texas

skywatchers report


Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday May 23rd through Sunday June 5th.

The moon was at third quarter on Sunday the 22nd and will reach new on Monday the 30th, so there will be a waning crescent moon all of that week. The moon will reach first quarter on Tuesday June 7th so there will be a waxing crescent moon in the early evening skies for the week of May 30th through June 5th.

All of the planets visible to the unaided eye are once again up in the pre-dawn skies, although Mercury will be emerging from conjunction and will be hard to pick out from the dawn twilight.

Saturn is rising at 1:50 a.m. on Monday May 23rd and will be up at 1:00 a.m. by June 5th.

Mars is rising at 3:30 a.m. on May 23rd and will be rising at 3:00 a.m. on June 5th. Jupiter is rising at 3:35 a.m. on the morning of the 23rd and at 2:50 a.m. by June 5th. Mars and Jupiter will be about half a degree apart on the morning of Sunday May 29th and the moon will be below and to the left of the pair on the morning of Wednesday the 25th.

Venus is rising at 4:40 a.m. on May 23rd and will be rising at 4:30 a.m. by June 5th. Look for Venus to the lower left of the moon on the 26th and to the upper right of the waning crescent moon on the 27th.

In space anniversaries this week, Tuesday May 24th marks 60 years since astronaut Scott Carpenter became the fourth American to travel to space when he launched into orbit on the Aurora 7 capsule as part of the Mercury program. Carpenter orbited the Earth three times and then splashed down northeast of Puerto Rico about 5 hours after launch and was recovered by the USS Intrepid. Carpenter then went on to participate in the Navy’s SEALAB project. As part of one of his missions Carpenter spent 28 days living on the ocean floor and conducted the first conversation between a person on the ocean floor and a person in space when he communicated with Gordon Cooper onboard the Gemini 5 in orbit.

Public viewing on UT campus telescopes has finished for the spring 2022 semester. Please check back in early June for information on the summer viewing schedule.

Thank you for calling the University of Texas Skywatchers Report.