McDonald Observatory is one of the world’s leading centers for astronomical research, instrument design, teaching, and public education and outreach.

Graduate student Kyle Kaplan works on the IGRINS instrument mounted on the Harlan J. Smith Telescope. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

The Observatory was created when, in 1926, 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.”

Research

McDonald Observatory is a research unit of The University of Texas at Austin. Since the dedication of its first telescope in 1939, it has pursued leading-edge astronomical topics. Today, those include mapping millions of galaxies and studying dark energy; searching for exoplanets and characterizing their atmospheres, orbits, and stellar environments; probing the relationship between the formation of galaxies and their central black holes; and using white-dwarf stars to clarify the age and chemical evolution of the Milky Way galaxy.

The Observatory is also a founding partner in the Giant Magellan Telescope, an 82-foot (25-meter) instrument under construction in Chile. When complete, it will deliver up to 200 times the power of today’s best telescopes.

Visitor Experience

The Observatory’s Frank N. Bash Visitors Center offers exhibits on astronomy and the research conducted at McDonald, solar viewing through a dedicated telescope, tours of the major telescopes, and Star Parties three nights each week. Over a million visitors have enjoyed the Star Parties and guided tours over the years.

Visitors experience a constellation tour during a Star Party. Credit: Ethan Tweedie Photography

Located in the Davis Mountains of Far West Texas, McDonald Observatory enjoys some of the darkest night skies in the continental United States. It’s the perfect setting to connect with the science and beauty of the cosmos!

Education Program

In addition, the Observatory offers hands-on workshops for K-12 science teachers at the Observatory, which include the opportunity to meet and work with professional astronomers and UT Austin students as they conduct their research. The workshops have trained thousands of teachers from Texas and beyond, enhancing the classroom experience for millions of students.

The Education team also provides distance learning, field trips, and classroom activities that inspire curiosity about the universe.

StarDate

Additional public outreach efforts include daily two-minute StarDate radio broadcasts. This program is the longest-running and most popular of its kind in the country. StarDate brings information about the cosmos to more than 2.3 million listeners each week. It is currently broadcast on 350 radio stations nationwide, many of which are NPR stations.

StarDate magazine, published bi-monthly, offers feature articles, skywatching tips and charts, a question-and-answer column, and news from around the astronomy world. StarDate magazine reaches approximately 6,000 readers nation-wide.