Astronomy Program News & Events
see also: McDonald Observatory press room / archive
1st GMT Mirror from below
[Polakis]
Day After Day, Her Voice Takes Listeners to the Stars
Texas Monthly
29 October 2011
San Antonio --On a clear, cool night in the early 1960s, a father drove his young, pajama-clad daughter to one of the T-head piers on Corpus Christi Bay to marvel at an object in the sky. The girl who peered up at the sky was Sandy Wood, and this year marked her 20th anniversary as the voice of the nationally syndicated radio program "StarDate." Speaking in her distinctive warm and soothing tone over synthesized tinkling chimes, Ms. Wood provides a daily two-minute peek into the world of astronomy, expounding on topics as varied as newly discovered quasars and the best place to watch a meteor shower.
1st GMT Mirror from below
[Polakis]
The big interview: Wendy Freedman on the great telescope race
Houston Chronicle
23 October 2011
During the last decade, albeit quietly, there has begun a three-way race to build the next generation of optical telescopes. Three teams are competing to be the first to build a new ground-based observatory that will be much, much larger than any optical telescope built before. The competitors are: The Giant Magellan Telescope, the Thirty Meter Telescope and the European Extremely Large Telescope. The world's largest optical telescopes today are 10 meters. This new generation will have an effective mirror of at least 25 meters across. That's a huge difference. Whichever group gets finished first will discover a lot of new territory in physics and astronomy.
4th Frank N. Bash Symposium Invites Young Researchers to Advance Visions for the Future
5 October 2011
The 4th Biennial Frank N. Bash Symposium, "New Horizons in Astronomy," will bring together cutting edge researchers in astronomy and astrophysics for a two day symposium convening Monday, October 10, on the University of Texas at Austin campus. The meeting is designed to advance visions for the future of astronomy. Speakers, representing a dozen of the world's leading institutions, will address a wide range of topics, from the most inscrutable: Dark Matter and Dark Energy; to the Early Universe: Inflation, First Light, Black Holes and Galaxy Evolution; to leading edge engineering: HETDEX and the GMT; to the search for life: Extrasolar Planets, Disk Formation, and Solar System Chemistry. The meeting is made possible by the generosity of The Department of Astronomy and McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors.
Texas Cosmology Center's Dark Energy Video Wins Industry Awards
6 October 2011
Austin, Texas based Independent Media Productions has won two awards for "Dark Energy: Speeding Up the Universe," an educational video produced for the Texas Cosmology Center in collaboration with StarDate--a Videographer Award of Excellence and a Telly. The video is part of a series produced to explain complex theories of cosmology to a broad audience, and features interviews with prominent astronomers, images and animations. The Telly Awards is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, the finest video and film productions, and web commercials, videos and films.
[Texas Explorer]
Penn State to Develop 'Habitable Zone Planet Finder' (HPF) Spectrograph for HET
Penn State Live
29 September 2011
University Park, PA --A new state-of-the-art instrument--a precision spectrograph for finding planets in habitable zones around cool, nearby stars--is being developed at Penn State with support from a new $3.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation. "This new Habitable Zone Planet Finder instrument will allow us to detect the existence of planets that are similar in mass to Earth and also are in orbits that allow liquid water to exist on their surfaces," said Suvrath Mahadevan, assistant professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State and a co-principal investigator of the project.
Volker Bromm [TACC]
Simulating the Universe for Movie Fans
Texas Advanced Computing Center Interview
28 September 2011
Q Can you tell us about the opportunity to work on Terence Malick's film, Tree of Life?
A It was a bit serendipitous. I had written a popular article about the early universe in Sky and Telescope, and Terry Malick read it and then got in touch with me. I think at that point he was still in the preparatory stages of putting the movie together, and then we met, and from there this involvement developed further.
Q It sounds like you worked closely with Terence Malick. Were there other people from the film that you worked with, and did they provide particular artistic direction for your part in the film?
NASA
Scientists discover Tatooine-like planet
The Daily Texan
22 September 2011
Consisting primarily of sand and broken dreams, the fictional desert planet of Tatooine appears in five of George Lucas' six "Star Wars" films. In a research article published in Science Magazine on Sept. 16, astronomers working with the Kepler spacecraft revealed that the $600 million space observatory, launched in 2009 to find Earth-like planets orbiting other stars, had detected a planet that, like Tatooine, orbits two suns.
Erik Brugamyer & BiQing For
Erik Brugamyer Wins Livingston Fellowship, BiQing For Wins John Stocker Postdoctoral Fellowship from Australia
31 August 2011
Astronomy Graduate Student Erik Brugamyer has won a prestigious William S. Livingston Graduate Continuing Fellowship from the University of Texas at Austin Graduate School. The award recognizes a well-defined program of research, and major accomplishments since entering Graduate School. Erik is looking at the chemical compositions of stars that host planets. Are they different from stars that don't? BiQing For has won an inaugural John Stocker Postdoctoral Fellowship through the Australian Science and Industry Endowment Fund (SIEF). The fund supports scientific research using proceeds from wireless LAN licensing agreements. BiQing's project is The interaction of the Magellanic clouds with the Milky Way.
Freshman Research Initiative (FRI) 'Astronomy Stream' Students Conduct Independent Research
11 August 2011
Undergraduate freshmen have been conducting independent research designed for publication through the University's Freshman Research Initiative (FRI). One 'Astronomy Stream', supervised by Professor Don Winget and Research Scientist Mike Montgomery, conducts research on White Dwarfs, objects at the spectacular end of stellar life. A myriad of interesting physics can be explored with White Dwarfs, says Dr. Montgomery, such as the age of the Milky Way disk, and how dense, stellar plasma crystallizes. The leading edge program is a departure from having science students repeat classical experiments, and has proven to be an accelerant to more advanced levels of independent research. 25% percent of the College of Natural Sciences freshman class now participates.
Astronomy participants have helped to discover the first planet orbiting a binary star. "When you expect a lot of students, that's when you get a lot back," says Dr. Montgomery. A second 'Astronomy Stream', "Cosmic Dawn," employs one of the world's largest supercomputers, to create cosmological simulations of the early universe. The research, supervised by Professor Paul Shapiro, recreates the formation of the first galaxies, in filamentary structures spanning unimaginable distance.
HET Tracker Upgrade [Rafal]
UT Experiment Grapples With Essence of Gravity
The Texas Tribune
20 June 2011
We have all experienced gravity, but even to the brightest minds in science, it remains largely a mystery. Gary J. Hill, an astronomer at the University of Texas at Austin, is trying to change that. "We don't know why there's gravity," said Hill, one of the lead astronomers on the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment, or HETDEX, which could turn gravity's time-honored laws on their head. "We have a pretty good theory of it. It may be that our observations could have a bearing on finally formulating why gravity exists." Hill has teamed with Karl Gebhardt, an astronomy professor at UT, on the $36 million project, which has prevailed despite the threat of natural disasters, potential lack of financing and all the kinks that can throw off a long-term project. The experiment's goal is to analyze our understanding of how the universe is expanding -- with ramifications on gravity, the Big Bang theory and the fate of the universe.
Cianciolo/McDonald Observatory
McDonald Observatory Gets Wild View of Texas Wildfires
Our Amazing Planet
19 April 2011
A week after the Texas wildfires cut power to the McDonald Observatory, the worst appears to be over, according to Anita Cochran, the associate director of the observatory. Observations have resumed and the astronomy center is scheduled to open to the public tomorrow (April 20), after surviving a close call with menacing wildfires. At the observatory, located in West Texas, wildfire weather conditions have been among the worst in the state's history. Dry grass and dry air, along with hot temperatures and howling winds, are fueling the sprawling wildfires that have scorched a million acres across the state, according to the Texas Forest Service. Things were heating up at McDonald this weekend, so the Texas Forest Service ran controlled burns on Sunday to get rid of all the fuel on the nearby mountains. "They were pretty scary looking, but were actually a good thing," Cochran told OurAmazingPlanet. "The observatory looks to be pretty safe right now."
Asst. Prof. Jenny Greene
Public Lecture: Black Holes - Tiny But Powerful
American Astronomical Society
Division on Dynamical Astronomy
April 10-14
Austin, TX
[poster pdf]
Supermassive black holes, with masses of millions to billions of times that of our own Sun, are found lurking at the centers of most nearby large galaxies. The public is invited to the Bob Bullock Texas History Museum Monday, April 11, at 8 PM, for a lecture by Assistant Professor Jenny Greene, titled "Black Holes-Tiny But Powerful." Dr. Greene will discuss our search for the smallest supermassive black holes, and what they teach about the first black holes in the early Universe. The public lecture is hosted by the American Astronomical Society's (AAS) 42nd Annual Meeting of the Division on Dynamical Astronomy, convening in Austin the week of April 10-14.
Prof. Lars Bildsten
Public Lecture: Exploding Stars!
Prof. Lars Bildsten, Tinsley Visiting Professor from The University of California, Santa Barbara, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics & Department of Physics, will present the public lecture Exploding Stars!, Thursday, March 24 at 7:00 PM, in RLM 4.102. [map]. Prof. Bildsten will discuss new modes of supernovae, recently discovered because we have new capabilities to scan the sky. Stars explode in the Universe once every second. We can now see 10 per day, or one hundredth of one percent. This has introduced new varieties of exploding stars and ways of looking at them. The public is encouraged to attend.
Dr. Robert Kraft
2010-2011 Antoinette de Vaucouleurs Lectureship and Medal Honors
The fifteenth award of the Antoinette de Vaucouleurs Memorial Lectureship and Medal honors the distinguished American astronomer and astrophysicist Dr Robert P. Kraft for a lifetime of achievement in astronomy. Dr. Kraft is responsible for much of what we know about the metal-poor populations of the Milky Way, both globular clusters and halo field stars, and has been a major figure in establishing observational constraints on the chemical evolution of galaxies. He is currently Professor Emeritus of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Astronomer Emeritus at the University of California Observatories/Lick Observatory.
Building the first 8.4m mirror
Texas Science
It's been more than eight decades since Paris, Texas banker William J. McDonald left most of his estate to the unsuspecting University of Texas at Austin. McDonald wanted his money used to establish an astronomical observatory. The surprised university had no astronomy department or faculty at the time. After settling a legal struggle with McDonald's disgruntled family heirs, the university forged a unique partnership with an established astronomical power to the north -- the University of Chicago. The two universities built McDonald Observatory and never looked back. Decades later, the observatory became the sole property of the University of Texas. Since the late 1960s, through the observatory and its newly formed astronomy faculty in Austin, the university has developed one of the top 10 astronomy programs in the country. It is also one of the largest.
Public Lecture: Exploring Newly Discovered Worlds with the Giant Magellan Telescope
Giant Magellan Telescope
Prof. Dan Jaffe will present the public lecture Exploring Newly Discovered Worlds with the Giant Magellan Telescope, Saturday, February 12, at 1:00 PM, in the Avaya Auditorium ACE(S) 2.302 [map]. Prof. Jaffe will discuss humankind's landmark discovery in recent years of hundreds of extrasolar planetary systems, and the new generation of ground-based telescopes that will allow us to better understand them. Prof. Jaffe's research includes development of state-of-the-art instrumentation for infrared and submillimeter spectroscopy. He recently served as Chair of the Giant Magellan Telescope Science Advisory Committee. The Great Lectures in Astronomy public series is sponsored by the The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory and Department of Astronomy Board of Visitors.
Texas Science
16 August 2010
The earliest documentary evidence of Krista Smith's love affair with the cosmos is a crayon drawing from third grade. Smith and her classmates were given a blank piece of paper and told by their teacher to draw themselves as they imagined they would be in thirty years. She drew a stick figure girl standing at a giant telescope under a field of green and red stars. "I've known my whole life I wanted to do astronomy," says Smith, who will graduate in December with a degree in astronomy.
Athena Stacy, Guillermo Blanc, and Josh Adams Receive Continuing Fellowships for 2010-2011
26 May 2010
Athena Stacy has been awarded the Bruton Fellowship for 2010-2011. The award is based on major accomplishments since entering graduate school, a well defined program of research, a strong personal statement, and strong recommendations. Guillermo Blanc will be a Graduate School Continuing Fellow, one of the highest honors awarded to a graduate student at the University of Texas. Josh Adams has received the graduate school's highest award for continuing students, the Harrington Fellowship.
Irina Marinova, Jeremy Murphy, and Manos Chatzopoulos Win Graduate Awards
13 May 2010
The Fred T. Goetting, Jr. Memorial Endowed Presidential Scholarship, awarded each year in recognition of outstanding service to the department, or for outstanding teaching service, is given jointly for 2010 to Irina Marinova and Jeremy Murphy. In support of outstanding research, the Frank N. Edmonds, Jr. Memorial Fellowship in Astronomy is awarded this year to Manos Chatzopoulos. Graduate departmental award recipients are selected annually by the Graduate Studies Executive Committee.
Staff Appreciation: Public Outreach and Education Support with Lara Eakins
12 May 2010
The University of Texas recognizes Astronomy's Lara Eakins during Staff Appreciation Week.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Searching the stars with
Lara Eakins
by Christina Murrey
Jennifer Ellis, George Miller, Aditi Raye Allen and Rex Lundgren Win 2010 Undergraduate Awards
30 April 2010
For excellence in academics, Jennifer Ellis and George Miller have won the Karl G. Henize award. For excellent overall performance, Aditi Raye Allen has won the Board of Visitors Scholarship. For outstanding overall performance in grades, research and service, Rex Lundgren has won the Outstanding Senior Award for 2010. Recognition of excellence among astronomy undergraduate majors is determined annually by ballot, following a call for nominations, and is governed by the Undergraduate Studies Executive Committee.
The First Stars and Galaxies: Challenges for the Next Decade to be Held March 8-11
4 March 2010
The Texas Cosmology Center and The University of Texas at Austin Department of Astronomy will host The First Stars and Galaxies: Challenges for the Next Decade on the Austin campus, March 8-11, 2010. The meeting brings together experts on the coming James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), and theorists in early structure formation, to forge simulation roadmaps. The new telescopes, and a new generation of other ground based instruments, will soon have the power to peer into the very first galaxies. The meeting is sponsored by the Texas Advanced Computing Center, the Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Tokyo), Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the Texas Cosmology Center.
UA News
2 March 2010
UA's Imaging Technology Laboratory, a research group within Steward Observatory, and the Optical Fabrication and Engineering Facility at the College of Optical Sciences will provide image recording devices and the heart of the optical system used for imaging, respectively, for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at the McDonald Observatory, which is operated by the University of Texas, Austin. The additions are part of outfitting the world's fourth largest optical telescope with an array of new instruments to analyze the light from distant galaxies in an effort to understand the nature of dark energy.
1 February 2010
Prof. Karl Gebhardt will deliver the 18th Annual Great Lecture in Astronomy, "Walk Softly When Exploring the Dark Side of the Universe: Black Holes, Dark Matter and Dark Energy," Saturday, February 6, from 1:00-2:00 PM in ACES 2.302 on The University of Texas at Austin campus. [map]. The lecture is free and open to the public. Recent discoveries have revealed that the greater part of the matter and energy known to comprise the Universe is completely hidden. Dr. Gebhardt, a premier researcher of Black Holes, and member of the HETDEX team, will overview the current discoveries and understanding of these dark components of the Universe, and summarize the full-scale attack from ongoing and future efforts.
Mars Brightest for Year, Pairs up with Full Moon January 29
University of Texas at Austin Office of Public Affairs
27 January 2010
One of the skywatching highlights of the year takes place on the night of Jan. 29, as the full Moon and the planet Mars march high across the sky. Mars and the Moon are low in the east-northeast at nightfall, with the Red Planet to the left of the Moon. Mars looks like a brilliant orange star. One reason this is such a grand spectacle is that Mars is at opposition on the 29th, which means it lines up opposite the Sun as Earth passes by Mars in our smaller, faster orbit around the Sun. Mars rises around sunset and remains in view all night. The planet is also closest to us around opposition, so it shines brightest for the year.
Daily Texan feature by Hudson Lockett
26 October 2009
Far above the desert landscape of West Texas, the Milky Way dominated the night sky. Six astronomers huddled around a cluster of glowing monitors, wrapping up a six-day test run for a $34 million experiment that will keep the McDonald Observatory's largest telescope busy for three years, probing the mysteries of dark energy. "There's a lot riding on this," said principal investigator Gary Hill early Sunday morning. The final version of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment will measure the effect of dark energy on the universe by surveying 100 million galaxies, making the largest-ever map of the universe in the process.
Texas Cosmology Network Meeting 2009 Begins Thursday, October 29 on the Austin Campus
26 October 2009
Cosmologists from Texas research institutions will meet Thursday and Friday, October 29 & 30, at the AT&T Conference Center [map], on the Austin campus of The University of Texas, for the second Texas Cosmology Network Meeting. A new Cosmology program at Texas A&M was joined earlier this year by the opening of the Texas Cosmology Center in Austin. Participants from UT Dallas, Baylor, Southern Methodist University, and the University of Houston will consider four broad focus areas: the early universe (inflation), dark energy, dark matter and structure formation in the universe. The meeting is organized by the Texas Cosmology Center, which is supported by The University of Texas at Austin, the College of Natural Sciences, the Department of Astronomy, Department of Physics, and the McDonald Observatory.
2009 Antoinette de Vaucouleurs Lectureship Honors Russian Astronomer Rashid Sunyaev
22 October 2009
Awarded each year to an outstanding astronomer for a lifetime of dedication to astronomy, the 2009 Antoinette de Vaucouleurs Lectureship honors the distinguished Russian astrophysicist Rashid Alievich Sunyaev (translit.-"Syunyaev"). Among the essential tools of modern astrophysics, Dr. Sunyaev's work includes the standard model of disk accretion onto black holes, and the Sunyaev-Zel’dovich (SZ) effect, the scattering interaction of low energy Cosmic Microwave Background photons with high energy photons found in the gas associated with galaxy clusters. The SZ effect opened the possibility of determining fundamental cosmological parameters, the nature of density fluctuations in the early universe, the role of dark energy, and of measuring the hubble constant. A highlight of award events will be the public lecture by Dr. Sunyaev, "The Richness and Beauty of the Physics of Cosmological Recombination," Tuesday, October 27 at 7:00 PM in ACES 2.302.
Third Biennial Frank N. Bash Symposium, New Horizons in Astronomy, Begins Oct. 18
12 October 2009
The University of Texas Department of Astronomy and McDonald Observatory will be hosting the third biennial Frank N. Bash Symposium on the topic of New Horizons in Astronomy, October 18-20, 2009 in the Avaya Auditorium, ACES 2.302, on the Austin campus [map] . The meeting brings together young researchers at the cutting edge of astronomy and astrophysics, to promote the exchange of research ideas and visions for the future of astronomy. This year's meeting will include talks on cosmology, high energy astrophysics, instrumentation, planet formation and more. The symposium is made possible by the contributions of The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory and Department of Astronomy Board of Visitors.
University of Texas Planetary Science Symposium Brings Together Researchers Across Disciplines
25 September 2009
Geologists, Aerospace Engineers, and Astronomers are among University of Texas researchers meeting Friday, October 2, in the Avaya Auditorium, on the Austin campus, for the University of Texas Planetary Science Symposium. The meeting is designed to introduce planetary scientists to one another, and to help foster new, interdisciplinary collaborations, courses and seminars. An overfull schedule of 27 speakers will feature short talks on current research in Solar System Exploration and Techniques, Planet Formation and Evolution, AstroGeoBiology, and Extrasolar Planets. The meeting is co-sponsored by The University of Texas at Austin Jackson School of Geosciences and Department of Astronomy.
Blanc, Jeong, Murphy Win Departmental Awards, Shen Wins Award from China
20 May 2009
For outstanding service to the department, Guillermo Blanc has won the Fred Goetting Memorial Endowed Presidential Scholarship for 2009-2010. For excellence in research, Donghui Jeong, has been awarded the David Benfield Memorial Scholarship in Astronomy. The Frank Edmonds Memorial Fellowship, supporting promising researchers, is awarded to Jeremy Murphy. At the Chinese Consulate in Houston, the 2008 Chinese Government Scholarship for Outstanding Self-financed Students Studying Abroad was awarded to Rongfeng Shen, for sound achievement and performance in study. The Chinese award was extended to 305 recipients in 30 countries
Tim Weinzirl Among Astronomy Award Winners with Best Master's Thesis
14 May 2009
From a field of several hundred, Tim Weinzirl is the prize winner for best Master's Thesis across the College of Natural Sciences and College of Engineering. "Constraints on the Origin of Bulges in Hierarchical Models " [arXiv:0807.0040v3] has been recently published in the Astrophysical Journal. Graduate students Guillermo Blanc, Irina Marinova, and Josh Adams each have won graduate school continuing fellowships for 2009-2010. Undergraduate Krista Smith has received the United Space Alliance Award for Excellence in Astronomy Research at the College of Natural Sciences 2009 Research Forum, and undergraduate Aditi Raye Allen has won the Floy Agnew Endowed Presidential Scholarship.
Joyce Byun, Krista Smith, Andy Liao and Aditi Raye Allen Win 2009 Undergraduate Awards
15 April 2009
The 2009 Outstanding Senior award, for overall performance (grades, research, and service) to a graduating senior, has been awarded to Joyce Byun. For excellent overall performance to a current or entering senior, Krista Smith has won the Board of Visitors scholarship. The Karl G. Henize endowed scholarship for excellent academic performance in the 2nd year and beyond, has been jointly awarded to Andy Liao and Aditi Raye Allen. Prize winners are selected each year by the Undergraduate Studies Executive Committee, following a call for nominations.
HETDEX Workshop to be held February 17-18
11 February 2009
The HETDEX Workshop will be held Tuesday and Wednesday, February 17-18 at the Union Building (UNB) [map], on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin. New instruments and upgrades to the Hobby-Eberly Telescope are currently under way for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX). The new capablities will create opportunities to probe important questions in astrophysics outside of the primary objective of dark energy. Astronomers and engineers from participating HETDEX institutions will develop science cases to determine whether and how current design plans might be adjusted to take advantage of the new possibilities.
Public Lecture: Frontiers in Cosmology
30 January 2009
Dr. Eiichiro Komatsu, Assoc. Professor and Director of the Texas Cosmology Center, will present the public lecture "Frontiers in Cosmology," Saturday, February 7, at 1:00PM, in the Avaya Auditorium ACE(S) 2.302 [map]. Dr. Komatsu will discuss both the astounding advances of the last decade—quantifying the age, energy and matter of the Universe—and the new, daunting questions: What is Dark Matter and Dark Energy? What powered the Big Bang? Dr. Komatsu is a member of NASA's WMAP science team, and a contributor to HETDEX, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment. The Great Lectures in Astronomy public series is sponsored by the The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory and Department of Astronomy Board of Visitors.
Second GMT High Resolution Spectroscopy Workshop to be held January 16-17
7 January 2009
The Second GMT High Resolution Spectroscopy Workshop will be held Friday and Saturday, January 16-17, in ACE(S) 2.402 [map], on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin. The meeting will address the scientific problems involved creating high resolution visible and near infrared spectroscopic instruments for the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). Scheduled for completion around 2017 at Las Campanas, Chile, the 24.5-meter GMT will be the largest telescope ever built, producing images exceeding the resolution of Hubble Space Telescope. Astronomers and instrument builders from 11 institutions on 3 continents are scheduled to attend.
Cosmological Radiative Transfer Comparison Project Workshop to be held December 8-10
2 December 2008
The third meeting of the Cosmological Radiative Transfer Comparison Project will be held December 8-10 at The University of Texas at Austin ACES building, room 2.402 [map]. The group was organized to guide and promote progress on the new frontier in computational cosmology. A recent explosion of astronomical discoveries about the Universe at large has led astronomers to describe our present time as the Golden Age of Cosmology. The recent data has borne out theoretical models once considered pure speculation. The Comparison Project has been working to incorporate radiation transport algorithms into simulations of cosmic structure formation and evolution.
Workshop Galaxy Evolution: Emerging Insights and Future Challenges to be held November 11-14
3 November 2008
The workshop Galaxy Evolution: Emerging Insights and Future Challenges will be held at the University of Texas at Austin Union Building (UNB) [map] Tues., Nov. 11 through Fri., Nov. 14. Many leading international researchers in the field of galaxy evolution will join an eclectic mix of 130 participants from 11 countries and 32 universities, experts with long experience, new researchers, and graduate students entering a field of expanding frontiers. Deep survey results from space and ground based observatories, and new predictive models of galaxy assembly will be among the topics discussed. The meeting is sponsored by the McDonald Observatory and Department of Astronomy Board of Visitors Excellence Fund.
Star Parties Far From Hollywood
Wall Street Journal feature by Willard Spiegelman
14 October 2008
Fort Davis, TX-- Everyone of a certain age or sensibility remembers the closing line of Warner Brothers' classic 1942 tearjerker "Now, Voyager." Standing by a large open window, Bette Davis says to Paul Henreid through a haze of cigarette smoke, "Oh, Jerry, don't let's ask for the moon; we already have the stars." Max Steiner's score swells; the camera pans to the heavens; the stars twinkle. The end. It couldn't happen that way now. Stoic and noble, Davis and Henreid have their parting rendezvous on Boston's Beacon Hill. Few, if any, stars would be available. Ninety percent of Americans, clustered in urban areas, mostly hugging the two coasts, cannot see the stars. We live in a world of light, or lights, 24 hours a day.
2008 Antoinette de Vaucouleurs Medal and Prize Awarded to Dr. Christopher McKee
1 October 2008
Distinguished American Physicist and Astronomer Dr. Christopher McKee, of the University of California, Berkeley, has been awarded the thirteenth Antoinette de Vaucouleurs Medal and Prize. The award recognizes a lifetime of outstanding dedication to astronomy. Dr. McKee's research has focused on the theory of the physical processes in the interstellar medium, the diffuse gas between stars, including its structure and dynamics. Currently, his work concentrates on the theory of star formation, including the first stars.
Astronomy Student Wins First Michael H. Granof Outstanding Graduate Student Award
15 May 2008
Astronomy graduate student Josh Adams is the first winner of the Michael H. Granof Outstanding Graduate Student Award. The new award, introduced by the University Co-op and the Graduate School, recognizes a graduate student of exceptional distinction for contribution to knowledge through research, teaching, and service, along with involvement in professional organizations and campus or community activities, and commitment to diversity.
Astronomy Undergraduate Award Winners Among Top UT Science Talent
13 May 2008
Undergraduates Kyle Penner and Sarah Miller have been selected as two of 18 Dean's Honored Graduates across the College of Natural Sciences for 2007-2008. Dean's Honored Graduates are selected from the top 1% of the graduating class, for academic excellence and outstanding contributions outside the classroom. Sarah Miller was also selected in 2008 as one of 32 Rhodes Scholars from the United States from a field of 764 applicants.
3CAS: Third Coast Astronomical Society-Second Meeting
30 April 2008
The Second Meeting of the Third Coast Astronomical Society will be held on the UT Austin campus May 8-10, in ACES 2.402 (map). The conference highlights astronomical research of the Gulf Coast region. Speakers from Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida will hold five sessions: Active Galactic Nuclei, Gamma Ray Bursts, Observations of Compact Objects, Supernovae, and Accretion, Jets, & White Dwarfs.
Public Lecture--The Warped side of the Universe: From the Big Bang to Black Holes
29 April 2008
Popular, prolific physicist Kip Thorne, the Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics at Caltech, will deliver the lecture, "The Warped Side of the Universe: From the Big Bang to Black Holes," Friday, May 2 at 3:00 PM in WEL 2.224 (map). Known for accessible and entertaining explanations of the exotic implications of relativistic astrophysics, Thorne's accomplishments have also been woven into popular culture in ways that audiences often find familiar. The lecture is sponsored by the Dean's Scholars Honors Program.
Sarah Miller, Alexander Fry and Krista Smith Win 2008 Awards for Excellence
21 April 2008
The 2008 Outstanding Senior award, for overall performance (grades, research and service) to a graduating senior, has been awarded to Sarah Miller. For excellent overall performance to a current senior, Alexander Fry has won the Board of Visitors scholarship. The Karl G. Henize endowed scholarship, for excellent academic performance in the second year or beyond, has been awarded to Krista Smith. Prize winners are selected each year by the Undergraduate Studies Executive Committee, following a call for nominations.
HET Measures SWIFT Satellite's Record Breaking Naked-Eye Object at Redshift of 0.94
NASA Press Release
20 March 2008
Washington, DC-- A powerful stellar explosion detected March 19 by NASA's Swift satellite has shattered the record for the most distant object that could be seen with the naked eye. The explosion was a gamma ray burst. Most gamma ray bursts occur when massive stars run out of nuclear fuel. Their cores collapse to form black holes or neutron stars, releasing an intense burst of high-energy gamma rays and ejecting particle jets that rip through space at nearly the speed of light like turbocharged cosmic blowtorches.
Public Lecture: Heaven's Kitchens - Primordial Soup, Stellar Entrées, and Galactic Dessert
1 February 2008
Dr. David Lambert, Director of the McDonald Observatory, will deliver the 16th annual Great Lecture in Astronomy, "Heaven's Kitchens - Primordial Soup, Stellar Entrées, and Galactic Dessert," Saturday, February 9, at 1:00PM at the Avaya Auditorium, 2.302 ACES. The lecture is free and open to the public. Dr. Lambert recently won the highest award of the American Astronomical Society, the Henry Norris Russell Lectureship. He currently studies how the chemical elements are synthesized in stars and evolve in the Milky Way. The Great Lecture in Astronomy series is sponsored by the McDonald Observatory and Department of Astronomy Board of Visitors.
Stars of Texas Will Shine as Astronomers Meet in Austin
StreetInsider.com
3 January 2008
More than 2500 astronomers will attend the annual winter meeting of the American Astronomical Society at the Austin Convention Center next week. The largest annual meeting of professional astronomers in the world, the event is often called the "Superbowl of Astronomy." It's the Society's 211th national meeting. Texas astronomers and research facilities are featured on the program and in media events at the meeting, which is attended by a traveling corps of science journalists.
Skies Over McDonald Observatory Brightening, Slowly
Austin-American Statesman
19 December 2007
The McDonald Observatory, perched atop the Davis mountains, is the darkest spot in North America suitable for astronomical research. But despite staff efforts to dim the lights in nearby towns, the night skies over McDonald Observatory, which is owned and operated by the University of Texas, are developing a form of pollution more familiar to city-dwellers: Man-made light outshines the stars.
Jeong, Salviander, Strong, Johnson, and Ramirez Win Board of Visitors Graduate Student Awards
17 December 2007
For outstanding research defense, the 2nd Year Defense Award for 2007 has been given to Donghui Jeong. For exemplary service as graduate students, the Fred T. Goetting, Jr. Scholarship has been awarded to Sarah Salviander and Shay Strong. For scientific accomplishment in the field of early stars and galaxies, and their impact on the subsequent history of the universe, Jarrett Johnson has received the Frank N. Edmonds, Jr. Fellowship. Recently recognized for work contributing to new ways of thinking about the sun, Ivan Ramirez has won the David Allen Benfield Scholarship for most accomplished senior graduate student.
Los Angeles Times
In the vastness of space, how far is far? That question has simmered in G. Fritz Benedict's mind since he was 8, when a family friend took him into the backyard of his home and pointed to the constellation Orion. "Something in my brain went 'snap,'" said Benedict, an astronomer at the University of Texas at Austin. The experience set him on a lifelong quest to answer one of the most arcane questions in astronomy: How exactly do you measure the universe?
Astronomy Undergraduate Selected as Rhodes Scholar
20 November 2007
Astronomy undergraduate Sarah Miller has been selected as one of 32 Rhodes Scholars from the United States for 2008. The winners were chosen from 764 applicants. The scholarship selects outstanding students, on the basis of character, academic achievement and leadership potential, to study at Oxford University for up to three years. Previous Rhodes Scholars include Edwin Hubble and U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter. Sarah is a Dean's Scholar pursuing Honors degrees in Astronomy and Physics.
Public Lecture: From the Farm to the Nobel Prize - Deciphering the Big Bang
3 October 2007
John C. Mather, co-winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics, will present the public lecture "From the Farm to the Nobel Prize: Deciphering the Big Bang," Thursday, October 11, at 4 p.m. in the Avaya Auditorium, ACES 2.302 (map). Dr. Mather is the twelfth recipient of the Antoinette de Vaucouleurs Memorial Lectureship and Medal, for his contributions in advancing our understanding of the early Universe. In addition to his role as Senior Project Scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope, Dr. Mather is also Head of the Office of the Chief Scientist at NASA. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Frank N. Bash Symposium 2007 - New Horizons in Astronomy
1 October 2007
The second biennial symposium in honor of Dr. Frank Bash, New Horizons in Astronomy, will be held on the University of Texas at Austin campus, October 14-16, in ACES (map). The symposium brings together excellent young researchers to exchange ideas, experiences and visions for the future. Scheduled talks include Instrumentation in the Extremely Large Telescope Era, Exoplanets and Young Stars, High Redshift Galaxies, Supernovae, Gamma-ray Bursts and Astrobiology.
UT Astronomers Find Exceedingly Powerful Supernova to Defy Explanation
New York Times (registration)
7 May 2007
Kaboom, indeed. In a cascade of superlatives that belies the traditional cerebral reserve of their profession, astronomers reported today that they had seen the brightest and most powerful stellar explosion ever recorded. The cataclysm -- a monster more than a hundred times as energetic as the typical supernova in which the more massive stars end their lives -- might be an example of a completely new type of explosion, astronomers said.
Astronomy Undergraduates Win Awards Across the University
4 May 2007
The Department of Astronomy has awarded Alexander Fry, Sarah Miller and Ross Falcon the Karl G. Henize endowed scholarship for academic excellence, the Board of Visitors scholarship for overall performance and the Outstanding Senior award for overall performance, respectively. Sarah Miller and Kyle Penner were awarded best oral presentation at the College of Natural Sciences research forum, by a panel of non-astronomy faculty and industry scientists. Kyle Penner has also won the R.W. and Kathleen Lindsey Unrestricted Endowed Presidential Scholarship from the University of Texas.
Public Lecture: The Origin of the Universe
27 March 2007
Dr. Steven Weinberg will deliver the 2007 Harry Middleton Lecture, "The Origin of the Universe," Tuesday, March 27 at 6:00 PM in the Lone Star Room of the Frank Erwin Center (map). Free tickets for limited seating can be found at the LBJ Library and the Texas Union (UNB) room 4.300 (map). Dr. Weinberg is considered by many to be the world's preeminent theoretical physicist. The Middleton Lecture is hosted by the LBJ Foundation and the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum. Past speakers include former Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter.
Public Lecture: A Tale of Two Telescopes or Dancing with the Stars
29 January 2007
Dr. Fritz Benedict, head of the Space Astrometry group at the University of Texas, will present the public lecture "A Tale of Two Telescopes or Dancing with the Stars," Saturday, February 3, 2007, from 1:00-2:00 PM in ACES 2.302 (map). Using the world's largest and highest telescopes, Dr. Benedict calculates the mass of extrasolar planets by detecting the tiny wiggle of stars. How tiny? The width of a quarter at 800 miles. The talk is part of the Great Lectures in Astronomy series, sponsored by the Department of Astronomy and McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors.
Public Lecture: The View from the Center of the Universe
21 January 2007
Prof. Joel Primack, Univ. of California Santa Cruz, a cosmologist and specialist in the theory of cold Dark Matter, and Nancy Abrams, author of the history and philosophy of science, will present the public lecture, "The View from the Center of the Universe," Friday, January 26 at 7:30 P.M. in RLM 4.102 (map). The couple's co-authored book of the same title has enjoyed recommendations by many respected publications, and was included in National Public Radio's list of ten summer reading selections for 2006, a rare science addition.
Texas Cosmology Network Meeting: September 14-15
27 July 2006
The first Texas Cosmology Network Meeting will be held September 14-15, in the Eastwoods Room (2.102) at the Texas Union. (map) The meeting will bring together first-rank active cosmologists from the universities within Texas to discuss important topics and future directions in Cosmology, such as the Dark Energy problem. To stimulate frequent interaction between Texan cosmologists, the event will also establish the Texas Cosmology Network. The meeting is organized by the departments of Astronomy and Physics.
Dark Energy, String Theory Featured as Faculty Grows at Texas A&M
The Houston Chronicle
2 July 2006
College Station, TX --For years, the Becker sisters shared their physics research in string theory, but not an address. Melanie worked at the University of Maryland while Katrin toiled at the University of Utah. They expected to spend their careers separated by states. And then Texas A&M University offered the up-and-coming scholars something no other place had: each other. The school wanted the Beckers for an emerging institute specializing in their branch of physics.
Remarkable Flow of Data from CTI-II at McDonald Will Serve a Broad Community
University of New Mexico Press Release
21 May 2006
Albuquerque, NM --Astronomers at the University of New Mexico are developing an exciting new telescope with capabilities that are unrivaled in astronomy circles. The CCD/Transit Instrument with Innovative Instrumentation, or CTI-II, is a special-purpose telescope where accuracy and precision are the key components allowing for unprecedented research opportunities. The ground-based telescope does not move to survey the sky, a feature that allows for more precise measurements of brightness and position.
Beth Fernandez, Robert Quimby and Lucas Cieza Awarded Fellowships for 2006-2007
30 May 2006
Graduate Astronomy students Beth Fernandez and Robert Quimby have won, respectively, a Continuing University Fellowship and a University Tuition Fellowship for 2006-2007. Having been previously awarded the William S. Livingston Graduate Fellowship, Lucas Cieza will instead receive the Donald D. Harrington Fellowship, among the most prestigious fellowships available to graduate students at the University of Texas. Lucas is also the recipient of the 2006 William S. Livingston Outstanding Graduate Student Academic Employee Award.
Boston University Press Release
18 May 2006
Boston, MA --An international team of professional and amateur astronomers, using simple off-the-shelf equipment to trawl the skies for planets outside our solar system, has hauled in its first "catch." The astronomers discovered a Jupiter-sized planet orbiting a Sun-like star 600 light-years from Earth in the constellation Corona Borealis.
VLBA/HET Confirm Tightest Pair of Supermassive Black Holes
National Radio Astronomy Observatory Press Release
2 May 2006
Socorro, NM --Astronomers using the National Science Foundation's Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) radio telescope have found the closest pair of supermassive black holes ever discovered in the Universe -- a duo of monsters that together are more than 150 million times more massive than the Sun and closer together than the Earth and the bright star Vega. "These two giant black holes are only about 24 light-years apart, and that's more than 100 times closer than any pair found before," said Cristina Rodriguez, of the University of New Mexico (UNM) and Simon Bolivar University in Venezuela.
Department of Astronomy Award Winners: Kyle Penner, Chad Gardner, Justin Lowrey and Douglas Steimle
2 May 2006
The Undergraduate Studies Executive Committee has announced the winners of four Department of Astronomy Awards. The Karl G. Henize endowed scholarship, for excellent academic performance, goes to Kyle Penner. For excellent overall performance, the Board of Visitors (BoV) scholarship is awarded to Chad Gardner. The Outstanding Senior Award, recognizing outstanding overall performance, is awarded to Justin Lowrey. The Astronomy Freshman Prize for Excellence is awarded to Douglas Steimle.
Public Lecture in Physics: "Emergence of Order in Physical, Chemical, and Biological Systems"
26 April 2006
The Department of Physics holds the second lecture in the Modern Development of Physics Lecture Series Friday, April 28 at 7:30 PM at the Joe C. Thompson Conference Center, Room 1.110 (map). Professor Harry Swinney, Sid W. Richardson Foundation Regents Chair in Physics, will deliver the talk, "Emergence of Order in Physical, Chemical, and Biological Systems". Professor Sweeney will discuss how recognizable patterns in nature, though formed in vastly different systems, can sometimes be understood from a common approach. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Astronomy Undergrads Use Research Opportunities; Additional Funding Still Available
13 April 2006
Four Astronomy Undergraduates recently presented research at the College of Natural Sciences Undergraduate Research Forum 2006. Liz Hill-Aiello, Ashley Davis, Ross Falcon and Kyle Penner found opportunities with Astronomy Department researchers studying black holes, galaxy mergers and the local interstellar medium. Undergraduate students are encouraged to explore the opportunites and funding still available.
UT Physics Launches Lecture Series to Celebrate 1905, Einstein's Miracle Year
8 February 2006
Prof. Steven Weinberg will deliver the first public talk of the Modern Development of Physics Lecture Series, "Much Ado About Nothing--How the Energy of Empty Space Became a Central Concern of Today's Physics and Cosmology," Wednesday, February 15, at 7:30 PM, in Room 1.110 of the Joe C. Thompson Conference Center (map). Albert Einstein wrote five articles in 1905 that are the cornerstone of modern physics. To recognize the centennial of Einstein's productive year, the United Nations designated 2005 "The World Year of Physics".
Public Lecture: The Unraveling of Powerful Cosmic Explosions
30 January 2006
Prof. Pawan Kumar will present the public lecture "The Unraveling of Powerful Cosmic Explosions," Saturday, February 4, 2006, at 1:00 PM, in ACES 2.302. Prof. Kumar will discuss recent observations of Gamma-ray Bursts, astoundingly powerful, and until just recently, mysterious explosions that are detected on a daily basis, randomly throughout the sky. The public talk is part of the Great Lectures in Astronomy series, sponsored by the Department of Astronomy and McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors.
Innovative Search Technique Suggests New Era for Planet Detection
Penn State Press Release
26 January 2006
A team of scientists, including two Penn State astronomers, have used
an innovative new technique to discover a Jupiter-sized planet orbiting a nearby star. The planet initially was
detected using an instrument called the Exoplanet Tracker (ET) and may herald an era where the searches for
such planets will become much more efficient. The discovery was announced at the recent meeting of the
American Astronomical Society in Washington, D.C.
College of Natural Sciences Recognizes Three Astronomy Undergraduates with Research Awards
2 December 2005
Three Department of Astronomy Undergraduates have applied and won awards from the College of Natural Sciences Undergraduate Research Program. Liz Hill-Aiello, Ashley Davis and Allen Kyle Lake each have received funding to support projects on different aspects of the evolution of galaxies and black holes. They will work under the direction of Professors Shardha Jogee and Greg Shields. Their projects involve radio, optical, and X-ray data from ground-base telescopes and the space-based Hubble Space Telescope.
Public Lecture: The Spitzer Space Telescope and Young Jupiter-Mass Objects
28 November 2005
In the public imagination, Hubble Space Telescope often overshadows NASA's other space based observatories. The Spitzer Space Telescope has opened a window on star forming regions previously unavailable to astronomers. Among the tantalizing prizes: discovering exactly how stars are born. Katelyn Allers will deliver a public talk based on her PhD Thesis, "The Spitzer Space Telescope and Young Jupiter-Mass Objects," Friday, December 2, at 5:15 PM, in RLM 15.216B.
New Awards Available to Undergraduate Astronomy Students
1 November 2005
Four new categories of awards have been established for undergraduate majors in Astronomy. The new funds will offset travel expenses for undergraduates conducting research, reward the most outstanding High School applicant to the program, and recognize undergraduate excellence in research. The new opportunities supplement existing awards available to 3rd, 4th and final year students. Students are encouraged to apply online, or by contacting Stephanie Crouch in RLM 15.202AA.
First Giant Magellan Telescope Mirror Casting is 'Perfect'
University of Arizona Press Release
27 October 2005
The University of Arizona Steward Observatory Mirror Lab's casting of the first mirror for the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) "appears to be essentially perfect," UA Steward Observatory director Peter Strittmatter said after astronomers got their first look at the glass last Friday. "We're very happy to see this one come out looking so gorgeous," Mirror Lab Technical Director J. Roger Angel said. "We'll see more once the mold is removed, but so far, looking through the front surface, it looks great."
Frank N. Bash Symposium 2005: New Horizons in Astronomy
18 October 2005
The Astronomy Program at the University of Texas hosts the first biennial symposium in honor of former McDonald Observatory Director, Professor Frank Bash, on the topic New Horizons in Astronomy. The symposium features excellent young researchers working on frontier topics in astronomy and astrophysics. Topics include cosmology, black holes, galactic evolution, chemical evolution and abundances, star formation and the formation of planetary systems.
Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) to be Inaugurated November 10
15 August 2005
The southern 'twin' of the HET, The Southern African Large Telescope, has a completed primary mirror, and is scheduled for inauguration November 10, 2005. SALT and the HET share a unique and exceptionally frugal design. Stationary in elevation angle, their enormous primary mirrors (11m) channel light not to an eyepiece, but to instruments, and light fiber for spectroscopy, high above the expanse of glass where 91 mirrors come to a focus. Construction of SALT began in 2000. Installation of the mirror segments began in December 2003. SALT will feature improvements in optical design over the HET as well as technical advances in instrumentation.
Falcon, Irwin, Vicenek, Ramirez Win
Astronomy Department Awards for
3 June 2005
Three undergraduates and one graduate student have won awards from the Department of Astronomy for 2004-2005. Ross Falcon was awarded the Karl G. Henize Memorial Scholarship, Sierra Irwin the Board of Visitors Undergraduate Scholarship, and Chad Vicenek the Outstanding Senior Award. This year, all three awards carried a $500 prize. In a strong field, Ivan Ramirez won the Board of Visitors Outstanding Second Year Research Defense, for "Oxygen Abundances in Nearby Disk Stars." Advisors to Ramirez are Carlos Allende Prieto and David Lambert.
Astronomy Ceremony Honors Five Undergraduate Degree Recipients
16 May 2005
Five undergraduates were honored Friday, May 5 at a Department of Astronomy graduation ceremony. Two will receive the Bachelor of Arts, and three the Bachelor of Science in Astronomy. The graduates are Christian Iverson Johnson, Karen Leigh Menezes, Diana Elizabeth Smith, Chad Joseph Vicenik and Jocelly Marie Guie Wong. Astronomy faculty and students comprised a string quartet for the program, which included a recitation in Latin, and remarks from Chair Don Winget, Undergraduate Advisor Karl Gebhardt, Undergraduate Studies Chair Greg Shields and Observatory Director David Lambert.
Knez, Sterling, Alvarez Win Astronomy Department Awards for '05-'06
7 May 2005
Claudia Knez, Nick Sterling and Marcelo Alvarez have won graduate awards from the Astronomy Department for 2005-2006. Knez's Goetting Scholarship, which recognizes outstanding service, is awarded for minority and outreach efforts. Sterling receives the Benfield Scholarship, in recognition of quality research by a senior student. Alvarez is awarded the Edmonds Fellowship, for excellence in research.
Lunar Laser Ranging Confirms Galileo, Newton, Einstein
JPL/NASA Press Release
7 March 2005
Thirty-five years after Moon-walking astronauts placed special reflectors on the lunar surface, scientists have used these devices to test Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity to unprecedented accuracy. The findings, which also confirm theories from Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton, may help to explain physical laws of the universe and benefit future space missions.
Ninth Tex-Mex Conference on Astrophysics to be held in San Antonio, April 13-16
7 March 2005
The Ninth Texas-Mexico Conference on Astrophysics will be held at Trinity University in San Antonio, April 13-16. The meeting will bring together professional astronomers, astrophysicists and interested students from institutions in the Texas-Mexico region to discuss forefront topics of astrophysics. Trinity hosts Tex-Mex in conjunction with The Instituto de Astronomia at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, The University of Texas at Austin and Rice University.
Public Lecture: A New Century of Astronomy
26 January 2005
Dr. Wendy Freedman, Director of the Carnegie Observatories, will present the public lecture "A New Century of Astronomy," Saturday, February 5, 2005, at 1:00 PM, in ACES 2.302. Prof. Freedman will describe plans to build the Giant Magellan Telescope, a project in which the University of Texas will participate. The Great Lectures in Astronomy series is sponsored by the Department of Astronomy and McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors.
Tamura Symposium on Particle and Astrophysical Cosmology
1 November 2004
Austin, TX --The 8th international symposium in honor of Dr. Taro Tamura, entitled "Tamura Symposium on Particle and Astrophysical Cosmology," will be held November 18-20, in ACES 6.304 and RLM 5.104. The symposium is organized jointly by the departments of Physics and Astronomy. Speakers will include Paul Shapiro, Kei-ichi Maeda and Steven Weinberg. A Physics/Astronomy joint colloquium, to be held Thursday, November 18 in ACES 2.302, will feature Rocky Kolb and Motohiko Yoshimura.
Symposium: Priors, Quaternions, and Residuals, Oh My!
20 September 2004
The one-day symposium entitled "Priors, Quaternions, and Residuals, Oh My!" will be held Friday, September 24, in honor of Professor Bill Jefferys, the retiring Harlan J. Smith Centennial Professor in Astronomy. The meeting will celebrate areas of astronomy to which Professor Jefferys has contributed, including Bayesian statistics applied to astronomy, astronomical dynamics and astrometry with the Hubble Space Telescope.
Symposium: Cosmic Abundances as Records of Stellar Evolution and Nucleosynthesis
17-19 June 2004
An international symposium in honor of McDonald Observatory Director Professor David Lambert's 65th birthday, entitled Cosmic Abundances as Records of Stellar Evolution and Nucleosynthesis, will be held June 17-19, at the Austin Hyatt Regency on Town Lake.
Ceremony Honors First Undergraduates to Receive Bachelor of Science in Astronomy
7 May 2004
Austin, TX --Graduates honored May 6, at a Department of Astronomy graduation ceremony, included the first undergraduates to receive the new Bachelor of Science in Astronomy. Chairman Don Winget, Advisor Karl Gebhardt, Undergraduate Studies Chairman Greg Shields and Student Coordinator Stephanie Crouch praised an exceptional class, and thanked Rebecca Christian, whose efforts helped establish the program..
Public Lecture: Eyewitness the Golden Age of Cosmology
7 February 2004
Professor Paul Shapiro presents lecture for the Great Lectures in Astronomy series, sponsored by the McDonald Observatory and Department of Astronomy Board of Visitors.
Professor Ken Freeman to Deliver 2004 Antoinette de Vaucouleurs Memorial Lecture
21 January 2004
Austin, TX --The eleventh award of the Antoinette de Vaucouleurs Memorial Lectureship and Medal, which recognizes a lifetime of outstanding dedication to astronomy, honors the distinguished Australian astrophysicist Professor Ken Freeman of The Australian National University in Canberra...
Public Lecture: Einstein's Greatest Blunder? The Case for Cosmic "Antigravity"
17 October 2003
Professor Alex Filipenko, UC Berkeley, delivers lecture for the American Astronomical Society Second Century Lectures, as part of the two-day event honoring the retirement of McDonald Observatory Director Frank Bash.
Symposium: Facing the Future, A Festival for Frank - October 17-18, 2003
8 October 2003
Symposium honoring the retirement of Frank Bash as Director of the McDonald Observatory.
New Method Discovered for Estimating Distances to Dwarf Novae
27 May 2003
Nashville, TN --Astronomers using the Fine Guidance Sensors of the Hubble Space Telescope to study dwarf novae unexpectedly discovered a new method of estimating the distances to these strange double-star systems...
Prediction and Confirmation of 'Magnetars' Wins UT Scientist and Colleagues Rossi Prize
17 February 2003
Austin, TX --The 2003 Rossi Prize of the High Energy Astrophysics Division of the American Astronomical Society is awarded to Robert Duncan and Christopher Thompson for their prediction, and to Chryssa Kouveliotou for her observational confirmation, of the existence of magnetars...
Gamma Ray Burst Astronomy Opens New Chapter at McDonald
3 February 2003
Austin, TX --The second of four planned telescopes for the Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment (ROTSE IIIb) has seen first light at McDonald Observatory. The equipment is dedicated to the detection and observation of optical transients...
Professor Frank Shu to Deliver Antoinette de Vaucouleurs Memorial Lecture
24 January 2003
Austin, TX --The tenth award of the Antoinette de Vaucouleurs Memorial Lectureship and Medal honors the distinguished theoretical astrophysicist, Professor Frank Shu, whose accomplishments include the theoretical work on protostars often referred to as "the standard model" of star formation...
16 December 2002
Austin, TX --The HET Enclosure Thermal Control Project, designed to control the flow of heat through the thin skin of the dome, is near completion. As heat escapes through the dome, cold air falls through the light path, degrading the seeing...