Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers' Report for March 27th through April 2nd.

The moon is new late on the night of Tuesday the 28th for those of us in central Texas. However, further east, where the new moon falls on Wednesday after sunrise, viewers will be treated to a solar eclipse. The path of totality will stretch across Africa, the Mediterranean, Turkey, Georgia and the Caucasus, Kazakhstan, Russian and finishing in Mongolia. The point of greatest eclipse is in the Sahara on the border between Libya and Chad. All of Europe, the Middle East and most of Africa will see some fraction of partial eclipse.

Mars, the Pleiades and Hyades are in the west as the sky darkens. The moon will be right next to the Pleiades on the night of April 1st. Saturn is still close to overhead at about 8 p.m. At mid-week, Jupiter is rising at 9:30 p.m. Venus is rising a couple of hours before the sun and still shines as the morning star.

This weekend we change the clocks forward one hour and go on to Daylight Saving time. The officially skipped hour is 2 to 3 a.m. Sunday morning.

Public viewing at the Painter Hall telescope is on Fridays and Saturdays from 7 to 9 p.m. Painter Hall is located on 24th street about halfway between Speedway and Guadalupe.

The telescope at Robert Lee Moore Hall is open to the public on Wednesday nights from 7 to 9 p.m. RLM is located on the southeast corner of Dean Keeton and Speedway. Take the elevators to the 17th floor and follow the signs to the telescope.

All events are free and open to all ages and no reservations are required. Note that star party times and availability change throughout the year. Please call this recording before planning a visit to the telescopes. Observing events are weather permitting. Please call 232-4265 for weather cancellation information, which is updated 30 to 60 minutes before viewing start time only on nights when star parties are cancelled.

Please note that next week the times for public viewing will move one hour later due to the change to Daylight Time.

Thank you for calling the University of Texas Skywatchers' Report.



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