Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday March 25th through Sunday March 31st.
The full moon for the month of March is on the morning of Wednesday the 27th so we will start the week with a waxing gibbous moon and finish it with a waning gibbous moon. The full moon of March is known as the Lenten Moon, the Sap Moon, and the Worm Moon.
Mars is low in the west and is setting just 20 minutes after the sun so it is lost in the sun's glare.
Jupiter is now high in the west at sunset and is setting at 12:45 a.m. at midweek. Over in the eastern skies, Saturn is rising a little after 10:00 p.m. and is visible for the remainder of the night.
Mercury is at greatest elongation on Sunday the 31st, so it is at its farthest point from the sun in our skies that day. Mercury is rising a little over an hour before the sun at the end of the week.
On Thursday the 28, Venus is at superior conjunction, so it will pass behind the sun from the Earth's point of view and move from our morning skies into our evening skies.
Public viewing at the 16-inch reflector on top of Robert Lee Moore Hall is on Wednesday nights now from 8:30 to 10:30 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 now from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. 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. Observing events are weather permitting. Please call 232-4265 for weather cancellation information, which is updated 30 to 60 minutes before the scheduled viewing start time when a viewing is cancelled.
Thank you for calling the University of Texas Skywatchers Report.
