Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday January 28th through Sunday February 3rd.
The moon is at third quarter on Sunday February 3rd so we will have a waning gibbous moon for all of this week.
Mercury is slowly climbing into the early evening skies, but is setting just 40 minutes after the sun at midweek. Mars is visible low in the west-southwest and is setting at 7:25 p.m. this week.
Jupiter is very high in the southeast as the sky darkens and is setting at 3 a.m.
Saturn is rising at 12:50 a.m. and is visible for the remainder of the night. Look for the moon and Saturn together in the hours before dawn on Sunday the 3rd.
Venus is now just rising 45 minutes before the sun and it getting harder to see in the pre-dawn skies.
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.
