Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday October 7 through Sunday October 13.
The moon is at first quarter on Thursday October 10th, so we’ll start the week with a waxing crescent moon and finish with a waxing gibbous moon.
Mercury is emerging from solar conjunction into our evening skies but is still too close to the sun to see this week.
Venus is shining brightly in the west-southwest in the early evening skies and is setting at 8:45 p.m. at midweek.
Saturn is up in the southeast after sunset and is setting at 5:00 a.m. so it is still visible for most of the night after last month’s opposition.
Jupiter is rising at 10:30 p.m. as it heads towards opposition in early December.
Mars is rising at 12:40 a.m. and is currently at 0.4 magnitude and 8 arcseconds in size. Mars and Earth are currently drawing closer together as the planets move towards our next closest approach to one another in January 2025.
In space anniversaries this week, Sunday October 13 marks 30 years since the end of the Magellan mission to Venus, which concluded with the spacecraft deorbiting and burning up in the planet’s atmosphere. Launched in 1989 from the Space Shuttle Atlantis, Magellan orbited Venus for over four years and in that time, it mapped nearly the entire surface of the planet using radar that could penetrate the thick Venusian atmosphere.
Public viewing at the 16-inch reflector on top of 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 time.
Thank you for calling the University of Texas Skywatchers Report.
