Students and teachers are invited to visit McDonald Observatory remotely from home or school for incredible educational experiences. Each program is 40 minutes long and requires a Zoom account for each connection. Thanks to support from Friends of the McDonald Observatory and the Meyer-Levy Charitable Foundation, these programs are available at no cost to participants.
ExciteSpace!
(for single groups and multiple schools)
ExciteSpace! Observe the Sun
K-12 students observe our Sun in real-time with a telescope, make their own drawings, and make STEM connections in astronomy.
Download Drawing Sheet and TEKS
Choose a program date and register online. Registrations accepted until 24 hours prior to any program.
March 24, 2021 (multiple schools)
10:00 am, 11:30 am, and 2:00 pm CDT
March 31, 2021 (multiple schools)
11:30 am and 2:00 pm CDT
April 9, 2021 (multiple schools)
11:00 am CDT
April 13, 2021 (multiple schools)
10:00 am and 1:00 pm CDT
April 21, 2021 (multiple schools)
11:00 am and 2:30 pm CDT
Come visit McDonald Observatory without leaving your home or classroom! Learn about Mr. McDonald, who loved nature and science. Learn about what happens here and how the 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
Choose a program date and register online. Registrations accepted until 24 hours prior to any program.
March 31, 2021 (multiple schools)
10:00 am CDT
April 20, 2021 (multiple schools)
10:00 am and 11:00 am CDT
April 28, 2021 (multiple schools)
11:00 am and 2:30 pm CDT
Explore the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, a 10 meter telescope that uses 91 mirrors to research the universe! Follow the light path from the sky through creative engineering and into the instruments. Students will take a virtual tour of the HET, including images and videos, guided by a live educator.
Download TEKS
Choose a program date and register online. Registrations accepted until 24 hours prior to any program.
March 30, 2021 (multiple schools)
1:00 pm, 2:00 pm, and 3:00 pm CDT
April 7, 2021 (multiple schools)
1:00 pm and 2:00 pm CDT
April 27, 2021 (multiple schools)
2:00 pm CDT
April 28, 2021 (multiple schools)
1:30 pm CDT
