Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday October 2 through Sunday October 8.
The moon is at third quarter on Friday the 6th, so we’ll have a waning gibbous moon for the first part of the week and a waning crescent moon for the weekend.
Mars is now very low in the western skies after sunset and is setting at 7:50 p.m., just 40 minutes after the sun.
Saturn is up in the southeast at sunset and is setting at 4:25 a.m. Jupiter follows Saturn and rises at 8:40 p.m., so it is now well-placed for viewing by 11:00 p.m.
In the morning skies, Venus is rising at 4:00 a.m., over three hours before sunrise. Mercury is up at 6:35 a.m., about 50 minutes before sunrise.
On Saturday, October 14, Texas will be treated to the first of two solar eclipses in the space of six months and UT will be hosting a public eclipse celebration on the Main Mall south of the UT Tower that everyone is invited to attend. Join UT Astronomy and the College of Natural Sciences for interactive demos, telescopes with solar filters, liquid nitrogen ice cream, and more. Free eclipse viewers will also be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with maximum eclipse of 88.6% just before noon. More information is available at outreach.as.utexas.edu/eclipse
Public viewing at the 16-inch reflector on top of the Physics, Math, and Astronomy building is on Wednesday nights currently from 8 to 10 p.m. PMA 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 to 10 p.m. 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 then take the stairs up to the 6th floor 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.
