H.R. No. 1392

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, On September 1, 2013, McDonald Observatory in Jeff
	Davis County is initiating a yearlong celebration of the 75th
	anniversary of the dedication of its first telescope and the 50th
	anniversary of its affiliation with The University of Texas at
	Austin; and
	WHEREAS, One of the great centers for astronomical research
	and education in the world, McDonald Observatory was founded as the
	result of a bequest by Texas banker William Johnson McDonald and
	situated far from city lights on Mount Locke in the Davis Mountains,
	under the clear, dark skies of West Texas; and
	WHEREAS, The observatory's first instrument, a 2.1-meter
	reflecting telescope, was dedicated on May 5, 1939; it was the
	second-largest telescope in the world at the time, and it was later
	named for the observatory's first director, the eminent Russian
	astronomer Otto Struve, who served from 1932 until 1950; originally
	run under contract by the University of Chicago, the observatory
	was taken over by The University of Texas in 1963; the first UT
	director was Dr. Harlan J. Smith, who served for the next quarter of
	a century; and
	WHEREAS, Over the years, the Otto Struve Telescope has been
	joined by the 2.7-meter Harlan J. Smith Telescope on Mount Locke
	and the 9.2-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope on the adjacent Mount
	Fowlkes, as well as by a variety of smaller, more specialized
	instruments; astronomers from around the world have used these
	telescopes to make important discoveries about planetary systems,
	stellar spectroscopy, the interstellar medium, and extragalactic
	astronomy; and
	WHEREAS, During the observatory's anniversary year, the
	Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) will map the
	three-dimensional positions of 1 million galaxies up to 11 million
	light years away, yielding the largest map of the universe ever
	produced and helping to establish the nature of dark energy, one of
	the greatest mysteries in science today; The University of Texas is
	also a partner in the Giant Magellan Telescope project, which will
	create a new generation of earth-based telescopes using 7 mirrors
	to make up an optical surface 80 feet across, with 10 times the
	resolving power of the Hubble Space Telescope; and
	WHEREAS, In addition to its leadership in research, McDonald
	Observatory is one of the Lone Star State's great resources for
	teachers, students, and the public; 60,000 visitors a year enjoy
	the observatory tour, the exhibits in the Frank N. Bash Visitors
	Center, and the public star-viewing parties every Tuesday, Friday,
	and Saturday; the observatory regularly hosts continuing education
	programs for teachers and activities for K-12 students; and
	WHEREAS, McDonald Observatory also reaches a national
	audience with its popular StarDate radio program, the
	longest-running science feature in the country, playing daily on
	more than 300 stations nationwide; StarDate magazine, originally
	founded as McDonald Observatory News in 1973, has been a color,
	bimonthly magazine since 1988, and the StarDate website offers
	sky-watching tips and news about the observatory to people around
	the world; and
	WHEREAS, For three quarters of a century, McDonald
	Observatory has actively participated in some of the most
	staggering scientific discoveries of modern times and enriched the
	lives of countless visitors with its innovative education programs,
	and its continuing efforts to push the boundaries of the human
	understanding of the cosmos are truly worthy of recognition on this
	special anniversary; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
	Legislature hereby commemorate the 75th anniversary of the
	dedication of the first telescope at McDonald Observatory and
	extend to the observatory's scientists, technicians, and staff
	sincere best wishes for continued success with their exciting work;
	and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
	prepared for McDonald Observatory as an expression of high regard
	by the Texas House of Representatives.
	Nevarez
	Straus M. Gonzalez of El Paso Oliveira
	Allen N. Gonzalez of El Paso Orr
	Alonzo Gooden Otto
	Alvarado Guerra Paddie
	Anchia Guillen Parker
	Anderson Gutierrez Patrick
	Ashby Harless Perez
	Aycock Harper-Brown Perry
	Bell Hernandez Luna Phillips
	Bohac Herrero Pickett
	Bonnen of Brazoria Hilderbran Pitts
	Bonnen of Galveston Howard Price
	Branch Huberty Raney
	Burkett Hughes Ratliff
	Burnam Hunter Raymond
	Button Isaac Reynolds
	Callegari Johnson Riddle
	Canales Kacal Ritter
	Capriglione Keffer Rodriguez of Bexar
	Carter King of Hemphill Rodriguez of Travis
	Clardy King of Parker Rose
	Coleman King of Taylor Sanford
	Collier King of Zavala Schaefer
	Cook Kleinschmidt Sheets
	Cortez Klick Sheffield of Bell
	Craddick Kolkhorst Sheffield of Coryell
	Creighton Krause Simmons
	Crownover Kuempel Simpson
	Dale Larson Smith
	Darby Laubenberg Smithee
	Davis of Dallas Lavender Springer
	J. Davis of Harris Leach Stephenson
	S. Davis of Harris Lewis Stickland
	Deshotel Longoria Strama
	Dukes Lozano Taylor
	Dutton Lucio III Thompson of Brazoria
	Eiland Marquez Thompson of Harris
	Elkins Martinez Toth
	Fallon Martinez Fischer Turner of Collin
	Farias McClendon Turner of Harris
	Farney Menendez Turner of Tarrant
	Farrar Miles Villalba
	Fletcher Miller of Comal Villarreal
	Flynn Miller of Fort Bend Vo
	Frank Moody Walle
	Frullo Morrison White
	Geren Munoz, Jr. Workman
	Giddings Murphy Wu
	Goldman Naishtat Zedler
	Gonzales Nevarez Zerwas
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 1392 was adopted by the House on April
	23, 2013, by a non-record vote.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House