Eye to the Sky: Texas is home to lots of big things, but now the state can boast one of the biggest sets of eyes in the world, the Hobby-Eberly telescope, newly completed in the Davis mountains of west Texas. Named after its sponsors, former lieutenant governor Bill Hobby and Penn State benefactor Robert Eberly, the 13.5-million-dollar telescope (a virtual bargain compared to others close to its size) was built by UT in conjunction with Penn State, Stanford and two German universities. Located on Mount Fowlkes near the McDonald Observatory, the Hobby-Eberly can capture light 100 million times dimmer than the unaided eye can see. Scientists will be able to study light coming from the most distant edges of the universe to determine the chemical makeup of stars and galaxies. If the truth is out there, Texas will be the first to know.

Red Scare: An outbreak of Red Tide algae is responsible for the fish kills along the Texas Gulf coast and the respiratory irritations of seaside locals and vacationers alike. The algae attacks the nervous systems of fish, paralyzing them so they can't filter oxygen through their gills. If contaminated fish are eaten, the algae can cause stomach cramps and other minor digestive ailments. The outbreak bloomed in Port O'Connor, spread to Sargent Beach and San Jose Island, and paralyzed about 7 million fish off the coast of South Padre. At the time of this writing, no new fish were being reported as washing up dead, but the algae -- named for the reddish tint it leaves in the water -- has still been spotted hovering near the shore. Texas Parks and Wildlife has set up a hotline to deliver current information on the outbreak. Call 800/792-1112 for the update.

Post Postmortem: Latest in the line of Texas' fallen afternoon dailies, the El Paso Herald-Post printed its last issue on Saturday, October 11. The paper's history goes back as early as 1881 -- it took the name officially in 1931 after it was purchased by the E.W. Scripps Co. and merged with the El Paso Post -- and at the time it folded was the largest afternoon daily in Texas. The Herald-Post ceased publication because of declining circulation, which had fallen recently to a meager 18,000 readers. El Paso joins Houston (Houston Post, April 1995) San Antonio (San Antonio Light,1993) and Dallas (Dallas Times Herald, 1991) in mourning their afternoon dailies. The city's morning paper, the El Paso Times, will pick up the Herald-Post's subscribers.

Plan-it Austin: After much talk and turnabout, it seems Austin may become the newest Texas host to Planet Hollywood, the entertainment theme restaurant and kin to the Hard Rock Cafe whose shareholders include Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. A couple months back the company was rumored to be considering the old Scarborough building on Congress Avenue and Sixth Street, but sources say they're now looking west. Though Austin's west end warehouse district is burgeoning with upscale clubs and bars, Planet Hollywood would bring a decidedly slick, commercial feel to an area populated with one-of-a-kind, locally-owned venues. The restaurant chain already has locations in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.