texas

Skywatchers Report


Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday June 25th through Sunday July 1st.

The full moon for the month of June will be late on Wednesday the 27th for the US so we'll have a waxing gibbous moon for the first part of the week and a waning gibbous moon for the remainder of the week. The full moon for June is known as the Flower Moon, the Strawberry Moon, the Rose Moon, and the Honey Moon.

Mercury is low in the west-northwest and is setting about an hour and a half after the sun, so this is a good chance to see it if you have a good view of the western horizon.

Venus is high in the west at sunset and is setting at 11:10 p.m.

Jupiter is high in the south at 10:00 p.m. and is setting at 3:20 a.m.

Saturn is at opposition on Wednesday the 27th so it will rise at sunset and set at sunrise and will be visible the entire night. Look for Saturn right next to the full moon on Wednesday night.

Mars rises at 10:45 p.m. and is now at magnitude -2.1 in brightness and 20.5 arcseconds in angular size. Mars will be to the right of the Moon on Saturday night.

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. Due to a mechanical issue with the telescope, we may be using smaller telescopes outside the dome until repairs are finished on 16-inch.

Public viewing at the 9-inch refractor at Painter Hall is on Fridays and Saturdays 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. Take the elevator to the 5th floor and then take the stairs up to the 6th floor and follow the signs to the telescope.

Please arrive at RLM or Painter Hall before 10 p.m. to ensure access to the buildings.

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.