Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday April 13th through Sunday April 19th.

The new moon for the month of April is on Friday morning, so we’ll have a waning crescent moon in the early morning skies for the work week and start into the waxing crescent phase in the early evening skies this weekend.

Venus is shining brightly in the west at sunset and is setting at 9:50 p.m. at midweek. Look for the very thin crescent moon near Venus on Saturday and Sunday nights.

Jupiter is still very high in the southwest in the early evening and is setting at 2:05 a.m. at midweek.

Four planets and the waning crescent moon are clustered low in the morning skies, although it will be hard to see them most of the week because of their proximity to the Sun. By the end of the week, Mercury, Mars, and Saturn will all be within a couple of degrees of each other and rising almost an hour before sunrise, so you might be able to pick them out in the dawn twilight if you have a good view of the eastern horizon. Neptune is also in the mix, but you will need a telescope to see it.

An additional space anniversary from last week -Tuesday April 7th marked 25 years since the launch of the Mars Odyssey spacecraft, named in honor of the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. The mission entered orbit 6 months later where it continues to operate.

Public viewing at the Physics, Math, and Astronomy building is on Wednesday nights from 8:30 to 10:30 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 from 8:30 to 10:30 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. Next week will be the final week of public viewing at Painter Hall for the Spring 2026 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 star party status information, which is updated 30 to 45 minutes before the scheduled viewing start times.

Thank you for calling the University of Texas Skywatchers Report.