Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday June 8th through Sunday June 14th.
The moon is at third quarter on Tuesday the 9th and we'll have a waning crescent moon for the remainder of the week.
Mars is in conjunction with the sun on Sunday the 14th and will reemerge into our morning skies over the remainder of the month. Because of the conjunction, we will have diminished communications with the various spacecraft on and around Mars with operations resuming in about two weeks.
Venus and Jupiter continue to dominate the western skies at sunset, with Venus setting at 11:40 p.m. and Jupiter following 40 minutes later at 12:20 a.m.
Over in the east, Saturn is rising a couple of hours before sunset so it is now well placed for viewing by evening twilight.
Mercury is slowly emerging from the sun's glare in the morning and is rising less than an hour before the sun.
Public viewing at the 16-inch reflector on top of Robert Lee Moore Hall is on Wednesday nights from 9:00 to 10:30 p.m. this summer. 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 from 9:00 to 10:30 p.m. this summer. 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.
