Members, friends and relatives enjoy and evening under the dark skies of the Chiricahua Astronomy Complex to celebrate the opening of the buildings in the new Learning Center.
The buildings include a classroom, a kitchenette, 4 restrooms and 10 sleeping rooms making overnight stays at the site an ease.
Several TAAA members traveled to Roswell New Mexico to view the 2023 Annular Eclipse. Roswell was along the centerline. While in Roswell, we did an outreach event for those in the area.
Pictures of the Eclipse from Bernie Stinger using a Lunt 60mm Ha Solar Scope.
Images of the Eclipse from Tom Sarko using a DSLR Camera with Solar Filter.
Several TAAA Members also supported the Flandrau Science Center on the University of Arizona in Tucson for a large outreach event showing the partial phase of the Annular Eclipse.
The members of the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association are fortunate to have access to two dark sites. One 100 miles to the South East of Tucson and one conveniently over the Tucson Mountains about 25 miles from the city at the site of the Tucson International Modelplex Association fields or TIMPA. The TIMPA site has provided members with an observing location protected from the city lights but accessible for an evening of viewing for many years.
The site includes restrooms, parking close to concrete observing pads, a 14 inch Meade telescope for trained member’s use, and on site telescopes available for loan to members, protected in a storage container.
The site is owned by the City of Tucson, and has been used by agreement by TAAA for over 25 years. It has been the site of Star Parties, Astro Imaging sessions, hosted our Astronomy Fundamentals Classes, and the ideal location for us to host observing Programs leading to awards earned by members through the Astronomical League. More details about TIMPA are available under TAAA Resources/Observing Sites
COMING SOON to the site will be a wonderful addition to the instruments at the site – a large 16 inch Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.
The Association shall be an educational, service, scientific, and technical organization devoted to the study of, and promotion of interest in, Astronomy and its related allied sciences.
We are a friendly group of individuals like you with a common interest in astronomy.
Holds monthly meetings on topics of interest to the budding astronomer as well as the seasoned veteran. This multifunctional group presents a basic astronomy course; sponsors workshops and guided observing programs.
This multi-faceted group reaches out to the public in many ways to share the awesomeness of our universe.
Members meet monthly to share their images and discuss astro imaging, hardware & software and the issues that may arise.
Monthly Bulletin: Members receive a monthly bulletin listing the events of the following month. The current Bulletin is available only to members.
Desert Skies Newsletter: A journal published quarterly that includes articles of interest on various astronomy topics.
The opportunity to learn and understand the magnificence and grandeur of the universe There are various services and programs available only to our members . Join us!
Brief glimpses of the awesomeness of the universe and the opportunity to enjoy the allure and elegance of the night sky through star parties and hands on activities. You’re invited!
Founded in 1954, we quickly grew to a group of 50 people known as the Tucson Amateur Astronomers (TAA). Activities then included tracking artificial satellites from a Moon Watch station at the U of A. The Moon Watch Program, coordinated by the Smithsonian Institution, helped the early US space-flight engineers perfect their science. Our Moon Watch station was recognized as one of the top three stations in the U.S. These activities led to a name change and we became the Tucson Astronomical and Astronautical Association (TAAA), a real tongue twister.
As the Moon Watch Program came to an end in the early 70s, our emphasis moved away from astronautics and focused on astronomy, but it wasn’t until 1978 that we became the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association. [Read More About Our History]
In 1987 we were incorporated as a 501c3 non-profit organization with the dedicated purpose of studying and promoting astronomy and its allied sciences.
Please help us further our goals.
