Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday June 12th through Sunday June 18th.
The moon is at third quarter early on Saturday the 17th so we'll have a waning gibbous moon for most of this week and start into a waning crescent phase by the end of the weekend.
Mars is now only visible for a short time after sunset as it heads towards conjunction with the sun next month. Mars is setting at 9:30 p.m. this week.
Jupiter is high in the south at nightfall and is setting at 2:40 a.m. at midweek.
Saturn is at opposition on Thursday morning so it will rise at sunset and set at sunrise and is visible for the entire night.
Venus is rising shortly before 4 a.m. and is shining brightly in the predawn sky.
Mercury is up just half an hour before sunrise and is lost in the sun's glare as it heads towards conjunction with the sun next week.
Public viewing at the 16-inch reflector on top of Robert Lee Moore Hall is on Wednesday nights from 9:00 to 10:30 p.m. this summer. 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.
Due to staffing issues, viewing at the Painter Hall telescope may not occur every Friday and Saturday this summer. The schedule will be updated on our website at outreach.as.utexas.edu. Click on the top link for the Public Viewing on UT Campus Telescopes and then choose the link for Painter Hall.
When Painter Hall is open the hours will be from 9:00 to 10:30 p.m. this summer. 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.
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. This line will be updated on Friday afternoons for any weekend that we will not have Painter Hall viewing.
Thank you for calling the University of Texas Skywatchers Report.
