HYBRID – General Meeting – March 2023

6:30 pm – Main Presentation

TITLE:  The Sky at Night – Easy enjoyment from your backyard

PRESENTATION:  Avid stargazer and amateur astronomer, Tim Hunter, will talk about his recently published book, The Sky At Night (University of Arizona Press); how it came about from 750 Sky Spy astronomy columns—15 years worth—in Thursday’s Caliente, the Arizona Daily Star’s  weekly entertainment section. Learn about his adventures, both the joys and aggravations, of being an astronomy columnist, including some of his most memorable mistakes and foibles.  Tim will also discuss what it takes to write and get a book into print; the pros and cons of different paths to publishing. He will donate several copies of The Sky At Night to TAAA.

BIO:  Tim Hunter has been an amateur astronomer since 1950, and is the owner of two observatories, the 3towers Observatory and the Grasslands Observatory (http://www.3towers.com). In his own words, he is also “a prime example of someone whose hobby has run amok, spending more time and money on it than common sense would dictate.” Tim has been the President of the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association, Inc. (TAAA) and a member of the TAAA since 1975. He is also the immediate past Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Planetary Science Institute (PSI). Since 1986, Tim Hunter has been interested in the growing problem of light pollution. In 1987, he and Dr. David Crawford founded the International Dark-Sky Association, Inc. (IDA). IDA is a nonprofit corporation devoted to promoting quality outdoor lighting and combatting the effects of light pollution. And since 2007, Tim has written the weekly “Sky Spy” column for the Caliente Section of the Arizona Daily Star for 16 years. Asteroid 6398 is named Timhunter.