Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday April 18th through Sunday April 24th.
The moon is at third quarter on Saturday the 23rd so we’ll have a waning gibbous moon for most of the week and start into the waning crescent phase on Sunday.
Mercury is the only planet visible to the unaided eye that is up in our evening skies, and it sets about an hour and a half after sunset, so this is a good time to try to catch the innermost planet if you have a good view of the western horizon.
In the morning skies, Saturn is rising at 3:50 a.m. and will be to the left of the waning crescent moon on Sunday morning. Mars follows Saturn at 4:25 a.m., then Venus at 5:00 a.m., and finally Jupiter at 5:25 a.m.
The Lyrid meteor shower peaks on Thursday night into Friday morning, but this year’s shower will be hindered by the brightness of the waning gibbous moon, so observers probably won’t see the typical 20 meteors an hour that this shower usually produces. The Lyrids get their name because they appear to come from a point in the constellation Lyra and are caused by the Earth passing through the debris of Comet Thatcher.
In space anniversaries this week, Sunday April 24th marks 60 years since the first transmission of television pictures via satellite by the Echo 1 spacecraft. Echo 1 & 2 were metal-coated balloon satellites that worked as passive transmitters where the signals were transmitted from one location, bounced off the satellite, and then received by another location. Echo 1 launched in 1960 and eventually reentered the Earth’s atmosphere in 1968.
Public viewing at the 16-inch reflector on top of the Physics, Math, and Astronomy building (formerly RLM) 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 now 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.
