Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday May 14th through Sunday June 3rd.
The new moon for the month of May is on Tuesday the 15th and then there will be a waxing crescent moon in the early evening skies until the night of Monday May 21st when the moon reaches first quarter. From there, the moon will be waxing gibbous until it reaches full on Tuesday May 29th. The full moon for the month of May is known as the Milk Moon, the Flower Moon, and the Corn Moon. After the moon is full, it will go into the waning gibbous phase into the first week of June.
Venus continues to shine brightly in the west after sunset and it is setting later each evening as it continues to move away from the sun from the Earth's perspective. Venus is setting at 10:40 p.m. on May 14 and at 11:00 p.m. by May 28th.
Jupiter is up in the east-southeast at nightfall and is up for most of the night. Jupiter is about 7 degrees off the horizon at sunset on the 14th and is setting at 6:30 a.m. By May 28th, Jupiter is 21 degrees above the horizon at sunset and sets at 5:30 a.m.
Saturn is rising at 11:25 p.m. on May 14th and is rising at 10:30 p.m. by May 28th as it makes its way back into our early evening skies.
Mars continues to grow in size and brightness and is rising at 1 a.m. on May 14th when it is at magnitude -0.7 and 12.7 arcseconds in angular size. Two weeks later Mars will be up at 12:30 a.m. and will be at magnitude -1.1 in brightness and 14.7 arcseconds in angular size.
Mercury is up shortly before dawn as it moves back towards conjunction with the sun. The innermost planet is rising an hour before the sun on the 14th and is up just half an hour before sunrise on the 28th.
Public viewing on UT campus telescopes has finished for the spring semester. Summer session viewing will start in early-to-mid-June. Please check back for updates on starting dates and times.
Thank you for calling the University of Texas Skywatchers Report and have a happy and safe Memorial Day holiday.
