the eastern sky during the evening hours.

Starry Arms

Some of the stars in one of the Milky Way Galaxy’s spiral arms climb high overhead this evening. It is known as the Perseus Arm because it snakes through Perseus and Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia looks like an M or W, with Perseus below it in early evening.

Falling Back

Most of the United States “falls back” tonight as Daylight Saving Time comes to an end. The Sun will set an hour earlier on our clocks, so we will see less evening sunlight. The switch takes place at 2 a.m. Sunday local time.

First-Quarter Moon

The Moon will reach first quarter early tomorrow, indicating that it is one-quarter of the way through its month-long cycle of phases. The Moon will rise in early afternoon and stand in the south at nightfall.

Pegasus

Pegasus, the flying horse, gallops across the sky tonight. The constellation’s most prominent feature is the Great Square — four relatively bright stars that stand high in the east as darkness falls.

California Nebula

The constellation Perseus is in the northeast in mid evening. A cloud of gas known as the California Nebula stands near its southern tip. The nebula, which is just visible through small telescopes, resembles the outline of California.

Pleiades Rising

The tiny dipper-shaped Pleiades star cluster climbs into good view on November nights. It is in the east in mid-evening, high in the sky around midnight, and low in the west at dawn.

Aquarius

Aquarius, one of the constellations of the zodiac, stretches from south to southeast at nightfall, with its brightest stars to the right of the Moon. The constellation represents a young man or boy pouring water from a jug.

Mercury Transit

The planet Mercury will crawl across the face of the Sun on Monday. Its passage will be visible across all of the United States except most of Alaska. Don’t look at it directly, though. Instead, use eclipse glasses or watch it online.

Chi Cygni

Chi Cygni, a star that pulses in and out like a beating heart, aligns near the neck of Cygnus, the swan, which stands high overhead at nightfall. The pulsations cause Chi Cygni’s size and brightness to change dramatically.

Morning Treat

Tomorrow morning’s sky offers a conjunction between Mars and Spica, the brightest star of the constellation Virgo. They will be low in the east-southeast during early twilight. Spica is the brighter of the two, with orange Mars close to the left.

Transits

Mercury, the innermost planet, will pass across the face of the Sun today. All or most of the transit will be visible from most of the United States. Don’t look at the Sun directly, though. You need eye protection to gaze upon this rare alignment.

Gemini Twins

Gemini is known for its brightest stars, Pollux and Castor. They mark the heads of the mythological twins. The stars climb into view, in the east-northeast, by about 10 o’clock. Castor stands a bit above its brighter “twin.”

Moon and Aldebaran

The just-past-full Moon has a close, bright companion tonight: the star Aldebaran, which represents the eye of the bull. They are in view all night.

Summer Reminder

One of the signature star patterns of summer, the Summer Triangle, remains in fine view. It is high in the west at nightfall. The brightest star in the triangle is Vega, in the constellation Lyra.

Leonid Meteors

A minor dust storm will sweep into Earth’s upper atmosphere the next few nights, producing a smattering of Leonid meteors. But the Moon will overpower the show. Only the brightest “shooting stars” will shine through the moonglow.

Triangulum

The constellation Triangulum is a skinny triangle wedged between four bigger constellations, including Andromeda the princess and Perseus the hero. If you have a dark sky, look for Triangulum well up in the east at nightfall. Its wedge aims to the right.

Triangulum Galaxy

Under especially clear, dark skies, the galaxy M33 is just visible to the naked eye. At three million light-years, it is one of the farthest objects visible to the eye alone. As night falls, it’s above the stars that outline the constellation Triangulum.

Moon and Regulus

Look for the Moon high in the sky at first light tomorrow. Regulus, the bright star that marks the heart of Leo, the lion, will stand to the lower left of the Moon.

Last-Quarter Moon

The last-quarter Moon rises around midnight tonight and will stand high in the sky at first light tomorrow. Regulus, the brightest star of Leo, will be close to it.

Venus and Jupiter

Venus and Jupiter, the brightest points of light in the night sky, are quite close together, low in the southwest as the Sun sets. Venus is the brighter light, with Jupiter a little to the upper left of Venus this evening.

The Whale’s Tail

The star marks the tail of Cetus, the whale or sea monster, is in the southeast at nightfall, to the upper left of the only bright star in that region of the sky, Fomalhaut. Deneb Kaitos is the next-brightest star around, so it’s easy to pick out.

Moon and Spica

Spica, a star system with an explosive future, will stand to the lower right of the Moon early tomorrow. One of the system’s two known stars is massive enough to end its life as a supernova. Spica is the brightest star of the constellation Virgo.

Moon, Mars, Mercury

Look for the Moon, Mars, and Mercury before and during dawn the next couple of days. Mars will stand close to the right of the Moon tomorrow, with Mercury farther below the Moon. The Moon will perch below Mercury on Monday morning.

More Venus and Jupiter

The planets Jupiter and Venus are teaming up in the evening sky. Venus is the brilliant Evening Star. Fainter Jupiter is quite close to it for the next few nights.

Orion Rising

Orion, one of the most conspicuous constellations of winter, is climbing into evening view. Look for Orion’s Belt, a short line of three bright stars standing almost straight up from the southeastern horizon in mid-evening.

New Moon

The Moon is new today at 9:06 a.m. CST. It crosses the imaginary line between Earth and Sun, moving from morning sky to evening sky as it does so. It will return to view as a thin crescent, low in the southwest at sunset, on Wednesday or Thursday.

Aurorae

Fall and winter are the best times for viewing the aurorae, or northern lights — shimmering curtains of light in the night sky. They form when charged particles from the Sun strike atoms and molecules far above Earth’s surface, causing them to glow.

Moon and Planets

The three brightest objects in the night sky — the Moon and the planets Venus and Jupiter — congregate low in the sky shortly after sunset. Venus is the brighter planet, quite close to the Moon. Jupiter is a little lower, so it’s tougher to spot.

Phoenix

The southern constellation Phoenix, which is named for the mythological bird that was reborn from its own ashes, just peeks above the southern horizon this evening from most of the United States.

Adopted Cluster

Messier 30, a star cluster from another galaxy, is low in the south-southwest at nightfall. It’s near the outline of Capricornus, which is to the upper left of the Moon. Through binoculars, the cluster looks like a hazy smudge of light.

The Fox

Vulpecula, the fox, is in the west as night falls. The constellation is between the stars Deneb and Altair, the two points that form the top side of the bright Summer Triangle.

Sun in Ophiuchus

The Sun is entering Ophiuchus the serpent-bearer, the thirteenth constellation of the zodiac. Our star will remain within its boundaries for about two more weeks.

Earliest Sunset

The shortest day of the year is the winter solstice, which is almost three weeks away. Yet the Sun is already setting earliest for the year for most of the U.S. Southern states are seeing the earliest sunsets now, with the north following a week or two later.

Pegasus

Gamma Cephei is a future North Star. A thousand years from now, it will be closer to the north celestial pole than Polaris, the current North Star. You can find it standing directly above Polaris at nightfall at this time of year.

Betelgeuse

Betelgeuse, the bright orange star that marks the shoulder of Orion, the hunter, is in the east on December evenings. The supergiant star is at least 300 times wider than the Sun and 20 times more massive, and emits 100,000 times as much energy.

51 Pegasi

Under dark skies, the star 51 Pegasi is just visible to the unaided eye, high in the southwest at nightfall this month. It was the first Sun-like star with a confirmed planet. The planet’s discoverers earned this year’s Nobel Prize in Physis.

Pollux

Pollux, the brightest star of Gemini, rises in the east-northeast in mid-evening, below its “twin,” Castor. Pollux is almost twice as massive as the Sun. Although it’s only one-fifth of the Sun’s age, it’s already finished its “normal” lifetime.

Eridanus

Eridanus, the river, meanders through the southern evening sky. It is one of the largest constellations, stretching almost 60 degrees from north to south. Its northern end is near Rigel, the brightest star in Orion.

Sun Moves

As twilight fades away, the zodiac arcs high across the southern sky. It’s a trail of constellations with one thing in common: The Sun traverses their borders, so it passes through each of those constellations during the year.

Moon and Aldebaran

Aldebaran, the eye of Taurus, the bull, stands close to the Moon at nightfall and even closer to the Moon in the wee hours of the morning. Blocking the bright Moon with your hand will help you discern the star’s orange color.

Long-Night Moon

December’s full Moon is known by several names, including Cold Moon and Moon Before Yule. It’s also known as the Long-Night Moon because the Moon is in view for a longer time than any other full Moon of the year.

Venus and Saturn

The planet Saturn is about to disappear in the evening twilight. It’s easy to spot over the next few nights, though, because it’s near Venus, the “evening star.” They are quite low in the southwest shortly after sunset.

Geminid Meteors

The Geminid meteor shower is expected to be at its best tonight. Unfortunately, though, the Moon is just a couple of days past full. Its glare will overpower all but the brightest of the “shooting stars.”

Sirius Rising

Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, rises about 9 p.m. and remains visible throughout the night. It twinkles dramatically as it climbs into view. Sirius is one of our closest stellar neighbors, at a distance of 8.6 light-years.

Capella

The bright yellow-orange star Capella stands about a quarter of the way up the northeastern sky at nightfall. It’s the leading light of Auriga the charioteer. Capella links with the constellation’s other major stars to form a hexagon.

Moon and Regulus

Regulus, the bright star that marks the heart of the constellation Leo, the lion, stands close to the right of the Moon as they climb into good view late this evening.

Saturnalia

Today is the beginning of Saturnalia, an ancient Roman festival. The early Christian church may have adopted December 25 as the date for Christmas in part to counteract the effects of Saturnalia and other pagan festivals.

Delta Cephei

Delta Cephei, one of the brighter stars in Cepheus, the king, which is high in the north at nightfall, is about 900 light-years from us. Knowing that range is important because the star is like a mile-marker. Its distance helps measure the scale of the universe.

Moon and Spica

Spica will stand below the Moon at first light tomorrow and to the right of the Moon the next day. The star is massive enough to end its life as a supernova. When it explodes, it will expel a bounty of elements forged in its core into space.

Winter Solstice

The Sun is making itself scarce in the northern hemisphere right now. That’s because tomorrow night marks the winter solstice, so the next couple of days are the shortest of the year — the days with the shortest interval between sunrise and sunset.

Moon and Mars

The planet Mars is in good view the next couple of mornings. It looks like a modest orange star, low in the southeast at first light. It stands below the Moon tomorrow, and to the upper right of the Moon on Monday.

Hunter Arrives

Orion strides across the southern sky this evening. The hunter climbs into good view in the east and southeast shortly after nightfall. His brightest star, Rigel, stands to the right of his three-star belt.

Cursa

The star Cursa stands just above Orion’s foot, bright blue-white Rigel, in early evening. Cursa represents a footstool for Orion, a giant hunter who strides across the southern sky on winter nights.

Orion Nebula

Stellar nurseries abound in December’s evening skies. The most prominent is the Orion Nebula. It is a hazy patch of light to the right of Orion’s Belt, a short line of three stars standing up from the eastern horizon in early to mid evening.

Annular Eclipse

From the eastern hemisphere, the Moon will pass directly across the face of the Sun tomorrow. Along a narrow path, that wll create a brilliant “ring of fire” known as an annular eclipse. North America will miss out on the light show, though.

Getting Bigger

The Northern Cross stands in the northwest this evening, with the shaft aiming roughly toward the horizon. If you have clear, dark skies, you might see that the cross is embedded in the glow of the Milky Way, which outlines the disk of our home galaxy.

On the Edge

Orion is entering prime time. The constellation is in good view in the eastern sky by about 7 p.m. Its brilliant stars have given their name to one of the galaxy’s spiral arms. Our solar system sits on the inner edge of the Orion Arm.

Moon and Venus

Venus, the brilliant “evening star,” is climbing higher into the sky. It’s just above the crescent Moon tonight and farther to the lower right of the Moon tomorrow night.

El Nath

El Nath is the second-brightest member of the star patterns that outline Taurus, the bull, and Auriga the charioteer. Officially, the star belongs to Taurus. “El Nath” means “the butting one” — a reference to the star’s spot at the tip of the bull’s horn.

M34

The star cluster M34 sits on the border between the constellations Perseus and Andromeda. It is high overhead during the evening, between two fairly bright stars. Under a clear, dark sky, M34 is barely visible as a fuzzy patch of light.

New Year’s Eve

Phoenix, the mythical bird that represents rebirth, stands just above the southeastern horizon at sunset and drops from view by midnight for skywatchers in the southern United States. The constellation’s brightest star, Ankaa, is at its northern tip.

A New Year

Today marks the beginning of a new year in the western calendar. The basic calendar was created by an astronomer, Sisogenes, at the order of Julius Caesar. The calendar was instituted in 46 B.C. and has been tweaked only once since then.

First Quarter

The Moon reaches first quarter at 10:45 p.m. CST tonight. At first quarter, sunlight illuminates exactly half of the Moon’s visible disk. That fraction will grow every day until full Moon, on January 10.

Quadrantid Meteors

The Quadrantid meteor shower is at its best tonight. It typically reaches peak rates of about 100 “shooting stars” per hour. But the peak typically lasts no more than a couple of hours, so it’s a tough shower to watch.

Land of the Supergiants

Orion is one of the more prominent constellations. That’s because the seven stars that outline the hunter's body are all current or future supergiants, which are the biggest, brightest, and heaviest of all stars.

Close to the Sun

Earth reaches a point in its orbit today called perihelion, where it stands closest to the Sun for the year. Our planet is about 1.5 million miles closer to the Sun than the average distance.

Milky Way

The Milky Way arches high overhead tonight, from cross-shaped Cygnus in the northwest, to Perseus and Cassiopeia overhead, to near the bright star Sirius in the southeast. It is the combined glow of millions of stars in the disk of our home galaxy.

Moon and Aldebaran

Aldebaran, the bright eye of Taurus, the bull, is close to the right of the Moon this evening. Astronomers have plotted five stars that appear close to Aldebaran. Most of the stars aren’t related to Aldebaran, though, and perhaps none of them are.

Zeta Tauri

The Moon pays a call on one of the horns of the bull tonight. As night falls, the star Zeta Tauri is quite close to the right or upper right of the Moon. It’s so close that you might need to blot out the Moon with your hand to see it.

Mars and Antares

Mars and Antares are in the southeast an hour or two before sunrise tomorrow, with the planet Mars above the star Antares by less than the width of your fist held at arm’s length. Both bodies look like moderately bright orange stars.

Penumbral Eclipse

A minor lunar eclipse takes place today. It occurs as the Moon passes through Earth’s faint outer shadow. The shading is so faint that most people won’t notice it. It will be visible mainly from the eastern hemisphere.

Hyades

Many stars are members of clusters, bound together by their gravity. The closest cluster is the Hyades, a collection of about 100 stars. Together, they form the wedge-shaped face of the bull, which stands high overhead this evening.

Moon and Regulus

Look for the Moon climbing into good view this evening. It has a bright companion: Regulus, the brightest star of the lion. It will be below the Moon as they climb into view, and closer to the Moon at first light tomorrow.

Saturn Conjunction

The planet Saturn is in conjunction today as it passes “behind” the Sun as seen from Earth. It will return to view, in the dawn sky, in a few weeks.

Winter Summer Triangle

The Summer Triangle, formed by the brilliant stars Deneb, Vega, and Altair, shines in the wintertime as well. In January it lights up the northwestern sky in early evening, then reappears in the northeast before sunrise.

Epsilon Geminorum

Epsilon Geminorum, one of the brighter stars of the constellation Gemini, is in the east in early evening. The star is about 150 times the Sun’s diameter, so it’s visible to the unaided eye even though it is about 900 light-years from Earth.

Last-Quarter Moon

The Moon will reach last quarter at 6:58 a.m. CST tomorrow. It will stand at a right angle to the line between Earth and the Sun, so sunlight will illuminate half of the visible lunar surface.

Moon and Spica

Spica, the brightest star of Virgo, will stand well to the right of the Moon at first light tomorrow. Spica consists of two stars that are gravitationally bound to each other. The surfaces of the two stars are only a few million miles apart.

Dog Stars

A pair of dogs trots across the night skies of winter: Sirius, the Dog Star, and Procyon, the little dog star. The names indicate that they’re the brightest stars of the constellations Canis Major, the big dog, and Canis Minor, the little dog.

Moon and Companions

The crescent Moon has two colorful companions the next couple of mornings: the planet Mars and the star Antares. Both look orange. Mars’s color is caused by iron-rich dust on its surface. Antares is colored by the temperature of the gas at its surface.

Rigel

Rigel is not just one of the brightest stars visible in the night sky. It’s also one of the brightest stars in the galaxy, shining more than 100,000 times brighter than the Sun. Rigel is in the southeast as night falls, to the right of Orion’s Belt.

Moon and Jupiter

The giant planet Jupiter is just moving into view in the morning sky now. Tomorrow, look for it to the lower left of the crescent Moon in early twilight. It will climb higher over the coming weeks, making it easier to see.

Sky Cats

Three cats pad across the sky tonight. One is bright and fairly easy to find, but the others are faint. The brightest is Leo, the lion. Just to Leo’s north is Leo Minor, the little lion. The third cat, the lynx, stretches overhead from the lions.

Familiar Sights

The eastern sky offers some well-known sights on winter evenings. By around 9 o’clock tonight, for example, Leo is springing skyward in the east, with the Big Dipper standing on its handle in the northeast.

Fornax

Fornax, the furnace, is named for a piece of lab equipment used by chemists of the 18th century. From the U.S. it’s best seen from the southern states. It stands low above the southern horizon as night falls.

Monoceros

With a name that means “the unicorn,” you might expect the constellation Monoceros to have an interesting story. Instead, it was created mainly to fill in a dark region near bright Orion the hunter, which is in the southeast in early evening.

Unicorn Clouds

The Rosette Nebula, named for its resemblance to a red rose, is a stellar nursery more than 100 light-years across. It’s visible through telescopes in Monoceros, the unicorn, which is below bright Orion this evening.

Moon and Venus

The crescent Moon is in the southwest early this evening. It pairs up with Venus, the brilliant “evening star,” creating a beautiful scene for a winter’s night.

More Moon and Venus

Venus, the dazzling “evening star,” stands to the lower right of the Moon this evening. Venus is our closest planetary neighbor, which is one reason it looks so bright.

Hydra

Hydra, the water snake, wriggles into the evening sky this month. Its brightest star, Alphard, climbs into view in the east-southeast by around 9 p.m. It is not very bright, but it’s in a barren region of the sky, so it’s not hard to find.

Horsehead

Orion the hunter climbs high across the southern sky tonight. Its most prominent feature is its “belt” of three bright stars. Not far from the belt is a dark cloud that, through a telescope, looks like the knight in a chess game: the Horsehead Nebula.

Adhara

Sirius, the brightest true star in the night sky, is low in the southeast at nightfall. It is the leading light of Canis Major. The big dog’s second-brightest star, Adhara, perches below it, forming one of the dog’s legs.

Celebrating Spring

In many cultures, the seasons changed on days that fell half way between a solstice and an equinox, known as cross-quarter days. One of those days was marked in early February. In Scotland and Ireland it came around February 1st and was known as Imbolc.

Dubhe

The Big Dipper is in the northeast as darkness falls on February nights. It rotates high above the North Star later on. It’s led by Dubhe, the star at the lip of the dipper’s bowl. Dubhe consists of four stars. The brightest is a stellar giant.

Moon and Aldebaran

Aldebaran, the bright orange eye of the bull, stands close to the Moon at nightfall. Aldebaran is nearing the end of its life. It has puffed up to many times the size of the Sun, causing its outer layers to cool and brighten.

Earth’s Shadow

Shortly after sunset on any evening, look eastward to see Earth’s own shadow climbing into view. In a clear sky it forms a dark blue band below a band of bright pink or orange. The shadow climbs higher as the twilight fades.

Polaris

The North Star, Polaris, can be tough to find. One trick is to line up the stars that form the outer edge of the bowl of the Big Dipper. Follow that line up and away from the bowl to the next moderately bright star.

Double Cluster

One of the jewels of the winter Milky Way stands high in the northwest this evening. It’s actually two jewels: a pair of star clusters known as the Double Cluster. They represent the jeweled handle of the sword of Perseus, the hero.

Moon and Twins

Pollux and Castor, the twins of Gemini, line up almost directly above the Moon at nightfall. Pollux is closer to the Moon and is slightly brighter than Castor.

Evening Mercury

The planets Venus and Mercury are in the west as night falls. Venus is the “evening star,” so it’s easy to pick out. Smaller Mercury is much harder to see. It looks like a moderately bright star, but it’s much lower in the sky than Venus is.

Moon and Regulus

Regulus, the brightest star of the constellation Leo, is close to the right of the just-past-full Moon this evening and stays close throughout the night.

Cetus

Cetus, the whale or sea monster, stands low in the southwest as night falls. The constellation is faint. But its brightest star, Diphda, is fairly easy to pick out, to the lower left of Venus, the “evening star.”

Crab Pulsar

M1, the Crab Nebula, stands near the tip of one of the bull’s horns, which is high in the sky this evening. You need a good telescope to see the nebula. It is the expanding debris from an exploded star. The star’s dead core sits at the nebula’s heart.

Moon and Spica

Spica, the brightest star of the constellation Virgo, will stand below the Moon at first light tomorrow, and farther to the lower right of the Moon on Friday.

Colorful Giants

Two bright yellow-orange stars that are nearing the ends of their lives parade across the night sky. Capella, in Auriga, the charioteer, is high in the northeast at nightfall. Arcturus, in Bootes, the herdsman, rises around 10 p.m.

Crimson Star

One of the reddest stars in the galaxy bounds across the south on February evenings. It’s in Lepus, the hare. The star’s main name is R Leporis. But it’s better known as Hind’s Crimson Star, after the astronomer who discovered it, in the 19th century.

Argo Navis

The constellation Argo Navis represented the ship that carried Jason and the Argonauts on their quest to capture the golden fleece. In 1752, though, it was split into three constellations: Vela, the sails; Carina, the keel; and Puppis, the poop deck.

Rotten Egg Nebula

A feature of the constellation Puppis is giving astronomers a chance to watch the final years of a dying star. The star is at the center of a cloud of gas and dust. It contains a lot of sulfur, so it’s known as the Rotten Egg Nebula.

Moon and Mars

Mars will briefly disappear early tomorrow, hidden behind the Moon. The view will be best from the Mountain Time zone, where the Moon will cover Mars by around 4:45 a.m. The east will miss out because the Sun will be rising by the time Mars vanishes.

Moon and Jupiter

The crescent Moon takes aim at the planet Jupiter, the giant of the solar system, early tomorrow. They will be low in the southeast at first light. Jupiter looks like a brilliant star.

Moon and Saturn

The planet Saturn is quite low in the southeast at first light and looks like a bright star. Tomorrow it will stand near the crescent Moon. The planets Jupiter and Mars will line up to their upper right.

Variable Stars

Two variable stars are in view in winter’s evening sky. Algol, which consists of two stars that stage mutual eclipses, is in the west, in Perseus. Polaris, the North Star, pulses in and out like a beating heart. It stands where it always is, due north.

Navi

The star Navi forms the middle point of W-shaped Cassiopeia, which is in the northwest this evening. The name comes from Ivan “Gus” Grissom. He and his Apollo 1 crewmates named stars for themselves as a joke. When they died in a fire, the names stuck.

Faint Cats

Two faint cats pad across the eastern evening sky: Lynx and Leo Minor, the little lion. Leo Minor abuts Leo, the big lion, with Lynx above Leo Minor. Lynx was named not for its resemblance to the cat, but because you need the eyes of a lynx to see its stars.

The Snake’s Head

Five stars in a dark region of the sky were all named Minazal, which means “belonging to the uninhabited spot.” At the time they were named, they didn’t belong to any constellation. On modern charts, they form the head of Hydra, the water snake.

Eridanus

Eridanus, the river, meanders through the evening sky at this time of year. The constellation winds across a large section of the southwestern sky. Ancient Egyptians considered this star pattern a heavenly version of the Nile.

Rivals

Orion is part of a big stellar story. Two of his hunting dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor, follow him across the sky, pursuing Lepus, the rabbit, below Orion’s feet. The hunter was killed by the scorpion, which is halfway around the sky from Orion.

NGC 246

NGC 246, the Skull Nebula, is about 1,600 light-years away. At nightfall it’s just above the horizon, to the lower left of the line formed by the Moon and Venus, the “evening star.” The nebula contains gas and dust expelled by a dying star.

Moon and Venus

The planet Venus is in great view. It’s the “evening star,” so it is the brightest object in the night sky other than the Moon. It is close to the right of the Moon tonight. It shines so brightly in part because it is blanketed by brilliant clouds.

Pleiades

The Pleiades star cluster shines throughout the evening. It looks like a tiny dipper-shaped pattern of stars and stands high overhead at nightfall. It represents the shoulder of Taurus, the bull.

Leap Day

Today is Leap Day, which is added to (almost) every fourth February to keep the calendar in sync with the seasons. It was first added by Julius Caesar. Pope Gregory XIII ordered that one Leap Day be dropped every 400 years to fine-tune the calendar.

Moon and Aldebaran

Aldebaran, the bright orange star that marks the eye of Taurus, the bull, stands to the upper left of the Moon this evening, and to the lower right of the Moon tomorrow night.

First-Quarter Moon

The Moon is at first quarter at 1:57 p.m. CST today as it aligns at a right angle to the line between Earth and the Sun. Sunlight illuminates half of the lunar hemisphere that faces our way.

Leo

March comes in like a lion as Leo springs across the sky. It crouches low in the east at nightfall and leaps high overhead later on. Its brightest star, Regulus, is at the bottom of the hook-shaped pattern of stars that outlines Leo’s head and mane.

Early Summer

Summer is months away, but the season’s best-known star pattern is already peeking into view in the pre-dawn sky. The Summer Triangle, which is marked by the stars Vega, Deneb, and Altair, stands well up in the east at first light.

Good Librations

As the Moon orbits Earth, the same hemisphere always faces our way. Over the course of its month-long cycle of phases, however, the Moon “wobbles” a bit, allowing us to see a total of 59 percent of the lunar surface.

Coma Cluster

The constellation Coma Berenices (Berenice’s Hair) stands well to the lower right of the Big Dipper’s handle this evening. It is home to a grand gathering of galaxies, Coma Cluster, which is centered about 350 million light-years away.

Venus and Uranus

Venus, the “evening star,” points the way to a much fainter planet tonight. Uranus, the seventh planet from the Sun, is to the left of Venus by two or three degrees. Through binoculars, Uranus looks like a small, faint star.

Seeing Stars

Some of the brightest stars in the night sky are visible tonight. Sirius, the brightest of them all, is in the south at nightfall. Orion is to its upper right. And Regulus, near the Moon, and Aldebaran, near Orion, add to the lightshow.

Bright Beacon

Canopus, the second-brightest star in the night sky, is in view on winter nights for those who you live south of about Dallas. It is well below Sirius, the night sky’s brightest star. Canopus is due south in early evening, just above the horizon.

Orion’s Belt

Orion’s Belt is one of the easiest star patterns to recognize. It’s a line of three fairly bright stars, with a slight dip at the left end. From most of the U.S., it’s about halfway up the south-southwestern sky as darkness falls at this time of year.

Alnitak

Orion’s Belt is in the south-southwest as night falls. The star at the left end is Alnitak. It’s a system that includes two supergiants, which are among the biggest, brightest, and heaviest stars in the galaxy.

Alnilam

The star at the middle of the Orion’s Belt could be the most impressive of the belt’s three stars. Alnilam is at least 30 times the mass of the Sun, and 275,000 times brighter. But it could be twice as massive as that, and three times as bright.

Virgo

Virgo, the constellation perhaps most identified with spring, is entering prime evening viewing time. Most of its stars are relatively faint. But Virgo’s brightest star, blue-white Spica, is easy to pick out. It rises in the east by about 10:30 p.m.

Moon and Antares

Look for the Moon before and during dawn tomorrow. Antares, the bright orange star that represents the heart of the scorpion, is close to its lower right.

Jumpy Stars

The paws of Ursa Major, the great bear, are marked by three pairs of stars, all of which have names that mean “leap.” The stars of the hind leg are Alula Borealis and Alula Australis, from an Arabic phrase that means “first leap of the gazelle.”

Moon and Planets

The Moon and three bright planets form a beautiful lineup the next few mornings. Mars and Jupiter are to the lower left of the Moon tomorrow. Jupiter is the brighter of the two. The third planet is Saturn, to the lower left of Mars and Jupiter.

More Moon and Planets

Orange Mars is one of two planets that huddles near the Moon at dawn tomorrow. Jupiter is the brighter of the two, with Mars just a whisker away. A third planet, Saturn, is close to their lower left.

Pestilent Planets

A conjunction of Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn is underway in the dawn sky. Jupiter is the brightest of the three. A similar conjunction in 1345 was blamed for the start of the Black Death in Europe, a plague caused by a bacterium carried by fleas.

Spring Equinox

Today is the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere, which marks the beginning of spring. The Sun crosses the celestial equator from south to north. The Sun rises due east and sets due west on the equinoxes.

Counting Candles

With binoculars, two star clusters in the western evening sky are fairly easy to pick out. M34 is in the west-northwest at nightfall, far to the upper right of Venus, the “evening star.” M36 is higher, to the left of the yellow-orange star Capella.

The Camel Leopard

Camelopardalis, the giraffe, is one of the largest constellations, covering a large wedge of the northern sky. But it isn’t bold. All of its stars are so faint that you must get away from city lights to see them.

Cor Caroli

Cor Caroli, the brightest star of Canes Venatici, the hunting dogs, is in the east-northeast at nightfall, near the tip of the Big Dipper’s handle. Its name means “Heart of Charles.” It refers to either England’s King Charles I or his son, Charles II.

Towering Venus

The planet Venus is at its towering best right now. The “evening star” is high in the west at sunset and stands just about as high as it ever gets. It doesn’t set until 11 p.m. or midnight, providing plenty of time to watch it.

New Moon

The Moon is new today as it crosses the invisible line between Earth and Sun, so it’s lost from view in the Sun’s intense glare. It should return to view by tomorrow evening as a thin crescent low in the west shortly after sunset.

Busy Galaxy

NGC 4449 is a dwarf galaxy that is forming stars at a rapid pace — star for star, much faster than in our home galaxy, the Milky Way. It is in the northeast at nightfall, not far from the Big Dipper. The galaxy is so faint that you need a telescope to see it.

Busy Betelgeuse

Betelgeuse has lost some of its luster in recent months. This year, it has dropped to the faintest level ever recorded with modern instruments. The orange star forms the shoulder of Orion the hunter and stands high in the southwest as night falls.

Moon and Venus

The crescent Moon looks up at the planet Venus this evening. Venus is the brilliant “evening star,” outshining every other planet and star in the night sky.

Moon and Venus II

Venus, the brilliant “evening star,” teams with the crescent Moon to put on a great show this evening. They are well up in the sky at nightfall, and don’t set until shortly before midnight.

Arneb

Arneb, the leading light of the constellation Lepus, the hare, is in the southwest as night falls, below brilliant Orion. Arneb is roughly 14 times the mass of the Sun. Such heavy stars burn out quickly, then explode as supernovae.

Mars and Saturn

The planets Mars and Saturn are forming a tight pair in the early morning sky. They are low in the southeast at first light, to the lower left of brilliant Jupiter. Tomorrow, Mars will stand a little below Saturn.

Hardy Planet

Cancer, the crab, is high overhead as night falls. One of its stars is orbited by a giant planet that’s so close to the star that its atmosphere is being blasted away into space. The planet is far too faint, though, to see without a telescope.

Volcanic Exomoon

Lepus, the hare, hops below the feet of Orion, which is in the southwest at nightfall. A planet has been discovered orbiting WASP-49, a star in Lepus. Astronomers have found evidence of a moon orbiting the planet, which would make it the first known “exomoon.”

Sundogs

Sometimes, when the Sun is low in the sky, you can see three Suns: the real one and two smaller, fainter ones flanking it. The extras are commonly known as sundogs, a name derived from the verb form of dog, which means to follow.

Venus and the Pleiades

Venus and the Pleiades are sliding past each other. Venus is the “evening star,” high in the west at nightfall. The Pleiades is a tiny dipper-shaped star cluster. It lines up to the right of Venus tonight.

Moon and Regulus

Regulus, the bright heart of Leo, the lion, shines close to the right or upper right of the Moon as night falls this evening. It will be to the lower right of the Moon as they set, a couple of hours before sunrise.

Bright Galaxies

Canes Venatici, the hunting dogs, is awash in beautiful galaxies. The constellation is in the east-northeast as night falls, to the right and lower right of the Big Dipper. Four of its prominent galaxies are visible through small telescopes.

Venus and Aldebaran

A brilliant point of light in the evening sky is sweeping past one that’s merely bright. The brilliant light is Venus, the “evening star.” The merely bright light is Aldebaran, the eye of the bull, to the left of Venus and a little higher in the sky.

Morning Planets

Mars remains in good view in the early morning. It forms the lower left end of a lineup of three planets at first light. Saturn is to the upper right of orange Mars, with brilliant Jupiter farther along the same line.

Stepping Stone

Polaris, the North Star, marks the north celestial pole. But it is not especially bright, so it can be tough to find. The Big Dipper serves as a pointer. The two stars that mark the outer edge of its bowl point almost directly toward Polaris.

Auriga

Auriga, the charioteer, drives across the western sky this evening. Its brightest star is yellow-orange Capella, which stands high in the west-northwest as darkness falls.

Sparse Neighborhood

Our stellar neighborhood is thinly settled. Only 11 stars lie within 10 light-years of the solar system, and only one of them is visible from northern skies: Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, which is in the southwest in early evening.

Vela Supernova

A nebula in the constellation Vela spans about 16 times the width of the Moon in our sky – almost as big as your fist at arm’s length. The Vela Supernova Remnant is 800 light-years away. It was born 11,000 years ago, when a supergiant star exploded.

Galactic Fireworks

NGC 6946 is the source of a lot of fireworks. Over the last century, it’s produced more exploding stars than any other galaxy. The galaxy is high in the northeast before dawn, to the left of Deneb, the bright star at the tail of the swan.

Virgo

Virgo is the second-largest constellation. It is so big that it takes about four hours to clear the eastern horizon. Yet it contains only one bright star, blue-white Spica, which climbs into view around nightfall.

Moon and Planets

The Moon is rolling past a trio of bright planets in the early morning sky this week. Tomorrow, Saturn will stand above the Moon, with brilliant Jupiter to the upper right and orange Mars to the lower left.

Moon and Mars

Mars teams up with the Moon at first light tomorrow. The planet looks like an orange star above the Moon. Saturn and Jupiter line up to their upper right, with Jupiter by far the brighter of the two.

Bear’s Lodge

The stars of the Big Dipper are part of Ursa Major, the great bear. In a Kiowa story, the dipper’s seven stars represent sisters who were borne into the sky to escape their brother, who had been magically transformed into a bear.

Spring Stars

A couple of hours after sunset, Regulus, the brightest star of Leo, the lion, stands overhead. Spica, in Virgo, is in the southeast. Both are white or blue-white. Far to the left of Spica, look for yellow-orange Arcturus, in Boötes.

Centaurs

A pair of centaurs — the half-men, half-horses of Greek mythology — grace the night sky. One is Sagittarius, the archer. The other is simply Centaurus, the centaur. It’s quite low in the southern evening sky this month.

Meteors

On any dark night, if you can get away from city lights, you might see a dozen or more meteors blazing across the sky. These streaks of light form when space rocks vaporize as they ram into Earth’s atmosphere at high speed.

Lyrid Meteors

A pretty good meteor shower should reach its peak tomorrow night: the Lyrids. Under a dark sky, you might see a dozen or more meteors per hour between midnight and dawn. And the Moon is new, so it’s not around to spoil the show.

Double Showers

The Lyrid meteor shower should be at its best tonight, after midnight. Away from city lights, you might see a few dozen “shooting stars.” They can streak across any part of the sky, so you don’t need to look in a specific direction to see them.

New Moon

The Moon is new at 9:29 p.m. CDT as it crosses between Earth and the Sun, so it is lost in the Sun’s glare. It will return to view as a thin crescent low in the early evening sky on Friday.

Balancing Star Pictures

The Big Dipper is high in the sky at nightfall at this time of year, with W-shaped Cassiopeia low in the sky. If you look shortly before dawn, though, they’ve moved. The dipper is in the northwest, with Cassiopeia the same height in the northeast.

Disappearing Hunter

As winter gives way to spring, Orion is dropping from view. The hunter is fairly low in the west at sunset and sets by around 11 p.m. Orion looks like a slightly lopsided rectangle of stars, with a short diagonal line of bright stars near its center.

Moon and Companions

A couple of bright companions attend the Moon this evening. Aldebaran, the orange eye of Taurus, the bull, stands just to the left of the Moon. And Venus, the brilliant “evening star,” is well above them.

Moon and Venus

Venus is our closest planetary neighbor and the brightest object in the night sky except the Moon. In fact, you can see them close together tonight. Venus, the “evening star,” is to the right of the Moon as night falls.

Messier 53

Messier 53 is a globular star cluster in the constellation Coma Berenices. It is well up in the east at nightfall and is an easy target for binoculars. It’s easier to see by around midnight, as the Moon drops from view.

Southern Pinwheel

The galaxy M83, a “mini-Milky Way,” arcs low across the south on spring evenings. It is in Hydra, the water-snake, and climbs into view a couple of hours after sunset. Binoculars reveal a small, hazy circle of light. Telescopes show more detail.

Road to Arcturus

Arcturus, the third-brightest star in the night sky, is in the east at nightfall and about the same altitude in the west at first light tomorrow. The light from Arcturus that reaches your eye tonight has been traveling through space since 1983.

First-Quarter Moon

The Moon reaches first quarter today as it aligns at a right angle to the line between Earth and the Sun. Sunlight illuminates half of the lunar hemisphere that faces us.

Moon and Regulus

The Moon is high in the sky at nightfall. Regulus, the bright star that marks the heart of Leo, the lion, stands close below it.

Venus and El Nath

Venus, the Evening Star, flirts with El Nath, the tip of one of the horns of Taurus, the bull, for the next few weeks. The star is a couple of degrees above Venus this evening. Venus will draw closer over the coming nights but won’t quite catch up to it.

Eta Aquarid Meteors

A modest meteor shower is at its best the next couple of nights. At its peak, the Eta Aquarid shower might produce a couple of dozen meteors per hour. But the Moon is almost full, so its light will wash out all but a few of the “shooting stars.”

Disappearing Planet

Mercury is in superior conjunction, passing behind the Sun as seen from Earth. The Sun’s closest planet will climb into view in the western evening sky in a couple of weeks, near Venus, the dazzling Evening Star.

Bright Lights

The two brightest objects in the night bracket the sky as darkness falls this evening. The almost-full Moon is in the southeast, with Venus, the Evening Star, setting halfway around the sky, in the west-northwest.

Full Moon

The Moon is full tonight as it lines up opposite the Sun in our sky. The full Moon of May is known as the Milk Moon, Corn Moon, or Flower Moon. The exact time of the full Moon is 5:45 a.m. CDT tomorrow.

Vanishing Dog Star

Sirius, the Dog Star, is vanishing in the evening twilight. It is in the southwest as night falls and sets about two hours after the Sun. The night sky’s brightest star is so low that buildings or trees along the horizon may block it from view.

Moon and Antares

The bright star Antares rises to the right of the Moon late this evening. Antares is at least 15 times as massive as the Sun, hundreds of times wider, and tens of thousands of times brighter. It will end its life by blasting itself to bits as a supernova.

North Pole

The north galactic pole is in Coma Berenices, which is high in the sky at nightfall, above the bright yellow-orange star Arcturus. It is high above the Milky Way Galaxy’s starry disk, so it provides a good view of galaxies beyond the Milky Way.

Moon and Planets

Three planets align to the left of the Moon at first light tomorrow. The brightest of the three is Jupiter. Saturn stands close to the left of Jupiter, with orange Mars to their lower left. The Moon will move past them over the next few mornings.

Moon and Jupiter

Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, rises quite close to the Moon in the wee hours of the morning and is above the Moon at first light. It looks like a brilliant star. The planet Saturn is nearby.

Moon and Saturn

The planet Saturn stands to the upper right of the Moon at first light tomorrow. It looks like a bright star. The even brighter planet Jupiter is to the right of Saturn, with Mars well to the left of the Moon.

Moon and Mars

Mars stands near the Moon the next couple of mornings. The planet looks like a fairly bright orange star. It is to the left of the Moon at first light tomorrow and a bit closer above the Moon on Friday.

More Moon and Mars

The planet Mars stands above the Moon early tomorrow. It looks like a fairly bright orange star. Mars and Earth are moving closer together now, with closest approach in October. As a result, Mars is getting a tiny big brighter each night.

The Plow

The brightest stars of the constellation Ursa Major, the great bear, form a pattern known in the United States as the Big Dipper. Other parts of the world, however, see the pattern as a plow. The plowman is the next constellation over, Boötes.

Cassiopeia

Cassiopeia the queen stands low in the north at nightfall and wheels up the northeast during the night. Its brightest stars form a pattern that resembles a letter W.

The Keystone

The four stars at the center of Hercules form a lopsided square called the Keystone. It is in the east-northeast at nightfall. Its brightest star, at the upper right, is Zeta Herculis. Moving clockwise, the other three are Epsilon, Pi, and Eta Herculis.

Izar

The constellation Boötes is high in the east at nightfall. Its brightest star is brilliant yellow-orange Arcturus. To the left of Arcturus is fainter Izar. A telescope reveals that Izar is really two stars, one of which is orange, the other blue-white.

‘Sailing’ Stars

Four stars in the constellation Corvus, the crow, form a small lopsided box that resembles a sail. It’s in the south at nightfall. The star at the top left corner of the sail is Delta Corvi. Clockwise from there, the other stars are Gamma, Epsilon, and Beta Corvi.

Venus and Mercury

Look for Mercury below Venus, the brilliant Evening Star, after sunset. They set by about 10 p.m. The planets will be closer together tomorrow night, with Mercury climbing just above Venus by Friday. The crescent Moon will join them this weekend.

More Venus and Mercury

The planets Venus and Mercury are huddling close together. Venus is the brilliant Evening Star. Their closest approach is tonight, although they will remain close together for several nights.

New Moon

The Moon is new today as it crosses the imaginary line between Earth and the Sun. It is hidden in the Sun’s glare, but soon will return to view as a thin crescent in the western sky shortly after sunset.

Moon and Companions

The crescent Moon is quite low in the sky shortly after sunset. The planet Venus, the Evening Star, is close above it, with the fainter planet Mercury a little higher still. The asteroid Vesta is to the left of Mercury, but you need optical aid to pick it out.

Stellar Jewels

The jewel of the northern crown is high in the east at nightfall and passes overhead a few hours later. Alphecca is the brightest star of Corona Borealis, the northern crown — a semicircle of stars that looks like a tiara.

Quiet Neighbor

Pisces, the fishes, is low in the east at first light, although you’ll need a starchart to pick it out. Astronomers recently scanned one of its stars for signs of radio signals from any civilization there, but came up empty.

Moon and Gemini

Castor and Pollux, the twins of Gemini, are dropping down the western sky on these late spring nights. They line up to the right of the Moon tonight. Brighter Pollux is closer to the Moon, with Castor to its right.

Scorpius Rising

Scorpius skitters across the southern sky. Its head and heart clear the southeastern horizon as darkness falls, and the scorpion remains visible throughout the night. Its brightest star is reddish-orange Antares, in the middle of the scorpion’s body.

Moon and Regulus

The star Regulus lurks to the left of the Moon at nightfall. It is the brightest star of Leo, the lion. The star is much bigger, heavier, hotter, and brighter than the Sun. A “dead” companion star orbits just a few million miles away.

First-Quarter Moon

The Moon completes the first quarter of its month-long loop across the sky at 10:30 p.m. CDT tonight. At this first-quarter phase, the Moon lines up at a right angle to the Earth-Sun line, so sunlight illuminates exactly half of the lunar hemisphere that faces Earth.

Ophiuchus

The constellation Ophiuchus, the serpent bearer, is low in the sky at nightfall, stretching from due east to due southeast. Its main pattern resembles the outline of a coffee urn. The urn is on its side in early evening but stands upright later in the night.

Ophiuchan Clusters

Ophiuchus, the serpent bearer, climbs across the south at this time of year. Many star clusters are found inside the constellation’s borders. The list includes 10 fairly bright globular clusters, which are tight balls of hundreds of thousands of stars.

Omega Centauri

Omega Centauri is the biggest globular star cluster in the galaxy, containing about 10 million stars. From the southern two-thirds of the United States, it is quite low in the south at nightfall. It looks like a faint, fuzzy star.

Heavyweight Merger

The planet Mercury is near its farthest point from the Sun for its current evening appearance. It is low in the west-northwest as night begins to fall, about half-way between the bright stars Procyon, to the left of Mercury, and Capella.

Venus Disappears

After reigning as the brilliant “evening star” for months, the planet Venus has disappeared in the twilight. It passes between the Sun and Earth today, moving into the morning sky as it does so. It will become visible as the “morning star” in a few days.

Moon and Antares

The bright star Antares is easy to spot tonight because it rises below the full Moon. The heart of the scorpion will be even closer to the Moon at first light tomorrow.

Full Moon

The Moon is full today, lining up opposite the Sun in our sky. It is known as the Rose Moon, Strawberry Moon, or Flower Moon. Because it occurs just a couple of weeks before the summer solstice, the Moon follows an unusually low path across the sky.

Great Bear

The Big Dipper is high in the sky at nightfall, with the bowl hanging upside down. It is part of Ursa Major, the great bear. There’s more to the bear than just the dipper. His legs and the rest of his body extend far below and to the left of the dipper.

Moon and Jupiter

Jupiter follows the Moon across the sky tonight. Jupiter looks like a brilliant star to the left of the Moon as they climb into good view around midnight. The fainter planet Saturn is close to the upper left of Jupiter.

Moon and Saturn

A beautiful trio highlights the after-midnight sky tonight: the Moon and the planets Jupiter and Saturn. Jupiter is the brighter of the two worlds, but Saturn stands closer to the Moon.

Vega

Vega, one of the brighter stars in the summer sky, is climbing to prominence. It’s well up in the east-northeast as darkness falls, and stands directly overhead around 2:30 or 3 a.m.

Ring Nebula

Vega, the brightest star of Lyra, is in the east-northeast at nightfall. The remains of a star that was once like Vega stand to its lower right: the Ring Nebula. You need a telescope to see the nebula, which is thousands of light-years away.

Moon and Mars

Mars teams up with the Moon the next few mornings. Tomorrow, they climb into good view by 2 or 3 a.m., with Mars close to the left of the Moon. It looks like a bright orange star. They will be even closer together at first light.

More Moon and Mars

Look for Mars near the Moon early tomorrow. The planet looks like a bright orange star. It’s above the Moon as they climb into good view by 2:30 or 3 a.m., and to the upper right of the Moon at first light.

Head Stars

The stars that mark the heads of Hercules and Ophiuchus are close together in the east this evening. Each has an Arabic name that means “the head.” In Hercules it’s Ras Algethi (head of the kneeler); in Ophiuchus, Ras Alhague (head of the serpent charmer).

Distant Moon

The Moon reaches its greatest distance from Earth for its current orbit this evening. It will be more than 251,400 miles away, which is about 13,000 miles farther than its average distance.

M81

Under clear, dark skies, the galaxy M81 is visible through binoculars. Find the Big Dipper, which is high in the north at nightfall, then scan to the lower right of the dipper’s bowl. M81 looks like an oval smudge of light almost as wide as the Moon.

Summer Triangle

The stars that outline the Summer Triangle stand out this week. There’s no Moon in the evening sky, so the stars don’t have to compete with its glare. The triangle stands low in the east and northeast at nightfall, and wheels high overhead during the night.

Perseus Galaxy

Perseus is in the northeast at first light. The core of a galaxy in the constellation is churned up by two supermassive black holes at its heart. The galaxy is quite faint, but you can see its position, roughly half way between the stars Epsilon and Xi Persei.

Moon and Venus

The planet Venus is just peeking into view in the dawn sky. Tomorrow, it’s close to the crescent Moon as the sky brightens, quite low in the east-northeast. It’s the brilliant “morning star.” It will climb into better view over the coming weeks.

Summer Solstice

Summer returns to the northern hemisphere early tomorrow. It’s the summer solstice, the point where the Sun stands farthest north for the entire year. The solstice also brings the year’s longest days north of the equator.

Vulpecula

Vulpecula, the fox, stands quite near the “bill” of Cygnus, the swan. The little constellation is a third of the way up the eastern sky as night falls, near the center of the bright Summer Triangle.

Centaurs

One centaur is dropping from view as darkness falls while another is climbing into view. Centaurus is low in the south at nightfall, with much of its body below the horizon. The other, Sagittarius, is just rising in the southeast. It climbs into good view a little later.

Delphinus

Delphinus, the dolphin, glides through the Milky Way on summer evenings. It rises in early evening and arcs high across the south during the night. Look below the Summer Triangle, which is well up in the east and northeast at nightfall.

Moon and the Beehive

M44, the Beehive Cluster, is low in the west-northwest as night falls. It’s a little easier to spot than usual tonight because it is near the crescent Moon. Binoculars will reveal a swarm of stars close to the lower left of the Moon.

Moon and Regulus

The Moon passes Regulus, the heart of the lion, over the next couple of nights. The star stands to the left or upper left of the Moon tonight, and to the lower right of the Moon tomorrow night.

The Stinger

Scorpius is low in the southern sky at nightfall, with its brightest star, Antares, near its middle. The tail curls to the lower left of Antares. It forms a hook, with the barbed stinger at the end.

Nesting Stars

A pair of star clusters stands near the tail of Scorpius, which is low in the south-southeast at nightfall. The brighter one is Messier 7, to the left of the stars that mark the scorpion’s stinger. The other cluster, Messier 6, is above M7.

Lupus

A scraggly wolf pads low across the southern evening sky at this time of year. Lupus is to the lower right of Scorpius, the scorpion. Unlike Scorpius, though, you need a fairly dark sky to see it.

Moon and Spica

Spica, the brightest star of the constellation Virgo, perches nar the Moon tonight. It stands to the lower left of the Moon at nightfall, and is closer to the Moon as they set around 1 or 2 a.m.

Close Moon

The Moon reaches a point in its orbit known as perigee this evening — its closest approach to Earth. It will be roughly 229,260 miles away. As a result, the Moon will look a bit larger than average, although not enough for most skywatchers to notice.

Eltanin

Eltanin, the brightest star of the constellation Draco, the dragon, is about two-thirds of the way up the northeastern sky at nightfall. It is a moderately bright orange star, and stands well to the upper left of brighter Vega.

Seventh Month

July is an “imperial” month. In the original Roman calendar it was the fifth month of the year, named Quintilis. Julius Caesar reworked the calendar, however, and made Quintilis the seventh month. The Roman senate changed its name to Julius — July.

Moon and Antares

Look for Antares to the right or lower right of the Moon as night falls. The star is the bright heart of the scorpion. Antares is a supergiant, so it is hundreds of times the Sun’s diameter and millions of times its volume.

Faint Neighbors

The star 61 Cygni is one of our closest stellar neighbors, just 11 light-years away. And it consists of two stars, not one. Even so, it’s only barely visible to the unaided eye. It is a faint dot not far from the graceful outline of Cygnus, the swan.

Short-Night Moon

The Moon is full tonight, providing a brilliant light for the holiday night. Yet it won’t be in view all that long. It is the Short-Night Moon — the full Moon that’s in sight for a shorter period than any other full Moon of the year.

Moon and Planets

Two planets accompany the Moon tonight. Bright Jupiter, the solar system’s largest planet, is close to the upper right of the Moon as they climb into view in late evening. Fainter Saturn, the second-largest planet, is about the same distance to the left of the Moon.

Serpens Nurseries

Several stellar nurseries in Serpens Cauda, the tail of the snake, are busily churning out baby stars. The constellation is in the southeast at nightfall, above and to the upper right of the teapot outlined by some of the brightest stars of Sagittarius.

Summer Triangle

A pattern of three bright stars known as the Summer Triangle stands high in the east by mid-evening. The stars that mark the triangle’s points are easy to find. They are Deneb, in the constellation Cygnus; Vega, in Lyra; and Altair, in Aquila.

Delphinus

Delphinus, the dolphin, climbs the eastern sky this evening, to the left or lower left of Altair, one of the points of the Summer Triangle. Four stars in Delphinus form a small diamond, with two others curving away to form the dolphin’s tail.

Venus and Aldebaran

At first light tomorrow, Venus, the morning star, will stand directly above Aldebaran, the star that marks the eye of Taurus. Over the following few days, Venus will slide down to the left of Aldebaran, then stand side by side with the bull’s eye.

Moon and Mars

Look for Mars near the Moon the next couple of mornings, high in the sky at first light. Mars is to the upper left of the Moon tomorrow, and to the upper right on Sunday.

Great Appearances

Jupiter and Saturn, the solar system’s largest planets, are low in the southeast at nightfall and in the southwest at dawn. And the Moon and the planet Mars climb into good view by 1:30 or 2 a.m. Mars looks like a bright orange star to the upper right of the Moon.

Jupiter at Opposition

Jupiter is putting in its best appearance of the year. The planet is lining up opposite the Sun. It rises around sunset and is in view all night. It also shines brightest for the year. It’s low in the southeast at nightfall and looks like a brilliant star.

Jupiter at Opposition II

The planet Jupiter is putting on a great show. It is brightest for the year, shining like a brilliant star. It’s low in the southeast at nightfall, with the fainter planet Saturn not far to its lower left. Jupiter is is in the southwest at dawn.

Heading for Mars

Mars stands high in the southeast at dawn this week. It looks like a bright orange star. Scientists are planning to launch three missions to the planet this month, by the United States, China, and the United Arab Emirates. The craft would arrive early next year.

Moon and Companions

The Moon has two bright companions the next couple of mornings. Tomorrow, the planet Venus and the star Aldebaran perch to the lower left of the Moon at first light. Venus is the Morning Star, while Aldebaran represents the eye of Taurus, the bull.

Moon and Companions II

The planet Venus and the star Aldebaran are close to the right of the crescent Moon at first light tomorrow. Venus is the dazzling Morning Star, which is the brightest object in the night sky other than the Moon. Aldebaran marks the eye of Taurus, the bull.

Milky Way

The Milky Way arcs high across the eastern sky on July evenings. This subtle band of light is produced by the glow of millions of stars in the flat disk of our Milky Way Galaxy. Since we are inside the disk, we see the galaxy as a band of light across the sky.

Future North Poles

Polaris marks the north celestial pole, so it is known as the North Star. Thanks to a wobble in Earth’s rotation, though, it won’t keep the spot. In about 1,000 years, Gamma Cephei will assume the title, followed by Deneb, the tail of the swan, then brilliant Vega.

Saturn at Opposition

Saturn is shining at its best. The planet is in the southeast as night falls. It looks like a bright golden star, not far to the lower left of brighter Jupiter. Saturn is in view all night and is brightest for the year.

New Moon

The Moon is “new” today at 12:33 p.m. CDT. It crosses the imaginary line between Earth and the Sun, so it is lost from view in the Sun’s glare. It will return to view tomorrow evening as a slender crescent, quite low in the western sky as twilight darkens.

Saturn at Opposition II

Saturn continues to shine at its best. The planet is in the southeast at nightfall and looks like a bright star, to the lower left of brilliant Jupiter. Saturn looks so bright in part because its rings are tilted toward Earth right now.

Morning Mercury

Mercury is just peeking into view in the dawn sky. It looks like a moderately bright star quite low in the east-northeast as twilight paints the sky. It’s far to the lower left of Venus, the dazzling Morning Star.

Cygnus

One of the prettiest sights in the night sky is Cygnus, the swan, soaring gracefully through the Milky Way. The swan is high in the east as darkness falls tonight. Its brightest star, Deneb, marks its tail, with its body stretching to the right.

Zubenelgenubi

Zubenelgenubi, the star that represents the southern claw of the celestial scorpion, consists of two widely separated components, both of which are visible through binoculars. The star is in the south-southwest at nightfall.

Hercules Galaxies

The Hercules Cluster is a collection of a couple of hundred galaxies that are about 500 million light-years away. The cluster is in the constellation Hercules, which is high overhead at nightfall.

Epsilon Lyrae

If you look toward Lyra, the harp, with a telescope, you might think you’re seeing double. One of the constellation’s stars, Epsilon Lyrae, is known as the Double Double. It consists of two pairs of stars that are moving through the galaxy together.

First Quarter Moon

The Moon reaches its first-quarter phase today at 7:33 a.m. CDT. It stands at a right angle to the line that connects Earth and the Sun, so sunlight illuminates exactly half of the lunar hemisphere that faces our way.

Bright Vega

A bright star crowns the sky this evening. Vega is the leading light of Lyra, the harp. It’s the fifth-brightest star in the night sky, so it’s hard to miss. Vega is about twice the size and mass of the Sun and just 25 light-years away.

Moon and Antares

Antares, the brightest star of the scorpion, stands close below the Moon at nightfall. It’s a bit hard to see its color when the Moon is around, but Antares shines bright orange. That tells us that its surface is cool — more than 4,000 degrees cooler than the Sun.

Crab Nebula

The Crab Nebula spreads its claws in the dawn sky this month. It is in one of the horns of Taurus, the bull, low in the east before sunrise. Although the Crab is too faint to see without a telescope, it’s close to the upper left of Venus, the Morning Star.

Big Dipper

Summer is an enjoyable time to look at the Big Dipper. Around 10 p.m., it stands high in the northwest. Its bowl looks like it is pouring its contents onto the ground below. The bowl’s outer stars point toward Polaris, the North Star.

Seventh Month

July is an “imperial” month. In the original Roman calendar it was the fifth month of the year, named Quintilis. Julius Caesar reworked the calendar, however, and made Quintilis the seventh month. The Roman senate changed its name to Julius — July.

Moon and Antares

Look for Antares to the right or lower right of the Moon as night falls. The star is the bright heart of the scorpion. Antares is a supergiant, so it is hundreds of times the Sun’s diameter and millions of times its volume.

Faint Neighbors

The star 61 Cygni is one of our closest stellar neighbors, just 11 light-years away. And it consists of two stars, not one. Even so, it’s only barely visible to the unaided eye. It is a faint dot not far from the graceful outline of Cygnus, the swan.

Short-Night Moon

The Moon is full tonight, providing a brilliant light for the holiday night. Yet it won’t be in view all that long. It is the Short-Night Moon — the full Moon that’s in sight for a shorter period than any other full Moon of the year.

Moon and Planets

Two planets accompany the Moon tonight. Bright Jupiter, the solar system’s largest planet, is close to the upper right of the Moon as they climb into view in late evening. Fainter Saturn, the second-largest planet, is about the same distance to the left of the Moon.

Serpens Nurseries

Several stellar nurseries in Serpens Cauda, the tail of the snake, are busily churning out baby stars. The constellation is in the southeast at nightfall, above and to the upper right of the teapot outlined by some of the brightest stars of Sagittarius.

Summer Triangle

A pattern of three bright stars known as the Summer Triangle stands high in the east by mid-evening. The stars that mark the triangle’s points are easy to find. They are Deneb, in the constellation Cygnus; Vega, in Lyra; and Altair, in Aquila.

Delphinus

Delphinus, the dolphin, climbs the eastern sky this evening, to the left or lower left of Altair, one of the points of the Summer Triangle. Four stars in Delphinus form a small diamond, with two others curving away to form the dolphin’s tail.

Venus and Aldebaran

At first light tomorrow, Venus, the morning star, will stand directly above Aldebaran, the star that marks the eye of Taurus. Over the following few days, Venus will slide down to the left of Aldebaran, then stand side by side with the bull’s eye.

Moon and Mars

Look for Mars near the Moon the next couple of mornings, high in the sky at first light. Mars is to the upper left of the Moon tomorrow, and to the upper right on Sunday.

Great Appearances

Jupiter and Saturn, the solar system’s largest planets, are low in the southeast at nightfall and in the southwest at dawn. And the Moon and the planet Mars climb into good view by 1:30 or 2 a.m. Mars looks like a bright orange star to the upper right of the Moon.

Jupiter at Opposition

Jupiter is putting in its best appearance of the year. The planet is lining up opposite the Sun. It rises around sunset and is in view all night. It also shines brightest for the year. It’s low in the southeast at nightfall and looks like a brilliant star.

Jupiter at Opposition II

The planet Jupiter is putting on a great show. It is brightest for the year, shining like a brilliant star. It’s low in the southeast at nightfall, with the fainter planet Saturn not far to its lower left. Jupiter is is in the southwest at dawn.

Heading for Mars

Mars stands high in the southeast at dawn this week. It looks like a bright orange star. Scientists are planning to launch three missions to the planet this month, by the United States, China, and the United Arab Emirates. The craft would arrive early next year.

Moon and Companions

The Moon has two bright companions the next couple of mornings. Tomorrow, the planet Venus and the star Aldebaran perch to the lower left of the Moon at first light. Venus is the Morning Star, while Aldebaran represents the eye of Taurus, the bull.

Moon and Companions II

The planet Venus and the star Aldebaran are close to the right of the crescent Moon at first light tomorrow. Venus is the dazzling Morning Star, which is the brightest object in the night sky other than the Moon. Aldebaran marks the eye of Taurus, the bull.

Milky Way

The Milky Way arcs high across the eastern sky on July evenings. This subtle band of light is produced by the glow of millions of stars in the flat disk of our Milky Way Galaxy. Since we are inside the disk, we see the galaxy as a band of light across the sky.

Future North Poles

Polaris marks the north celestial pole, so it is known as the North Star. Thanks to a wobble in Earth’s rotation, though, it won’t keep the spot. In about 1,000 years, Gamma Cephei will assume the title, followed by Deneb, the tail of the swan, then brilliant Vega.

Saturn at Opposition

Saturn is shining at its best. The planet is in the southeast as night falls. It looks like a bright golden star, not far to the lower left of brighter Jupiter. Saturn is in view all night and is brightest for the year.

New Moon

The Moon is “new” today at 12:33 p.m. CDT. It crosses the imaginary line between Earth and the Sun, so it is lost from view in the Sun’s glare. It will return to view tomorrow evening as a slender crescent, quite low in the western sky as twilight darkens.

Saturn at Opposition II

Saturn continues to shine at its best. The planet is in the southeast at nightfall and looks like a bright star, to the lower left of brilliant Jupiter. Saturn looks so bright in part because its rings are tilted toward Earth right now.

Morning Mercury

Mercury is just peeking into view in the dawn sky. It looks like a moderately bright star quite low in the east-northeast as twilight paints the sky. It’s far to the lower left of Venus, the dazzling Morning Star.

Cygnus

One of the prettiest sights in the night sky is Cygnus, the swan, soaring gracefully through the Milky Way. The swan is high in the east as darkness falls tonight. Its brightest star, Deneb, marks its tail, with its body stretching to the right.

Zubenelgenubi

Zubenelgenubi, the star that represents the southern claw of the celestial scorpion, consists of two widely separated components, both of which are visible through binoculars. The star is in the south-southwest at nightfall.

Hercules Galaxies

The Hercules Cluster is a collection of a couple of hundred galaxies that are about 500 million light-years away. The cluster is in the constellation Hercules, which is high overhead at nightfall.

Epsilon Lyrae

If you look toward Lyra, the harp, with a telescope, you might think you’re seeing double. One of the constellation’s stars, Epsilon Lyrae, is known as the Double Double. It consists of two pairs of stars that are moving through the galaxy together.

First Quarter Moon

The Moon reaches its first-quarter phase today at 7:33 a.m. CDT. It stands at a right angle to the line that connects Earth and the Sun, so sunlight illuminates exactly half of the lunar hemisphere that faces our way.

Bright Vega

A bright star crowns the sky this evening. Vega is the leading light of Lyra, the harp. It’s the fifth-brightest star in the night sky, so it’s hard to miss. Vega is about twice the size and mass of the Sun and just 25 light-years away.

Moon and Antares

Antares, the brightest star of the scorpion, stands close below the Moon at nightfall. It’s a bit hard to see its color when the Moon is around, but Antares shines bright orange. That tells us that its surface is cool — more than 4,000 degrees cooler than the Sun.

Crab Nebula

The Crab Nebula spreads its claws in the dawn sky this month. It is in one of the horns of Taurus, the bull, low in the east before sunrise. Although the Crab is too faint to see without a telescope, it’s close to the upper left of Venus, the Morning Star.

Big Dipper

Summer is an enjoyable time to look at the Big Dipper. Around 10 p.m., it stands high in the northwest. Its bowl looks like it is pouring its contents onto the ground below. The bowl’s outer stars point toward Polaris, the North Star.

Moon and Planets

A brilliant triangle slides across the south tonight: the Moon and the planets Jupiter and Saturn. Jupiter looks like a brilliant star above the Moon at nightfall. Fainter Saturn stands to the left of the Moon.

Moon and Saturn

The planet Saturn looks like a bright star to the upper right of the Moon as night falls and leading the Moon across the sky later on. The even brighter planet Jupiter is to the upper right of Saturn.

Mars at Perihelion

Mars snuggles closest to the Sun today for the year, about 27 million miles closer than at its farthest. The planet looks like a bright orange star. It rises due east near midnight and stands high in the south at first light.

Scorpius

Scorpius, the scorpion, stands low in the south as night falls. Its “heart” is the bright orange star Antares. A short line of three stars to the upper right of Antares forms the scorpion’s head. Its body, tail, and stinger curl to the lower left of Antares.

Blowing Off Steam

U Scorpii is a binary star that stages big outbursts every decade or so. The last eruption took place in 2010, so the next one could happen at any time. The system stands above Antares, the scorpion’s bright orange heart, which is in the south as night falls.

The Arteries

A strong heart needs strong arteries, and Scorpius has both. The scorpion’s heart is the star Antares, an orange supergiant. It’s flanked by bright stars representing the arteries — one to the upper right of Antares at nightfall, the other to the lower left.

Milky Way

All of the stars visible to our eyes belong to the Milky Way Galaxy. The Milky Way forms a disk that spans 100,000 light-years. We are inside the disk, so we see it as a band of light — the combined glow of millions of stars — ringing the entire sky.

Moon and Mars

Mars teams up with the Moon tonight. The planet is quite close to the Moon as they climb into good view, around midnight, and just as close at first light. Mars looks like a bright orange star.

Perseid Meteors

The Perseid meteor shower will be at its best the next few nights.At its peak, which is expected early Wednesday, it might produce several dozen meteors per hour. Unfortunately, the Moon will be in the sky then, overpowering all but the brightest meteors.

Morning Venus

Venus is stretching its legs right now. The “morning star” stands farthest from the Sun over the next few days. It climbs into view about three hours before sunrise and is more than a third of the way up the eastern sky by the time it fades from view.

Last-Quarter Moon

The Moon reaches last quarter at 11:45 a.m. CDT. Sunlight will illuminate half of the lunar hemisphere that faces Earth. The illuminated portion of the Moon will grow smaller over the next week as the Moon moves toward the Sun in our sky.

Moon and Aldebaran

Aldebaran, the bright “eye” of Taurus, the bull, is close to the Moon in the wee hours of tomorrow morning. Several faint stars appear quite close to Aldebaran, but most of them are unrelated — they just happen to line up in the same direction.

Sadr

The star Sadr connects the body and wings of Cygnus, the swan, which soars high overhead on August nights. Sadr is a supergiant star. It’s at least a dozen times the mass of the Sun, 150 times wider than the Sun, and more than 30,000 times brighter.

Moon and Venus

Venus reigns as the brilliant “morning star.” The planet will stand quite close to the crescent Moon at dawn tomorrow, and farther to the upper right of the Moon on Sunday.

Sagittarius

The center of the Milky Way galaxy is in Sagittarius, which rolls low across the southern sky on summer nights. Its bright stars form the outline of a teapot. The galactic center is above the spout of the teapot, immersed in the faint “steam” of the Milky Way.

Sagittarius Nursery

M8, the Lagoon Nebula, is in the southern sky on August nights, above the “spout” of the teapot formed by the brightest stars of Sagittarius. Under especially dark skies, the birthplace of new stars is visible to the unaided eye as a faint smudge of light.

Sagittarius Cluster

Messier 22, a cluster that is about 10,000 light-years away, contains hundreds of thousands of stars, so it’s an easy target for binoculars. It’s in the south at nightfall, above the “lid” of the teapot formed by some of the brightest stars of Sagittarius.

New Moon

The Moon will be “new” tonight as it crosses the imaginary line between Earth and the Sun, beginning a new cycle of phases. It will be lost in the Sun’s intense glare, but will return to view in a couple of days as a thin crescent in the west shortly after sunset.

M51

One of the most beautiful galaxies is M51, also known as the Whirlpool because of its well-defined spiral arms. A small companion galaxy appears at the tip of one arm. It is in the northwest this evening, near the end of the Big Dipper’s handle.

Impressive Clusters

Scutum, the shield, is in the south at nightfall, above teapot-shaped Sagittarius. It contains several star clusters that are among the most impressive in the galaxy. The clusters are veiled by clouds of dust, however, so they are hidden from view.

Coat Hanger

The Summer Triangle stands high overhead this evening, with the Coat Hanger Cluster near its center. Binoculars reveal six stars in a line, which form the hanger’s cross bar, while four others curl away from the bar to form the hook.

Moon and Virgo

Spica, the brightest star of Virgo, stands to the lower left of the Moon at nightfall. The bright star we see as Spica is likely to end its life with a titanic blast known as a supernova, which will leave behind a tiny stellar corpse known as a neutron star.

Little Pictures

Three small constellations stairstep up the east as night falls. The easiest to spot is Delphinus, the dolphin, which really does resemble its namesake. Equuleus, the little horse, is directly below the dolphin, with Sagitta, the arrow, above Delphinus.

Supergiants

Several supergiant stars highlight the sky tonight. Blue-white Spica is low in the west at nightfall, with orange Antares in the south-southwest. And before dawn tomorrow, orange Betelgeuse climbs into view in the east.

Moon and Antares

The Moon is in the southwest this evening, with Antares, the heart of the scorpion, nearby. The Sun illuminates about half of the lunar hemisphere that faces our way. The angle of sunlight makes it easy to see the light and dark markings on the lunar surface.

Altair

Altair is the brightest star of Aquila, the eagle. In fact, the name “Altair” means “the flying eagle.” The star is high in the southeast at nightfall, at the lower right corner of the bright, widespread Summer Triangle.

Moon and Planets

The planets Jupiter and Saturn line up to the left of the Moon this evening. Jupiter is by far the brighter of the two worlds, although Saturn is hard to miss as well. The Moon will sweep past the planets over the following couple of nights.

Moon and Jupiter

Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, appears near the Moon tonight. It looks like a brilliant star. Four of Jupiter’s moons are visible through binoculars, arrayed like tiny stars near the giant planet.

Moon and Saturn

Look for Saturn to the upper right of the Moon as night falls. The solar system’s second-largest planet looks like a bright star. The brighter (and larger) planet Jupiter is to the right of Saturn.

Cygnus

The swan soars high overhead on late-summer nights. It’s high in the east at nightfall, with its body roughly parallel to the horizon and its graceful wings extending above and below. Its brightest star, Deneb, marks the swan’s tail.

Ancient Pictures

A couple of ancient star patterns wheel low across the south on summer nights. The teapot of Sagittarius is due south at nightfall, with the wide triangle of Capricornus in the southeast, to the upper right of the Moon this evening.

Full Moon

The Moon is full at 12:22 a.m. CDT tomorrow. The full Moon of September is known as the Fruit Moon or Corn Moon. Most years it’s also the Harvest Moon, but this year that title leapfrogs September and applies to October’s full Moon.

Martian Winter

Mars climbs into good view in the east by 10:30 or 11 p.m. and looks like a brilliant orange star. Winter arrives in the planet’s northern hemisphere today. It is the planet’s shortest season, lasting just 158 Earth days, versus 183 days for northern summer.

Tau Ceti

Tau Ceti, a star in the constellation Cetus, rises by midnight, well to the lower left of the Moon. Tau Ceti is a bit smaller, lighter, and cooler than the Sun, but overall, it’s quite similar. The biggest difference is that it may be twice as old as the Sun.

Moon and Mars

The planet Mars trails the Moon across the sky tonight. They climb into good view by 10:30 or 11 p.m., with Mars to the lower left of the Moon. It looks like a bright orange star.

More Moon and Mars

The Moon has a close encounter with the planet Mars tonight. They climb into good view by 10:30 or 11 p.m. Mars looks like a bright orange star. At its closest it will be less than one degree from the Moon, roughly the width of a pencil held at arm’s length.

Moon and Uranus

Two planets line up near the Moon tonight. Brilliant Mars is to the upper right of the Moon as they climb into view in late evening. Uranus is closer to the upper left of the Moon. It’s much fainter than Mars, though, so you need binoculars to pick it out.

Galactic Ripples

A small galaxy in Sagittarius is creating ripples in our home galaxy, the Milky Way. Sagittarius is due south at nightfall, and marks the center of the Milky Way. The dwarf galaxy is on the far side of the center, hidden behind clouds of gas and dust.

Moon and Aldebaran

Aldebaran, the bright star that marks the eye of Taurus, the bull, appears near the Moon late tonight. A couple of years ago, astronomers discovered that Aldebaran is only about two-thirds as massive as thought, or less than 1.2 times the mass of the Sun.

Caroline’s Rose

Cassiopeia is awash in star clusters. Several of them huddle near the letter M or W formed by some of the constellation’s brighter stars. One example is Caroline’s Rose, named for its appearance and its discoverer, Caroline Herschel, who first saw it in 1783.

Neptune at Opposition

Neptune, the solar system’s fourth-largest planet, is at opposition. That means it lines up opposite the Sun, so it is closest to Earth for the entire year. It’s in the sky all night, too, near the border between Aquarius and Pisces.

More Neptune at Opposition

Neptune is putting on its best showing of the year. The planet is lining up opposite the Sun, so it rises around sunset and is in view all night. It’s brightest for the year, too. Even so, you need a telescope to see it, near the border between Aquarius and Pisces.

Alpheratz

Alpheratz — a name that means “the horse’s shoulder” — is the brightest star of the Great Square of Pegasus. It’s at the left-hand point of the square during the evening hours. Officially, though, it’s a member of the adjoining constellation Andromeda.

Moon and Venus

A beautiful trio highlights the eastern sky at dawn tomorrow: the crescent Moon; Venus, the “morning star;” and M44, the Beehive star cluster. The cluster stands close above the Moon and Venus, although you need binoculars to pick it out.

Trappist-1

Aquarius is in the southeast at nightfall. One of its most famous denizens is Trappist-1, a star system that hosts at least seven planets. It’s near the border with Pisces. The star is only 40 light-years away, yet it’s too faint to see without a big telescope.

Autumn Milky Way

If you can get away from city lights, this is a good time to gaze at the Milky Way, which is the combined glow of millions of stars in the disk of the Milky Way Galaxy. It arcs high overhead during the evening.

New Moon

The Moon will be new at 6 a.m. CDT tomorrow as it crosses the imaginary line between Earth and the Sun. It will return to view as a thin crescent, low in the western sky, on Friday.

Perseus Rising

Perseus is climbing into the evening sky this month. Tonight, it’s in good view, in the northeast, by about 10:30. It rises a few minutes earlier each night, providing more time to enjoy one of the highlights of the autumn sky.

Zodiacal Light

Under dark skies, you might see a glowing pyramid of light in the eastern sky before dawn over the next few days. It’s called zodiacal light because it appears along the zodiac. It’s caused by sunlight illuminating dust grains in the plane of the solar system.

Vulpecula

The constellation Vulpecula, which represents a fox carrying a goose, is high in the southeast as night falls. It’s near the middle of the Summer Triangle, which is defined by the bright stars Vega, Deneb, and Altair.

Dumbbell Nebula

The Dumbbell Nebula, which is the last breath of a dying star, is in the constellation Vulpecula, the fox, which stands high in the southeast at nightfall. Seen through a telescope, the nebula resembles a hand weight like you would use at the gym.

Moon and Antares

The Moon is in the southwest at nightfall this evening. The bright star Antares, which represents the heart of the scorpion, stands to its lower left.

Autumn

Today is the September equinox, which is the beginning of autumn in the northern hemisphere. This is one of two times of year when the Sun rises due east and sets due west for almost the entire planet (the other is the March equinox).

First-Quarter Moon

The Moon is at first quarter at 8:55 p.m. CDT today. Sunlight will illuminate half of the lunar hemisphere facing Earth. After that, the Moon will enter its waxing gibbous phase, growing fatter each day until it’s full on October 1.

Moon and Planets

The Moon has some bright companions this evening. The planet Jupiter is close to the upper left of the Moon, with the fainter planet Saturn farther from the Moon. Jupiter outshines all the other pinpoints of light in the evening sky right now.

Moon and Saturn

Look for the planet Saturn quite close to the Moon this evening. It looks like a bright star and is just above the Moon at nightfall. The brighter planet Jupiter stands a bit to their right.

Daytime Shower

The Daytime Sextantid meteor shower is at its peak tomorrow. Most of the meteors zip across the daytime sky, so you can’t see them. But you can hear them by tuning to a weak, low-end FM radio station. When a meteor passes by, the signal will strengthen for a few seconds.

Fading Symbol

Scorpius, the scorpion, is quite low in the south and southwest as night falls. Its brightest star, Antares, is still easy to see. But the scorpion’s body, which stretches to the lower left of Antares, and its head, to the right of Antares, are harder to pick out.

Lacerta

Lacerta, the lizard, scurries high overhead on September evenings. It is between the outstretched wings of Cygnus, the swan, and W-shaped Cassiopeia. You need dark skies and a starchart to help you find this squiggle of five stars.

Algol

A star with a demonic reputation climbs the northeastern sky this evening. Algol represents the head of Medusa, a monster that’s part of the constellation Perseus. The star fades and brightens, which may have helped inspire its reputation.

The Coathanger

The Coathanger, a pattern of 10 stars that looks like an upside-down hanger, is one of the highlights of the faint constellation Vulpecula, the fox. It is a great target for binoculars.

Harvest Moon

The Harvest Moon lights up the sky tonight. The most common rule defines the Harvest Moon is the full Moon closest to the fall equinox. Most years, that places it in September. This year, though, October’s full Moon was closer to the equinox.

Bright Pairings

At nightfall, the planets Jupiter and Saturn are in the south. They look like a pair of bright eyes, with Jupiter far brighter than Saturn. And an hour later, the Moon and Mars climb into view. Mars looks like a brilliant orange star to the lower left of the Moon.

VV Cephei

A big, messy star system is at the center of Cepheus, the king, which is in the north-northeast at nightfall. VV Cephei consists of two giant stars. One is encircled by a disk of gas and dust. Every 20 years, the disk eclipses the other star for 21 months.

Draco

Although Draco is well known for its name, the constellation is tough to follow. It’s a meandering trail of stars that curls around the Little Dipper. But most of the stars are faint, so from light-polluted cities, Draco is more of a stealth dragon.

Close Mars

The Red Planet Mars lives up to its nickname this month, shining orange or red all month. It’s the third-brightest object in the night sky, after only the Moon and Venus. That’s because Mars passes closest to Earth early tomorrow, at just 38.6 million miles.

Moon and Aldebaran

Look for the Moon climbing into good view by 10:30 or 11 p.m. Aldebaran, the bright star that marks the eye of Taurus, the bull, will rise to the right of the Moon, then perch below the Moon at first light.

Draconid Meteors

The Draconid meteor shower should be at its best late tonight. Bits of comet dust will burn up as they slam into the atmosphere, forming “shooting stars,” Unfortunately, the Moon will be in the way at the shower’s peak, so only a few meteors will shine through.

Brighter and Brightest

From the far-southern latitudes of the United States, the two brightest stars in the night sky stairstep up the south at dawn. The brighter one is Sirius, which is visible from the entire country. The other is Canopus, which is just above the horizon.

Monster Black Hole

One of the biggest black holes yet seen is 34 billion times the mass of the Sun, which is heavier than many galaxies. It’s in a galaxy that’s on the border between the constellations Grus and Piscis Austrinus, which scoot low across the south this evening.

Aquarius

Aquarius drifts across the southern sky on autumn nights. Tonight, it’s in the southeast as the sky gets good and dark and due south a couple of hours later. The constellation is known as the water-bearer. It represents a man or boy pouring water from a vase.

Mars at Opposition

Mars is shining at its best this week. It is lining up opposite the Sun in our sky, so it is especially close and bright. It looks like a brilliant orange star. It’s in the east as night falls and arcs high across the south during the night.

Moon and Companions

The crescent Moon has two bright companions at dawn tomorrow. The planet Venus, the dazzling “morning star,” will stand directly below the Moon. And the star Regulus, the heart of Leo, the lion, will be about the same distance to the upper right of the Moon.

Mars at Opposition II

Mars outshines everything else in the night sky for the next few weeks except the Moon and Venus, which currently is the “morning star.” It looks like a brilliant orange star. The planet is low in the east at nightfall and in the west at first light.

Morning Venus

Venus is the “morning star,” outshining everything in the night sky except the Moon. It is scheduled to receive a visitor tonight: BepiColombo, a European spacecraft. It is using Venus’s gravity to shape its path to Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun.

M33

One of our nearest galactic neighbors climbs high across the sky tonight. The galaxy is M33, in Triangulum, the triangle. It’s low in the northeast at nightfall and high overhead by midnight. You need binoculars or a telescope to see the galaxy.

Mars at Opposition IV

Mars is in the east as night falls and arcs high across the south later on. The planet shines like a brilliant orange star all night long. It will remain the third-brightest object in the night sky for most of October.

Prominent Clusters

The two most prominent star clusters in the night sky are in good view on autumn evenings. The V-shaped Hyades cluster outlines the face of Taurus, the bull, while the smaller, dipper-shaped Pleiades cluster represents his shoulder.

Light and Dark

A glimpse of the Milky Way under dark skies reveals not just its glowing band of light but some dark rifts running through it. They are lanes of dust that block the light of the stars behind them, just as thick clouds in the sky block the Sun from view.

Moon and Antares

Antares looks up at the Moon in early evening twilight. The orange star stands at the heart of Scorpius. The scorpion’s head is to the right of Antares, with its body and stinger to the left. They are quite low in the sky, so binoculars will help you find them.

Orionid Meteors

The Orionid meteor shower should be at its best tonight. It takes place as Earth flies through the path of Comet Halley. The comet sheds rock and dust as it orbits the Sun. These bits vaporize as they hit our atmosphere, forming streaks of light known as meteors.

Going South

The Moon and the solar system’s two largest planets line up in the south and southwest as night falls. Jupiter and Saturn stand to the upper left of the Moon. Jupiter is far brighter than Saturn and is closer to the Moon.

Moon and Planets

The planets Jupiter and Saturn cozy up to the Moon tonight. Jupiter is to the upper right of the Moon and looks like a brilliant star. Right now, only Venus and Mars outshine it. Saturn is above the Moon. It looks like a bright star, but not nearly as bright as Jupiter.

First-Quarter Moon

The Moon is at first quarter today. It rises in the afternoon and sets around midnight. At first quarter, sunlight illuminates exactly half of the lunar hemisphere that faces Earth, so it looks as though someone sliced the Moon down the middle.

Hamal

Hamal, the brightest star of Aries, is low in the east as night falls, far to the left of bright orange Mars. The star is a billion years younger than the Sun. Yet it’s past the end of its “normal” lifetime — a point the Sun won’t reach for five billion years.

Capella

The bright yellow-orange star Capella climbs into good view in the northeast by 8 or 9 p.m. The system consists of two stars that are bigger and heavier than the Sun. And even though they are much younger than the Sun, they’re already near the ends of their lives.

Cassiopeia

The brightest stars of Cassiopeia form one of the most prominent patterns in the night sky — a big letter M or W. It’s in good view in the northeast this evening, and wheels high across the north during the night.

Cassiopeia A

Cassiopeia A is an exploded star in the constellation Cassiopeia, which is high in the northeast at nightfall. The star is surrounded by filaments of oxygen, iron, sulfur, and other elements. They were forged inside the star or in the blast that ripped it apart.

Moon and Mars

The planet Mars stands close to the Moon tonight. It looks like a bright orange star to the left of the Moon in early evening, and above the Moon as they set, before dawn.

More Moon and Mars

Look for Mars in the southeast in early evening, shining like a bright orange star. The planet will stand to the upper right of the Moon as they climb into view, and below the Moon as they set, before dawn tomorrow.

Blue Hunter’s Moon

The Moon is full early tomorrow, making it a Halloween Moon. As the full Moon after the Harvest Moon, it’s the Hunter’s Moon. And as the second full Moon this month, it’s a Blue Moon. Put them together and it’s a Blue Hunter’s Halloween Moon.

Uranus at Opposition

A second planet is at its best this month. Mars was at its peak a couple of weeks ago and is still shining brightly. And today, Uranus is at its peak. It’s much bigger than Mars but it’s also farther, so it is much fainter. You need binoculars to find it.

Uranus at Opposition II

The planet Uranus is putting on its best showing of the year. It is in view all night, in Aries, the ram. It is brightest for the year as well. Tonight, it is about halfway between the Moon and bright orange Mars. It is an easy target for binoculars.

Moon and Aldebaran

Aldebaran, the star that represents the eye of Taurus, the bull, stands close to the lower right of the Moon as they climb into view after darkness falls.

Triangulum

A thin wedge of stars climbs the eastern sky on November evenings, the constellation Triangulum. It fills an otherwise dark space between the well-known constellations Aries, Perseus, and Andromeda.

Andromeda

Andromeda is high in the east at nightfall and directly overhead by 10 p.m. It is marked by a slightly curved line of three equally bright stars. Alpheratz is at one end of the line, with Mirach at the middle and Almach at the other end.

Andromeda II

The Blue Snowball Nebula stands high in the sky at nightfall, in Andromeda. Through a telescope it does look blue, and it has the slightly fuzzy outline of a snowball. The nebula is the last gasp of a Sun-like star, which is blowing its outer layers into space.

Andromeda III

M31, the Andromeda galaxy, is our closest big galactic neighbor, at a distance of 2.5 million light-years. It stands high in the east in early evening, and looks like a small, faint, hazy patch of light.

Procyon and Sirius

A couple of bright stars arc to the right of the Moon at midnight and stairstep to the lower right of the Moon at first light. Procyon is closer to the Moon, while Sirius is the brightest star in the entire night sky.

Moon and Regulus

Regulus, the heart of Leo, the lion, is to the lower right of the Moon at first light tomorrow. The surface of Regulus is thousands of degrees hotter than the Sun, so the star shines pure white compared to the Sun’s yellowish tint.

Morning Mercury

Mercury is putting in a pretty good appearance in the dawn sky. The planet is low in the east-southeast in the early twilight and looks like a bright star. The true star Spica is close to its upper right, with brilliant Venus, the “morning star,” above them.

Capella

Capella, the brightest star of Auriga, the charioteer, is one of the half-dozen brightest star systems in the night sky. The yellow-orange star is low in the northeast at nightfall and stands high in the west-northwest at first light.

Moon and Venus

Venus is shining as the brilliant “morning star.” Tomorrow, it will stand directly below the crescent Moon at first light. The planet Mercury and Spica, the brightest star of the constellation Virgo, will pose below them.

Moon and Companions

A beautiful quartet greets early risers tomorrow: the Moon, two planets, and a star. The planet Mercury will stand directly below the Moon. The star Spica will stand to the right of the Moon and Venus, the “morning star,” will perch above the others.

November Milky Way

The Milky Way forms a glowing arch on November evenings. It stretches from Aquila and Cygnus in the west, through W-shaped Cassiopeia high in the northeast, and down near the bright stars Aldebaran and Capella.

Mars Stands Still

Mars will be stationary tomorrow, as it appears to stand still against the background of stars. The planet will resume its normal motion across the sky soon after that, but it will be slow at first, so it will take a day or two to notice any difference.

‘Rattling’ Stars

The Pleiades star cluster stands high in the east in mid-evening and almost directly overhead around midnight. It looks like a tiny dipper of six moderately bright stars. To the people of Mesoamerica, the Pleiades represented the rattles of a rattlesnake.

Leonid Meteors

The Leonid meteor shower should be at its best tonight. The Moon is just past new, so it won’t get in the way of the fireworks. The shower isn’t at its best this year, so you might see a peak of a dozen or so meteors per hour in the wee hours of tomorrow morning.

The Crane

When European sailors began exploring the southern hemisphere, they compiled maps of the stars. Astronomers used those maps to create some new constellations. One of those constellations moves low across the south on November evenings: Grus, the crane.

Moon and Planets

The Moon is in the southwest at nightfall. The giant planets Jupiter and Saturn line up to its upper left. Jupiter is closer to the Moon, and it’s by far the brighter of the two worlds.

More Moon and Planets

The planet Saturn appears near the Moon this evening. It looks like a fairly bright star to the right of the Moon at nightfall. The much brighter planet Jupiter is a little farther from the Moon.

Disappearing Planet

Fomalhaut, the brightest star of the southern fish, is low in the south at nightfall, far to the lower left of the Moon. It’s the only bright star in its region of the sky. A possible planet around the star recently was found to be only a cloud of dust.

Youngest Planet

Taurus, the bull, is quite low in the east shortly after nightfall. A star system in the constellation, V830 Tauri, contains the youngest planet yet discovered. V830 is to the upper left of Aldebaran, the bull’s bright eye, but you need a telescope to see it.

Winter Wonders

The first day of winter is weeks away, but the stars of winter are working into the evening sky. Look for them in the east by about 9 or 10 p.m. Orion the hunter highlights the east, with the twin stars of Gemini well to its left.

Mira

Mira, the “miraculous” star, in the constellation Cetus, is high in the south during mid to late evening. Mira got its name because it periodically disappears then reappears, the result of a rhythmic expansion and contraction.

Phoenix

The southern constellation Phoenix, which is named for the mythological bird that was reborn from its own ashes, just peeks above the southern horizon in early to mid evening for skywatchers across most of the United States.

Moon and Mars

Look for Mars near the Moon tonight. The planet looks like a bright orange star. It stands above the Moon at nightfall and to the right of the Moon as they set in the wee hours of Thanksgiving.

Alpha Persei

Perseus the hero is in the northeast at nightfall. Its brightest star is Alpha Persei, a massive young star that’s nearing the end of its life. It is surrounded by a family of hundreds of other stars known as the Alpha Persei Cluster.

Galaxy Pair

Cetus, the whale or sea monster, is in the southeast as night falls, to the right and lower right of the almost-full Moon. Among its treasures are two beautiful galaxies, Messier 77 and NGC 1055. Both are giant spirals like our home galaxy, the Milky Way.

Moon Watching

The Moon arcs high across the sky tonight. It rises in the east-southeast before sunset and sets in the west-northwest before sunrise. The Moon’s rising and setting points move north and south along the horizon, with a big swing between the monthly extremes.

Penumbral Eclipse

The full Moon will fade a bit early tomorrow thanks to a penumbral lunar eclipse. The Moon will pass through the faint outer ring of Earth’s shadow. Most of the lunar disk will take on a dusky appearance, as though it were covered by a thin layer of clouds.

Venus in the Claws

Venus, the “morning star,” stands above the star Zubenelgenubi at dawn tomorrow. Although it officially belongs to Libra, the balance scales, the star also represents the southern claw of the scorpion. Venus and the star will stand side by side on Friday morning.

Jupiter and Saturn

The planets Jupiter and Saturn are in the southwest as night falls. Jupiter is the brighter of the two — brighter now than anything else in the sky at that hour. Saturn is a couple of degrees to the upper left by about the width of a finger at arm’s length.

Disappearing Triangle

Even though winter is almost here, the Summer Triangle remains in good view. It is well up in the west at nightfall. Its brightest point is the star Vega, more than a third of the way up the sky. Deneb is above it, with Altair far to the left of Vega.

Earliest Sunset

Although the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice, is almost three weeks away, much of the United States is seeing the earliest sunsets of the year about now. The date of earliest sunset varies with latitude, with the date getting later as you go north.

Gemini Rising

The twins of Gemini arc high across the sky on December nights. Right now, the constellation is low in the east-northeast by about 8 p.m. and passes almost directly overhead in the wee hours of the morning.

Moon and Regulus

Regulus, the bright heart of Leo, the lion, shines close to the gibbous Moon the next couple of nights. The star is below the Moon as they climb into view by midnight tonight.

Sculptor

The constellation Sculptor is in the south at nightfall, to the lower left of Fomalhaut, the only bright star in that part of the sky. Sculptor has no bright stars of its own, so you need to get away from city lights to see any of the constellation.

Sculptor Galaxies

A collection of galaxies known as the Sculptor Group spreads across the constellation Sculptor and adjoining Cetus. One of the group’s most impressive members is NGC 247. Although too faint to see with the eye alone, it’s an easy target for a small telescope.

Orion Nebula

Orion clears the eastern horizon by about 8 p.m. Its most prominent feature is its belt of three stars. The Orion Nebula, which is the faint smudge of light to the lower right of the belt, is a vast stellar nursery.

Moon and Spica

Spica, the leading light of the constellation Virgo, stands to the lower right of the Moon at first light tomorrow. Spica consists of two stars, but most of the system’s light comes from the bigger star. It is destined to explode as a supernova.

Geminid Meteors

The Geminid meteor shower should be at its peak on Sunday night. It’s one of the year’s best showers, and frequently offers some especially bright meteors. It spikes quickly, however, so there aren’t many meteors before or after the peak.

Moon and Venus

Early risers are in for a treat tomorrow: a close encounter between the crescent Moon and Venus, the Morning Star. They are in the southeast at dawn. During the day, the Moon will pass in front of Venus. The event will be visible across part of the western U.S.

Cygnus X-1

The first confirmed black hole sits near the center of the Summer Triangle, which is a pattern of three bright stars that’s in the west on December evenings. Cygnus X-1 was discovered during a short rocket flight in 1964.

Solar Eclipse

The Sun and Moon are lining up for one of nature’s most impressive shows early tomorrow: a total solar eclipse. The Moon will pass directly in front of the Sun, blocking it from view along a narrow path in the southern hemisphere.

Betelgeuse

Betelgeuse marks the shoulder of Orion the hunter. The bright orange star rises due east a couple of hours after sunset and climbs high across the south during the night. A year ago, the star faded dramatically, but it has since bounced back.

Venera 7

The planet Venus is low in the southeast at dawn. It’s the brilliant Morning Star, so you can’t miss it. A Soviet probe, Venera 7, landed on Venus 50 years ago today. It was the first successful landing on any body other than Earth or the Moon.

Moon and Planets

There’s a logjam in the southwestern sky after sunset the next couple of evenings. The crescent Moon will pass by Jupiter and Saturn, which look like they’re about to slam into each other. Jupiter is the brighter of the giant planets.

Saturnalia

Today is the start of Saturnalia, an ancient Roman festival named for the god of agriculture. Most work stopped, and people decorated their homes and exchanged gifts. Since it came just before the winter solstice, the darkest time of year, candles were popular gifts.

Lyra

Lyra is dropping lower in the evening sky. It’s in the west-northwest at nightfall, marked by its brightest star, Vega, one of the brightest stars in all the night.

Rising Dipper

If you’re in the southern half of the U.S., look for something unusual: the Big Dipper rising. From Dallas, most of it is below the horizon at nightfall. The bowl climbs into view by about 10 p.m., and the handle follows by midnight.

Jupiter and Saturn

The planets Jupiter and Saturn are in the southwest as darkness begins to fall. Jupiter is the brighter of the two and is easy to pick out. Saturn will stand just above Jupiter tonight, and almost side by side with it tomorrow night.

Winter Solstice

Winter arrives in the northern hemisphere today, which is the winter solstice. The Sun stands farthest south for the entire year, and it’s in view for the shortest time.

Sky Steeds

Three steeds gallop across the sky tonight — Pegasus the flying horse; Equuleus, the little horse; and Monoceros, the unicorn. Pegasus is the brightest. Look for its Great Square high in the sky at nightfall, above the Moon.

Moon and Mars

Mars stands directly above the Moon as darkness falls this evening. It looks like a bright orange star. It will stand to the right of the Moon as they set in the wee hours of the morning.

Holiday Skies

The giant planets Jupiter and Saturn are in the southwest at nightfall and look like they’re about to touch each other. Jupiter is the brighter of the two. At that same hour, Mars shines like an orange star to the upper right of the Moon.

Northern Cross

Cygnus, the swan, soars high across the evening sky during summer, and really does resemble a graceful bird. Now, though, its bill points downward and its wings are almost parallel to the horizon. This angle has earned Cygnus a second name: the Northern Cross.

Stellar Companionship

Most of the stars in the night sky consist of two stars or more. Prominent examples this evening include bright yellow-orange Capella, in the northeast at nightfall, and far below it, Castor, one of the twins of Gemini, which has six known stars.

Moon and Aldebaran

The Moon follows the follower across the sky tonight — the star Aldebaran, the eye of Taurus, the bull. Aldebaran is close to the right of the Moon as night falls, and below the Moon as they drop down the western sky in the wee hours of the morning.

Winter Circle

The Moon passes through the Winter Circle the next few night. It contains several of the night sky’s brightest stars, but it’s so spread out that it’s hard to take in all at once.

Full Moon

The Moon is full tonight. It’s known as the Long Night Moon. Because it occurs near the winter solstice, when the Sun is in view for the shortest period of the year, the Moon is in the sky longer than any other full Moon of the year.

Moon and Pollux

Pollux, the brighter of the twin stars of Gemini, stands to the left of the just-past-full Moon as darkness falls. Castor, the other twin, is to the upper left of Pollux.

New Year’s Sky

The Moon is high in the sky as the new year arrives. Mars is low in the west then and looks like a bright orange star. Orion is high in the south, marked by its three-star belt. Follow the belt to the lower left to Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky.

Close to the Sun

Earth begins the new year by snuggling up to the Sun. Early tomorrow, the Sun will be closest for the year, just 91 million miles away. That’s less than two percent closer than the average distance, though, so we won’t notice the difference.

The First Shower

The first meteor shower of the year is at its peak late tonight. For a short while, the Quadrantid shower may produce several dozen “shooting stars” per hour. Unfortunately, the gibbous Moon will overpower all but its brightest meteors.

Orion’s Head

Orion is low in the eastern sky at nightfall. Look for his three-star belt extending almost straight up from the horizon. The bright orange star Betelgeuse is to the left of the belt. The faint triangle of stars that makes up Orion’s head is above Betelgeuse.

Bellatrix

Bellatrix, the third-brightest star of Orion, stands to the upper left of Orion’s three-star belt during the evening. The star is massive enough that it’s likely to end its life with a titanic explosion known as a supernova.

Moon and Spica

Spica, the brightest star of Virgo, is in good view at dawn tomorrow, below the last-quarter Moon. About 2,000 years ago, an astronomer used Spica to discover that the starry background shifts position relative to the Sun.

Minimal Star

Lepus, the rabbit, is low in the southeast at nightfall, to the lower right of Orion. It hosts the faintest star yet seen, which is just one ten-thousandth as bright as the Sun. It’s just 40 light-years away, but it’s far too faint to see without a good telescope.

Unexpected Visitor

Zubenelgenubi, a star that represents a claw of the scorpion, rises close to the right of the Moon in the wee hours of tomorrow morning. Officially, the star belongs to Libra, the balance scales, although it retains an ancient name that means “the southern claw.”

Messier 35

The star cluster Messier 35 stands at the feet of Gemini, the twins, in the east at nightfall. The cluster contains several thousand stars. Under dark skies, the cluster is visible to the unaided eye as a hazy smudge of light.

Seeing Orange

Antares, the bright star at the heart of the scorpion, will stand to the right of the Moon at first light tomorrow. Antares shines bright orange, which is where it gets its name: “Antares” means “rival of Mars,” indicating a close resemblance to the Red Planet.

Moonshine

The Moon and Venus, the “morning star,” will be quite low in the southeast about 30 minutes before sunrise. You will need an unobstructed horizon to spot them.

Top Dog

Winter nights sparkle with some of the brightest stars in the sky. Yet it takes only a glance to pick out the brightest of all: Sirius, the leading light of Canis Major, the big dog. It’s in the southeast by mid-evening and scoots low across the south later on.

Second Dog

Adhara, the second-brightest star of Canis Major, is in the southeast this evening, far to the lower right of Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. Adhara is thousands of times brighter than Sirius, but also hundreds of light-years farther.

Third Dog

Wezen, the third-brightest star of Canis Major, the big dog, rises below the top dog, Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. They are in the southeast by 8 or 8:30. Wezen is so big that if it took the Sun’s place, it would extend all the way out to Earth.

Moon and Planets

A couple of planets lead the Moon down the sky after sunset. Both are bright but low in the sky, so you need a clear horizon to spot them. Mercury is to the lower right of the Moon, with Jupiter to the lower right of Mercury. Binoculars will help you pick them out.

Mars and Uranus

The planets Mars and Uranus are teaming up in the evening sky. Mars looks like a bright orange star in the south at nightfall. Uranus, which is too faint to see without binoculars, is to the left of Mars tonight but will snuggle closer to it over the next week.

Colorful Contrast

Two bright stars in this evening’s southern sky show that stars come in a rainbow of colors. The stars are Rigel and Betelgeuse, in Orion. Rigel is blue, Betelgeuse red. If you stare at Rigel for a few seconds, then switch to Betelgeuse, the contrast is dramatic.

Procyon

Procyon, the brightest star of Canis Minor, the little dog, is the eighth-brightest star in the night sky. On January nights it’s low in the east not long after nightfall. It’s well to the left or upper left of Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky.

Evening Mercury

The planet Mercury will lurk low in the evening sky over the next couple of weeks. It will lose a little bit of its brilliance each night, but it also will climb a little higher for the next few nights, making it a bit easier to find.

Messier 3

Messier 3, a family of half a million stars about 34,000 light-years away, is in the constellation Canes Venatici, the hunting dogs, and is easily visible through binoculars. It is in good view in the east-northeast by midnight and stands overhead at dawn.

Moon and Mars

Mars is in great view tonight. The planet is high in the south as night falls, above the Moon. It looks like a bright orange star. It will stand a little closer to the upper right of the Moon as they set in the wee hours of the morning.

More Moon and Mars

The Red Planet Mars stands to the upper right of the Moon as night falls, shining like a bright orange star. The Moon is at apogee today, which is its farthest point from Earth for its current orbit. Tides are less dramatic when the Moon is farther away.

Beehive Cluster

Cancer, the crab, is in the east this evening. It rises as darkness falls and is well up in the east by mid-evening. Its most interesting object is a cluster of stars known as the Beehive. To the unaided eye, it looks like a tiny smudge of light.

Moon and Aldebaran

Aldebaran, the star that marks the eye of Taurus, the bull, will be quite close to the Moon throughout the night. They will be high in the sky at nightfall and set in the wee hours of the morning.

Butting Up Against the Moon

El Nath, a star that represents the tip of one of the horns of Taurus, the bull, stands to the left or upper left of the Moon as night falls and directly above it a few hours later. The star also forms part of the outline of Auriga the charioteer.

Great Square of Pegasus

The Great Square of Pegasus stands high in the west at nightfall. Its brightest star, Alpheratz, is at the highest point of the square.

Canopus

Canopus, the second-brightest star in the night sky, peeks into view on winter evenings for skywatchers in the southern latitudes of the United States. It’s due south at about 10 or 11 p.m., almost directly below Sirius, the night sky’s brightest star.

Moon and Gemini

Pollux and Castor, the “twin” stars of Gemini, align above the full Moon tonight. Pollux is the brighter of the two and stands closer to the Moon. The bright stars will look a bit washed out in the glare of the Moon.

Full Moon

The Moon is full today at 1:16 p.m. CST as it lines up opposite the Sun. January’s full Moon is known as the Old Moon or Wolf Moon. It is farther from Earth than average, so discerning skywatchers may notice that it appears a little smaller and fainter than average.

Moon and Regulus

Look for the just-past-full Moon climbing into good view by about 7 p.m. A bright companion will stand close by: Regulus, the brightest star of the constellation Leo, the lion.

Moon and the Lion

The Moon passes about halfway between the brightest stars of Leo tonight. Regulus, the brightest, is to the upper right of the Moon, by about the width of your fist held at arm’s length. Denebola, the lion’s tail, is the same distance to the lower left of the Moon.

Celestial Clock

The Big Dipper wheels around the North Star like the hour-hand on a giant clock, ticking off the hours of the night. Winter is an especially good time to watch it because it’s in good view for most of the night.

Moon and Spica

Spica, the brightest star of Virgo, stands well to the lower left of the Moon at first light tomorrow, and closer to the Moon on Wednesday morning. Spica is 250 light-years from Earth, so the light we see from it today left the star around the year 1771.

Groundhog Day

Today is Groundhog Day, which is a cross-quarter day. It occurs about halfway between the winter solstice, in December, and the spring equinox, in March. In many cultures, cross-quarter days marked the changing of the seasons, not their mid-points.

Orion Nebula

The Orion Nebula is a giant stellar nursery—a cocoon of gas and dust that has given birth to thousands of stars. It is in the south on winter evenings. The nebula is a faint smudge of light below the three bright stars that mark Orion’s Belt.

Last-Quarter Moon

The Moon is at last quarter today, which means it is three-fourths of the way through its month-long cycle of phases. It lines up at a right angle to the line from Earth to the Sun, so sunlight illuminates half of the lunar hemisphere that faces our way.

Moon and Antares

Antares will stand close to the lower right of the Moon at first light tomorrow. The bright orange star is at the heart of the celestial scorpion. It is classified as a red supergiant, one of the brightest and heaviest stars in our region of the galaxy.

Thuban

Draco, the dragon, is an ancient constellation. One of its stars, Thuban, marks one of its coils. Fifty centuries ago, Thuban stood at the north celestial pole. That made Thuban the North Star. But Earth’s axis shifts, so today the North Star is Polaris.

Changing Seasons

The planet Mars stands high in the sky at nightfall. It looks like a bright orange star. Today is the vernal equinox in the planet’s northern hemisphere, marking the start of spring.

Mercury

The planet Mercury is in conjunction, passing behind the Sun as seen from Earth. The Sun’s closest planet will peek into view in the east-southeast at dawn later this month, forming a tight triangle with Saturn and Jupiter.

Upsilon Andromedae

Andromeda descends the northeastern sky this evening. Among its wonders is Upsilon Andromedae, a system of two stars and at least four planets that are similar to Jupiter, the giant of our own solar system.

Monoceros

Monoceros, the unicorn, is high in the south in mid-evening. Seen under dark skies, with the help of binoculars or a telescope, it yields some interesting sights. An example is the Rosette Nebula, a cloud of gas and dust that spans several light-years.

New Moon

The Moon is new today. It is crossing the imaginary line between Earth and the Sun, so it is hidden in the Sun’s intense glare. It will move into view in the west-southwest shortly after sunset tomorrow and Saturday, shining as a thin crescent.

Cursa

The star Cursa represents the “footstool” of Orion, the hunter. During the evening hours it stands a little above Rigel, Orion’s brightest star, which is to the lower right of the hunter’s three-star belt.

Cancer

Cancer, the crab, is a third of the way up the eastern sky at nightfall. It’s about halfway between the bright star Regulus, which is low in the east at that hour, and the twins of Gemini, which are high above Regulus.

Leo Minor

Leo Minor, the little lion, represents a cub of Leo. Leo Minor is near Leo, which is low in the eastern sky in early evening. Leo Minor stands to the upper left of Leo’s head and mane, which form a hook, with the bright star Regulus at its bottom.

Crimson Star

One of the reddest stars in the galaxy bounds across the south on February evenings, in the constellation Lepus, the hare. Its primary name is R Leporis, but it’s better known as Hind’s Crimson Star for the astronomer who discovered it.

Little Black Hole

Capella, the brightest star of Auriga, the charioteer, stands high overhead at nightfall. Capella is one of the brighter stars in the night sky, so it’s easy to spot. It shines with a yellow-orange hue.

Navi

Navi is the middle star in the “M” that outlines Cassiopeia. The crew of the first planned Apollo mission named three stars after themselves. Navi was the middle name of Gus Ivan Grissom spelled backwards. When the astronauts died in a fire, the names stuck.

Moon and Mars

Mars teams up with the Moon tonight. The planet looks like a bright orange star. It stands close to the upper right of the Moon as darkness falls.

Morning Planets

Mercury, Saturn, and Jupiter form a tight triangle in the dawn sky for the next few days. Unfortunately, they’re quite low, so they’re tough to see. The view is better as you go farther south. The planets are in the east-southeast as the sky brightens.

Moon and Aldebaran

Aldebaran, the star that marks the eye of Taurus, the bull, stands below the Moon this evening. It shines brightly even through the lunar glare. It is the 14th-brightest star system in the night sky, so it’s always easy to spot.

Hunting the Dogs

Orion’s Belt, a line of three bright stars, is high in the south this evening. It points to the lower left toward Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. Procyon is far to the left of the belt. Sirius and Procyon are the brightest stars of the big and little dogs.

Dippers

The Big Dipper is in the northeast at nightfall, standing on its handle. The Little Dipper is to the left. Its bowl hangs below the handle, which ends at Polaris, the North Star.

Moon and Gemini

Castor and Pollux, the twin stars of Gemini, line up to the upper left of the Moon at nightfall. Pollux is closer to the Moon, and is the brighter of the two. Castor is a sextuplet—six stars that move through space together, bound by their mutual gravitational pull.

Dipper Orphans

Most of the stars that make up the Big Dipper are members of a sky-spanning family known as the Ursa Major Moving Group. Its stars all formed from a single cloud of gas and dust. But the stars at the opposite ends of the Dipper aren’t members of the group.

Moon and Regulus

A bright star follows the bright Moon across the sky tonight: Regulus, the heart of the lion. It’s below the Moon as night falls, and closer to the left of the Moon at first light.

Full Moon

The Moon will be full at 2:17 a.m. CST tomorrow as it aligns opposite the Sun in our sky. February’s full Moon is known as the Snow Moon, Wolf Moon, or Hunger Moon.

Alphard

Hydra, the water snake, is the longest constellation. At midnight, its head stands halfway up the southwestern sky while its tail is clearing the southeastern horizon. Its brightest star, Alphard, is low in the east-southeast, far to the upper right of the Moon.

Mechanical Constellations

Three constellations visible tonight show a fascination with early scientific instruments. Sextans, Antlia, and Pyxis represent the sextant, air pump, and compass. Sextans is in the east-southeast in mid-evening, with Antlia and Pyxis lower in the southeast and south.

Vesta

Vesta, the second-largest member of the asteroid belt, is lining up opposite the Sun. It’s in view all night and is brightest for the year. It is just below naked-eye visibility. Through binoculars, it looks like a faint star near the back leg of Leo, the lion.

Mercury and Jupiter

The planets Mercury and Jupiter stand low in the east-southeast in the dawn twilight. Tomorrow, Mercury will stand close above brighter Jupiter. The planets will appear to almost touch on Friday, and Mercury will move away from Jupiter after that.

The Whirlpool

M51, also known as the Whirlpool Galaxy for its nearly perfect spiral arms, spins across the north tonight. It stands close to the end of the handle of the Big Dipper, which is in the northeast in early evening and wheels high overhead later on.

More Mercury and Jupiter

The planets Mercury and Jupiter will stand side by side at dawn tomorrow. Jupiter is the brighter of the two worlds. They will be slightly easier to see from more southerly latitudes. Saturn stands to their upper right.

Last-Quarter Moon

The Moon reaches last quarter at 7:30 p.m. CST, so sunlight will illuminate half of the visible lunar hemisphere. The illuminated fraction will shrink over the coming week as the Moon moves toward “new,” which will begin a new cycle of phases.

Mystery Explosion

Vulpecula, the fox, is near the middle of the Summer Triangle, which is high in the eastern sky at dawn. One of its treasures is CK Vulpecula, a star that flared up 350 years ago. The outburst probably was caused by the collision and merger of two stars.

Denebola

Denebola, the star that marks the lion’s tail, is bigger, brighter, and much younger than the Sun. It perches low in the east as darkness falls and climbs high across the sky during the night. It will rise a little earlier each evening as we head into spring.

Moon and Saturn

Saturn is close to the Moon at dawn tomorrow. The giant planet looks like a star to the left of the Moon. The planets Jupiter, which is much brighter than Saturn, and Mercury stand to the lower left.

Moon and Planets

Three planets congregate near the Moon in the dawn twilight tomorrow. The brightest is Jupiter, to the upper left of the Moon. Next-brightest is Mercury, to the left of the Moon. And the faintest planet is Saturn, to the upper right of the Moon.

Mars and Aldebaran

A pair of glowing orange “eyes” stares down from the western sky this evening: the planet Mars and the star Aldebaran, which marks the eye of Taurus, the bull. They are high in the sky at nightfall, with Mars to the right of slightly brighter Aldebaran.

Boötes

One of the oldest constellations soars high across the sky on March nights. Boötes the herdsman rises in the east and northeast by 9 or 10 p.m. Its stars form an outline that resembles an ice cream cone. The brightest star, Arcturus, is at the bottom of the cone.

Arcturus

One of the stars whose size has been measured directly is Arcturus, in Boötes the herdsman. It climbs into view in the east by 9 or 10 p.m. It’s one of the brightest stars in the night sky. Careful measurements show that it’s about 25 times the diameter of the Sun.

M48

The star cluster Messier 48 is halfway up the sky in the south-southeast as night falls, well below the bright star Procyon. Under dark skies, it’s visible to the unaided eye as a small, hazy patch of light, and it’s an easy target for binoculars.

Serpens

The divided halves of a snake are moving into the evening sky. Known as Serpens, the serpent, they rise beginning in late evening. The constellation is split because the snake wraps around the intervening stars of Ophiuchus, the serpent-bearer.

Moon and Mars

Look for Mars above the Moon this evening. The planet looks like an orange star. The true star Aldebaran, which is also orange, is about the same distance to the upper left of the Moon.

Vernal Equinox

Spring arrives in the northern hemisphere in the wee hours of tomorrow morning. That moment is known as the vernal equinox. Over the centuries, it’s played a central role in the development of the calendar.

Equinox II

Today is the vernal equinox, the start of spring in the northern hemisphere. A myth says you can balance an egg on its end on the equinoxes and only on the equinoxes. It’s not true. Your odds of standing an egg on its end are no better today than any other day.

First-Quarter Moon

The Moon is at first quarter today, one-fourth of the way through its month-long cycle of phases. Sunlight illuminates exactly half of the lunar hemisphere that faces our way.

Royal Star

Cor Caroli, the brightest star of Canes Venatici, the hunting dogs, is in the east at nightfall, to the right of the tip of the Big Dipper’s handle. Its name means Heart of Charles and refers to England’s King Charles I or his son, Charles II.

Crow and Cup

The constellations Corvus and Crater are low in the southeast after nightfall. Corvus, the crow, is a group of four stars that resembles a sail, while Crater, the cup, consists of a semicircle of stars (the cup’s bowl) plus two other stars below it.

Coma

The constellation Coma Berenices soars high across the sky tonight. It is low in the northeast as darkness falls and almost directly overhead around midnight. One of its brightest stars, Beta Comae, is a yellow star much like our own Sun.

Moon and Regulus

The Moon stands in the east at nightfall and arcs high across the southern half of the sky during the night. Regulus, the bright heart of Leo, the lion, is just a few degrees away.

Missing Venus

Venus is passing behind the Sun today, at a point its its orbit called superior conjunction. The planet is full as seen from Earth, but it’s also hidden in the Sun’s glare. It won’t return to view for weeks, when it will appear as the Evening Star.

Seven Siblings

AR Cassiopeia is one of only two systems known to contain seven stars. It’s in Cassiopeia, which is in the northwest at nightfall. AR Cas is below the bottom point of the W formed by the queen’s brightest stars. Under dark skies, it’s just visible to the naked eye.

Moon and Spica

The full Moon has a follower tonight: Spica, the leading light of Virgo. It’s below the Moon as it climbs into good view by 9 or 10 p.m., and closer to the lower left of the Moon at first light tomorrow.

Vanished Constellations

From the late 1600s until the early 1800s, astronomers drew many new constellations. Many of their creations have since vanished. An example is Cerberus, a three-headed snake in the hands of Hercules. It is low in the west at dusk, below the bright star Aldebaran.

Argo Navis

Argo Navis represented the boat that carried Jason and the Argonauts. In the 1700s, it was split it into three smaller constellations: Puppis, the poop deck; Vela, the sail; and Carina, the keel. Puppis, the largest piece, is atop the southern horizon at nightfall.

Puppis

Zeta Puppis is the brightest star of the constellation Puppis. It represents the poop deck—the elevated deck at the stern of the Argo, the boat that carried Jason and the Argonauts. The constellation is due south as night falls, just above the horizon.

HD 69830

The constellation Puppis is low in the south at nightfall. One of its highlights is HD 69830, a star system with three giant planets. It stands well to the left of Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, and is an easy target for binoculars.

Puppis Clusters

The star clusters Messier 46 and 47 are in the south at nightfall, not far to the upper left of Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. M46 is to the left of its brighter neighbor. They are so close together that they’re in the same binocular field of view.

Moving South

Alpha Sextantis crossed the celestial equator less than a century ago and will continue moving southward for millennia. The star is in the southeast as night falls. Under dark skies, it is just visible, to the lower right of Regulus, the heart of Leo.

Gamma Virginis

Gamma Virginis, one of the brighter stars of Virgo, consists of two stars that are near twins. Both are about half-again the mass of the Sun, and just a quarter the age of the Sun. The system is above Spica, Virgo’s leading light, in the east-southeast at nightfall.

Moon and Saturn

The planet Saturn perches just above the Moon at first light tomorrow. It looks like a fairly bright star. The much brighter planet Jupiter stands to their left. It will appear close to the Moon on Wednesday.

Moon and Jupiter

Look for Jupiter, the solar system’s largest planet, above the Moon at first light tomorrow. It looks like a brilliant star. The fainter planet Saturn stands to their upper right.

Future Blasts

Orion is in the southwest as darkness falls. Its belt of three stars is parallel to the horizon. Four brighter stars form a rectangle around the belt. All seven of those stars will end their lives with titanic explosions known as supernovas.

Little Dipper

Polaris, the North Star, anchors the northern sky. It also anchors the Little Dipper. At nightfall, the dipper stretches roughly parallel to the northern horizon, with Polaris at the tip of the handle and the bowl to the right.

Corvus

Corvus, the crow, is low in the southeast at nightfall, to the right of the bright star Spica, the leading light of Virgo. Four stars form an angled box that looks like a sail. A fainter star is near the right point of the sail.

NGC 4361

The brightest stars of Corvus, the crow, outline a shape like a sail. It flutters in the southeast this evening. Telescopes reveal a puff of light near the top of the sail. Known as NGC 4361, it is a planetary nebula — a star that’s in its death throes.

Cat’s Eye

Draco, the dragon, slithers around the north and northeast at nightfall and moves high across the sky later on. It’s home to the Cat’s Eye Nebula—a glowing cloud of gas and dust expelled by a dying star. Photographs reveal swirls and loops of green and red.

Spring Stars

Three of the “stars” of spring are climbing higher into the evening sky. Around 10 p.m., look high in the south for Regulus in Leo, the lion. Spica, in Virgo, is in the east-southeast, with yellow-orange Arcturus well to its upper left in Bootes, the herdsman.

Sirius

Under a dark, clear sky, you may see a couple of thousand stars. The brightest is Sirius, which is well up in the south-southwest in early evening. The faintest stars visible to the unaided eye are only about one one-thousandth as bright as Sirius.

T Pyxidis

A star in the system T Pyxidis is taking gas from a companion star. Every few decades it erupts, blasting away more of the companion, so the companion could disappear. The system is low in the south at nightfall. You need a telescope to see T Pyxidis.

Moon and Aldebaran

Aldebaran, the bright orange eye of Taurus, the bull, accompanies the Moon down the western sky this evening. It stands close to the left of the Moon and is easy to pick out.

Moon and Mars

Mars follows the Moon down the sky this evening. The planet looks like a fairly bright orange star to the upper left of the Moon. A similarly bright star, El Nath, stands about the same distance to the upper right of the Moon.

More Moon and Mars

The Moon and Mars drop down the western sky this evening. They are high in the sky at nightfall, with Mars, which looks like a fairly bright star, to the lower right of the Moon. They set by 1 or 2 a.m.

Hunting Dogs

Canes Venatici, the hunting dogs, is high in the east as night falls. The constellation represents two dogs held on a leash by Boötes, the herdsman. Canes Venatici is well to the upper left of bright yellow-orange Arcturus, the brightest star of Boötes.

Moon and Gemini

Pollux and Castor, the twins of Gemini, line up to the right of the Moon at nightfall. The trio forms an equally spaced line, with brighter Pollux closer to the Moon.

Lyrid Meteors

The Lyrid meteor shower is building toward its peak late tomorrow night. Unfortunately, the gibbous Moon will be in the way during the peak hours, so only a few of the shower’s “shooting stars” are likely to shine through.

Moon and Regulus

Regulus, the bright star that marks the heart of Leo, the lion, huddles to the lower left of the Moon as night falls. The two celestial bodies will appear closer together as they set in the wee hours of the morning.

More Moon and Regulus

The Moon follows the heart of the lion across the sky tonight. The heart is represented by the bright star Regulus. It stands to the right of the Moon as evening twilight fades. The gap between them will be a little wider as they set in the wee hours of the morning.

Vanishing Orion

Orion, the hunter, is bowing out of the evening sky. He’s low in the west at nightfall, and his stars begin dropping from view not long afterward. The constellation will be all but lost from sight by the middle of May.

Morning Jupiter

Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, is low in the southeast at first light. It looks like a brilliant star. It will rise earlier and stand higher in the sky as the weeks roll by.

Moon and Spica

Spica, the leading light of Virgo, appears close to the lower right of the almost-full Moon at nightfall. The bright star will be closer below the Moon as they prepare to set at first light tomorrow.

Full Moon

The Moon is full tonight at 10:32 p.m. CDT as it lines up opposite the Sun in our sky. Sunlight illuminates the entire lunar disk. The full Moon of April is known as the Egg Moon or Grass Moon.

IC 1101

IC 1101 is the king of the mega-merger. The largest galaxy yet seen grew to such enormous proportions by merging with other galaxies, large and small. It is low in the east in early evening, well below the bright yellow-orange star Arcturus.

Moon and Antares

The bright orange star Antares, the leading light of Scorpius, perches close to the lower right of the Moon as they climb into good view by midnight, and directly below the Moon at first light.

Alphecca

Alphecca, the brightest star of Corona Borealis, the northern crown, is in the east-northeast at nightfall and climbs the eastern sky later on. Alphecca consists of two stars. One is similar to the Sun, while the other is much larger and brighter than the Sun.

Pipsqueak Galaxies

One of the smallest, faintest galaxies yet seen is a companion of our home galaxy, the Milky Way. The galaxy hasn’t changed much since it was born, when the universe was young. Segue 1 is in Leo, the lion, which springs high across the south on April nights.

Setting the Stage

Monoceros, the unicorn, is in the west and southwest at nightfall, to the upper left of Orion’s Belt. It contains a binary star system that erupts every couple of decades. It could explode as a nova before the end of the century.

Moon and Saturn

The planet Saturn stands to the upper left of the Moon at first light tomorrow. It looks like a bright golden star. The much brighter planet Jupiter is off to the left.

Moon and Planets

The giants of the solar system form a wide triangle with the Moon early tomorrow. Jupiter, the largest planet, looks like a brilliant star to the left of the Moon. And fainter Saturn, the second-largest planet, is to the upper right of the Moon.

Morning Treat

The Eta Aquariid meteor shower should be at its best over the next couple of nights. It fires up as Earth flies through the orbital path of Comet Halley. Dust grains from the comet plunge into the atmosphere and vaporize, forming meteors.

Vanishing Orion

Orion is quite low in the west as night begins to fall. Its three-star belt lines up parallel to the horizon, with the hunter’s second-brightest star, orange Betelgeuse, above the belt.

Lava Planet

Pisces is in the east at first light. Tomorrow, it’s above and to the left of the crescent Moon. The star K2-141 stands above the Moon, although you need a telescope to see it. It hosts a planet that’s so hot that it’s blanketed by molten rock.

Tattoine-Plus

Cygnus, the swan, climbs into view by midnight and is high in the sky at first light. Kepler-64, near the intersection of the swan’s body and wings, consists of four stars. A planet orbits two of them. It’s the first known planet in a quadruple system.

M82

Through a telescope, the galaxy known as M82, which is near the Big Dipper, looks like a lumpy caterpillar. But it is one of the most interesting galaxies because a collision with another galaxy is triggering the birth of thousands of new stars.

Evening Mercury

The planet Mercury is in the early evening sky now. It looks like a bright star quite low in the west-northwest during twilight, well above brighter Venus. It will remain in view for most of the month.

Meeting the Milky Way

Although it is the combined light of millions of stars, the Milky Way is so faint that almost any artificial light source blocks the view. To see the Milky Way, get away from city lights, then look low in the east after midnight.

New Moon

The Moon is “new” today, as it crosses the imaginary line between Earth and Sun. It is lost in the Sun’s glare but will return to view as a thin crescent quite low in the west early Saturday evening.

Moon and Venus

The Moon and Venus, which is just beginning its reign as the Evening Star, stand side by side, quite low in the western sky, shortly after sunset. Venus will remain low in the sky for months before finally pulling into better view.

Moon and Mercury

Mercury is putting in one of its best appearances of the entire year. The little planet is low in the west-northwest as evening twilight fades. It looks like a fairly bright star. Tonight, it’s quite close to the crescent Moon.

Hercules

The constellation Hercules is in good view by the time it gets dark and soars high overhead during the night. Look for the Keystone — four stars that form a lopsided square. It’s in the northeast as darkness falls.

Farthest Stars

Virgo is well up in the southeast at nightfall, marked by its brightest star, Spica. The constellation contains the most distant star in our own galaxy yet seen, a million light-years from Earth. It is much too faint to see without a telescope.

The Cat

The star Felis, the cat, is named for an extinct constellation. It was created by a French astronomer in 1799, then abandoned a century later. The star is low in the southwest at nightfall. Under dark skies, it’s just visible to the unaided eye.

Alkaid

The star at the tip of the Big Dipper’s handle, Alkaid, is 100 light-years away, so the light you see from the star tonight began its journey soon after World War I. Alkaid is much bigger, brighter, heavier, and hotter than the Sun.

Rasalhague

Rasalhague, the brightest star in Ophiuchus, is quite low in the east as night falls and climbs high across the south later on. Rasalhague is actually two stars that are bound by their gravity, but only one is visible to the unaided eye.

Moon and Regulus

Regulus is the bright star below the Moon at nightfall. It is the leading light of Leo, the lion, and one of the brightest stars visible in northern-hemisphere skies.

The Hunting Dogs

A pair of hunting dogs chases high across the north tonight. Known as Canes Venatici, the hounds are pursuing Ursa Major, the great bear, which stands below them at nightfall. The bear includes the stars of the Big Dipper.

Alphecca

Alphecca, the crown jewel of the northern crown, stands almost straight overhead about midnight. It consists of two stars that were born together, from the same cloud of gas and dust. But one of the stars is almost three times as massive as the other.

Moon and Spica

The Moon is nice and bright right now and is in view all evening. Spica, the brightest star of Virgo, stands to the lower left of the Moon at nightfall, and will be closer to the right of the Moon tomorrow.

Bubble Trouble

The Moon has a bright companion tonight. Spica, the leading light of Virgo, is to the right of the Moon at nightfall. It’s one of the brightest stars in the entire night sky.

Mercury and Venus

Mercury and Venus, the Sun’s closest planets, huddle in the twilight the next few evenings. They are quite low in the west-northwest at sunset. Venus is by far the brighter of the two. Mercury stands to its the upper left for the next few nights.

Lunar Eclipse

The Moon slips through Earth’s shadow early tomorrow, creating a total eclipse. From the eastern U.S., the Moon will set before the total eclipse begins. The western U.S. will see all of the total eclipse and all or most of the partial eclipse.

Summer Rising

Look low in the east early this evening for three major stars of summer. In the southeast is Antares, the bright heart of the scorpion, close to the Moon. Scan far to its left for the bright white stars Vega, in the harp, and Deneb, in the swan.

Scorpion

The scorpion skitters across the southern sky. Its tail clears the southeastern horizon by midnight, and the scorpion remains visible for the rest of the night. Its brightest star is Antares, in the middle of the scorpion’s curving body.

Mercury and Venus

Mercury and Venus appear to almost touch each other. The planets are low in the northwest about 30 minutes after sunset. Venus, the Evening Star, is by far the brighter of the two. They set by the time the sky gets dark.

Moon and Saturn

The Moon climbs into view after midnight with the bright planet Saturn to its left as they rise, and to the upper left at first light. The Moon is in its “gibbous” phase, so the Sun lights up more than half of the hemisphere that faces our way.

Moon and Planets

The planets Jupiter and Saturn line up near the Moon in the wee hours of tomorrow morning. Saturn is close to the upper right of the Moon, with brighter Jupiter farther to the left of the Moon.

Moon and Jupiter

Look for Jupiter, the largest planet of the solar system, close above the Moon at dawn tomorrow. It looks like a brilliant star. Through binoculars, Jupiter’s big moons look like small stars lining up quite near the planet.

Leap Year

The remaining dates of 2024 will take a big leap, jumping over a day of the week. That’s because this is leap year, and today is leap day. The name “leap” comes from the fact that the extra day causes succeeding dates to leap over a day of the week.

Bright Stars

Many bright stars highlight the sky this evening. The list includes Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, which is also known as the Dog Star. Others include Regulus, the heart of the lion, and orange Betelgeuse and blue-white Rigel in Orion.

Moon and Antares

The Moon and the star Antares, the heart of the scorpion, huddle especially close before dawn tomorrow. In fact, from some parts of the eastern United States, there won't be any separation at all: The Moon will cover the star for a while, hiding it from view.

Close Clusters

The two closest and most prominent star clusters are high in the western sky at nightfall. The Hyades looks like a downward-pointing letter V with a bright orange star at one point. The dipper-shaped Pleiades is to the right of the Hyades.

Coma Berenices

A sprinkling of faint stars stands in the east a few hours after sunset, to the upper right of Arcturus, the brightest star in that part of the sky. The stars are the main features of Coma Berenices, which represents the golden hair of Queen Berenice II of Egypt.

Coma Cluster

The Coma Cluster is a collection of thousands of galaxies in Coma Berenices. The constellation climbs into good view, in the east, by 8 or 9 p.m. Some of its brighter stars form sparkling ribbons, with the cluster of galaxies far beyond.

Six in Sync

The star system HD 110067 is about 100 light-years away, in the constellation Coma Berenices, which is in the east this evening. The system is home to six known planets, making it one of the largest planetary families yet seen beyond our own solar system.

Messier 3

The star cluster Messier 3 ascends the eastern sky tonight. It is above or to the upper left of bright yellow-orange Arcturus, which climbs into good view by 10 p.m. The cluster is visible through binoculars as a small, round, faint smudge of light.

Moving Dipper

The Big Dipper is in Ursa Major, the great bear. The constellation has given its name to a group of a few dozen stars that appear to move together: the Ursa Major Moving Group. Its core is in Ursa Major, but it also includes stars in other constellations.

Close Moon

The Moon is "new," so it's hidden in the Sun's glare. But coastal residents will feel its presence because the Moon is closest to Earth for the year. The combination of the lunar phase and distance will create some of the highest tides of the year.

Argo Navis

The constellation Argo Navis represented the ship that carried Jason and the Argonauts. But the constellation was unwieldy, so it was split into three constellations: Carina, the keel; Vela, the sail; and Puppis, the deck at the stern of the ship.

Camelopardalis

Camelopardalis, the giraffe, is one of the largest constellations, covering a big wedge of the northern sky. But it isn't very bold. All of its stars are so faint that you need to get away from city lights to see them.

Colorful Stars

Most stars are so faint that our eyes can't see their color. A few exceptions are in view this evening. Betelgeuse, in the south-southwest at nightfall, is orange. So is Aldebaran, to its right. Rigel, below Betelgeuse, is blue-white, as is Regulus, in the east.

Moon and Jupiter

Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, stands quite close to the lower left of the crescent Moon at nightfall. Jupiter looks like a brilliant star; only the Moon and the planet Venus outshine it.

Moon and Pleiades

Two beautiful objects team up this evening: the Moon and the Pleiades. The little star cluster is close above the Moon. Binoculars will help you pick out some of its brighter stars through the moonlight.

Summer Stars

The stars in view at dawn now are the same ones you'll see as night falls in July and August. Scorpius is low in the south, with Sagittarius to its left. The Big Dipper hangs from its handle in the northwest. And the Summer Triangle stands high in the east.

Moon and Elnath

The Moon hangs precariously near a star with a nasty-sounding name tonight: Elnath. The name comes from an Arabic phrase that means "butting" or "goring." It indicates the star's position at the tip of one of the horns of Taurus, the bull.

Orion's Head

When spring arrives on Tuesday night, the Sun will be passing through Pisces. Over time, the Sun's location at the vernal equinox slips westward. About 6,500 years ago it was just above the head of Orion the hunter, which tonight is below the Moon at nightfall.

Moon and Gemini

Pollux, the brighter twin of Gemini, is close to the left of the Moon at nightfall. The other twin, Castor, is farther to the upper left of the Moon.

March Equinox

Spring arrives in the northern hemisphere tonight, at the moment of the March equinox, as the Sun crosses the celestial equator. Day and night are about equal across the entire planet, hence the name "equinox," which means "equal nights."

Shifting Equinox

The Sun is passing through Pisces, the fishes. In fact, it's appeared in Pisces at the spring equinox for a couple of thousand years. Before that it was in Aries, the ram. The shift is the result of an effect known as precession of the equinoxes.

Moon and Regulus

The Moon is sliding through the constellation Leo. Tonight, the lion's bright heart, the star Regulus, is close to the lower right of the Moon at nightfall, and closer below the Moon as they set, in the wee hours of the morning.

Evening Mercury

The planet Mercury is in the evening sky the next few days. It will stand farthest from the Sun for its current evening appearance on Sunday. It looks like a bright star, quite low in the west not long after sunset.

Moon and Denebola

Denebola, the second-brightest star of Leo, the lion, stands to the upper left of the almost-full Moon this evening, by about the width of your fist held at arm's length. Denebola is 36 light-years away, which is just down the astronomical block.

Penumbral Eclipse

There's a penumbral lunar eclipse tonight, as the Moon passes through Earth's faint outer shadow, the penumbra. The eclipse is so faint that few will notice a difference. The full Moon will have only a slight shading.

Moon and Spica

The Moon passes by the star Spica the next couple of nights. The brightest star of Virgo is below the Moon as they climb into good view this evening, but closer above the Moon tomorrow night.

Pyramid Star

When the pyramids were built, north was marked not by Polaris, today's North Star, but by Thuban, a star in the sinuous body of Draco, the dragon. Egyptian architects used the star to align the sides of the pyramids with the cardinal directions.

Struggling Mars

Mars is struggling to climb into view in the dawn sky. It looks like a moderately bright star, quite low in the east-southeast during dawn twilight. It's fairly easy to spot from the southern latitudes of the U.S., but harder to see from farther north.

Head of Hercules

The star that represents the head of Hercules rises below his body. It is called Rasalgethi, and it actually consists of three individual stars. Look for it clearing the northeastern horizon by midnight.

Spring Milky Way

The Milky Way arcs low across the west in early evening. Its path is traced by Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, which is in the southwest; bright orange Betelgeuse, well to its upper right; and W-shaped Cassiopeia, low in the northwest.

The Crow

Corvus, which rises in the southeast in mid-evening, represents a crow. In mythology, the god Apollo sent him to get a cup of water. Instead, Corvus ate figs, then blamed his delay on a snake. Apollo knew the crow was lying, so he flung crow, cup, and snake into the sky.

Little Dog

Canis Minor, the little dog, stands high in the south at nightfall. Its leading light is Procyon, the eighth-brightest star in the night sky. It sometimes is called the Little Dog Star to distinguish it from the Dog Star, Sirius.

Solar Eclipse

The total solar eclipse is just one week away. For skywatchers along a narrow path from Texas to Maine, the Moon will completely cover the Sun on April 8. The Sun’s hot outer atmosphere, the corona, will surround the eclipsed Sun with a silvery glow.

Vela

The constellation Vela, the sail of the ship Argo, peeks just above the southern horizon at nightfall. Although it is too faint to see, one of the largest individual objects in the night calls Vela home: the Vela Nebula, the remains of an exploded star.

Gamma-2 Velorum

Gamma-2 Velorum is the brightest star of the constellation Vela, the sail of the ship Argo, which is quite low in the south at nightfall. It is the nearest Wolf-Rayet star, which has blown off its outer layers to reveal its inner workings.

Hercules

Hercules climbs into view in the northeast in late evening. Look for a lopsided square of stars called the Keystone, which represents the body of Hercules. One of his arms stretches to the right.

Leonine Galaxies

Look for Leo, the lion, high in the east as night falls. If you have a dark sky and a good pair of binoculars or a small telescope, you can find the spiral galaxies M65 and M66 within its borders. They should appear in the same field of view.

Eclipse Safety

For those inside the path of Monday’s total solar eclipse, it’s safe to look at the Sun when it’s fully eclipsed. At all other stages of the eclipse, the Sun is much too bright to view directly. Use certified eclipse glasses or other proper eye protection.

Total Eclipse

The Moon will pass directly between Earth and the Sun tomorrow, creating a total eclipse. The sky will grow dark, with a pink glow at the horizon. Stars and planets will pop into view, and the Sun’s faint outer atmosphere will form silvery ribbons around the Mon.

Future Eclipses

Today’s total solar eclipse will be visible from a narrow path that stretches from Eagle Pass, Texas, to Houlton, Maine. Skywatchers in the rest of the contiguous U.S. will see a partial eclipse, with the Moon covering only part of the Sun’s disk.

Moon and Planets

The planet Jupiter stands to the upper left of the crescent Moon early this evening. It looks like a brilliant star. Through binoculars, you can also spot the giant planet Uranus just above Jupiter. The Moon will huddle close to both planets tomorrow night.

More Moon and Planets

The crescent Moon snuggles close to two of the three largest planets in the solar system early this evening. The largest, Jupiter, looks like a brilliant star below the Moon. Uranus, the third-largest, is above Jupiter, but you need binoculars to see it.

Vaporizing Planet

The constellation Aquarius is in the east and southeast at dawn tomorrow. One of its most interesting features is a star system known as WASP-69. It has a giant planet that is so close to the star that the planet is vaporizing from the intense heat.

Moon and Leo

The star El Nath, which marks the tip of one of the horns of Taurus, the bull, is close above the Moon at nightfall. The Moon will slide closer to it during the evening.

Vanishing Hunter

One of the most beautiful constellations is dropping from view. Orion is low in the western sky at nightfall. Its three-star belt is almost parallel to the horizon. Its two brightest stars bracket the belt: orange Betelgeuse above, and blue-white Rigel below.

Moon and Gemini

The Moon creeps up on the twin stars of Gemini this evening. As night falls, Pollux and Castor are above the Moon. Pollux is on the left, and is a bit brighter than its “twin.”

Arcturus

The bright yellow-orange star Arcturus is in the east at nightfall. Arcturus is a little bit heavier than the Sun. Yet that small difference has a big effect on the star’s evolution: Arcturus entered a late stage billions of years earlier than the Sun will.

Jupiter and Uranus

Jupiter and Uranus are low in the west as twilight fades. Jupiter looks like a brilliant star. Uranus is above it tonight, by about the width of a finger held at arm’s length, but you need binoculars to see it. The planets will slide past one other on Sunday night.

Moon and Leo

The bright star Regulus, the heart of the lion, stays close to the Moon the next couple of nights. It will stand to the lower left of the Moon at nightfall this evening, and to the upper right of the Moon tomorrow evening.

Time Bombs

Several time bombs are in view this evening. The list includes most of the bright stars of Orion, which is low in the west, plus Spica, the brightest star of Virgo, in the southeast. All of these stars are destined to explode as supernovas.

Lyrid Meteors

The Lyrid meteor shower is building toward its peak, on Sunday night. Unfortunately, the Moon will be almost full then, so its glare will wash out all but the brightest of the “shooting stars.”

Kochab

The Little Dipper is famous for the star at the tip of its handle: Polaris, the North Star. Its second-brightest star is Kochab, at the lip of the bowl. It’s to the right of Polaris at nightfall, and rotates directly above it in the wee hours of the morning.

Looking Up

Several bright stars and star patterns stand high in the sky this evening. Regulus, the brightest star of Leo, is in the south. Pollux and Castor, the twins of Gemini, are about the same height in the west. And the Big Dipper hangs upside-down in the northeast.

Moon and Spica

Spica, the brightest star of Virgo, stands just a whisker away from the full Moon tonight. They are low in the southeast as twilight fades, separated by about half a degree, which is less than the width of a pencil held at arm’s length.

Full Moon

The Moon is full at 6:49 p.m. CDT as it lines up opposite the Sun in our sky. Among other names, the full Moon of April is known as the Egg Moon, Grass Moon, or Pink Moon

Zosma

The fourth-brightest star of Leo represents the lion’s hip. It’s named Delta Leonis as an indication of its ranking within the constellation. But it also has some older names, including Zosma, from an ancient Greek word that means “the girdle.”

Moon and Antares

Antares, the star that marks the bright orange heart of Scorpius, stands to the lower left of the Moon as they climb into good view tonight, after midnight. Antares will appear about the same distance to the upper right of the Moon tomorrow night.

Sirius Disappears

The brightest star in the night sky is getting ready to leave it for a while. Sirius, the Dog Star, is low in the southwest as night falls. Over the next few weeks it will sink deeper into the twilight then disappear from view.

Izar

Boötes is in the east as night falls. Look for its brightest star, yellow-orange Arcturus. The first noticeable star to the left of Arcturus is Izar. To the eye alone, it looks like a single point of light. A telescope reveals two stars; one is orange, the other blue.

Evening Stars

Some of the brightest stars in all the night sky are in view early this evening. Sirius, the brightest of all, is low in the southwest. Orange Betelgeuse is well to its upper right, with Aldebaran to the lower right of Betelgeuse.

Hunting Dogs

The constellation Canes Venatici, the hunting dogs, is high in the east this evening. To find it, look for bright yellow-orange Arcturus well up in the east as darkness falls. Canes Venatici is to the upper left of Arcturus.

Cor Caroli

Cor Caroli, the Heart of Charles, is the brightest star of Canes Venatici, the hunting dogs. It’s to the right of the handle of the Big Dipper as night falls, and wheels above the dipper later on. It consists of two stars in a wide orbit around each other.

Introducing McDonald Observatory

Learn about McDonald Observatory, its location, what it's like to live there. See great aerial views of telescope domes, and watch Texas elementary and secondary teachers enjoy an astronomy workshop. (TRT=10:20)

McDonald Observatory: Yesterday and Today

This brief history of McDonald Observatory narrated by StarDate's Sandy Wood covers the Observatory's founding and two current major projects: a study of dark energy and a partnership to build the world's largest telescope. (TRT=5:00)

The Otto Struve Telescope: Teaching an Old Telescope New Tricks

In 2014, McDonald Observatory will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the dedication of its first telescope, the 82-inch reflector (now the Otto Struve Telescope). This grand dame of telescopes is still in use today. Includes footage from the 1939 dedication. (TRT=6:43)

50th Anniversary Lecture: Founding & History of McDonald Observatory

Dr. Harlan J. Smith, director of McDonald Observatory 1963-1989, gives a talk on the Observatory's history for its 50th anniversary in 1989. Includes interviews with scientists and engineers involved in the Observatory's early days. (TRT=57:39)

75th Anniversary Lecture: The Frontier & McDonald Observatory

Dr. Frank Bash, director of McDonald Observatory 1989-2003, explains how McDonald was built on the frontier, but now stands on a scientific frontier. He discusses the Observatory's contributions to solving important astronomical problems. Recorded Oct. 19, 2013. (TRT=1:00:46)

Get News Alerts

To register to receive news releases by email from McDonald Observatory, send us your your contact information.

Anyone can sign up for our media alerts, but if you are a member of the media please enter your publication, station call letters and city, or name of the media outlet you represent, and your media type below.

Student Field Experience Reservation Request, Step 2

Please fill in all relevant fields. We will confirm your reservation by phone if we can accomodate your school group on one of the dates you chose.

Give a Gift Membership to the Friends of McDonald

A gift membership in the Friends of McDonald Observatory will help us serve thousands of K-12 students and teachers a year through engaging, inquiry-based science programs, and will extend the wonder of astronomy and space science to millions of others in the U.S. through our public education and outreach programs and StarDate Radio broadcasts.

Send a Suggestion for the Milestones Timeline

SkyWord Sign-up

Research

‘Crown Jewels’ Installed on Hobby-Eberly Telescope

McDonald Observatory’s Kathryn Busby cleans the Wide-Field Corrector with CO2 “snow” upon its arrival from Arizona. (Photo by: Jerry Martin Photography)

By Damond Benningfield

The “crown jewels” of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) upgrade — a set of four mirrors designed to sharpen the view to pinpoint precision — have been installed on the telescope. They soon will allow scientists to take their first views of the night sky with the refurbished telescope.

Together, the mirrors form the Wide-Field Corrector. The assembly sits at the top of the telescope, where it will capture light reflected from the primary mirror. Because of the mirror’s spherical surface, the image it produces is spread across a wide area. The corrector’s mirrors were carefully shaped to correct the view, focusing it to an area roughly the width of a human hair.

The mirrors also increase the telescope’s field of view, and they will allow scientists to use the 10 meters (33 feet) of the HET’s primary mirror. Originally, they could use no more than 9.2 meters during any single observation.

The corrector was built by the University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences in Tucson — a process that took five years. Engineers tested it on a sophisticated rig that used laser light, holograms, and computer algorithms to simulate the HET’s primary mirror.

Transporting the corrector from Tucson to McDonald Observatory — a trip of more than 500 miles — required careful planning and preparation as well. The corrector was sealed against dust and humidity and wrapped inside a thermal blanket to keep its temperature constant during the long drive, mounted atop shock-absorbing springs, and housed inside a custom-built shipping container. The package left Tucson on the evening of May 27, escorted by HET personnel and a University of Texas at Austin police car.

Final testing will start when the refurbished HET takes its first look at a star. After that, the scientific instruments will be tested and verified, allowing the HET to return to service.

Texas Astronomers Help Find Earth’s Older, Bigger Cousin

Artist concept of Kepler-452b (Art by: NASA Ames/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle)

By Rebecca Johnson

University of Texas at Austin astronomers working with NASA’s Kepler mission have helped to discover the first near-Earth-sized planet around a Sun-like star in the “habitable zone,” the range of distances where liquid water could pool on a planet’s surface. They used the university’s McDonald Observatory to help confirm the finding, which has been accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal

“We are pushing toward Earth 2.0,” McDonald Observatory astronomer Michael Endl said. “This planet is probably the most similar to Earth yet found.”

The planet, Kepler-452b, lies about 1,400 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus. It’s 60 percent larger than Earth and is considered a “super-Earth-sized” planet. Its mass and composition are not yet known, but previous research suggests that a planet of its size has a better than even chance of being rocky. Its orbital period is similar to Earth’s, at 385 days.

Once the Kepler spacecraft identifies a possible planet, “you need to do a whole array of follow-up,” Endl said. “This is where the power of McDonald Observatory comes in.”

He explained Kepler data provides the ratio of a potential planet’s size to the star’s size, but not the actual size of either. So once Kepler finds a planet candidate, telescopes at McDonald Observatory and elsewhere get to work characterizing the host star in as much detail as possible.

“If you know the host star, you know the planet,” Endl summarized.

The UT Austin Kepler group probed the star with the Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory in West Texas. Together with similar measurements from Whipple and Keck observatories, the data proved that the planet is real (that is, not a starspot or other false signal picked up by Kepler). Their measurements helped pin down the planet’s size to between 1.4 and 1.8 times the size of Earth — a size that makes theorizing about the planet’s makeup a bit tricky.

“At around 1.5 times the Earth’s radius there seems to be a transition going on from predominantly rocky planets to planets that contain more volatiles — ices,” Endl said, “which would make it a mini-ice giant.” In the case of Kepler-452b, “we don’t know if it’s a big rocky planet or if it’s a mini-Neptune.”

The McDonald Observatory and other ground-based measurements also proved that the host star, Kepler-452, is 1.5 billion years older than the Sun, and is 10 percent larger and 20 percent brighter. It has the same temperature as the Sun, and like the Sun, Kepler-452b is classified as a G2-type star.

“Kepler has recently shown that virtually all of the stars that we see in the sky probably host planetary systems,” said UT Austin research professor Bill Cochran, a co-investigator of the Kepler mission. “Now we are discovering that a significant number of those systems are very much like our own and may have the capability of being habitable.”

While planets smaller than Kepler-452b have previously been found in their host star’s habitable zone, this is the first small planet orbiting a star very similar to our Sun. This discovery, and the introduction of 12 new small habitable zone candidates Kepler has uncovered, many around Sun-like stars, marks another milestone in the journey to understand our place in the cosmos.

“We can think of Kepler-452b as an older, bigger cousin to Earth, providing an opportunity to understand and reflect upon Earth’s evolving environment," said Jon Jenkins, Kepler data analysis lead at NASA's Ames Research Center. "It is awe inspiring to consider that this planet has spent 6 billion years in the habitable zone of its star, longer than Earth. That’s substantial opportunity for life to arise, should all the necessary ingredients and conditions for life exist on this planet.”

Endl explained that a star’s habitable zone changes over its lifetime. As a star ages and becomes brighter, the more intense radiation pushes its habitable zone farther out. Astronomers estimate how long Kepler-452b has spent in its star’s habitable zone by combining the star’s brightness and age with their measurement of the planet’s orbit.

The Kepler team at McDonald Observatory has been involved with the mission since before its launch in 2009. The team follows up planet candidates with the Harlan J. Smith Telescope, and next year will resume Kepler follow-up observations with the refurbished 10-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the world’s largest.

Giant Magellan Telescope Organization Breaks Ground in Chile

Artist's rendering of the Giant Magellan Telescope (Image courtesy: GMTO)

Atacama Desert, CHILE — Leaders and supporters from The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory, along with representatives from an international group of partner universities and research institutions, are gathering on a remote mountaintop high in the Chilean Andes today to celebrate groundbreaking for the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT).

The ceremony marks the commencement of on-site construction of the telescope and its support base. The GMT is poised to become the world’s largest telescope when it begins early operations in 2021. It will produce images 10 times sharper than those delivered by Hubble Space Telescope and will address key questions in cosmology, astrophysics, and the study of planets outside our solar system.

“We are thrilled to be breaking ground on the Giant Magellan Telescope site at such an exciting time for astronomy,” says Dr. Taft Armandroff, GMT Board Chair and director of McDonald Observatory. “With its unprecedented size and resolving power, the Giant Magellan Telescope will allow current and future generations of astronomers to continue the journey of cosmic discovery.”

The GMT will be located at the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile’s Atacama Desert. Known for its clear, dark skies and outstanding astronomical image clarity, Las Campanas is one of the world’s premier locations for astronomy. Construction crews will soon be busy on the site building the roads, power, data, and other infrastructure needed to support the observatory.

The unique design of the telescope combines seven of the largest mirrors that can be manufactured, each 8.4 meters (27 feet) across, to create a single telescope effectively 25 meters or 85 feet in diameter. The giant mirrors are being developed at the University of Arizona’s Richard F. Caris Mirror Laboratory. Each mirror must be polished to an accuracy of 25 nanometers or one millionth of an inch.

One giant mirror has been polished to meet its exacting specifications. Three others are being processed, and production of the additional mirrors will be started at the rate of one per year. The telescope will begin early operations with these first mirrors in 2021, and the telescope is expected to reach full operational capacity within the next decade.

“An enormous amount of work has gone into the design phase of the project and development of the giant mirrors that are the heart of the telescope. The highest technical risks have been retired, and we are looking forward to bringing the components of the telescope together on the mountain top,” says Patrick McCarthy, interim president of the GMT Organization.

The GMT will enable astronomers to characterize planets orbiting other stars, witness early formation of galaxies and stars, and gain insight into dark matter and dark energy. GMT’s findings will also likely give rise to new questions and lead to new and unforeseen discoveries.

The GMT Organization board of directors officially approved the project’s entry into the construction phase in early 2015 after the 11 international founders committed over $500 million towards the project. Founders come from the U.S., Australia, Brazil, and Korea, with Chile as the host country.

“With today’s groundbreaking, we take a crucial step forward in our mission to build the first in a new generation of extremely large telescopes. The GMT will usher in a new era of discovery and help us to answer some of our most profound questions about the universe,” says Dr. Charles Alcock, GMT Organization board member and director of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. “We are pleased to celebrate this momentous milestone with our Chilean colleagues, our international partners, and the astronomical community.”  

University of Texas at Austin, International Partners Approve Start of Construction for Giant Magellan Telescope

AUSTIN — The Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) has announced a major milestone recently with 11 international partners including The University of Texas at Austin unanimously approving its construction, securing the future of the project with more than $500 million to begin work on the world’s most powerful optical telescope. The decision initiates final design and fabrication of the GMT, which is poised to become the largest optical telescope in existence.

“We are excited to work with 10 other world-class partners to develop a telescope that will address the most important issues in astronomy today,” said Dean of Natural Sciences Dr. Linda Hicke. A global scientific collaboration, the GMT has institutional partners in Australia, Brazil, Korea, the United States, and in host nation Chile.

GMT is integral to the future of astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. “The Giant Magellan Telescope will transform our research and education programs in astronomy, and will complement our facilities at McDonald Observatory in West Texas,” said McDonald Observatory Director Dr. Taft Armandroff.

The 25-meter telescope aims to be the first of the new generation of extremely large telescopes, with more than six times the collecting area of the current largest optical telescopes in existence. The GMT will enable astronomers to look deeper into space and further back in time than ever before, producing images up to 10 times sharper than those produced by the Hubble Space Telescope. It is expected to see first light in 2021 and be fully operational by 2024.

A ground-based telescope planned for construction at the Las Campanas Observatory in northern Chile, the GMT will give scientists a powerful new tool to better understand how stars and galaxies formed shortly after the Big Bang, to measure the masses of black holes billions of light years from Earth, and to discover planets orbiting other stars in the Milky Way galaxy. It will reveal the faintest objects ever seen in space, including extremely distant and ancient galaxies, whose light has been travelling to Earth since shortly after the Big Bang, 13.8 billion years ago.

“The decision by our partner institutions and the Board of Directors to start construction is a crucial milestone on our journey to making these amazing discoveries through state-of-the-art science, technology, and engineering,” said Dr. Wendy Freedman of the University of Chicago, former chair of the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) Board of Directors.

The construction approval means work will begin on the telescope’s core structure and the scientific instruments that lie at the heart of the $1 billion project.

“The University of Texas at Austin plans to help develop the  telescope’s high-technology instrumentation,” Armandroff said.

Early preparation for construction has included groundwork at the mountain-top site at Las Campanas and various stages of fabrication of four of the telescope’s seven 8.4-meter (27-foot) primary mirror segments.

Each mirror segment weighs 17 tons and takes one year to cast and cool, followed by more than three years of surface generation and meticulous polishing at the Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab of the Steward Observatory of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz. Taken together, the total light-collecting area of the mirrors will be 25.4-meters (82 feet).

The Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) manages the GMT project on behalf of its international partners: Astronomy Australia Ltd., The Australian National University, Carnegie Institution for Science, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, Harvard University, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Texas A&M University, the University of Arizona, the University of Chicago, and The University of Texas at Austin. Funding for the project comes from the partner institutions, governments, and private donors.

Connect with the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization on social media: gplus.to/gmtelescope, twitter.com/GMTelescope, facebook.com/GMTelescope, and visit http://www.gmto.org.

— END —

Note to Editors: To access a video news package including interviews with GMTO partners and b-roll, as well as images and video graphics of the Giant Magellan Telescope, please visit: www.gmto.org/gallery.

Media contacts: 

Rebecca Johnson, Press Officer

McDonald Observatory, The University of Texas at Austin
512-475-6763

Davin Malasarn, Dir. of External Affairs
Giant Magellan Telescope Organization
626-204-0529

Science contacts:

Dr. Taft Armandroff, Director

McDonald Observatory, The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-3300

Dr. Wendy Freedman, Chair, Board of Directors
Giant Magellan Telescope Organization
773-834-5651

Upgraded Hobby-Eberly Telescope Sees First Light

by Rebecca Johnson

FORT DAVIS, Texas — After several years and a massive team effort, one of the world’s largest telescopes has opened its giant eye again. The Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory has completed a $25 million upgrade and, now using more of its primary mirror, has achieved “first light” as the world’s third-largest optical telescope.

“This upgrade makes HET the most powerful wide-field spectroscopic telescope worldwide, and we expect unique scientific discoveries from it,” observatory director Taft Armandroff said.

The new HET made its first image on July 29. After extensive testing and fine-tuning, the team reports that image quality meets specifications — sharp enough to resolve features one mile across on the surface of the Moon (or in astronomical terms, a resolution of 0.9 arcseconds.)

Spurred by the HET collaboration’s desire to do big science projects, including the forthcoming Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX), the upgrade was a major undertaking that includes new optics, new mechanics, and new software. Today, HET is essentially a new telescope — only its primary mirror remains unchanged.

What makes the new HET great? One major factor is the new Harold C. Simmons Dark Energy Optical System. This set of optics sits above the telescope’s main mirror, in the location usually occupied by a secondary mirror.

McDonald Observatory chief scientist Phillip MacQueen designed the system. He explained that the Simmons System, informally called a “corrector,” is a complex set of optics, including four mirrors, that achieves two key tasks.

First, it brings light from the primary mirror into sharp focus. Because HET’s primary mirror is spherical rather than parabolic, it does not focus light into a sharp image. To make sharp images, the primary mirror needs to feed light into a corrector before it is fed into scientific instruments.

Second, the Simmons System allows good images from all parts of the telescope’s greatly enlarged field of view. The telescope’s field of view has increased by 120 times, and is 70% of the diameter of the full Moon (that is, 22 arcminutes or one-third of a degree).

Research Associate Hanshin Lee managed a nearly seven-year process by The University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences to build and test the $6 million Simmons Optical System. It was a tough process to verify the optics and ensure they were set up properly.

The work consisted of shaping the four mirrors (three 1-meter mirrors and one 0.25-meter mirror) to exacting specifications and testing those shapes, applying a specialized reflective coating, putting them together into a single package, and aligning them to high accuracy.

Once the Simmons System was built, transporting the 2-ton assembly safely from Tucson to McDonald Observatory in West Texas was an undertaking fraught with danger. Its optics were so finely balanced that hitting any pothole could spell a problem. It made the 500-mile trip overnight, going 45 miles per hour, with a police escort and arrived May 28. Later testing verified that nothing had moved in the process — the optics were still aligned within a fraction of the width of a human hair.

Lee said that throughout the difficult building and testing process “our staff was really fantastic in stepping up — while solving problems, they showed a lot of creativity and conviction that they could do it,” noting that it took  many people with different talents to make the project a success.

The Simmons System is “one of the most complex optical systems ever deployed in astronomy,” said Gary Hill, McDonald Observatory’s chief astronomer and principal investigator for HETDEX.

Because it allows more of HET’s 10-meter by 11-meter mirror to be used, it makes HET a larger telescope. The mirror’s effective size has increased from 9.2 meters to 10 meters. This means that HET is now tied for the world’s third-largest optical telescope.

The telescope also features a new tracker that supports the Simmons System (and a suite of instruments to ensure its alignment to extremely high precision) as it moves across the primary mirror tracking cosmic targets across the sky. The new tracker was built by The University of Texas at Austin Center for Electromechanics. A McDonald Observatory team led by Niv Drory developed HET’s entirely new control system.

The upgraded telescope is now able to track and guide on cosmic targets. The next step for the HET team is to complete commissioning of the telescope. Then the team will move on to commissioning HET’s three new science instruments.

Larry Ramsey, chairman of the HET Board of Directors and professor at Penn State, remarked, “The revitalized HET will contribute to many areas of science — not only the study of dark energy; but the nature of dark matter; the first stars in the universe; starburst galaxies; massive black holes; and to the discovery, confirmation, and characterization of extrasolar planets.”

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope came online in 1997. It is a partnership between The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. The HET upgrade was funded by a combination of federal, state, and private sources.

— END —

Media Contact: Rebecca Johnson (McDonald Observatory PIO); 512-475-6763

See published news release with more photos.

Texas Astronomer Solves Mystery of 'Born Again' Stars with Hubble Space Telescope

by Rebecca Johnson

AUSTIN — University of Texas astronomer Natalie Gosnell has used Hubble Space Telescope to better understand why some stars aren’t evolving as predicted. These so-called “blue stragglers” look hotter and bluer than they should for their advanced age. It’s almost as if they were somehow reinvigorated to look much younger than they really are.

Though blue stragglers were first identified 62 years ago, astronomers have yet to converge on a solution for their odd appearance. The most popular explanation among several competing theories is that an aging star spills material onto a smaller companion star. The small star bulks up on mass to become hotter and bluer while the aging companion burns out and collapses to a white dwarf – a burned out cinder.

To test this theory Gosnell’s team conducted a survey of the open star cluster NGC 188 that has 21 blue stragglers. Of those, she found that seven had white dwarf companions, by identifying their ultraviolet glow that is detectable by Hubble.

Of the remaining 14 of the 21 blue stragglers, a further seven show evidence of so-called mass transfer between stars in other ways. Gosnell said she believes these are older white dwarf-blue straggler binaries, and indicate two-thirds of blue stragglers form through mass transfer.

“This was really great,” Gosnell says. “Until now there was no concrete observational proof, only suggestive results,” Gosnell said. “It’s the first time we can place limits on the fraction of blue stragglers formed through mass transfer.”

This discovery sheds light on the physical processes responsible for changing the appearance of 25 percent of evolved stars. Gosnell’s work, which closes gaps in our understanding of how stars age, is published in the current issue of The Astrophysical Journal.

The problem came to light because in recent years, astronomers have been able to make a complete and accurate census of stars in a number of open star clusters, Gosnell said.

“Open clusters really are the best laboratory for the study of stellar evolution,” Gosnell said. “They have a simple stellar population.” The stars in a cluster form at the same time and from the same materials, she explained.

The cluster population studies revealed that up to a quarter of the oldest stars “are not evolving like we think they’re supposed to,” Gosnell said. Stars that astronomers expected to become red giants (like Aldebaran, the eye of Taurus, the bull) instead became “blue stragglers,” unexpectedly bright, blue stars with a host of strange characteristics.

Gosnell wanted to find out what happened to them. So she, along with Bob Mathieu at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and their collaborators, designed a study using Hubble Space Telescope’s Advanced Camera for Surveys to try to differentiate between three theories of how these stars became blue stragglers.

The theories included: collisions between stars in the cluster (with debris coalescing to form a blue straggler), the merger of two of the stars in a triple star system, or mass transfer between two stars in a binary pair.

In a binary pair of stars, the larger star will evolve faster, Gosnell said. That star becomes a red giant. A red giant is so bloated that the outermost layers of gas on its surface are only tenuously held by the star’s gravity. They can be pulled off by the gravity of the companion star. This is mass transfer.

As the gas is siphoned off by the partner, the red giant is left with only its core, making it into a white dwarf. The partner — initially the less massive of the pair, but now the heavier one — becomes a blue straggler.

Gosnell’s method is limited by the fact that it will not detect white dwarfs that have cooled down enough so that they don’t glow in UV light detectable by Hubble, she said.  That means that only those white dwarfs formed in the last 250 million years (youngsters, astronomically speaking) are detectable.

Knowing more about how these stars form is important because astronomers use their assumptions to model the stellar populations of distant galaxies (where the light from all the stars blends together). “You don’t want to be ignoring 25 percent of the evolved stars” in those galaxies, Gosnell said.

Such models are important because distant galaxies figure into many different types of cosmological studies. Right now, Gosnell said, “the models have a lot of room for improvement.”

“If we tweak the way models treat mass transfer, that would bring the observations and theory together,” Gosnell said. “They would agree. And we can use this to inform our understanding of unresolved stellar populations” — that is, those stars in galaxies so far away that all their light is blended together.

Gosnell plans to continue studying these stars using the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory and its IGRINS spectrograph to constrain the number of blue stragglers that could form through mergers in triple systems.

— END —

Media contacts:
Rebecca Johnson, UT Austin McDonald Observatory: 512-475-6763
Ray Villard, Space Telescope Science Institute: 410-338-4514

Science Contact:
Dr. Natalie Gosnell, W.J. McDonald Postdoctoral Fellow, UT Austin McDonald Observatory: 512-471-3423

See published news release with more photos.

Newly Discovered Planet in the Hyades Cluster Could Shed Light on Planetary Evolution

Smith Telescope with clouds

by Rebecca Johnson

AUSTIN — University of Texas at Austin astronomer Andrew Mann and colleagues have discovered a planet in a nearby star cluster which could help astronomers better understand how planets form and evolve. The discovery of planet K2-25b used both the Kepler space telescope and the university’s McDonald Observatory, and is published in a recent issue of The Astrophysical Journal.

The planet orbits a red dwarf star, a star smaller and dimmer than the Sun. Red dwarfs are the most abundant stars in our galaxy. The star is located in the Hyades star cluster, the closest open star cluster to Earth. Its stars are young, so their planets must be young, too.

“Open clusters are powerful tools as all the stars formed with the same age and composition,” Mann said. Once many planets are found orbiting young cluster stars, “we can compare those to planets orbiting older stars elsewhere to see if they are different in some fundamental way — to see how planets change with time.”

For instance, he said, if planets orbiting young stars are farther from their host stars than their older counterparts, it suggests that planets migrate over their lifetimes. They may form farther out and migrate inward. Many exoplanetary systems have large planets orbiting close to their stars, unlike our own solar system. This kind of research could test the theory of planetary migration.

After finding many more examples of planets orbiting young stars, “we can put numbers on this,” Mann said. “This could even give us a glimpse into what our solar system looked like” in the past.

The planet in the Hyades is four times the size of Earth, or about the size of Neptune. Compared to almost all other planets found orbiting red dwarf stars, it’s extremely large. “Almost all of those are less than twice the size of Earth,” Mann said.

The planet’s large size for its parent star suggests that the planet might have a puffy hydrogen and helium atmosphere. Radiation from the star could slowly strip away this atmosphere over time, he said.

“This could have major implications for our understanding of how planets evolve, including Earth-like planets, as we need to know how well a planet can hold an atmosphere given a certain set of conditions to tell how long it remains habitable.”

Amateur astronomers Thomas Jacobs and Daryll LaCourse found this planet candidate in the freely available K2 data from the Kepler space telescope’s extended mission. They contacted Mann, who followed up the tip by observing this red dwarf star with the new IGRINS instrument on the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory.

“Young stars are hard to follow up without something like IGRINS,” Mann said. Because it’s a red dwarf, the star is cool and needed to be studied in infrared light with high spectral resolution. The instrument’s high resolution allows astronomers to rule out the chance that the star has a stellar companion, rather than an orbiting planet. It also helps to confirm that the star is a member of the Hyades cluster, by measuring the star’s velocity and making sure it matches that of the cluster.

— END —

Media contact:

Rebecca Johnson
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
rjohnson@astro.as.utexas.edu
512-475-6763
 

Science contact:

Dr. Andrew Mann
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
amann@astro.as.utexas.edu
512-471-6493

First Discovery of a Binary Companion for a Type Ia Supernova

The blue-white dot at the center of this image is supernova 2012cg, seen by the 1.2-meter telescope at Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory. This supernova is so distant that its host galaxy appears here as only an extended smear of purple light. Credit: Peter Challis/Harvard-Smithsonian CfA

by Rebecca Johnson

AUSTIN — A team of astronomers led by The University of Texas at Austin’s Howie Marion has detected a flash of light from the companion to an exploding star. This is the first time astronomers have witnessed the impact of an exploding star on its neighbor. It provides the best evidence on the type of binary star system that leads to Type Ia supernovae. This study reveals the circumstances for the violent death of some white dwarf stars and provides deeper understanding for their use as tools to trace the history of the expansion of the universe. These types of stellar explosions enabled the discovery of dark energy, the universe’s accelerating expansion that is one of the top problems in science today. The work is published in a recent issue of The Astrophysical Journal.

The subject of how Type Ia supernovae arise has long been a topic of debate among astronomers.

“We think that Type Ia supernovae come from exploding white dwarfs with a binary companion,” Marion said. “The theory goes back 50 years or so, but there hasn’t been any concrete evidence for a companion star before now.”

Astronomers have battled over competing ideas, debating whether the companion was a normal star or another white dwarf.

“This is the first time a normal Type Ia has been associated with a binary companion star,” team member J. Craig Wheeler said. “This is a big deal.” Wheeler is a supernova expert and professor of astronomy at the university.

The binary star progenitor theory for Type Ia supernovae starts with a burnt-out star called a white dwarf. Mass must be added to that white dwarf to trigger its explosion — mass that the dwarf pulls off of a companion star. When the influx of mass reaches the point that the dwarf is hot enough and dense enough to ignite the carbon and oxygen in its interior, a thermonuclear reaction starts that causes the dwarf to explode as a Type Ia supernova.

For a long time, the leading theory was that the companion was an old red giant star that swelled up and lost matter to the dwarf, but recent observations have virtually ruled out that notion. No red giant is seen. The new work presents evidence that the star providing the mass is still burning hydrogen at its center, that is, that this companion star is still in the prime of life.

According to team member Robert P. Kirshner of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, “If a white dwarf explodes next to an ordinary star, you ought to see a pulse of blue light that results from heating that companion. That’s what theorists predicted and that’s what we saw.

“Supernova 2012cg is the smoking — actually glowing — gun: some Type Ia supernovae come from white dwarfs doing a do-si-do with ordinary stars.”

Located 50 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo, Supernova 2012cg was discovered on May 17, 2012 by the Lick Observatory Supernova Search. Marion’s team began studying it the next day with the telescopes of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

“It’s important to get very early observations,” Marion said, “because the interaction with the companion occurs very soon after the explosion.”

The team continued to observe the supernova’s brightening for several weeks using many different telescopes, including the 1.2-meter telescope at Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory and its KeplerCam instrument, the Swift gamma-ray space telescope, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory, and about half a dozen others.

“This is a global enterprise,” Wheeler said. Team members hail from about a dozen U.S. universities, as well as institutions in Chile, Hungary, Denmark, and Japan.

What the team found was evidence in the characteristics of the light from the supernova that indicated it could be caused by a binary companion. Specifically, they found an excess of blue light coming from the explosion. This excess matches with the widely accepted models created by U.C. Berkeley astronomer Dan Kasen for what astronomers expect to see when a star explodes in a binary system.

“The supernova is blowing up next to a companion star, and the explosion impacts the companion star,” Wheeler explained. “The side of that companion star that’s hit gets hot and bright. The excess blue light is coming from the side of the companion star that gets heated up.”

Combined with the models, the observations indicate that the binary companion star has a minimum mass of six suns.

“This is an interpretation that is consistent with the data,” said team member Jeffrey Silverman, stressing that it is not concrete proof of the exact size of the companion, like would come from a photograph of the binary star system. Silverman is a postdoctoral researcher at UT Austin.

Only a few other Type Ia supernovae have been observed as early as this one, Marion said, but they have not shown an excess of blue light. More examples are needed.

“We need to study a hundred events like this and then we’ll be able to know what the statistics are,” Wheeler said.

This work is sponsored by National Science Foundation grants AST-1109801, AST-1211196, and AST-1302771.

— END —

Media Contacts:

Rebecca Johnson
The University of Texas at Austin
+1 512-475-6763

Christine Pulliam
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
+1 617-495-7463

Science Contacts:

Dr. G.H. (Howie) Marion
Research Fellow
The University of Texas at Austin

Dr. J. Craig Wheeler
Samuel T. and Fern Yanagisawa Regents Professor in Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin
+1 512-471-6407

Dr. Jeffrey M. Silverman
NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellow
The University of Texas at Austin
+1 512-471-7216

Dr. Robert P. Kirshner
Clowes Professor of Science, Harvard University
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
+ 1 617-495-7519

Featured Image

Featured Image

McDonald Observatory draws visitors from throughout Texas and the U.S. to programs including the nighttime Star Party, where the Milky Way can be seen brightly contrasted against the dark night sky. In summer months, this includes welcoming participants to the multi-day, on-site Professional-Development Teacher Workshops and Boy Scouts troops as part of the annual Scout Night program. In recent years, visitorship has been on the rise; and 86,000 visitors are forecasted to attend McDonald Observatory’s public programs by year’s end. (Photo by: Ethan Tweedie Photography)

Featured Image

Having served as a four-star admiral in the U.S. Navy SEALs who shaped and influenced national policy at the highest level, UT System Chancellor Bill McRaven (right) knows first-hand the need for excellence in scientific research and advanced technology. This past summer, Chancellor McRaven visited McDonald Observatory as a special guest at the Board of Visitors meeting and toured the West Texas facility with College of Natural Sciences Dean Linda Hicke (left) and Taft Armandroff (center). Following that visit, in which he championed the Observatory and other UT colleges that are taking up ground-breaking research, such as the type that the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment and Giant Magellan Telescope will produce, Chancellor McRaven also saw the vital support the Observatory draws from so many friends and supporters. In a blog post he wrote, “One of the things that has really struck me — and frankly, surprised me — since I became Chancellor is the number of people all over this state who give so generously to UT System institutions. I don’t just mean money. . . . I’m talking about people all over Texas who — recognizing what we mean to the state — give of their time, energy, and expertise.” (Photo by: Wayne Alexander)

Alexanders Ring the Rocks at GMT Groundbreaking

Alexanders Wield Golden Hammer at GMT Groundbreaking

by Carolyn Porter

In a large white tent shaken loudly by the Atacama Desert wind, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet welcomed an international contingent of scientists, researchers, governmental officials, and supporters during the formal construction groundbreaking ceremony of the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT), held on November 11, 2015 at the Las Campanas site.

McDonald Observatory director Taft Armandroff and Board of Visitors member Wayne Alexander formally represented McDonald Observatory in the celebration of this important milestone. Taft Armandroff serves as chair of the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) board of directors, and Wayne Alexander serves on the GMTO board.

Although the Las Campanas site in the Chilean Andes was chosen for a combination of beneficial factors that include dark skies, dry air, and access to Southern-hemisphere skies, the site was named “Las Campanas” — which means “the bells” in Spanish — because of the unusual sound of the local rocks when struck. Following the speeches, Wayne Alexander and his wife Barbara joined other GMTO representatives in striking the rocks with a golden hammer to make them ring like a bell.

Once constructed, the GMT will provide the sharpest possible images from its seven 8.2-meter mirror segments, four of which have been cast at the University of Arizona. Creating a mirror that is roughly eight stories tall, the assembled GMT mirror segments will have a light-collecting surface that is more than twice as wide as existing optical scopes. The GMT will commence scientific activity as soon as possible after only four of its seven mirrors are set in place.

If you are interested in learning more about opportunities to become involved with the Giant Magellan Telescope, please contact Carolyn Porter, director of GMT development at 512-471-1305 or cporter@astro.as.utexas.edu.

Close Encounters with Pluto through Alan Stern

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute and Anita Cochran

Composite Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI and Anita Cochran

by Marilyn Harris

On February 19, Alan Stern presented the work of NASA’s historic New Horizons mission to the Board of Visitors and other invited guests at the February Board of Visitors meeting dinner held at the Hyatt Regency in Austin.

Stern, who leads the New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, holds four degrees from UT Austin — including his B.S. in physics, B.A. in astronomy, and M.S. degrees in both aerospace and civil engineering.

New Horizons, the fastest spacecraft ever launched, left Earth in January of 2006, and changed the way scientists and the world see Pluto forever with amazing images that began arriving back to Earth in July of 2015. The flyby of another dwarf planet known as 2014 MU69 is planned for January 1, 2019.

Stern appears on Time magazine’s 2016 list of the 100 most influential people in the world. We were honored to witness the inside story of the New Horizons mission as well as more technical details of the exploration of Pluto during the Special Colloquium held earlier the same day.

Education & Outreach

UT Austin Postdocs Serve Up Astronomy and a Pint

The North Door, home to Austin’s monthly Astronomy On Tap meet ups

By Suzanne Geiger

Walk into the North Door, a pub that sits in downtown Austin just east of Interstate 35, and the slogan “Science is Even Better With Beer” comes to life the third Tuesday of every month. That’s when interested Austinites gather over astronomy and a pint to participate in the growing phenomenon known as Astronomy On Tap.

Following in the vein of other special-interest meetups, Astronomy On Tap draws on the public’s growing taste for combining education and entertainment into a single event. The November meetup marks the first anniversary of the Austin chapter (AoTATX), which was started by Drs. Rachael Livermore and Jeffrey Silverman, postdoctoral fellows at McDonald Observatory.

Seated in a small sixteenth-floor office in the UT Astronomy building, Jeffrey said that he first heard about Astronomy On Tap while at an American Astronomical Society Meeting, a go-to convocation for professional astronomers. There, in a convention hall full of academic science posters, one in particular caught his eye.

Drs. Jeffrey Silverman and Rachael Livermore (left to right), atop Robert Lee Moore Hall on the UT Austin campus (Photos by: Suzanne Geiger)Drs. Jeffrey Silverman and Rachael Livermore (left to right), atop Robert Lee Moore Hall on the UT Austin campus (Photos by: Suzanne Geiger) “It had a beer glass on it,” Jeffrey said, and it publicized the New York-based Astronomy On Tap. After talking about AoT with astronomer Emily Rice, one of the group’s founders and the owner of said poster, Jeffrey returned home with the impulse to start an Austin chapter. He felt that it fit with the city’s aesthetic, but he spent months batting around the idea, telling several colleagues about it in an attempt to garner interest.

Finally, about six months later, he said, “It was Rachael who said, ‘Let’s do this.’ ”

While the first Austin gathering was held at a smaller venue and drew 140 people (a number that far surpassed Jeffrey’s and Rachael’s initial expectations), attendance at recent events has drawn as many as 285, resulting in standing-room-only crowds. Though topics and speakers vary from month to month, astronomy — as the name implies — is always on tap. Answering the question of whether they’ll ever run out of subject matter, Rachael quipped, “As it turns out, we’ve got the entire universe to talk about.”

While AoTATX guest speakers have covered topics like dark energy, solar system formation, and life behind the scenes at McDonald Observatory (a talk presented by Dr. Taft Armandroff), so too have the topics ventured off a bit, including subjects such as “How Space Rocks Killed the Dinosaurs” and “Hydrogen Burning,” which Dr. Kate Biberdorf of the UT Chemistry Department gave, intersecting her work as a chemist with that of astronomy.

While Kate spends a good portion of her time as an outreach coordinator in which she (literally) blows stuff up at events for K-12 and public audiences, she said that she has never quite encountered anything like Astronomy On Tap.

“After my talk, the crowd would be standing there asking me questions and drinking,” she said. “Everyone presenting was clearly passionate about their subject. . . . For me it was beautiful both as presenter and as a student.”

And contrary to what one might think, Astronomy On Tap isn’t just for astronomers or those studying astronomy. The event brings out a diverse crowd that transcends any particular age range or profession.

Pete Szilagyi, a former journalist who is affiliated with McDonald Observatory through the Board of Visitors, said he came across AoTATX from friends who had mentioned it. “It was just out there in the community,” he said.

As a frequent attender, Szilagyi said, “A lot of astronomy is so unapproachable and unfathomable to the average person, so it’s nice to see it brought out in a light-hearted and entertaining manner, but still having substance.”

Because Jeffrey and Rachael pay for all of Astronomy On Tap out of their own pockets, fronting the costs of merchandise, sound equipment, and the like, Szilagyi said, “I have often thought — especially when they make an appeal for donations — that there’s just something so honest about it, and so earthy.” It’s that, plus its quirk — because “it’s off the beaten path,” he said — that draws Szilagyi and hundreds of others to the event.

“We wanted to bring this to people who wouldn’t normally go to a public lecture,” Rachael said.

As Austin’s gathering continues to spread by word-of-mouth and other means, the event as a whole is also growing. While it started out in New York, it’s also in U.S. cities like New Haven, Seattle, and Tucson, and Santiago, Chile has a gathering, too.

Speaking about the event’s ability to draw all types (including scientists and non-scientists alike), Jeffrey said, “A lot of [the people who come] are in law and politics. People have brought their teenage kids, too.”

And what started out as an idea that might or might not work in Austin has become something of a smash hit. “Yeah,” Jeffrey said, “We’ve got a bit of a following.”

To learn more about AoTATX or to attend their November event — which will feature talks about relativity, in honor of the 100th anniversary of Einstein’s publication — visit them online or at their Facebook page

McDonald Shines on Solar Viewing Upgrades

by Frank Cianciolo

This video of a solar flare was taken on Oct. 14, 2015 at McDonald Observatory using a six-inch telescope with a hydrogen alpha filter. (Kevin Mace/McDonald Observatory)

 

If someone mentions viewing the Sun, what first comes to your mind? Wearing a cardboard box over your head looking at a tiny pinhole-projected image? Viewing the photosphere with a white-light filter mounted at the front of your telescope? Stunning images from space-based solar telescopes? If your first thought wasn’t the Solar Viewing at McDonald Observatory, you just might be in for a treat.

It wasn’t that long ago that our white-light views showed mostly featureless sunspots, and the rest of the surface looked mostly blank white. However, images taken from McDonald Observatory’s Solar Viewing system now show an amazing level of detail — comparable to images taken by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) from space — despite being taken through the Earth’s atmosphere.

These side-by-side images of the white light Sun taken on December 26, 2015 by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) from space and from McDonald Observatory's most recently upgraded Solar Viewing system are surprisingly comparable. (SDO/NASA, Kevin Mace/McDonald Observatory)

The most recent upgrades to the Solar Viewing system have advanced the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center (VC) solar imaging capabilities to a point not dreamed of even three or four years ago, much less 14 years ago when the VC opened. While the Visitors Center is most well known for the nighttime views afforded during well-attended evening Star Parties at the Helen S. Martin Star Amphitheater and the Rebecca Louise Gale Telescope Park, the excellent twice-daily “Solar Viewings” of our nearest star are not to be missed.

McDonald Observatory has been hosting Solar Viewings since the W. L. Moody, Jr. Center opened its doors in 1981. Early programs consisted of projecting an image of the photosphere through an 8-inch Celestron Schmidt-Cass onto an approximately 8-inch paper screen with a staff member commenting on any visible sunspots. In the early ‘90s, the Moody Center acquired a Hydrogen-alpha (Hα) filter, which allowed routine viewing of sunspots, prominences, spicules, and occasional flares if you knew what to look for and if you knew how to navigate a relatively dim red image while surrounded by bright sunlight. Typical visitors were mostly lost.

Then, longtime friend and Houston amateur astronomer Lloyd Overcash made a gift of an off-the-shelf video surveillance camera and sundry adapters. Soon, Solar Viewing participants were treated to live views of impressive chromospheric features easily seen by all on bright television screens. There were still a few drawbacks, however. In addition to visitors needing to stand uncomfortably throughout the program, sunlight streaming through the dome shutter frequently caused bright glare on the television screens or, worse, in the eyes of those unfortunate enough to have to stand in the opening. Also, the setup offered only one rather highly magnified view.

With the construction of the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center (VC) and its multimedia theater, new possibilities presented themselves. 2016 Board of Visitors Staff Excellence Award winner Kevin Mace was just the person to bring those possibilities to life. Fiber optic cables and video converters brought live views from a pair of telescopes — one Hα filtered, the other white-light filtered — into the VC’s 12-foot wide screen. The telescopes could be remotely controlled, with animations, time-lapse video, and access to the latest images available online. Best of all, participants could sit comfortably in the theater out of the glare of the Texas sun. Except...

Those live images that had looked fine on 21-inch tube-type TV screens were now seen to be somewhat lacking when enlarged to fit a 12-foot screen. Mace began a quest for better video cameras and has continued to equip the Solar Viewing system with the latest and best equipment possible. Early donations from the Semmes Foundation helped the VC procure higher-resolution remote-controlled cameras that allowed far better viewing of various solar features. Later donations, also from the Semmes Foundation, added a wide-field “full disk” Hα view to contrast with the existing “full disk” white-light, and more highly magnified Hα views.

Las Cumbres Observatory founder Wayne Rosing’s keen eye for optics noticed that the 14-inch Celestron Schmidt-Cass telescope providing the main Hα view could be improved, and he generously offered to replace the Celestron with a 6-inch AstroPhysics refractor, donated a 4-inch StarLight refractor to provide a detailed white-light view, and even provided a new pier designed and fabricated specifically for the VC’s use with the new refractors. Now the cameras, so appreciated just a number of years before for their enhanced views, needed replacement! Once again, the Semmes Foundation stepped up. After these most recent upgrades, Rosing stated, “The McDonald image is just about the best I have seen. Clearly Mt Locke has excellent morning seeing, which is often the key for great solar observing. I am very pleased to see first hand the quality of the images produced by the telescope we donated.”

The Visitors Center, always a work in progress, will no doubt continue to add improvements to its Solar Viewing system, through generous supporters and through income generated by the VC’s dramatically growing visitation. The daytime Solar Viewing is often the most inspiring and hands-on experience gained by students who visit McDonald Observatory on day trips from local rural areas, and these programs are a very important part of the education and outreach mission.

On a recent afternoon visit to the Visitors Center, Board of Visitors member and Fort Davis resident Van Robinson was able to inspect the entire setup from front-end glass to video screen output, and every part in between. “The system Mr. Mace has masterfully assembled with the help of interested Board of Visitors members and other donors would certainly be the envy of the most advanced amateur astronomer and even, I suspect, a few solar researchers," he said. "The full-disk white-light images Kevin frequently generates with the setup rival those posted on NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory website. That all this was done to allow the public to see and learn about our Sun is just one of the many things that makes McDonald Observatory such a special place.”

Other images from McDonald Observatory solar viewing system are: comparison of three cameras; comparison of old and new Semmes cameras; sunspots, flares and filaments; solar prominence. Other available videos: quiescent solar prominence; eruptive solar prominence.

Searching for Earth 2.0 at SXSW 2016

"Searching for Earth 2.0 at SXSW 2016" panel

From left: Taft Armandroff, Anita Cochran, Cyril Grima, David Hoffman, and Dan Jaffe. Credit: Marsha Miller/UT Austin.

by Rebecca Johnson

The hunt for Earthlike planets is in full swing! Five UT Austin scientists appeared before an eager audience on March 13 to give their insights on “Searching for Earth 2.0” at the 2016 South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Festival. Held in downtown Austin at the university’s Launch Pad site, the panel discussion gave audience members a chance to ask a plethora of questions relating to finding another Earth, and about finding intelligent life on another planet. Topics ran the gamut from technology, to aliens, to politics.

Organized by Dan Jaffe, astronomy professor and the university’s Vice President for Research, the panel featured Jaffe, McDonald Observatory director Taft Armandroff, assistant director and comet expert Anita Cochran, planetary scientist Cyril Grima of the Jackson School of Geosciences, and professor David Hoffman of the Department of Molecular Biosciences.

The panelists discussed different aspects of the search for Earthlike planets, and talked about their hopes for the future.

Hoffman, an expert on life in Earth’s extreme environments, said he was looking forward to scientists being able to decode the contents of the atmospheres of extrasolar planets, as atmospheres hold clues to what kind of life may be present.

Armandroff, in turn, emphasized technology — both what is needed for the future as well as the recent advances that led to the discoveries of the thousands of exoplanets now confirmed. UT Austin is involved in the future of the hunt for Earth 2.0, both at McDonald Observatory and as a partner in the forthcoming Giant Magellan Telescope, Armandroff said. “And in both places, we’re working to optimize the technology to participate strongly in this exoplanet revolution and to push the frontiers forward.”

Addressing a question about searching for or identifying life that is not carbon-based, Cochran said “What we’ve learned in looking at other planetary systems is that nature is way more clever than we are and has come up with more variety. So, yes, it’s very possible that there’s life out there that runs by a different mechanism,” she said, “but we don’t know what it is. So we can’t study it because our imaginations aren’t good enough — yet.”

Jaffe agreed, adding that “Astronomy is simple and yet we’ve been astounded by the complexity of the other [planetary] systems we find. Biology is complicated. And you can extrapolate from that and figure that things are going to be different and more complicated elsewhere.”

Asked about NASA’s changing decisions regarding funding a mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa, long thought a possible harbor for life, Grima noted that these things depend on politics. “The problem in the U.S. … is that once a mission is started, you have the possibility that year after year, government after government, the [politicians] might not want the mission, so they stop. The current U.S. Congress wants a Europa mission,” he said. “So far it’s going pretty good.”

When asked whether the next generation of large telescopes will be able to analyze the atmospheres of large extrasolar planets, Armandroff said they will. “But … we are moving from the era [of] 20 years ago, [when] the question was ‘Are there planets around other stars? How common are they?’ And astronomers have done a really great job with that. We know that planets are very common and Earth-mass planets are common. And now we’re moving into the realm where this spectroscopy that you asked about will give us much more information about the properties of planets, and greater physical insight into what’s happening on exoplanets.”

Several audience members expressed their enthusiasm for astronomy and their wish to understand more, and even to participate in a meaningful way in astronomical research. “I’m a basic person, and I’m amazed by all this stuff,” one woman said. “How can we become a part of what you’re doing?”

Cochran described the popular online platform Zooniverse that allows any interested person to help with research. “It’s used in the field of galaxies; it’s used in the field of exoplanets,” she explained. Datasets that would be “almost impossible for us to look through as astronomers,” are made available and can be searched by anyone after some online training. She noted that the Kepler exoplanet mission has benefited from public help in making some recent discoveries.

Reaching out to the public is important, Cochran said, “because the public are funding these missions. It’s very important to keep the public involved.” Jaffe added that keeping the public up-to-date on research is not only informational, but inspirational: “When you know that there are other planets around other stars, it changes your picture of your own existence and where you live,” he said. “We try to share with everyone what we know as soon as we know it, to expand people’s horizons, people’s view of our own place in the universe.”

To hear the panelists’ in-depth answers to all of the questions, and to find out what each panelists’ dream discovery would be, you can watch the one-hour video of the panel on our YouTube channel.

Spotlight

McDonald Observatory Superintendent Returns to West Texas After Productive Hiatus

Interview by Suzanne Geiger

Craig Nance took up the role of McDonald Observatory superintendent last January, and in doing so returned to the place where he, from 1997–2000, served as the facility manager for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. In between his two stints in West Texas, Craig was director of the Mt. Graham International Observatory and operations engineering manager at W. M. Keck Observatory. He spoke from his office at the Observatory about how the first nine months have been.

What drew you back to McDonald Observatory?

I worked for Taft Armandroff for many years at Keck Observatory. He joined Keck in 2006, and shortly after that we had a major, damaging earthquake with the telescopes — over a million dollars in damage. I didn’t know much about him because he was our new director. But he led us through that, and as a result of the crisis, he was someone I just really respected and admired and enjoyed working for. When I went to Mt. Graham Observatory in Arizona it was to be closer to family.

McDonald is a place I am very familiar with, so it’s not just one thing. Being reunited with people that I worked with in the past was a major factor in that decision — including being reunited with Taft. The public outreach mission of McDonald is something I also enjoy very much. They have the Texas Star Party here, which is wonderful. That was one of the other major draws to come back here. It’s one of the biggest amateur astronomy gatherings in the world.

What were your experiences at Keck and Mt. Graham observatories like?

At Keck I was working on some of the most advanced technology systems in all of astronomy. In September, they invited me to come back out to celebrate the retirement of the Keck 2 Laser Guidestar Adaptive Optics System I worked on. They’re upgrading to a second-generation system that I’ve been serving as an external reviewer on. They’ve done some of the most unique science in all of astronomy and are trying to push the telescopes to do as much as they can. The philosophical idea I believe in is “Let’s push the telescopes to their limit.” Ultimately, I led the engineering team for all of operations as the operations engineering manager. Being at Mt. Graham was primarily a site leadership position, which was a wonderful expansion of my career, whereas Keck was very much direct work on the cutting edge of high technology. The Mt. Graham site is owned by the federal government, so there was a lot of working to make sure we were in compliance with federal regulations. Most Thursday mornings, as example, I had breakfast with the mayor of the town. It was a very different role. It was a pure leadership type role, political. I use the word politics in a positive way – in terms of interacting with the community.

You seem to have a strong, but quiet leadership style.

By nature I’m not one of these loud and outgoing types of people. It’s just the way I’ve always been. And also, the places you’ve lived make a difference. Hawaii was very much that way culturally. Prior to astronomy, I was an officer in the Air Force. In the Air Force, they wanted that calm, quiet, confident demeanor. I’ve always liked to have a leadership team with calm, quiet, confident people. In those stressful moments, it doesn’t do any good to get overly stressed or overly excited. 

What is the impact of your engineering background on your work at McDonald?

I think the main impact is that I’m very focused on what the capabilities of the telescopes are, and how we can best have the telescopes and instruments that perform optimally for our astronomers. An analogy is a Formula One race team. The driver is the star of the show, and those cars are engineered to perform at the highest level for the driver. Every aspect of the telescopes also must operate at a high level as well. The question is always, “What is the science we’re doing tonight?” and “What can we do to make the telescopes better for science?” The analogous goal is to make [it] go faster. To win races.

What are your near-term goals as superintendent?

I take my lead from Taft, and that’s what I’ve always done. He has established three very clear, high-level goals. First, there’s the overall sustainability of McDonald and its need to flourish for all of its stakeholders – and that includes anyone who considers the Observatory important to them — astronomers, visitors, staff, anyone. There’s a lot involved in that. Second, we need for the HET to get back on sky and do science. Many people are working on it full time and beyond. That’s big goal number two. Big goal number three is McDonald Observatory’s role in the GMT. We’re doing a lot of work to make sure that McDonald has a robust role in that telescope, as it is vital to our long-term future. Everything we do on a daily basis falls out of that and are what I consider tactics to these three goals. Those are things such as telescope maintenance, to issues related to housing. We’re also looking at the experience of people who stay at the Astronomers Lodge. Those are just to name a few.  The things we do on a daily basis must link strongly to one of the three goals.   

What have the first nine months been like?

They have been phenomenal. I like for things to be borderline — or beyond the line — of too busy. If I ever get bored it’s not a good thing. And I’ve never been bored here. It’s been very rewarding. It’s been very enjoyable.

Superintendent Craig Nance's telescope trailer, as designed by his wife Laura Nance (Photo by: Sandra Preston)Superintendent Craig Nance's telescope trailer, as designed by his wife Laura Nance (Photo by: Sandra Preston) Tell me about the Einstein trailer.

One of my hobbies, when I have spare time, is to build telescopes. I’m kind of a one-trick pony in regards to telescopes and astronomy. I have built 20-inch reflector telescopes — Dobsonians — which I’ve taken out to the community to schools and star parties. Like any hobby, you start on it and you add more things and more complexity to it. It’s a lot of fun. I enjoy making larger mirrors because it’s either that, or I go buy a boat. And I’d rather have a telescope. I have a five-by-eight-foot trailer to haul them in. My wife has an artistic streak, and she’d found this template of Einstein. I came home one day and she had put Einstein on the side of the trailer, and I thought it was the neatest thing. When I drive it around, people can’t believe it when they see it. The image is from a famous photo. In a moment, Albert Einstein just stuck his tongue out at reporters. It captures him in a wonderful way. And that’s my astronomy trailer.

Bill Wren’s Passion Preserves the Night Sky

by Taft Armandroff and Sandra Preston

Preserving our beautiful and astronomically significant dark West Texas skies is a priority for McDonald Observatory, whose most passionate and effective advocate for astronomy-friendly lighting is Bill Wren. We are proud that Bill received the Hoag/Robinson Award from the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) in November 2015. The award, named for Dr. Arthur Hoag and William T. Robinson, who both pioneered outdoor lighting control, is given to an individual who has been outstanding in educating governmental organizations, businesses, and the public about the merits of outdoor lighting control ordinances.

For the past 20 years, Bill has worked with city councils, county governments, utility companies, media representatives, and businesses across West Texas and beyond to promote good lighting solutions that safeguard dark skies while at the same time improving safety, cost efficiency, and environmental protection. Bill was recently featured on the CBS News “Sunday Morning” program, where he was referred to as “the Angel of Darkness” due to his efforts to protect the night skies of West Texas, one of the darkest spots on the globe. Bill has also helped McDonald Observatory to organize and facilitate a series of dark sky preservation and sky interpretation workshops for Texas Parks and Wildlife rangers, greatly leveraging the support from the late Board of Visitors and Orion Circle member, Joe Orr, to inspire the public to appreciate and preserve this important natural resource.

On February 16, 2016, the Railroad Commission of Texas issued a formal notice reminding the operators of oil and gas rigs in the vicinity of McDonald Observatory of the law and best practices in outdoor lighting, as well as the need to minimize lighting impacts. Included in the notice is a link to McDonald Observatory's Dark Skies Initiative and an important report written by Bill Wren and Board of Visitors member Stacy Locke of Pioneer Energy Services that scientifically documents how lighting intervention and adjustment using best practices creates win-win situations for all concerned. The release of this notice is the result of a meeting at the Railroad Commission late last year that included Bill Wren, Joel Barna, Board of Visitors member Debbie Dorsett, and Taft Armandroff.

This is just one recent example of how Bill’s tireless efforts have spread far and wide to raise awareness and help protect the dark skies of West Texas and beyond. He has made continuing astronomical research possible at McDonald Observatory, defending millions of dollars of investment. In addition, he has preserved the night skies for the general public. Due to his outstanding work, many laws and zoning rules have been updated to protect the nighttime environment for future generations. Bill has set a high standard for all of us, and his outstanding dedication to night sky preservation is greatly appreciated.

McDonald Observatory’s Andrew Mann Wins Prestigious Hubble Fellowship

AUSTIN — Astronomer Andrew Mann of The University of Texas at Austin has been awarded a Hubble Fellowship from NASA and the Space Telescope Science Institute, science center for the Hubble Space Telescope.

“It is an honor to receive the Hubble Fellowship, and I look forward to continuing my research at UT Austin,” Mann said.

The Hubble Fellowship Program includes all research relevant to present and future missions relating to NASA’s Cosmic Origins program. These missions currently include the Herschel Space Observatory, the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, and the Spitzer Space Telescope. Seventeen Hubble Fellows were chosen this year.

Mann studies planets outside our solar system, including both their demographics (how often they occur and around what types of stars) and their fundamental properties like size, chemical content, and more. He plans to use his fellowship to continue this work at McDonald Observatory.

“I'm particularly excited to continue working with the IGRINS instrument on the Harlan J. Smith Telescope to better characterize red dwarf stars, especially those with detected planets,” Mann said.

“I congratulate Andrew Mann on winning one of the most competitive fellowships in astronomy to continue his work at McDonald," said Taft Armandroff, the observatory’s director.

Mann received his PhD in 2013 from the University of Hawaii, and for the past two years has held the Harlan J. Smith Post-doctoral Fellowship at McDonald Observatory.

— END —

Science contacts:

Dr. Andrew Mann
McDonald Observatory
The University of Texas at Austin
512-471-6463

Dr. Robert Williams
Space Telescope Science Institute
410-338-4963

Brendan Bowler Wins Hubble Fellowship

Brendan Bowler

by Rebecca Johnson

AUSTIN — Astronomer Brendan Bowler of The University of Texas at Austin has been awarded a competitive Hubble Fellowship from NASA and the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), science center for the Hubble Space Telescope.

“I congratulate Brendan Bowler on winning one of the most prestigious fellowships in astronomy to continue his work at McDonald Observatory," said Taft Armandroff, the observatory’s director.

Hubble Fellows conduct research related to the mission of NASA’s Cosmic Origins Program, which aims to examine the origins of galaxies, stars, and planetary systems, and the evolution of these structures with cosmic time. Bowler studies various aspects of planetary systems.

“I like to boil it down to studying the origin, the atmospheres, and the architectures of giant planets orbiting other stars,” Bowler said. His three-year Hubble fellowship, which he will undertake at UT Austin, will fund his project “Probing the Origins of Giant Planets on Wide Orbits.” He will be looking at massive, Jupiter-sized planets that orbit their stars many times farther away than Jupiter does the Sun.

“How did they form, and how did they arrive there?” he asks. For this work, he will use many different tools, including the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory with its IGRINS instrument, and later, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald.

"Hubble Fellows are the future leaders of our field, and these prestigious fellowships give them a wonderful opportunity to grow professionally and establish their credentials,” said STScI director Ken Sembach. “This impressive class of Fellows will surely make major contributions to astronomical research for years to come. Congratulations to all of them."

Bowler received his Ph.D. in astronomy from The University of Hawaii, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Caltech. For the past year, he has held a W.J. McDonald Prize Postdoctoral Fellowship with McDonald Observatory.

— END —

Science Contact:
Dr. Brendan Bowler
512-471-1402
The University of Texas at Austin

Director’s Message

Director's Message

Taft Armandroff

Taft Armandroff, Director

Frank and Susan Bash Endowed Chair

Welcome to this June issue of SkyWord. I feel privileged to share with you some of the recent exciting research happening on McDonald Observatory telescopes as well as unique scholarly and outreach accomplishments of esteemed colleagues and alumni.

In research news, this issue is bringing you details of UT Austin astronomer Howie Marion's study of a distant supernova with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, work that is helping scientists better understand the origins of these exploding stars. We also tell how UT Austin Hubble Fellow Andrew Mann has used the Harlan J. Smith Telescope and its IGRINS instrument to discover a planet in the Hyades cluster, the closest open star cluster to Earth.

In outreach news, Assistant Director Anita Cochran and I represented McDonald Observatory in a public forum called “Searching for Earth 2.0” at the 2016 South by Southwest Interactive Festival held in Austin on March 13. The one-hour video is posted on our YouTube site, which is available at the end of the article.

In the Spotlight section, we congratulate Brendan Bowler on winning one of the most prestigious fellowships in astronomy — the highly-competitive Hubble Fellowship from NASA and the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). We are thrilled for him to continue his work at McDonald Observatory, which will include using the Smith Telescope with IGRINS and also the Hobby-Eberly Telescope.

The Featured Image is that of UT alumnus Alan Stern giving a talk at the Board of Visitors February dinner with the image of NASA’s New Horizons mission, that he leads, in the background.

SkyWord Sign-up