The University of Texas McDonald Observatory at Fort Davis
The McDonald Observatory, constructed from the proceeds of a bequest by W. J. McDonald in 1929, was originally operated jointly by the University of Texas and the University of Chicago. Today the observatory is maintained and administered by the University of Texas at Austin. Located on Mount Locke and Mount Fowlkes in the Davis Mountains at an altitude of 6,800 feet, the observatory sits on 650 acres of land, 400 acres donated by the owners of the Fowlkes and McIvor ranches and 250 purchased from the Eppenauer ranch.
The 2.1-meter reflector was installed in March 1939, and the observatory was formally dedicated on May 5, 1939. For some years the 2.1-meter reflector was the second largest telescope in the world, and it is still among the world’s major telescopes.
The development of the observatory and of the 2.1-meter reflector was largely the work of Otto Struve, the first director of Yerkes and McDonald Observatories, and one of the outstanding scientists of his generation. In recognition of his contributions, the 2.1-meter reflector was officially designated “The Otto Struve Reflector of the W. J. McDonald Observatory” in an international dedicatory symposium in May 1966.
Supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the University of Texas, and assisted by the National Science Foundation, a 2.7-meter telescope began operation in early 1969 as the third largest telescope in the world. That telescope has been named the Harlan J. Smith Telescope in honor of the first Texas director of McDonald Observatory. Improved supporting facilities and a 0.8-meter telescope were constructed in the 1970s.
In collaboration with the Pennsylvania State University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, the University of Texas at Austin operates a 9.2-meter telescope on Mount Fowlkes at the McDonald Observatory. This telescope, the William P. Hobby–Robert E. Eberly Telescope, has one of the largest primary mirrors of any telescope in the world. The George T. Abell Gallery offers a view of the telescope to the public.
During 2013-2014, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope will be upgraded to have a wider field of view and to use a larger portion of the primary mirror. In addition, a unique new instrument—the Visible Integral-Field Replicable Unit Spectrograph (VIRUS)—will be added to enable the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX). HETDEX seeks to unravel the mysteries of the "dark energy" that makes up more than seventy percent of our Universe.
McDonald Observatory produces the daily astronomy radio program StarDate, which airs on more than 300 radio stations in the United States and Canada and is heard by three million people each week. Five-minute Spanish-language astronomy podcasts are available online at http://www.radiouniverso.org . The observatory also publishes StarDate magazine.
The Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory, located at the base of Mount Locke, includes a theatre, a science museum with interactive exhibits, StarDate Café, and a gift shop. The center is open from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Solar viewing sessions are conducted daily at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm with guided tours of the research areas immediately following. Every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday night, the Visitors Center hosts “Star Parties,” during which visitors have the opportunity to view the planets, moon, galaxies, and other celestial objects through large telescopes at the center’s Public Observatory. Twilight programs are available those same nights. For information on current rates and programs, visit http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/visitors/book . More information about visiting the observatory may be obtained from the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory, 3640 Dark Sky Drive, McDonald Observatory TX 79734, (432) 426-3640, or at the McDonald Observatory Web site, http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/visitors . A recorded message providing seasonal times is available at (877) 984-7827.