TABLE OF CONTENTS
Descriptive Summary
Scope and Contents
Restrictions
Related Material
Administrative Information
Description of Series
Inventory
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A Guide to the McDonald Observatory Records
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Creator: |
UT McDonald
Observatory |
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Title: |
UT McDonald Observatory
Records |
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Dates: |
1971-1999 |
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Abstract: |
The McDonald Observatory Records
provide a partial administrative history of the facility since about 1971, with the bulk of
the records centered on programs, research projects, and publications from the
1970s. |
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Extent: |
4 feet |
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Language: |
Materials are written in English. |
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Repository: |
Dolph Briscoe Center for American History,The
University of Texas at Austin |
McDonald Observatory is a research unit of The University of Texas at Austin.
Observatory facilities are located atop Mount Locke and Mount Fowlkes in the Davis
Mountains of West Texas, which offer some of the darkest night skies in the
continental United States. The observatory's administrative offices are on the UT
Austin campus. The observatory works with the University's Department of Astronomy
on both research and teaching.
Funded initially with money bequeathed by Texan William Johnson McDonald, the
observatory was established as a collaboration between UT and the University of
Chicago in 1932. Russian-born astronomer Otto Struve designed the original structure
and served as the observatory's first director. A second period of major expansion
commenced in 1963 with the appointment of Harlan J. Smith as chair of the UT
Astronomy Department and director of the McDonald Observatory.
Telescopes at the McDonald Observatory: With its 9.2-meter (362-inch) mirror, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope is one of the world's largest
optical telescopes. It is optimized for spectroscopy, the decoding of light from
stars and galaxies to study their properties. The HET, dedicated in 1997, is a joint
project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University,
Stanford University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen. The Harlan J. Smith
Telescope, constructed 1966-68, has a 2.7-meter (107-inch) mirror, which
was the third largest in the world when built. The Otto Struve
Telescope, built between 1933 and 1939, was the first major telescope to
be built at McDonald Observatory. Its 2.1-meter (82-inch) mirror was the second
largest in the world at the time. McDonald also operates a 0.8-meter (30-inch)
telescope, and the 0.8-meter (30-inch) Ranging Telescope
Laser that measures the distance between earth and the moon and tracks the
drift of earth's continents.
Return to the Table of Contents
The McDonald Observatory Records provide a partial administrative history of the facility
since about 1971, with the bulk of the records centered on programs, research
projects, and publications from the 1970s.
Return to the Table of Contents
Access Restrictions
These records are stored off-site at CDL. Please contact repository in advance for
retrieval.
Return to the Table of Contents
Return to the Table of Contents
UT McDonald Observatory Records, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The
University of Texas at Austin.
Return to the Table of Contents
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Inventory |
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| 2005-102/1 |
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Harlan J. Smith: |
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Frank Bash circular announcing Smith's death and proposed
memorial service |
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Evans - 11th Texas Symposium |
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Department personnel |
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Vita, committees |
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Department general procedures |
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Department brochure |
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Seminars and colloquia |
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Meetings facilities |
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McDonald Observatory post-doctoral fellowship |
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Observing Schedule |
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Contracts Grants |
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National Science Foundation University Science Development
Program – Grant, 1958 |
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Proposals |
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University of Texas – Offices/Contacts |
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University of Texas – Procedures/Facilities |
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Duties – Harlan J. Smith Secretary |
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Annual reports |
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Richard Matzner |
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Isolated documents concerning Richard Matzner, a member of
the first eclipse team in 1973, a faculty member of the Austin
Relativity Group |
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Occultation of B Sco by Jupiter, May 13,
1971 |
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Photographs: |
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R.G. Tull, G.W. van Critters, R.E. Nather, D.S. Evans,
D.C. Wells, B. Warner missing, primary observers |
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Group photograph, includes W.B. Hubbard, before
embarkation on Regents’ airplane, Austin Mueller
Airport |
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Tull, van Critters, Wells, Nather, and Warner with
instrument cases amid personal luggage |
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Evans, D.S. Occultation of B Sco by Jupiter, May 13, 1971:
National Geographic Society Research Reports, 1 2, 203,
1971 |
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Evans, D.S. and Hubbard, W.B. Jupiter and Beta Scorpii, Sky
and Tel., 4 2, 1, 1971 |
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Hubbard, W.B., Nather, R.E., Evans, D.S., Tull, R.G., Wells,
D.C., van Critters, G.W., Warner, B., and Vanden Bout, P., The
Occultation of Beta Scorpii by Jupiter and Io: I, Astron. J. 77, 41,
1972 |
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Bartholdi, P. and Owen, F., Ibid., II, Astron. J., 7 7, 60,
1972 |
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Hubbard, W.B. and van Flandern, T.C. , Ibid., III, Astron.
J., 7 7, 65, Astrometry, 1972 |
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Evans, D.S. and Hubbard, W.B., Discrepancies in Measurements
of the Jupiter Atmospheric Scale Height, Nature Phys., 2 4 0, 162,
1972 |
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Reminiscences by Evans, D.S., Nather, R.E., Tull, R.G., van
Critters, G.W. (document pack, as issued to observers) |
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Evans, D.S., Africano, J.L., Fekel, F.C., Montemayor, T.,
Palm, C., Silverberg, E., van Critters, G.W. and Wiant, J.,
Occultation Study of the Multiple Star B Scorpii, Astron. J., 82,
495, 1977 |
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Sandmann, W.H. Occultation Observations of B Scorpii, Astron.
J., 82, 503, 1977 |
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Evans, D.S., Elliot, J.L., and Peterson, D.M. Occultation
Astrometry of the Beta Scorpii System, Astron. J., 8 3, 438,
1978 |
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Eclipse Expeditions, 1973 |
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National Center for Atmospheric Research File: Advisory
circulars and correspondence to institutions participating in 1973
eclipse expeditions from National Center for Atmospheric Research
(NCAR), body designated for general USA supervision, and related
correspondence |
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Personal records |
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Journals of Survey and Main Expedition Leader, Bryce de
Witt |
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Journal and souvenirs of Main Team member, Charles
Cobb |
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Correspondence of organizer and follow-up team member, Al
Mikesell |
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Document pack of follow-up team member, David S.
Evans |
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Miscellaneous relevant documents |
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Proof copy of intended semi-popular account entitled
“Harlan’s Globetrotters” |
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Miscellaneous documents, printed papers and photographic
negatives, including text of the obituary notice of Harlan
Smith |
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Rededication of 82-inch to Otto Struve, May 28,
, includes photograph of assembly in
82-inch dome, cloth used in unveiling plaque, signed visitors’ book,
specimen identifying ribbons, program of symposium, final report for NSF
grant 1966 |
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Arabic Texts: problems of ownership and copyright, “Arabic
Texts,” believed titles of documents copied, copied material from Mosque
Library at Chinguetti |
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Miscellaneous documents related to celebration of 50th
anniversary, including symposium, 1989 |
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1973 Eclipse Expeditions, personal correspondence of Burton F.
Jones |
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Program of innovative lecture course by R. Edward
Nather |
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Big and Bright, semi-popular history
of the early years |
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Site selection: miscellaneous documents connected with site
selection for the observatory |
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Arabic texts |
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Proposal by Cecile de Witt to copy manuscripts from
Chinguetti Mosque Library |
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Extracts from Bryce de Witt’s journal describing activity and
implied consent of Imam |
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Problems of ownership and copyright |
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“Arabic Texts,” believed titles of documents
copied |
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Copied material |
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1973 Eclipse |
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Miscellaneous documents concerning extended consultations
with Kodak, Rochester about photographic emulsions and selection of
plate size and glass type to be used at the eclipse |
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Follow-Up Eclipse Expedition: Unsorted documents mainly
related to finances of 1973 follow-up eclipse expedition
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Newspaper clippings and stories |
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Endowed professorships and memorials in Astronomy Department at
U.T. Austin |
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Documents from era of Chicago control |
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Documents relating to Roman Smoluchovski, distinguished
post-retirement adjunct faculty member |
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| 2005-102/3 |
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Millimeter and Radio Astronomy |
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Grants in aid of 1973 Eclipse |
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1973 Eclipse expeditions instrument and site selection: General
correspondence with many individuals, especially with Princeton and its
withdrawal from the project |
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Gravitational Deflection of Light |
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Dyson, Sir F.W., Eddington, A.S., and Davidson, C.: A Determination of the Deflection of Light by
the Sun’s Gravitational Field, from Observations made at the
Total Solar Eclipse of May 29, 1919: Mem. Roy. Astron.
Soc., 2 2 0, 291, 1920 |
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Von Kluber, H., Determination of
Einstein’s Light-Deflection in the Gravitational Field of the
Sun, Vistas in Astronomy, 3, 47,
1960 |
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Texas Mauritanian Eclipse Team, Gravitational Deflection of Light: Solar Eclipse of 30 June
1973, I, Description of Procedures and Final Results,
Aston. J., 81, 452, 1976 |
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Jones, Burton F., Gravitational
Deflection of Light: Solar Eclipse of 30 June 1973, II,
Plate Reductions, Astron. J., 8 1, 455,
1976 |
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References from “Harlan’s Globetrotters” |
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Draft texts of items above |
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De Witt, B.S., Matzner, R.A., and Mikesell, A.H., A Relativity Eclipse Experiment
Refurbished, Sky and Tel., 4 7, 301,
1974 |
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Baily, F. On a Remarkable Phenomenon
that Occurs in Total and Annular Eclipses of the Sun,
Mem. Roy. Astron. Soc., 1 0, 1, 1838 |
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