Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday July 24th through Sunday July 30th.

The new moon occurred on Sunday July 23 and it will reach first quarter on Sunday the 30th, so we'll have a waxing crescent moon in the early evening skies for the whole week.

Mars is in conjunction with the sun on Wednesday the 26th and will slowly re-emerge in our morning skies over the next few weeks.

Mercury is at its greatest elongation in the evening skies on Saturday night into Sunday morning depending on your time zone. Mercury is setting at 9:50 p.m. at midweek so you might be able to see it if you have a good view of the western horizon.

Jupiter is still shining brightly in the southwest at nightfall and is setting at midnight. Look for the crescent moon above Jupiter on Friday night.

Saturn is up in the southest as night falls and is setting at 3:45 a.m.

Just after Saturn sets, Venus is rising in the morning skies and is visible until it is lost in the dawn twilight.

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 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.