News: Astronomy
Read the latest news from the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin
Texas Advanced Computing Center
Little Red Dots: New Clues from the Early Universe
Volker Bromm used TACC supercomputer simulations to shed light on the mysterious origins of these enigmatic cosmic objects.
McDonald Observatory
Astronomers Thought the Early Universe Was Full of Hydrogen. Now They’ve Found It.
Astronomers using data from the Hobby–Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) based at UT made the discovery.
Three CNS Faculty Receive UT President’s Associates Undergraduate Teaching Excellence Awards
John Chisholm, Jonathan Perry and Ann Thijs were recognized for their commitment to curricular reform and educational innovation.
Visualizing Science Contest Winners for 2026 Span Disciplines
Top-prize image highlights a vital player in the central nervous system.
A Night at the Telescope
The Harlan J. Smith Scholars program involves astronomy undergraduates in observing on a major telescope.
McDonald Observatory
A Sea of Light: HETDEX Astronomers Reveal Hidden Structures in the Young Universe
Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment researchers have made a record-setting 3D map of the early universe.
UT News
UT Astronomer Appointed President of Organization Building World’s Most Powerful Telescope
The Giant Magellan Telescope consortium now includes two UT astronomers in key leadership positions.
Unique Shape of Star’s Explosion Revealed Just a Day After Detection
Using the polarization of light, researchers revealed information about the geometry of the explosion that other types of observation cannot provide.
Taft Armandroff Elected to Chair Giant Magellan Telescope Board of Directors
With vice chair Brian Schmidt, the McDonald Observatory director will lead the next phase of construction.
McDonald Observatory
Tiny Galaxy, Big Find: Black Hole Discovered in Nearby Segue 1
Students discovered a surprise in the heart of a nearby dwarf galaxy.