News: Astronomy

Read the latest news from the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin

Features

Take a Tour of UT Through the Lens of Science

Spots that are a part of The University of Texas at Austin can serve purposes for both science learning and community R&R.

A turtle rests on a cement wall near a pond with the UT Tower reflected in the water.

Research

Early Galaxies Weren’t Too Big for Their Britches After All

It got called the crisis in cosmology. But now astronomers can explain some surprising recent discoveries.

In the blackness of space, a bright object in the center of view is surrounded and partly obscured by a dark cloud

UT News

Astronomers Use AI to Find Elusive Stars 'Gobbling Up' Planets

The work reveals what planets outside our solar system are made of.

A bright star surrouned by rocky debris from a destroyed planet

McDonald Observatory

Astronomers Better Identify the Cygnus Loop’s Distance from Earth

Knowing how far away this supernova remnant is will help answer fundamental questions about what happens when stars explode.

A ghostly blue feature in the middle of a field of bright stars and the blackness of space

McDonald Observatory

Bass Foundation Gift Strengthens Outreach at McDonald Observatory

Updates to Field Station Network member McDonald Observatory will be in the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center and improve and expand the visitor experience.

Aerial view of an astronomical observatory set atop a mountain

McDonald Observatory

Giant Magellan Telescope Enclosure Ready for Construction

When completed in the early 2030s, the 213-foot-tall enclosure will be one of the largest mechanized buildings ever constructed.

A telescope dome under a starry sky at night with an open door and telescope visible inside

McDonald Observatory

Galaxies Actively Forming in Early Universe Caught Feeding on Cold Gas

James Webb Space Telescope images reveal three galaxies that may be actively forming when the universe was only 400 to 600 million years old.

A swirl of blue-white gas and dust against a black background

Accolades

Celebrating the 2024 College of Natural Sciences Dean’s Honored Graduates

Meet the graduating seniors being recognized for excellence in research, academics and improving the community.

Architectural detail featuring university shield on orange tinged background

McDonald Observatory

Astronomers Uncover Methane Emission on a Cold Brown Dwarf

The research team used the James Webb Space Telescope to make a surprising finding about a cold, distant world.

A planet-like object has many rings deep in space, with a pronounced ring at its top.

Podcast

Is Cosmology in Crisis?

A panel of physicists and astronomers grapple with possible cracks in our modern creation myth, the standard model of cosmology.

A dramatic spiral galaxy with orange and red arms and a light blue center