Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday March 31st through Sunday April 6th.
The moon is at first quarter on the night of Friday the 4th so we’ll have a waxing crescent moon in the early evening skies after sunset for the workweek and start the waxing gibbous phase for the weekend.
Jupiter is up in the southwest at sunset and is setting at 12:45 a.m. at midweek. Look for Jupiter near the crescent moon on Wednesday night.
Mars is high in the south at sunset and is setting at 3:30 a.m. Look for Mars off the limb of the moon on Saturday night.
The other three planets visible to the naked eye are clustered low in the east in our morning skies after their various solar conjunctions over the past few weeks. Venus is rising at 6 a.m., followed by Mercury 20 minutes later and Saturn 5 minutes after that.
In space anniversaries this week, Monday March 31st marks 55 years since the Explorer 1 satellite re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere. Explorer 1 was the first artificial satellite launched by the United States, just four months after the launch of Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite. Explorer 1 operated until May 1958 and then circled the Earth until its orbit decayed in March 1970.
Public viewing at the 16-inch reflector on top of the Physics, Math, and Astronomy building is on Wednesday nights now from 8:30 to 10:30 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 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. 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.
