Department of Astronomy, University of Texas at Austin

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Astronomy Department Faculty and
McDonald Observatory Research Scientists
work on nearly every area of modern astronomy.
The Astronomy Department is associated with
McDonald Observatory, one of the premier
observational facilities in the country.
Teacher workshops at McDonald Observatory
Simulation by grad student Aaron Smith of gas flows
along filaments of dark matter which collapse to form
the first galaxies.
Astronomy Grad students participate in Girl Day,
which brings 5,000 K-8 girls to the UT campus.
Artist’s concept of the surface of nearby planet
Proxima b, discovered by Research Scientist
Mike Endl and collaborators.

A premier program in Astronomy research and education

The Department of Astronomy works synergistically with McDonald Observatory to advance excellence in research and education and to be an astronomy program that promotes belonging and equity for all. As one of the top-ranked astronomy programs in the nation, we lead frontier research in cosmology, galaxy formation and evolution, stellar evolution and star formation, exoplanetary systems, the Solar system, and instrumentation. We are a major founding partner in the next generation Giant Magellan Telescope.

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