Recent News

UT Astronomer Selected for Frontiers of Research Project
UT Astronomer Selected for Frontiers of Research Project

Caroline Morley, associate professor of astronomy at UT Austin, and her research team recently were among a dozen groups worldwide selected by the Simons Foundation for support. Their project will involve studying multiscale physics of clouds across the atmospheres of planets beyond Earth.  Morley and her team hope to deepen scientists’ understanding of fundamental atmospheric processes and apply those insights to improve climate science on Earth.

UT Austin Astronomers to Play Leading Role in NASA's Newly Launched Roman Space Telescope
UT Austin Astronomers to Play Leading Role in NASA's Newly Launched Roman Space Telescope
One Idea, Two Cosmic Mysteries: Linking Little Red Dots and Globular Clusters
One Idea, Two Cosmic Mysteries: Linking Little Red Dots and Globular Clusters
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Visiting Us

Perched atop the Davis Mountain of West Texas, under some of the darkest night skies in the continental United States, McDonald Observatory offers a rugged and beautiful gateway to the cosmos. Daytime tours provide front row access to big science that wows, while evening Star Parties showcase the depth and beauty of the night sky. Learn about breakthrough discoveries through our onsite exhibits, visit large scientific telescopes, and connect with the power and wonder of astronomy.

Education

McDonald Observatory has worked to expand humanity’s knowledge of the universe since 1939. Fundamental to this mission is a commitment to providing education programs that excite and equip students and teachers to explore STEM concepts and careers. We serve as an educational training ground for K-12 students and teachers through classroom materials, field trips, and teacher professional development workshops. When schools can’t make the drive to us, our staff come to them via online distance learning, which is provided at no cost to participants.

Research

A research facility of The University of Texas at Austin, McDonald Observatory is home to cutting-edge observational facilities and instruments. Among these are the Hobby-Eberly, Harlan J. Smith, and Otto Struve Telescopes, which astronomers use to understand faraway stars, the planets that orbit them, cosmic gas and dust, and the nature of dark energy. Over the years, we’ve contributed to the early identification of planets outside our solar system, measured the Moon’s distance from Earth, and helped prove Einstein’s theory of relativity.

In the Sky Tonight:

Moon and Jupiter: 

For skywatchers across the eastern United States, the planet Jupiter will vanish early tomorrow, hidden behind the crescent Moon. The rest of the country will see an impressively close encounter between the Moon and the brilliant planet.

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Dark Skies

McDonald Observatory collaborates with local communities and businesses to promote nighttime lighting that keeps light on the ground and out of the sky.

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.

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StarDate Magazine

StarDate magazine keeps you in touch with the universe with detailed skywatching information, in-depth features, the latest astronomy news, and more. Six issues per year, including the Sky Almanac issue in January! Subscribe today!

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