Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday July 29th through Sunday August 4th.
The moon is at third quarter in Monday the 29th so we will have a waning crescent moon for the remainder of the week.
Venus is visible low in the west after sunset and is setting a little after 10 p.m. Venus will slowly move south along the western horizon over the next few months before starting to sink back towards the sun at the end of the year. Saturn is up in the southwest at twilight and is setting at 12:40 a.m. at midweek.
Jupiter is up at 4:25 a.m. with Mars following behind about 20 minutes later. Mercury is rising at 5:20 a.m., about an hour and a half before the Sun. Mercury is at its greatest elongation from the Sun on Tuesday the 30th. Early risers can catch a very thin crescent moon near Jupiter and Mars on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
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. Observing events are weather permitting. Please call 512-232-4265 for weather cancellation information, which is updated 30 to 60 minutes before the scheduled start time when a viewing is cancelled.
Thank you for calling the University of Texas Skywatchers Report.
