Stellar History
McDonald Observatory is an Astronomical Marvel
Fort Davis is the highest town in Texas. Literally. Located at an altitude of more than 5,000 feet in the heart of the Davis Mountains, this town is a gem of a destination. Attractions include a historic frontier fort and a state park, but the town is best known for the McDonald Observatory. Sitting atop Mount Locke and Mount Fowlkes, the observatory sits under some of the darkest night skies in the world and boasts one of the world’s leading centers for research, teaching and outreach.
McDonald Observatory was established in 1932 after wealthy banker William Johnson McDonald endowed his fortune so the University of Texas could acquire a planetarium. McDonald was determined his money be put towards a “part of the University for the study and pro- motion of Astronomical Science.” At the time, the University had no astronomical staff, but partnered with the University of Chicago to conduct research in the area at the newly built location. The site became fully UT-owned in the 1960s, when on Sept. 1, 1963, Harlan J. Smith was appointed the first University of Texas director. Today, McDonald Observatory is still one of the most esteemed observatories in the world and continues working to inspire others and make new discoveries.
The history of research here is rich and unparalleled, as McDonald has made several textbook-changing
and intergalactic discoveries, rendering it one of the most pivotal observatories on the planet. To wit, in 1969,
shortly after Neil Armstrong took his “small” step, the observatory bounced a laser beam off a reflector on the
moon. This experiment successfully measured the distance between the Earth and the moon within a few
inches. In 1970, McDonald developed an instrument that led to an entirely new field of astronomy,
which helps scientists study the backgrounds of white dwarf stars. This has led, ultimately, to greater understanding of things in our universe, and most importantly, our sun. Then in 1991, engineers from McDonald helped with the well-known Hubble Space Telescope, which can be pointed, with precision, at the targets of study and is still in use today. As for this century, in 2005, the most powerful supernova — briefly 100 billion times brighter than the sun — was identified at McDonald.
POWER TOOL The first major tele- scope to be built at McDonald, named for the Russian-American astronomer Otto Struve, was constructed between 1933 and 1939. Its 82-inch mirror (right) was the second largest in the world at the time. The telescope is still in use today.
The observatory’s impacts reach beyond research. On Oct. 1, 1978, McDonald Observatory debuted its StarDate radio program. Today, StarDate is the longest running science show on the radio, airing on more than 300 radio stations. McDonald is also a pioneer in the nationwide Dark Sky Initiative, which works to educate the public on the importance of reducing light pollution. Programs are available for both students and teachers on how to appreciate the sky. Even the McDonald website features helpful links and support, as well as offering SkyTips to assist eager minds in better understanding the universe.
The journey to McDonald Observatory is half the fun. Standing about 40 minutes from Marfa or Alpine, it’s a day trip worthy of a travel- er’s time. The road is windy, the scenery beautiful, and the observatory itself is a breathtaking sight — think Griffith Observatory, but without having to make the trek to California. The Frank N. Bash Visitors Center opened in 2002 and was formerly named the Texas Astronomy Education Center. It’s an attractive modern building with a colorful gift shop, a cafe and a 90-seat auditorium. The center is open every day from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and open later for Star Parties and other frequent special events. Daytime tours include a solar viewing program (a live, safe view of the sun, weather permitting) and walk-throughs of the research areas and telescopes. Three times a week — on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays — McDonald opens for Twilight and Star Party Programs.
The Twilight Program precedes the Star Party and lasts approximately 1.5 hours. The true event begins during the Star Party, which provides education and fun for all ages. Here visitors can look through telescopes and see the sky for themselves, a truly mind-altering experience.
Scientists say that a telescope is a “window to the universe,” and McDonald Observatory is the best place in Texas to test this theory in the form of three unique ’scopes. The first, the Otto Struve Telescope, was completed in 1938 with the rest of the observatory. McDonald’s dome is centered around the Struve, and back then it was the second largest telescope in the world. (Fun fact: the dome also used to have small apartments for the astronomers, which have now been turned into offices.) The telescope is named after the observatory’s first director, who helped shape the observatory to what it is today. This telescope has been used to make several pivotal discoveries in the astronomical field and is renowned worldwide. Over the years, the Struve has gotten some major updates, including becoming computerized and electronic, though the history and sentiment behind the telescope remains.
Chronologically following the Struve is another major telescope named the Harlan J. Smith. Built in the 1960s on Mount Locke, it was completed in 1968 during the Space Age and helped bring in new talent and prestige. NASA needed to build large telescopes to survey planets before sending spacecraft, and then observatory director Harlan Smith convinced them to put their funds toward McDonald. The potential for this telescope is vast, ranging from testing some of Einstein’s theories to studying the motions of galaxies. This was also the telescope used to measure the distance between the moon and earth in a program called “lunar laser ranging,” and it’s still used today to study compositions of stars and the motions of galaxies.
GUIDING LIGHT Special viewing nights, Twilight Programs and Star Parties advance the Observatory’s mission of educating the public.
The final named telescope was dedicated in 1997 and is known as the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET). The HET reigns majestically over Mount Fowlkes and is easily recognizable because of its outward honeycomb appearance. The HET gets its unique shape from a pattern of exactly 91 hexagonal mirrors. To make its observations, each mirror must be perfectly aligned to create a reflecting surface. It’s officially the third biggest telescope in the world, and uses unique properties of light to study distant galaxies, exploding stars and black holes.
Currently, the astronomers at McDonald are partnering with several universities to construct and pioneer the new biggest telescope in the world, The Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). The GMT will be located at the base of the Andes in Chile, and is set to open in 2022. The telescope is expected to help answer the long unanswered question: Are we alone?
So why make the trek out to an observatory? Simple. “There aren’t that many places that are totally dark,” says dark sky pioneer and longtime observatory worker Bill Wren. “We need to do what we can to preserve them. That’s one of the best things about the observatory: it’s under one of the darkest skies on the globe.” Wren was dubbed the Angel of Darkness by CBS News for his efforts to preserve the sky above McDonald, and remains hard at work on the task. “If Van Gogh were alive today, would he still have been inspired to paint Starry Night?” Wren asks of one of the painter’s most famous compositions. “He maybe would have if he’d lived near McDonald — but not too many other places.”
Wren recognizes the need to educate the public about his passion. “Once, I was sitting with some folks on an outdoor patio in Austin,” he recalls. “We were talking about the importance of dark skies, and someone said ‘What’s all this about? The sky is dark. We have a ton of stars! Look, there’s a star! And another!’ Unfortunately, that idea is all too common today. At the observatory, we try to explain the importance of preserving the sky.” At McDonald, it isn’t uncommon to witness the Milky Way on a regular night. “This place truly is a leader in both research and stargazing,” Wren adds.
McDonald Observatory leads by example for what the night sky should look like. “More and more people aren’t able to experience the true wonder of the sky,” Wren says. “A truly dark sky provides more than just a pretty view. When one sees the brilliance of the sky, it makes them feel small. It gives a better context of the universe. Everyone should see the sky in its glory, at least once in their lifetime.”
And what better place to see it than somewhere local? “There aren’t many places you can go to really feel the history and significance of the sky,” Wren says. “But McDonald Observatory is still one of them — so everyone should make the trek out. There’s something for everyone. You won’t be disappointed.”
