Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday July 15 through Sunday July 21.
The full moon for the month of July occurs in the early morning hours of Sunday the 21st, so we’ll have a waxing gibbous moon for most of the week. This full moon is known as the Hay Moon, the Thunder Moon, and the Apollo Moon.
Venus is still low in the west after sunset and is setting at 9:20 p.m. at midweek, about 50 minutes after sunset.
Mercury is still moving away from the Sun and is setting at 10 p.m. at midweek, about an hour and a half after sunset.
A little later in the evening, Saturn is rising at 11:15 p.m. as it works its way back into our early evening skies and opposition in a little under two months. Mars rises next at 2:40 a.m. and Jupiter follows at 3:30 a.m.
In space anniversaries this week, Tuesday July 16 marks 55 years since the launch of the Saturn V rocket carrying the three Apollo 11 crew members to the moon. The mission entered lunar orbit three days later and the following day, July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to land on the Moon while Command Module Pilot Michael Collins remained in orbit. Armstrong and Aldrin spent just under a day on the Moon, making 2 and a half hours of EVAs on the lunar surface before returning to orbit and docking with Collins in the command module. The crew return to Earth on July 24, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean where they were recovered by the USS Hornet.
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.
