News
McDonald Observatory
Vast Molecular Cloud Discovered Near Our Solar System
One of the largest single structures in the sky, the cloud is about 40 moons across, but not visible to the unaided eye.

McDonald Observatory
JWST Awards UT Astronomers 10% of Its Coveted Observing Time
Steve Finkelstein, Danielle Berg, Adam Kraus, Stella Offner and John Chisholm are among UT Austin astronomers leading new James Webb Space Telescope projects.

McDonald Observatory
UT Astronomer Peers Deeper into Mysterious Flame Nebula
Postdoctoral researcher Matthew De Furio led the research that found the smallest brown dwarfs in the nebula.

UT Austin Astronomer Wins Scialog: Early Science with the LSST Award
Caroline Morley has been selected to be part of a three-year initiative to support the Legacy Survey of Space and Time at the Vera C...

Texas Science Festival-Goers to Enjoy Fusion of Curiosity and Discovery
The University of Texas at Austin will host the science-themed, STEAM-inspired festival from Feb. 21-March 6.

McDonald Observatory
Newfound Galaxy Class May Indicate Early Black Hole Growth
Many galaxies known as little red dots (LRDs) appear to harbor growing supermassive black holes.

McDonald Observatory
New Energy Industry Guidelines Help Protect Night Sky
The Dark for the Park Alliance released lighting guidelines for New Mexico’s oil and gas industry, which will benefit McDonald Observatory.

McDonald Observatory
Northwestern University Joins Giant Magellan Telescope International Consortium
Northwestern researchers will develop and apply cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) tools to enhance the Giant Magellan Telescope’s capabilities.

McDonald Observatory
Astronomers Discover Youngest Transiting Planet Ever
The planet, named TIDYE-1b, is roughly the size of Jupiter and is an estimated 3 million years old.

McDonald Observatory
Pioneering Instrument Returns to McDonald Observatory
The Immersion Grating Infrared Spectrograph (IGRINS) splits infrared light into more individual wavelengths than a traditional spectrograph.
