Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday April 17th through Sunday April 23rd.
The moon is at third quarter on Wednesday the 19th, so we'll start the week with a waning gibbous moon and finish with a waning crescent moon.
Mercury is at inferior conjunction early on Thursday the 20th and will move from our evening skies into our morning skies.
Mars continues to hang out low in the west in the early evening skies and will be setting at 10:15 p.m. this week. Mars will continue to linger low in the west until it heads into conjunction with the sun in July.
Jupiter is rising at 6:45 p.m. at midweek and is now up in the east-southeast by nightfall. Jupiter sets at 6:30 a.m., about 30 minutes before sunrise.
Saturn is rising at 12:20 a.m. and is visible for the remainder of the night.
Venus rises at 5:15 a.m., about an hour and 45 minutes before the sun. Look for a slim crescent moon alongside Venus on Sunday morning.
Public viewing at the 16-inch reflector on top of Robert Lee Moore Hall is on Wednesday nights currently from 8:30 to 10:30 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 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. 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 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.
