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Dark Sky Week May 7-11

Join McDonald Observatory in celebrating Dark Skies May 7-11 with special tours, science lectures, film screening, solar viewing, star parties, and more.

Astrophotography Workshop May 8-9

Learn how to produce stunning photos under the dark skies at McDonald Observatory. This workshop is intended for beginners in astrophotography or photography in general. Register by May 1 to secure your spot.

Astronomers Uncover Methane Emission on a Cold Brown Dwarf

Using new observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have discovered methane emission on a brown dwarf, an unexpected finding for such a cold and isolated world. Published today in the journal Nature, the findings suggest that this brown dwarf might generate aurorae similar to those seen on our own planet as well as on Jupiter and Saturn.

UT Astronomers Use JWST to Probe an Extreme Starburst Galaxy

A team of astronomers, including two from The University of Texas at Austin, has used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to survey the starburst galaxy Messier 82 (M82). Located 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major, this galaxy is relatively compact in size but hosts a frenzy of star formation activity. For comparison, M82 is sprouting new stars 10 times faster than the Milky Way galaxy.