Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday April 28th through Sunday May 4th.
The moon was new on the evening of April 27th and will be at first quarter on Sunday May 4th, so we’ll have a waxing crescent moon in the early evening skies all of this week.
Jupiter is in the west at sunset and is setting at 11:15 p.m. Look for Jupiter and the thin crescent moon to make a nice pairing on Wednesday evening.
Mars is high in the southwest and is setting at 2:20 a.m. Look for Mars just below the limb of the moon on Saturday evening.
Venus and Saturn will be less than 5 degrees apart from one another in the predawn skies this week, both rising around 4:45 a.m., two hours before sunrise.
Mercury is moving back towards the sun after greatest elongation last week and is rising at 5:45 a.m., an hour before sunrise.
In space anniversaries this week, Tuesday April 29 marks 40 years since the launch of the space shuttle Challenger on mission STS-51-B carrying the European Space Agency’s Spacelab module. Fourteen of the fifteen primary experiments on Spacelab were successfully carried out, among them – two fluid physics experiments, two materials sciences experiments, and an array of life sciences experiments. The mission landed at Edwards Air Force Base on May 6 after seven days on orbit.
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. This week will be the final week of viewing at PMA for the spring semester.
Public viewing at the Painter Hall Telescope has finished for the spring 2025 semester. Viewing at Painter will resume in the fall semester.
Thank you for calling the University of Texas Skywatchers Report.
