Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday September 10th through Sunday September 16th.
The moon was new on Sunday the 9th and will be at first quarter late on Sunday the 16th, so we'll have a waxing crescent moon in our early evening skies for all of this week.
Venus is sinking in our evening skies, even as it continues to grow in brightness, thanks to orbital mechanics. Venus is setting at 9:15 p.m. at midweek.
Jupiter is in the southwest at nightfall and is setting at 10:30 p.m. Look for a thin crescent moon alongside Jupiter on Thursday evening.
Saturn is still visible in the south at sunset and is setting at 1:20 a.m.
Mars continues to shine brightly in the south-southeast in the early evening and is setting at 3:15 a.m.
Mercury is rising in our morning skies about 30 minutes before the sun, so it is lost in the glare of dawn.
Public viewing at the 16-inch reflector on top of Robert Lee Moore Hall is on Wednesday nights currently from 8 to 10 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 from currently 8 to 10 p.m. Painter Hall is located on 24th street about halfway between Speedway and Guadalupe and is northeast of the UT Tower. Please note that there will be no Painter Telescope viewing on Saturday evenings when the UT football team has a night home game. Logon to TexasSports.com to check the football schedule. This Saturday's game is scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m. so there will be no Painter Hall viewing that night.
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.
