Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers' Report for Monday October 16th Sunday October 22nd.
The new moon for the month of October is early in the morning hours of Sunday the 22nd.
On Tuesday, Mercury is at its greatest elongation east, putting it at its highest point in the western skies after sunset. Look for it a little below Jupiter all week a little after the sun sets. Saturn is rising a little before 3 a.m. Both Venus and Mars are very close to the sun.
As we head further into autumn, the constellations of Pegasus, Andromeda and Perseus are rising in the east shortly after the sun sets. Taurus is climbing above the horizon in the nine o’clock hour. Look for the famous Pleiades open star cluster, also known as the Seven Sister and the V-shaped Hyades cluster after 10 p.m. The well-known winter constellation Orion is above the horizon by midnight.
Public viewing at the 16 inch reflector on top of Robert Lee Moore Hall is on Wednesday nights 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 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 public viewing at the Painter Hall telescope on Saturday nights when the UT football team has a home game starting after 5 p.m. Check mackbrown-texasfootball.com for current scheduling information.
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 232-4265 for weather cancellation information, which is updated 30 to 60 minutes before viewing start time on nights when public viewing is cancelled.
Thank you for calling the University of Texas Skywatchers' Report.
