Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday April 24th through Sunday April 30th.
The new moon for the month of April is on Wednesday the 26th, so we'll start the week with a waning crescent moon and finish with a waxing crescent moon in the west of our early evening skies. On Friday evening, look for a very thin crescent moon above the Hyades open cluster and the bright orange star Aldebaran.
Mars continues to be low in the west at sundown and is setting at 10:10 p.m. this week.
Jupiter is up in the east-southeast at nightfall and sets at 6:00 a.m. so it is still visible for most of the night.
Saturn is rising at 11:40 p.m. as it continues to move towards a nice summer evening showing this year.
In the morning skies, Venus is rising at 5:00 a.m., about two hour before sunrise. Mercury is still emerging from conjunction and is lost in the sun's glare.
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.
Next week will be the final week of public viewing on UT campus telescopes for the spring semester. Summer session viewing will start in early June.
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.
