Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers' Report for August 2nd to the 8th.
The moon is at third quarter on Friday night.
Jupiter is still bright in the west and is setting at around 10:15 p.m. this week and Venus still dominates the morning skies in the east.
The Messenger mission to Mercury was delayed from its scheduled due to poor weather in Florida, but NASA will try to launch on Tuesday. Messenger is the first spacecraft in 30 years to study Mercury. Unlike the Mariner 10 mission, Messenger will eventually go into orbit around the innermost planet. To find out more about the mission log on to messenger.jhuapl.edu
For more skywatching tips for the week, check out stardate.org
The telescope at Robert Lee Moore Hall is open on Wednesdays from 9 to 11 p.m. RLM is located on the southeast corner of Dean Keeton and Speedway. Take the elevators to the 17th floor and follow the signs to the telescope.
The Painter Hall telescope is open to the public on Fridays from 9 to 10 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 to 11 p.m. Painter Hall is located on 24th street about halfway between Speedway and Guadalupe.
Next week will be the final week of public viewing for the summer. Viewing will resume in September.
All events are free and open to all ages and no reservations are required. Observing events are weather permitting. Please call 232-4265 for weather cancellation information about 30 minutes before the star party start time. Note that star party times and availability change throughout the year. Please call this recording before planning a visit to the telescopes.
Thank you for calling the University of Texas Skywatchers' Report
