Near Fort Davis in Jeff Davis County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
McDonald Observatory of the University of Texas
This site was selected because of its high ratio of clear nights, its 6,800-foot altitude, and its quite low latitude that permits observation of southern skies.
The observatory was operated for its first 25 years mainly by astronomers from the University of Chicago, more recently primarily from the University of Texas. Until 1948, its 82-inch telescope was second largest in the world. Its fine work and site have resulted in the addition of other telescopes including a 107-inch instrument sponsored jointly by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, and the University of Texas.
Discoveries made here have included interstellar polarization and the satellites of several planets.
Erected 1968 by State Historical Survey Committee. (Marker Number 10480.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Notable Buildings • Notable Places • Science & Medicine. A significant historical year for this entry is 1948.
Location. 30° 40.277′ N, 104° 1.369′ W. Marker is near Fort Davis, Texas, in Jeff Davis County. Marker is on State Highway 78. From Fort Davis, take SH 118 W approx. 11.5 miles to the top of Mt. Locke, McDonald Observatory. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fort Davis TX 79734, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Prude Ranch (approx. 6.3 miles away); Trueheart House (approx. 9.1 miles away); Fort Davis (approx. 9.2 miles away); a different marker also named Fort Davis (approx. 9.2 miles away); a different marker also named Fort Davis (approx. 9.2 miles away); a different marker also named Fort Davis (approx. 9.2 miles away); Commanding Officer's Quarters (approx. 9.2 miles away); Sick Call (approx. 9.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Davis.
Also see . . .
1. University of Texas, McDonald Observatory website. (Submitted on January 15, 2010, by Richard Denney of Austin, Texas.)
2. Hobby-Eberly Telescope. The University of Texas McDonald Observatory
With its 11-meter (433-inch) mirror, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) is one of the world's largest optical telescopes. It was designed specifically for spectroscopy, the decoding of light from stars and galaxies to study their properties. This makes it ideal in searching for planets around other stars, studying distant galaxies, exploding stars, black holes and more.(Submitted on July 13, 2023, by Kayla Harper of Dallas, Texas.)
Credits. This page was last revised on July 19, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 12, 2010, by Richard Denney of Austin, Texas. This page has been viewed 1,233 times since then and 25 times this year. Last updated on July 17, 2023, by Kayla Harper of Dallas, Texas. Photos: 1. submitted on July 11, 2023, by Kayla Harper of Dallas, Texas. 2. submitted on July 17, 2023, by Kayla Harper of Dallas, Texas. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on January 15, 2010, by Richard Denney of Austin, Texas. 9, 10. submitted on July 11, 2023, by Kayla Harper of Dallas, Texas. 11. submitted on July 17, 2023, by Kayla Harper of Dallas, Texas. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.