texas

skywatchers report


Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday July 18th through Sunday July 24th.

The moon is at last quarter on Wednesday the 20th so we’ll start the week with a waning gibbous moon and then have a waning crescent moon in the early morning skies for the second half of the week.

Mercury is setting just a few minutes after the sun as it begins to emerge from its solar conjunction late last week.

Saturn is rising at 9:50 p.m. and Jupiter follows rising at midnight. Look for Jupiter below the moon on Monday night. Mars is rising at 1:35 a.m. and will be to the left of the moon on Wednesday night. Venus is rising at 4:50 a.m., about two hours before sunrise.

In space anniversaries this week, Friday July 22nd marks 50 years since the Soviet Venera 8 mission became the second spacecraft to successfully land on the surface of Venus. The probe transmitted data for 50 minutes before succumbing to the harsh conditions on the Venusian surface.

And the next day, July 23rd, marks 50 years since the launch of the first satellite of the Landsat program. Landsat 1 was decommissioned 6 years later, but the Landsat program continues today and has taken millions of images of the Earth’s surface. Landsat 7, 8, and 9 are currently active and Landsat NeXt, which will be able to image the Earth in 25 spectral bands, is due to launch in 2029.

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.