Can't Close the Cosmos

Magical West Texas attraction reopens to the public for spectacular stargazing

The observatory's signature star parties will resume August 28.

Photo by Ethan Tweedie Photography, McDonald Observatory/Facebook

After closing on March 13 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory is reopening to the public on Friday, August 28.

The acclaimed West Texas observatory, named one of the best places in the U.S. to see stars, will require online reservations during this initial reopening phase. Tickets go on sale August 24, and all outdoor programs will be held at 25 percent capacity.

"It is a pleasure to welcome visitors back to McDonald Observatory for our iconic programs that immerse our guests in astronomy, our very dark night skies, and the visible cosmos," says director Taft Armandroff in a release. "Our team at the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center is eager to host you."

Beginning with a "star party" on August 28, observatory visitors will be provided with scheduled entry tickets to allow time for cleaning between programs. Visitors will drive their own vehicles to the summit of Mount Locke for daytime guided tours; shuttle transportation will not be provided.

To ensure the safety of its visitors and staff, the observatory is taking additional steps:

Packaged food and drinks will be available for purchase, but no food will be prepared on site.
Frequently touched surfaces such as door handles and tabletops will be cleaned twice daily with bleach or alcohol-based solutions.
Hand-sanitizing stations will be provided.
Public restrooms will be treated as single occupancy.
New signs will be posted reminding everyone of best hygiene practices.

The observatory will continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and to heed the advice of national, state, and local health authorities. If the situation improves, the observatory may increase the capacity of public programs and start holding some programs indoors.

Since it closed to the public five months ago, the observatory has been livestreaming new programs to interact with astronomy lovers. These popular Deep Sky Tours, Moon Tours, and Solar Tours will continue once the visitors center reopens for onsite public programs.

vacation science

A piece of Texas history

Texas' iconic Alamo reclaims cannon that spent years as a birdbath

Photo by Gower Brown/ Unsplash

A 90-pound cannon used in the Battle of the Alamo is returning to its San Antonio home.

It turns out the Alamo's original 1836 cannons are good for more than just defense — they also make a sturdy birdbath. After serving as a garden ornament for Samuel Maverick’s descendants, an authentic piece of Texas history is finally returning home to the revered mission.

According to an Alamo announcement, the swivel cannon weighs 90 pounds and is approximately three feet long. The relic was originally found in 1852 when Maverick built a home near the northwest corner of the battle’s site.

The lawyer and land baron was saved from death when he was urged by William Barret Travis to ride to the Texas Declaration of Independence convention in Washington-on-the-Brazos to send reinforcements. Returning to the Alamo’s grounds, he found a cache of cannons buried where the Hotel Gibbs sits today.

From there, the cannon wound up at the Maverick family’s Sunshine Ranch on the Northwest Side, where it was eventually incorporated into the garden DIY project. In 1955, the cannon was removed from the ranch, and the current location remained a mystery until the Alamo received a call from a Maverick relative in Corpus Christi.

Alamo cannon This Alamo artifact gives an idea of what the cannon will look like once restoration is complete.Photo courtesy of the Alamo.

“The relative graciously donated the cannon to the Alamo,” wrote a rep from the mission. “Alamo Senior Researcher and Historian Kolby Lanham and Head Conservator Pam Jary Rosser drove down the very next day to take this piece of history home to the Alamo.”

Although the artillery is mostly intact, it is missing its trunnions (the pivot-point protrusions on the sides of the barrel) and cascabel (the knob and neck assembly at the rear of historic muzzle-loading cannons). The parts were removed by the Mexican army to make the cannon inoperable.

Once preservation is complete, this cannon and the Alamo Collection’s other battle cannons will make their way to the upcoming Visitor Center and Museum, where they will be joined by rocker Phil Collins' collection of Alamo artifacts. The Alamo is in the midst of a $550 million preservation project, which includes conserving the Alamo Church, Long Barrack, and the mission’s original footprint. The museum is on track to debut in late 2027.

history museums artifacts texas history the alamo