texas

skywatchers report


Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday June 17 through Sunday June 23.

The full moon for the month of June is on Friday the 21st, so we’ll have a waxing gibbous moon for the work week and start the waning gibbous phase over the weekend. This full moon is known as the Flower Moon, the Strawberry Moon, the Rose Moon, and the Honey Moon.

Venus and Mercury are both now back in our evening skies, but they are still too close to the Sun to see as they still emerge from solar conjunction.

After midnight, Saturn rises at 1:10 a.m. at midweek and Mars follows at 3:25 a.m. Jupiter rounds out the naked eye planets, rising at 4:55 a.m.

The summer solstice for the northern hemisphere occurs at 3:51 p.m. on June 20 here in Austin and it will mark the longest amount of sunlight for the year. For Austin, it will be 14 hours and 6 minutes, compared to 10 hours and 11 minutes at the winter solstice in December.

In space anniversaries this week, Tuesday June 18th marks 15 years since the launch of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter with the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (or LCROSS). LCROSS collected and relayed data from the deliberate crash of the Centaur rocket’s upper stage into a crater near the south pole of the moon in order to detect water ice. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter’s main mission is to collect highly detailed data of the Moon’s surface in preparation for future robotic and human missions. LRO continues to operate in Lunar orbit.

Public viewing at the 16-inch reflector on top of the Physics, Math, and Astronomy building is on Wednesday nights from 9:00 to 10:30 p.m. this summer. 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.

There will be no public viewing at the Painter Hall Telescope this summer. Friday and Saturday night viewing at Painter Hall will resume in the fall semester.

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.