texas

skywatchers report


Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday March 28th through Sunday April 3rd.

The moon is a third quarter on Thursday so we'll have a waning gibbous moon for the first half of the week and a waning crescent moon for the remainder of the week.

Mercury is slowly emerging from conjunction with the sun and is setting at 8:30 p.m. at midweek, less than an hour after sunset.

Jupiter is up in the east as the sky darkens and will set about an hour before sunrise, so you have most of the night to observe the planet.

Mars is rising just after midnight this week, followed by Saturn at 12:55 a.m. Look for the Moon and the bright star Antares near the planets on Tuesday morning.

Venus is now rising about 40 minutes before the sun but you might still be able to pick it out from the dawn glow if you have a good view of the eastern horizon.

Public viewing at the 16-inch reflector on top of Robert Lee Moore Hall is on Wednesday nights currently 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 currently 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 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.