McDonald Observatory is an astronomical observatory located near unincorporated community of Fort Davis in Jeff Davis County, Texas , United States. The facility is located on Mount Locke in the Davis Mountains of West Texas , with additional facilities on Mount Fowlkes, approximately 1.3 kilometers (0.81 mi) to the northeast. The observatory is part of The University of Texas at Austin . It is an organized research unit of the College of Natural Sciences.
20-610: The observatory produces StarDate , a daily syndicated radio program consisting of short segments related to astronomy that airs on both National Public Radio and commercial radio stations — about 400 affiliates in all. McDonald Observatory was originally endowed by the Texas banker William Johnson McDonald (1844–1926), who left about $ 1 million — the bulk of his fortune — to The University of Texas at Austin to endow an astronomical observatory. Edwin Hockaday Fowlkes, step-son of
40-502: A semi-arid climate ( Köppen BSk ) with cool, dry winters and hot, wetter summers. The Frank N. Bash Visitors Center, located between Mt. Locke and Mt. Fowlkes, includes a gift shop and interactive exhibit hall. The Visitors Center conducts daily live solar viewings in a large theater and tours of the observatory's largest telescopes. It also hosts evening star parties , every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday evening which allow visitors to look through numerous telescopes of various sizes in
60-571: A telephone hot line on astronomy, which had started a year earlier. The telephone scripts had attracted the notice of a producer at radio station KLBJ-FM in Austin, who had turned them into a radio show that was broadcast for a year under the name "Have You Seen the Stars Tonight?" — a reference to the song co-written by Paul Kantner of Jefferson Starship. With the support of Harlan James Smith , McDonald Observatory's director, and after securing funding from
80-459: A variety of astronomical equipment may also be present. As with other hobbyist gatherings, much camaraderie and discussion of various aspects of the hobby occurs at any star party. The idea of a star party is not new and allegedly goes back at least as far as George III of the United Kingdom , who was passionately interested in astronomy and mathematics . On nights when poor weather blocked
100-500: Is a daily guide to the night sky and breaking astronomical news. Typically heard without formal introduction, StarDate is a self-contained science news feature interwoven with routine radio programming. It is the longest-running science outreach program on U.S. radio. Created in 1978 by science journalist Deborah Byrd of the McDonald Observatory, the short (2-minute) format of StarDate sprang from Byrd's scripts written for
120-475: Is the highest point on Texas highways. The Harlan J. Smith Telescope , also on Mt. Locke, was completed in 1968. The Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET), dedicated in late 1997, is located on the summit of Mt. Fowlkes at 2,030 m (6,660 ft) above sea level. It is operated jointly by The University of Texas at Austin, Pennsylvania State University , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich , and Georg-August University of Göttingen . As of 2019, after upgrades
140-484: The National Science Foundation , Byrd changed the name to Star Date (invoking the term " stardate " used in the opening monologue of the 1960s television series Star Trek ) and began the series' national distribution in 1979. The niche broadcasting position of StarDate has always been its quick but relaxed, diary-like delivery which allows it to be interspersed with regular programming. Byrd produced
160-569: The astronomy department of The University of Texas at Austin while maintaining administrative autonomy. The high and dry peaks of the Davis Mountains make for some of the darkest and clearest night skies in the region and provide excellent conditions for astronomical research. The Otto Struve Telescope , dedicated in 1939, was the first large telescope built at the observatory. It is located on Mt. Locke at an altitude of 2,070 m (6,790 ft). The summit of Mt. Locke, accessed by Spur 78 ,
180-448: The interstellar medium , extragalactic astronomy , and theoretical astronomy . The Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment, or HETDEX, is a multi-year undertaking to decode the nature of dark energy . Directors McDonald Observatory is equipped with a wide range of instrumentation for imaging and spectroscopy in the optical and infrared spectra, and operates the first lunar laser ranging station. It works closely with
200-634: The HET is tied with the Keck Telescopes as the second or third largest telescope in the world. However, its cost was about 20% that of other similarly sized telescopes in use today due to its optimization for spectroscopy . Additionally, The University of Texas at Austin is a founding partner of the international collaboration to build the Giant Magellan Telescope . McDonald Observatory administrators, scientists, and engineers are heavily involved in
220-556: The Rebecca Gale Telescope Park. Special Viewing Nights, during which visitors can stay on-site (not required for the programs) and view directly through eyepieces on the 0.9 m and Struve (2.1m) telescopes, are held on a reservation-only basis. StarDate (radio) StarDate is a science radio program of The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory , broadcast on over 300 radio stations. It
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#1732841484469240-918: The US, notable star parties include the annual Winter Star Party , held in the Florida Keys; the Mid Atlantic Star Party , held on the east coast of the United States; the Oregon Star Party ; the Stellafane Convention , held in Vermont; the Texas Star Party , held in west Texas; and the Okie-Tex Star Party, held near Kenton, Oklahoma. In Canada, Starfest, held near Ayton, Ontario, is organized by
260-454: The endeavor. Director Taft Armandroff currently serves as Vice Chair to the GMT Board of Directors, and has served as chair. Currently, the observatory operates four research telescopes at its West Texas site: A 0.9 m (36 in) telescope, formerly used for research, is now used for visitor programs. The two peaks also host a number of other instruments: The observatory experiences
280-479: The land's original owner John Chandler Prude, donated the land to the University of Texas to build the observatory. The provision of the will was challenged by McDonald's relatives, but after a long legal fight, the university received about $ 800,000 from the estate and construction began at Mt. Locke. The then-unnamed Otto Struve Telescope was dedicated on May 5, 1939, and at that time was the second largest telescope in
300-425: The show, and Joel Block hosted it, until 1991, when a change in management at McDonald led both to depart and start another syndicated radio series, Earth & Sky , which aired from 1991 to 2013 and was heard on about 1,000 radio stations. Beginning in 1991, StarDate was produced by Damond Benningfield and hosted by Sandy Wood , a San Antonio radio personality who was one of the first female disc jockeys in
320-533: The southwestern United States. After Wood's retirement on July 16, 2019, the host position was assumed by Billy Henry, an Austin-based musician and educator. Stations that broadcast StarDate include affiliates and owned stations of CBS Radio and National Public Radio , totaling approximately 300 stations. The program is also available as a downloadable podcast. Universo , the Spanish language version of StarDate , aired from 1995 to 2010. StarDate Magazine
340-531: The view of the real stars and planets, attendants are said to have hung paper lanterns marked with drawings in the trees around the royal palace to provide something else for the King and his guests to spot through their telescopes. Star parties whose focus is on bringing the stars to the people are often staged in urban areas where people congregate in large numbers. This is in contrast to star parties typically held in remote dark-sky areas more conducive to stargazing. In
360-627: The warmer months. Large regional star parties are held annually and are an important part of the hobby of amateur astronomy. A naturally dark site away from light pollution is typical. Participants bring telescopes and binoculars of all types and sizes and spend the nights observing astronomical objects such as planets , comets , stars , and deep-sky objects together. Astrophotography and CCD imaging are also very popular. At larger star parties, lectures, swap meets, exhibitions of home-built telescopes , contests, tours, raffles, and other similar activities are common. Commercial vendors selling
380-412: The world. McDonald Observatory was operated under contract by The University of Chicago until the 1960s, when control was transferred to The University of Texas at Austin under the direction of Harlan J. Smith . Research today at the McDonald Observatory encompasses a wide variety of topics and projects, including the search for and understanding of planetary systems , stars and stellar spectroscopy ,
400-436: Was first known as McDonald Observatory News in 1972. It became a bimonthly magazine in 1988. Star party A star party is a gathering of amateur astronomers for the purpose of observing objects and events in the sky . Local star parties may be one-night affairs, but larger events can last a week or longer and attract hundreds or even thousands of participants. Many astronomy clubs have monthly star parties during
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