Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers' Report for September 3rd through the 8th.
The new moon for the month of September occurs on the evening of the 6th.
Early risers can catch the moon shortly before the new phase paired up with a very bright Jupiter on the morning of the 4th.
When the slim crescent moon re-appears in the western sky after going through the new phase, it will pass Mercury on the evening of the 8th and Venus on the 9th.
This week marks the 25th anniversary of the launch of the Voyager 1 spacecraft. The spacecraft is currently the most distant human-made object from Earth, passing the previous record holder, Pioneer 10, in 1998 and is currently over 12 billion kilometers from the Sun. Both Voyage1 and its twin Voyager 2 continue to operate and send back data on the outermost reaches of our solar system. To learn more about the Voyager project, go to voyager.jpl.nasa.gov
The telescope at Robert Lee Moore hall is open to the public on Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. The building 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.
The telescope at Painter hall is open on Fridays for UT students, faculty and staff from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. and Saturdays are open to the general public from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. Painter Hall is located on 24th street about half way between Speedway and Guadalupe.
All events are free and open to all ages and no reservations are required. Observing events are weather permitting.
Please note that star party times change throughout the year. Please call this recording to check times before planning a visit to the telescopes.
Thank you for calling the University of Texas Skywatcher's Report.
