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!

 

Moon Tours

Host: Kevin Mace

 
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

Host: Stephen Hummel

 
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

Host: Joe Wheelock


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.
   

June 16, 2021 @ 12pm CDT - Exploring the Sun and Solstices

 
Explore the Sun with the McDonald Observatory on Wed. June 16, 2021 at 12:00 P.M. CDT. We will show you live images of the Sun (weather permitting) with specially filtered telescopes and cameras. You will learn about sunspots, prominences, solar flares, and other solar related topics. June 20th marks the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere, so we will also be discussing solstices in detail.

Archived Moon Tours

Archived Deep Sky Tours

Archived Solar Tours
 
December 2
 
 
 
 
  July 14  
  June 23  
  June 12  
  June 9  
  May 22  
  May 16  
  May 9  
  April 23  
  April 18  
  April 14  
     

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.

 
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