ONLINE – General Meeting – February 2022

6:30 pm – Main Presentation

Title:  Hitchhiker’s Guide to Hot Jupiters

Presentation:  Dr. Megan Mansfield will present on Hot Jupiters; gas giant exoplanets (planets outside the Solar System) that are similar in size to Jupiter. However, the scorching hot temperatures of Hot Jupiters go as high as several thousand degrees. That makes their chemistry very unlike that of the Solar System’s Jupiter. For example, a typical Hot Jupiter might be warm enough for it to rain liquid iron instead of water. In her talk, Dr. Mansfield will describe some of the unique properties of Hot Jupiters. She’ll also share Hubble Space Telescope observations of Hot Jupiters which give information on the properties of their atmospheres. And she will describe how these observations were used to construct a “field guide” to Hot Jupiters, to help researchers learn more about these unique planets, including how they formed.

Bio:  Megan Mansfield is originally from Des Moines, Iowa. She went to college at MIT and graduate school at the University of Chicago before moving to Tucson to become a NASA Sagan Fellow at the University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory. She works with Daniel Apai, using both ground-based and space-based telescopes to study the atmospheres of exoplanets. Outside of work, she enjoys running, making music, and hanging out with her cats, Orion and Luna.

7:15 pm – TAAA’s Policy on Working with Minors Training

TAAA President Mae Smith and Star Party Manager Jim Knoll will present the Triennial requirement for TAAA’s Policy on Working with Minors. This training is required for members participating in the School/Nonprofit Star Party program, the Tucson Stargazing Adventures paid star party program, and any members that might be involved in educational or telescope programs in remote locations such as the Chiricahua Astronomy Complex (CAC) or at TIMPA. This training is recommended for all other TAAA members and is a good opportunity to broaden knowledge of TAAA programs and policies. The presentation will provide policy background and review circumstances that may be experienced when conducting these educational outreach programs. It will also review the five activity levels and provide an opportunity to seek clarification or ask questions. Estimated training time is 45 minutes. (Note that this is Fundamentals Training, which covers most common TAAA activities with minors. An Advanced Training will be announced when offered.)