texas

skywatchers report


Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday April 13th through Sunday April 19th.

The new moon for the month of April is on Saturday the 18th, so we'll have a waning crescent moon in the pre-dawn skies for most of this week.

Mercury is still emerging from conjunction and is setting just half an hour after the sun.

Mars is a little above Mercury and is setting at 9:10 p.m. and is now hard to pick out in the evening twilight.

Venus is up in the west at sundown and is setting at 11:10 p.m. this week. Look for the Hyades open cluster to the left of Venus and the Pleiades open cluster to the lower right of Venus this week.

Jupiter is nearly overhead as the sky darkens after sunset this week and is setting at 3:40 a.m.

Saturn continues to make its way into our early evening skies and is rising in the east-southeast at 10:45 p.m. this week.

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.