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	Resources On this page  News & Features FAQs Keywords AstroGlossary Terms Links Other Topics Astronomers and Observatories  Getting Organized (November 23, 2007) The University of Texas took the first step toward building McDonald Observatory on November 23, 1932, when it signed an agreement with the University of Chicago. The 30-year agreement called for Texas to build the Observatory and Chicago, which had a thriving astronomy program, to operate it. The Harlan J. Smith and Otto Struve telescopes are to the right of the sign. The Struve telescope is named for McDonald's first director, who helped put together the Texas-Chicago deal. [Damond Benningfield] » More Astronomers and Observatories images in the Image Gallery News & Features » Hubble Heritage Project: Pretty pictures first, science second. (StarDate magazine) » The Next Space Telescope: Designs for the next Hubble (StarDate magazine) Frequently Asked Questions Are any observatories open to the public? How do astronomers find planets outside our solar system? How do astronomers measure distances to stars and galaxies? How do astronomers report their discoveries? How do astronomers use space-based telescopes? How do modern telescopes work? Is Hubble Space Telescope the only telescope in space? What do astronomers do at an observatory? What is the diameter of the largest star, and what is its name? What is the largest telescope? Who built the first observatory? Who invented the telescope? Who made the first map of the universe? Why are many observatories located on mountaintops? Keywords Airborne Observatories Ancient Observatories and Monuments Anniversaries Archaeoastronomy Astrometry Astronomers Astronomical Distances Astronomical Texts Astronomy in Books, Film, Music and Art Celestial Coordinates Chandra X-Ray Observatory Cold War Copernicus, Nicolaus Discovery of Planets and Moons Einstein, Albert Electromagnetic Spectrum Galileo Galilei Gamma-Ray Astronomy Halley, Edmund Herschel, William Historical Events History of Astronomy Hubble Space Telescope Hubble, Edwin Infrared Astronomy Interferometry Kepler, Johannes Light Pollution Mathematics and Physics McDonald Observatory Modern Astronomy Newton, Sir Isaac Nobel Prize Ptolemy Radiation Radio Astronomy Roman Empire SIM-Planetquest Mission Space Observatories Spectroscopy Spitzer Space Telescope Subatomic Particles Telescopes and Modern Observatories Tombaugh, Clyde Tycho Brahe Ultraviolet Astronomy World War II X-Ray Astronomy AstroGlossary Terms Terms to learn or review include declination and right ascension, celestial equator, ecliptic, charge-coupled device (CCD), Newtonian focus, parallax, and proper motion. Links History of Astronomy International Astronomical Union SEDS Large Telescopes Page Keck Observatory NAIC Arecibo Observatory Hobby-Eberly Telescope Space Telescope Science Institute SCOPE Home Page The Astrophysical Journal American Astronomical Society
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