Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday November 13 through Sunday November 19.
The new moon for the month of November is on Monday the 13th and it will reach first quarter on Monday the 20th, so we’ll have a waxing crescent moon in our early evening skies all of this week.
Mars is in conjunction with the sun on Saturday the 18th when it will pass behind the sun from the Earth’s point of view.
Mercury is still very low in the west after sunset and is setting at 6:25 p.m.
Saturn is high in the south as the sky darkens after sunset and is setting at 12:35 a.m. at midweek. Jupiter is high in the east after sunset and is setting at 5:50 a.m.
In the morning skies, Venus is rising at 3:30 a.m., still about three and a half hours before sunrise.
The Leonid meteor shower peaks on the night of Friday the 17th into the morning of Saturday the 18th. The Leonids are produced by the Earth passing through the debris of Comet Tempel-Tuttle and they get their name because they appear to come from a point in the constellation Leo. This shower is known for producing strong outbursts about every 33 years, but we’re still about a decade away from the next one, so this year should be more like the typical rate of about 20 meteors an hour. This year should have fairly good viewing conditions since the waxing crescent moon sets at 10:40 p.m. the night of the peak.
Public viewing at the 16-inch reflector on top of the Physics, Math, and Astronomy building is on Wednesday nights now from 7 to 9 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 now from 7 to 9 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.
There will be no public viewing on UT campus telescopes next week due to the Thanksgiving holiday and UT fall break.
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.
