Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday April 21st through Sunday April 27th.
The moon was at third quarter late on the night of Sunday the 20th and will be new late on Sunday the 27th, so we’ll have a waning crescent moon in the morning skies all of this week. This new moon will occur within three and a half hours of perigee, the moon’s closest point to the Earth, so we’ll see larger than average tides that day.
Jupiter is shining brightly in the west at sunset and is setting at 11:35 p.m. at midweek.
Mars is high in the southwest at sunset and is setting at 2:40 a.m. The bright stars Castor and Pollux of the constellation Gemini are still nearby but Mars has now moved farther away from the pair.
In the morning skies, Venus is rising at 5:00 a.m., now two hours before the sun. Saturn follows, rising at 5:15 a.m. Look for the thin crescent moon below Venus and Saturn on Friday morning.
Mercury is at greatest elongation from the sun on Monday the 21st when it will be rising at 5:50 a.m., a little over an hour before the sun.
In space anniversaries this week, Thursday April 24th marks 35 years since the launch of the space shuttle Atlantis carrying the Hubble Space Telescope. The telescope was released from the shuttle’s cargo bay the following day and remains operational in Earth orbit. The telescope is expected to remain in orbit for at least three more years, but potentially up to 15 more years depending on the amount of atmospheric drag it experiences.
Public viewing at the telescope on top of the Physics, Math, and Astronomy building is on Wednesday nights 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. Next week will be the final week of viewing at PMA for the spring semester.
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. This week will be the final week of viewing at the Painter Hall telescope for the spring semester.
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.
