Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday April 10th through Sunday April 16th.
The full moon for the month of April is on the night of Monday the 10th into the morning of the 11th and we'll have a waning gibbous moon for the remainder of the week. The full moon of April is known as the Egg Moon and the Grass Moon.
Mercury is sinking towards the sun as it moves towards conjunction next week. Mercury is setting at 8:45 p.m. at midweek.
Mars is still visible low in the west at sundown and is setting at 10:20 p.m. this week.
Jupiter is rising at 7:20 p.m. at midweek and is up for most of the night since it was just at opposition last week.
Saturn is rising at 12:40 a.m. Look for Saturn a little below the Moon on Saturday night into Sunday morning and a little above the moon on Sunday night into the morning of Monday the 17th.
Venus is rising at 5:35 a.m., now over 90 minutes before the sun, so you might be able to catch it as the "morning star" in the dawn twilight.
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.
