Monthly Archives: August 2023

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Classes and Workshops

TAAA hosts numerous classes and workshops for Members Only throughout the year.

Practical Astronomy – Workshop 1 – Star Hopping

Open for Enrollment

Place: TIMPA Date/Time: Thursday, October 19, 2023, 5:45 PM until completed

Synopsis: This is the first workshop in the practical astronomy workshop series. It will teach Star Hopping. The students will be taught the proper star hopping technique and equipment usage. Each student will use the supplied equipment to locate at least 2 targets (maybe more if time permits). By the end of the workshop the student will know what equipment to use and how to use it in order to locate targets using star hopping.

Practical Astronomy Workshop 2 – Constellation Locating and Identification – open for enrollment

Place: TIMPA Date: Tuesday, December 5th, 2023 Time: 6:30 PM until completed

Synopsis: This is the second workshop in the practical astronomy workshop series. It will teach how to locate and identify constellations. The students will be taught how to locate and identify the constellations without having to memorize the night sky. Each student will use the supplied equipment to locate several constellations. Students will learn how to use a planisphere and star atlas to locate constellations without memorizing the sky. This program provides the methodology for the observing requirements of the Astronomical League Northern Constellation Observing Award.

If interested you can register Below or contact the instructor Douglas Smith at: alcor@tucsonastronomy.org

PLEASE NOTE: due to equipment limitations there is a strict limit of 20 students for this workshop.

TAAA hosts numerous classes and workshops for Members Only throughout the year.

Upcoming Workshops Open for Pre-enrollment

Several workshops are being planned for the fall 2023/winter 2024 time frame.

• A Sketching/Logging workshop will be offered.

• A Constellation identification/locating workshop will be offered. Dates/Times are still TBD. They will be announced in the bulletin as soon as they are set.

If you are interested in enrolling in any of these workshops or would like additional information contact the TAAA Astronomical League Correspondent (ALCOR) at the information listed below.

TAAA ALCOR – Douglas Smith; Phone: 520-396-3233; E-mail: alcor@emergency

Experience the Sky

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Classes and Workshops
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32 inch Cassegrain Project

Planets of the Month: August 2023

By Erich Karkoschka

Mercury is visible around 8 pm in the west until August 16th.

Mars is about 5 degrees to the upper left during this time, just a little dimmer, but still visible since it is higher up. By the end of the month it becomes hard to find. It will reappear in March 2024. During the first week of August, both planets are best visible. Around the 13th, they are closest together.

Saturn in Aquarius is visible all night since it is at opposition on the 27th. Its rings are narrow, 43″ x 6″ in extent.

Jupiter in Aries rises now before midnight, outshining all stars and other planets.

Venus rises up to become visible starting on the 18th during dawn. It is obvious by the 31st, when a 10 percent illuminated crescent shows up in binoculars. Venus is near the head of Hydra, where other planets do not go.

The moon occults Antares on the 24th between 7:03 and 7:58 pm AZ Time in Tucson. The disappearance is a few minutes after sunset, when it is easily visible in binoculars and impressive in a telescope near the half moon. It occurs at the dark side of the moon which is not visible during bright twilight. The reappearance is at the bright limb, when the sky is dark.

The Perseids are active until mid-month, visible without moonlight. The maximum is the night of the 12th, morning of the 13th. Best viewed under dark skies at the peak after midnight on the morning of the 13th. Look toward the east. The meteors will appear to emanate from the constellation Perseus. The parent comet is Swift-Tuttle (16 miles/26 kilometers across).