Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday February 17th through Sunday February 23rd.
The moon is at third quarter on Thursday the 20th so we’ll have a waning gibbous moon for the first part of the week and a waning crescent moon for the latter part of the week.
Mercury is emerging from solar conjunction and is setting a little after 7 p.m. at midweek. Saturn is a little above Mercury and is setting at 7:40 p.m. The two planets will move closer together over the week and into next week.
Venus is high in the west at sunset and is setting at 9:15 p.m.
Jupiter is visible nearly overhead as the sky darkens after sunset and is setting at 2:05 a.m.
Mars is up in the east in the early evenings and looks like a bright orange star. Mars is setting at 4:55 a.m. at midweek.
In space anniversaries this week, Tuesday February 18 marks 95 years since the discovery of Pluto by Clyde Tombaugh at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Pluto was originally designated as a major planet but is now classified as a dwarf planet and the first confirmed member of the Kuiper Belt after other large trans-Neptunian bodies were discovered starting in the 1990s. In 2178, Pluto will complete one orbit of the sun since its discovery and so far has only been imaged up close by one spacecraft, the New Horizons mission, which performed a flyby in July 2015.
Public viewing at the 16-inch reflector on top of the Physics, Math, and Astronomy building is on Wednesday nights currently 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 currently 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. Enter Painter Hall on the east side of the building at the "Celebrated Entrance", 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.
