Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday March 24th through Sunday March 30th.

The moon is new on Saturday the 29th, so we’ll have a waning crescent moon in the early morning skies for most of the week and then start the waxing crescent phase at the weekend.

After the lunar eclipse at the full moon two weeks ago, the Earth, Moon, and Sun are still aligned enough for there to be a partial solar eclipse with this new moon. None of the eclipse will be visible in Texas, but the far northeastern part of the US will see it, along with eastern Canada, western Europe, and northwest Africa.

Mercury is in inferior conjunction with the Sun on Monday the 24th when it will pass between the Earth and the Sun and then will emerge into our morning skies for the next few weeks.

Jupiter is still high in the southwest at nightfall and is setting at 1:05 a.m. at midweek.

Mars is high overhead after sunset and is setting at 3:50 a.m. at midweek.

Venus and Saturn are both still emerging from the sun’s glare after conjunction and are rising less than an hour before the Sun.

In space anniversaries this week, Thursday March 27 marks 10 years since astronaut Scott Kelly launched to the International Space Station to begin his one year stay in space. While Scott Kelly lived in space, his identical twin, former astronaut Mark Kelly, was on Earth, giving researchers a unique opportunity to study how the human body reacts to prolonged time in microgravity.

Public viewing at the 16-inch reflector on top of the Physics, Math, and Astronomy building is on Wednesday nights now 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. Enter Painter Hall on the east side of the building at the "Celebrated Entrance", 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.