Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday April 15 through Sunday April 21.
The full moon for the month of April is early on Friday the 19th so we'll have a waxing gibbous moon during most of the work week and a waning gibbous moon for the weekend. The full moon for the month of April is known as the Egg Moon and the Grass Moon.
Mars is still the only planet in our early evening skies and is up in our western skies at sundown. Mars is setting at 11:30 p.m. this week.
Jupiter is about to join Mars in the pre-midnight skies - but not quite yet - as it rises at 12:10 a.m. this week. Saturn follows at 2:00 a.m. this week.
Venus and Mercury will be near each other in the skies a little before dawn with Venus rising first and Mercury following about 15 minutes later. Both planets will be up about an hour before the sun but will be challenging to pick out from the morning 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. 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.
