Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday January 24th through Sunday January 30th.
The moon is at third quarter on Wednesday the 26th, so we will have a waning gibbous moon for the first part of the week and a waning crescent moon for the remainder.
Jupiter is now in the west-southwest as night falls and is setting a little after 10 p.m. at midweek. Saturn is rising at 11:15 at midweek and is visible for the remainder of the night. Look for the moon and Saturn to make a nice pair in the early morning hours of the 25th.
Venus is rising at 4:15 a.m. and is the bright object in the southeast at sunrise. Mercury is rising at 6:20 a.m. at midweek. Mars is lost in the sun's glare as it heads towards conjunction at the beginning of February.
Public viewing at the 16-inch reflector on top of Robert Lee Moore Hall is on Wednesday nights currently from 7 to 9 p.m. RLM is located on the southeast corner of Dean Keeton and Speedway. Take the elevator to the 17th floor and follow the signs to the telescope.
Public viewing at the 9 inch refractor at Painter Hall is on Friday and Saturday nights currently from 7 to 9 p.m. Painter Hall is located on 24th street about halfway between Speedway and Guadalupe and is northeast of the UT Tower. To get to the telescope, take the elevator to the 5th floor and exit to the left. Follow the 5th floor hallway to the end and take the staircase through the double doors on the left. Once you reach the 6th floor, go to your right and follow the signs up to the telescope.
All events are free and open to all ages and no reservations are required. Note that viewing times and availability change throughout the year. Observing events are weather permitting. Please call 232-4265 for weather cancellation information, which is updated 30 to 60 minutes before the scheduled viewing start time when a viewing is cancelled.
Thank you for calling the University of Texas Skywatchers Report.
