Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday March 9th through Sunday March 15th.

The moon is at third quarter early on Wednesday the 11th, so we’ll have a waning gibbous moon to start the week and a waning crescent moon for the second half the week.

Saturn is setting about 50 minutes after the sun this week as it heads towards solar conjunction later this month.

Venus continues to climb away from the sun and is setting over an hour after sunset, so you might start to be able to pick it out from the early evening twilight this week.

Jupiter is high overhead as the sky darkens after sunset and is setting at 4:15 a.m.

In the morning skies, Mars is rising at 7:10 a.m., about 35 minutes before the sun. Mercury is emerging from solar conjunction and is rising about 25 minutes before the sun at midweek.

In space anniversaries, this week we mark 40 years since five spacecraft, informally called the “Halley Armada” flew past the famous comet during its 1986 visit to the inner solar system. Satellites from Japan, France, the USSR, and the European Space Agency observed the comet at varying distances, with the ESA Giotto spacecraft coming withing 600 kilometers of the comet.

And 20 years ago on March 10th, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter entered orbit around the Red Planet, where it continues to operate today.

Public viewing at 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.

There will be no viewing at PMA on March 18 during Spring Break.

Additionally, there will be no viewing at the Painter Hall telescope on March 13 &14 and March 20 & 21 over Spring Break.

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.