McDonald Observatory
What’s the hottest ticket in West Texas? Book your reservation for the three-weekly Star Party at the McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis. Perched atop Rock Mountain and Forks Mountain in the remote Davis Mountains, the observatory and its telescopes enjoy some of the darkest skies in the continental United States. For visitors, this means the stars, planets, constellations, and meteors can be seen in their full shimmering glory at night, without being obscured by artificial lights from cities and suburbs. At the party, employees point out and discuss famous stars and constellations. After the lecture, we will prepare a telescope for astronomical observation. The observatory is home to some of the world’s largest telescopes and is a popular day trip destination. Guided tours to the research telescope are offered several times a week. Filtered telescopes at the visitor center allow day visitors to safely observe the sun during solar viewing programs. Visitors not interested in tours and talks can simply purchase general admission tickets. This ticket includes a self-guided tour to the summit of Mount Rock and Mount Forks. Your general admission ticket also gives you access to the exhibition galleries and visitor center gift shop. The observatory is located 450 miles west of Austin and 520 miles southwest of Dallas. Closed to the public on Sundays and Mondays. Star Parties are usually held on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Start times vary according to season. Star parties must also be booked at least two weeks in advance. History of McDonald Observatory The McDonald Observatory conducts research for the Astronomy Program at the University of Texas at Austin. The observatory and its research were made possible by banker and lawyer William Johnson McDonald. After his death in 1926, MacDonald bequeathed much of his estate to the university for the construction of the observatory. The Struve Telescope, opened in 1936, was the first telescope built here. It is named after the observatory’s first director, Dr. Named Otto Struve. With a 2.1-meter mirror, it was his second largest telescope in the world when it opened. The equipment has since been upgraded and is still in use today. His Harland J Smith telescope with 2.7-meter mirrors was completed in 1968 and is still in use today. The Hobby-Everly Telescope has his 11-meter mirror, making him one of the largest optical telescopes in the world. It was launched in 1997 and modernized in 2017. It studies light from stars and galaxies to help astronomers better understand their properties. It has also been used in pioneering studies of dark energy. The site also has a number of other small telescopes. The observatory is currently working with several US universities to develop his 25-meter seven-mirror telescope in Chile. It is called the Giant Magellan Telescope and is scheduled to begin operations in 2029. What You Need to Know About Star Parties The party, held on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday nights, begins with a brief staff orientation in the outdoor amphitheater. On the 30-minute constellation tour that follows, you can sit back and soak up the myth and science behind your favorite constellations as you gaze up at the star-studded sky overhead. Stunning on a clear night, the Milky Way cuts a silky path through space. The evening concludes with his 90 minutes of stargazing at the telescope located at Rebecca Gale Telescope Park. Staff and volunteers will be available to answer your questions. A visitor does not see the stars through his one of the research telescopes, which provide scientists with data but no visual images. What to bring? Feel free to bring your binoculars. However, due to dark skies and the best viewing experience for all visitors, please do not bring white light flashlights. Bring a red flashlight and headlamp instead. Bright camera screens and flash photography are also not recommended. You can wear warm clothes in layers and bring a blanket. The Star Party is held outdoors at high altitude, with temperatures about 10 degrees cooler than at the foot of the mountain. Best time to visit When making a reservation, please be aware that the light of the full moon will make it difficult to see the stars and the Milky Way. For the best viewing conditions, attend the Star Party a few days before the crescent moon or a few days after the full moon. Autumn usually has the clearest skies, with July and August the wettest. Daily program General admission tickets grant general access to the visitor center and its exhibits. A self-guided tour of the grounds is also included. Standing tickets are not required to be reserved. Additional fees apply for guided tours and solar viewing programs. Due to limited space, reservations are recommended for these two additional activities. Your self-guided tour begins at Mount Rock. Here, a scenic lookout overlooks the Davis Mountains and various telescopes in the distance. The Struve Telescope and Harland J Smith Telescope and their domes are located at Mount Locke. The tour continues to the summit of Mount Forks. The large silver dome houses the Hobby-Eberly Telescope here. Its state-of-the-art instruments allow astronomers to observe hundreds of galaxies simultaneously, study galactic chemistry and search for stars. The telescope can be seen from George T. Abel’s gallery inside the dome. You have to drive to both Mount Locke and Mount Fowlkes. The 90-minute guided tour includes stops at the Harlan J Smith Telescope at Mount Rock and the Hobby Eberly Telescope at Mount Forks. Your guide will explain the observatory’s history, telescope design, and current research projects. However, you don’t see the stars through a telescope. Visitors drive their vehicles to the dome. During the 45-minute Solar Observation Program, staff discuss the history and properties of the Sun. A filtered telescope with a camera will share an image of the sun’s surface on its screen. Programs typically run at 1:00 PM on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Dark Skies West Texas has some of the darkest skies in North America. In other words, the stargazing is
Chinati Foundation Museum
Marfa’s hype suddenly makes sense as you enter the historic cannon shed, with large windows, sweeping desert views, and sun-dazzling aluminum boxes. Artist Donald Judd single-handedly put Marfa on the art world map when Marfa built this museum on the site of a former garrison. The grounds and abandoned buildings are home to one of the world’s largest permanent exhibitions of his minimalist art. The whole place is a breathtaking fusion of art, architecture and landscape. The best way to immerse yourself in Judd’s work is to take a guided tour. Tours are currently offered on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 9am and 10am and are 90 minutes long. The tour stops at the Cannon Hut, which houses 100 of Judd’s untitled aluminum works. The tour also visits 16 of his untitled plywood works and an arena. Visitors can explore Judd’s 15 untitled concrete works on their own after the tour. Specialty His Tour and Full His Collection Tour include works by other artists. If you don’t have time for a guided tour, take a self-guided tour of at least 2.6 kilometers (1.6 miles) to see his concrete work. The vast grasslands and open spaces surrounding the hollow concrete box are an integral part of the work, and the scenery is mesmerizing. Self-guided his tour will also pass by Kress his Oldenburg and Kuchevanbrüggen’s Last Horse Monument. Guided tours are $25 and self-guided tours are $15. The independently managed Judd Foundation maintains Donald He Judd’s home and office in downtown Marfa. A tour of his studio and library is available ($25). Donald Judd Known for his sophisticated and vibrant minimalist installations, Donald His Judd was also an architect, furniture designer, essayist, art collector, art critic, and avid advocate of art and expression. . Born in Missouri, Judd served as a technician in the U.S. Army in South Korea in the mid-1940s before moving to New York City, where he studied art history and philosophy at Columbia University and painting at the College of Art. . He was a prolific art critic and painter in his early twenties. Three-dimensional artwork became his focus, and he worked from his home and studio in his five-story building he purchased at 101 Street in Spring, Manhattan. Judd started buying studios, residences and ranches in Marfa in 1973. He eventually left the New York art scene when he devoted himself to his possessions in West Texas. Here he began creating and installing permanent artwork, employing open spaces as canvases and industrial materials as his preferred artistic medium. In 1979 he acquired his 400-hectare former military base and his 32 abandoned buildings on the outskirts of Marfa. It soon became home to the Chinati Foundation, which he founded in 1986 with the aim of permanently exhibiting his site-specific work and that of international artists. The foundation is named after the Chinati Mountains southwest of Marfa. Judd was not only a sometimes controversial but passionate advocate of the arts, but also a visionary. His dream of seeing art in a space-appropriate setting has come true in Marfa. He died in his 1995 at the age of 64. Permanent Collection At the center of the Judd collection are 100 untitled works made of rolled aluminum. For this work, Judd remodeled two artillery sheds, replaced the garage with his doors with squares and his quarter windows, and increased the height of the building, which he doubled with vaulted walls. Added roof. The sculptures span both halls and are arranged in three rows. Also, all sculptures have the same dimensions, but each has a different internal shape. Natural light fills the hut through prominent windows and also borders vast desert meadows that stretch out to the horizon. Fifteen untitled concrete works were poured and installed between 1980 and 1984. Visitors literally step into the ‘canvas’ as they pass by concrete boxes on high desert plains. Another highlight of his is the arena restored by Judd, which was used as a fortress gymnasium and later as a horse arena. It is characterized by its reduced appearance, with long alternating strips of concrete and gravel filling the floor space and marking the work. What about other permanent works? An untitled piece that includes a fluorescent light installation by Dan Flavin, a recreation of an abandoned Soviet school building by Ilya Kabakov, and an entire abandoned military hospital by Robert Irwin. These installations are not currently included in any tours, but may be included in future special or full collection tours. Claes Oldenburg and his Coosje van Bruggen created another outdoor piece, Monument to the Last Horse. It is located near 15 untitled concrete works. A horseshoe sculpture commemorates an old monument marking the tomb of Louis, the last surviving cavalryman at the fort. Like the original marker, the engraving bears the inscriptions Animo and Fide – spirited and faithful. Plan Your Visit Reservations are currently required for guided and self-guided tours. Currently, only a handful of Judd’s interior exhibits are on display during the tour. The museum is located in the high desert, so the sun can be very strong during the day. Dress appropriately and wear comfortable, sturdy closed-toe shoes. The museum is in the Central Time Zone. Since El Paso is in the Mountain Time Zone, he should allow for a 1-hour error if driving from El Paso. Things to Do in Marfa A highland cattle town with an artistic side, Marfa makes a charming base from which to explore West Texas. And the occasional glimmer of mysterious marfalite on the distant horizon adds a touch of whimsy. Look for the lights at the Marfa Mystery Lights Lookout, about 14 miles east of town on Highway 90/67. Overnight guests can stay in vintage caravans, yurts, or teepees at the bohemian El Cosmico campground. Don’t miss Food Shark’s marfalafel, Mediterranean food trucks and Marfa Burrito’s burritos. Please note that restaurant hours vary and many popular restaurants close early in the week.