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An observatory belonging to the University of Texas located on Mount Locke in the Davis Mountains near Fort Davis. It was established in 1932, financed by a bequest from a wealthy Texan banker and amateur astronomer, William J. McDonald. The original instrument, completed in 1938 and still in use, is a 2.08-metre (82-inch) reflector, known as the Otto Struve Telescope after the observatory's first director. In 1969, a 2.72-metre (107-inch) reflector came into use. The latest addition is the Hobby*Eberly Telescope, completed in 1996. There are also 91-centimetre (36-inch) and 76-centimetre (30-inch) reflectors dating from 1956 and 1970 respectively. The 76-centimetre mirror is the central portion of the 2.08-metre, cut away to create the hole for the Cassegrain system. Additionally, there is a 76-centimetre telescope dedicated to satellite laser ranging work and a 5-metre (16-foot) millimetre-wave dish.
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