Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday April 25th through Sunday May 1.
The moon is at third quarter late on Friday into the early hours of Saturday the 30th so we'll have a waning gibbous moon for the work week and a waning crescent moon for the weekend.
Mercury is setting a little over an hour after the sun so there is still time to catch it in the west shortly after sunset.
Jupiter is still high in the southeast at sunset and is setting at 4:25 a.m. at midweek.
Mars is rising at 10:15 p.m. this week, followed by Saturn at 10:45 p.m.
Venus is rising just 25 minutes before sunrise and is now lost in the sun's glare.
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.
Next week will be the final week of public viewing on UT Campus telescope for the spring semester. Summer viewing will start the second week in June.
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.
