Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday April 1 through Sunday April 7.
The moon is at third quarter late on Monday the 1st and will, of course, reach new moon next Monday, so we’ll have a waning crescent moon in the pre-dawn skies all of this week.
Mercury is sinking back towards the sun and is setting at 8:45 p.m. at midweek. Jupiter is shining brightly in the west at sundown and is setting at 10:20 p.m. at midweek.
In the morning skies, Mars is rising at 5:45 a.m., followed by Saturn 10 minutes later. Look for the very thin crescent moon near Mars and Saturn on Saturday morning. Mars and Saturn will continue to move closer to one another throughout the week.
Venus is low in the east and is rising at 6:40 a.m., about 35 minutes before the Sun.
As most of you know by now, North America will be treated to a solar eclipse on the afternoon of Monday April 8, and a large part of Texas will be in the path of totality, including most of Austin. To find the eclipse times for your location, as well as other resources (including eye safety information) go to outreach.as.utexas.edu/eclipse.
Public viewing at the 16-inch reflector on top of the Physics, Math, and Astronomy building is on Wednesday nights now from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. PMA 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 now from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. Painter Hall is located on 24th street about halfway between Speedway and Guadalupe and is northeast of the UT Tower. Take the elevator to the 5th floor then take the stairs up to the 6th floor 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 so please check the schedule before planning a visit. Observing events are weather permitting. Please call 512-232-4265 for weather cancellation information, which is updated 30 to 45 minutes before the scheduled viewing start time.
Thank you for calling the University of Texas Skywatchers Report.
