FORT DAVIS, Texas — The McDonald Observatory is a staple of West Texas history and identity, located almost 7,000 feet up in the Davis Mountains.
The main telescope, the Hobby-Eberly, is one of the largest optical telescopes in the world, with a dome of 10 meters in diameter. Steven Janowiecki, an astronomer at the observatory, said that pretty much everything in the observable universe can be viewed with this telescope, including black holes and dark energy.
The telescope works by capturing infrared and optical light, which is what we see with our own eyes, and then magnifying that light to an extreme amount, making distant galaxies viewable to us humans on a computer screen.
You may think it took cutting edge technology to build this impressive feat of engineering, but in reality, the telescope was mostly constructed from everyday parts. For example, the I-beams used to build the structure holding up the telescope were built by a bridge manufacturing company.
The entire structure rotates on a smooth concrete surface using inflatable bags of pressurized air, acting as a hovercraft to lift the massive structure, which is similar to how big pieces of equipment are moved in manufacturing shops.
One of the most unique features of the observatory is the community that's been built around it. Dozens of people work at the observatory to make sure it's operating correctly, with additional staff working to cook and maintain the property.
Only four astronomers are employed at the observatory, but there are close to 70 other employees doing various jobs from IT, to engineering, to erosion maintenance. A vast array of people not only work, but live up in Fort Davis, making this spot truly unique.