Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Tuesday September 2nd through Sunday September 7th.
The full moon for the month of September occurs on Sunday the 7th, so we’ll have a waxing gibbous moon most of this week. This full moon is known as the Fruit Moon, the Green Corn Moon, and the Barley Moon.
With this full moon, some parts of the Earth will see a lunar eclipse, although North America will miss out on this one, but livestreams will be available from several locations.
Mars is still low in the west-southwest at sundown and is setting at 9:30 p.m., over an hour and a half after the sun.
Over in the east, Saturn is rising at 8:40 p.m. as it heads toward opposition in a couple of weeks.
Jupiter is rising at 3 a.m. and is still near the stars Castor and Pollux in the constellation Gemini the Twins.
Venus is rising at 4:45 a.m., still over two hours before sunrise.
Mercury is rising at 6:30 a.m. at midweek, just 40 minutes before the sun as it heads towards solar conjunction next week.
Public viewing at the Physics, Math, and Astronomy building is on Wednesday nights currently from 8 to 10 p.m. 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.
Public viewing at the 9-inch refractor at Painter Hall is on Friday and Saturday nights currently from 8 to 10 p.m. Painter Hall is located on 24th street about halfway between Speedway and Guadalupe and is northeast of the UT Tower. Take the elevator to the 5th floor then take the stairs up to the 6th floor 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 times.
Thank you for calling the University of Texas Skywatchers Report.
