Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association

Agua Caliente Park Stargazing
2021-10-23 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Phoenix) | Agua Caliente Park, 12325 E Roger Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85749, United States
Star Party-Agua Caliente Park
Tucson, AZ (Northeast)
Viewing Location: Bus Lanes @ North end of Parking Lot
Information: Great dark skies in Northeast Tucson. Star Party open to the Public. Cost: FREE. Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association will have several telescopes for astronomical viewing. We will observe Planets, Nebulae, Galaxies, Star Clusters and lots more. Great opportunity to look through a variety of telescopes. Park gate may close before event end time, so arrive as close to start time as possible. Weather dependent. For real-time updates, follow this event on the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association Facebook Events Page (https://www.facebook.com/TucsonAstronomy/).
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Please visit the following link to register for the event: https://october_stagazing_aguacalientepark.eventbrite.com.

Virtual Star Party Stargazing
2021-10-29 19:00 - 21:00 | ONLINE
Join Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association for a Virtual tour of the Night Sky. We will explore planets, Nebulae, Star Clusters, Galaxies, and much more. The event will be streamed from our Facebook Page (TAAA Facebook)

ONLINE - General Meeting – November 2021
2021-11-05 18:30 - 20:00 | ONLINE
TAAA’s next general member meeting will be held online, on Friday, November 5, 2021. The Main Presentation starts at 6:30 P.M. NON-MEMBERS may attend via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TucsonAstronomy/. MEMBERS should attend the meeting via Zoom.
6:30 pm – Main Presentation
Title: David Levy’s two astronomy careers: Rewards and Challenges
Presentation: Over the course of the last 60 years, David Levy has followed two different paths to the night sky. In his own words, “One is the observing, the search for comets, which includes the discoveries of 21 comets including Shoemaker-Levy 9. The other relates the night sky to English Literature. This lecture will cover the joys and the challenges of this double-pronged approach to the night sky, in which the first grabs my heart, and the second touches my soul.”
Presenter: David Levy is arguably one of the most enthusiastic and famous amateur astronomers of our time. Although he has never taken a class in astronomy, he has written over three dozen books, written for three astronomy magazines and appeared on television programs featured on the Discovery and the Science Channels. Among David’s accomplishments are 23 comet discoveries, the most famous being Shoemaker-Levy 9 that collided with Jupiter in 1994, a few hundred shared asteroid discoveries, an Emmy for the documentary Three Minutes to Impact, five honorary doctorates in Science and a PhD which combines astronomy and English Literature. Currently, he is the editor of the web magazine Sky’s Up!, and has a monthly column, Skyward, in the Vail Voice community newspaper. David continues to hunt for comets and asteroids, and lectures worldwide.

Empire Ranch Solar
2021-11-06 10:00 - 2021-11-07 16:00 | Empire Ranch, E Empire Ranch Road, Sonoita, AZ, United States
Saturday November 6 and Sunday November 7 — SE TUCSON [SONOITA] (SOLAR (all day)
Empire Ranch Cowboy Festival
Highyway 83 SE of Tucson approximately 20 miles
Age/Grade Level: All Ages
# Participants: 300
Solar Observing throughout the day / Other Festival activities.
Nearest Moon Phase: N/A
Directions: East on I-10 to Highway 83. South on Highway 83 approximately 18 miles to paved road on left between miles post 40 & 39 (watch for brown Historic Empire Ranch sign). East on raod and follow for 3 miles to Empire Ranch House.
Viewing Location: TBD.

Tucson Mountain Park Ironwood Picnic Stargazing
2021-11-06 18:30 - 20:30, 2022-03-26 19:00 - 21:00 | Ironwood Picnic, 7300 W Hal gras Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85735, United States
Star Party-Tucson Mountain Park Ironwood Picnic Area
Tucson, AZ (West)
Viewing Location: Second Restroom area approximately 3/4 of the way in on Hal Gras Road.
Information: Great dark skies in Western Tucson. Star Party open to the Public. Cost: FREE. Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association will have several telescopes for astronomical viewing. We will observe Planets, Nebulae, Galaxies, Star Clusters and lots more. Great opportunity to look through a variety of telescopes. Weather dependent. For real-time updates, follow this event on the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association Facebook Events Page (https://www.facebook.com/TucsonAstronomy/).
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Check back here for the link as we get closer.

ONLINE – Astronomy Fundamentals Meeting – November 2021
2021-11-11 18:30 - 20:00 | ONLINE
Constellation of the Month:
Libra and Norma
Presenter: Peter Hermes

Peter Hermes will be presenting Libra and Norma for the constellation of the month.
Main Presentation:
None
Presenter:

We do not have a main topic presenter this month.

Stargazing at Elfrida Library, Cochise County
2021-11-13 19:00 - 20:30 | Elfrida Library, 10552 N Hwy 191, Elfrida, AZ, 85610, United States
Join TAAA and the Elfrida Library for an evening of stargazing at the Elfrida Library, Elfrida, AZ. We will have a couple TAAA telescopes and the Library will have their tabletop library telescope available for patrons to get familiar with so you can check it out in the future.

Chiricahua Astronomy Complex Observing
2021-11-26 18:30 - 20:30, 2021-12-27 18:30 - 20:30 | Chiricahua Astronomy Complex, 9315 E Perseus Way, Pearce, AZ, 85625, United States
Come join us for an evening of observing at our Chiricahua Astronomy Complex (CAC), 100 miles southeast of Tucson near the Chiricahua Mountains. CAC is an incredibly dark site with several large telescopes. The number of telescopes used will depend on the number of participants. Cost is only $50/adult and $25/child under 15. For reservations and additional information, visit our Tucson Stargazing Adventures or select Star Parties, Tucson Stargazing Adventures, Observing at our very dark site.

Agua Caliente Park Stargazing
2021-11-27 18:30 - 20:30, 2021-12-11 18:00 - 20:00 | Agua Caliente Park, 12325 E Roger Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85749, United States
Star Party-Agua Caliente Park
Tucson, AZ (Northeast)
Viewing Location: Bus Lanes @ North end of Parking Lot
Information: Great dark skies in Northeast Tucson. Star Party open to the Public. Cost: FREE. Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association will have several telescopes for astronomical viewing. We will observe Planets, Nebulae, Galaxies, Star Clusters and lots more. Great opportunity to look through a variety of telescopes. Park gate may close before event end time, so arrive as close to start time as possible. Weather dependent. For real-time updates, follow this event on the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association Facebook Events Page (https://www.facebook.com/TucsonAstronomy/).
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Check back here for the link as we get closer.

ONLINE – General Meeting – December 2021
2021-12-03 18:30 - 20:00 | ONLINE
6:30 pm – Main Presentation
Title: Constructing SAM; a Mars Habitat at Biosphere 2
Presentation: Kai Staats, Director of the Space Analog for the Moon and Mars (SAM) will talk about this hermetically sealed habitat being built at the University of Arizona Biosphere 2 to simulate living conditions on Mars. The SAM pressure vessel incorporates a greenhouse and crew quarters with workshop, kitchen, common area, sleeping accommodations and airlock into the adjacent Mars yard. The greenhouse provides hydroponic and soil-based growing environments, controlled lighting, humidity, heating and cooling. Other support systems provide clean air and water. The adjacent half acre is a replica of a Martian landscape. Pressure suits, rovers, and drones can be tested over varied terrain and obstacles. The first teams are scheduled for May 2022. Kai will describe SAM’s core science research objectives, and share photos and stories about the construction process.
Presenter: Kai Statts, science researcher, filmmaker, and writer and a veteran developer of platforms for research and science education. He was co-founder and CEO of the world-renowned Yellow Dog Linux (YDL) operating system for ten years. The YDL platform was used in Department of Energy, NASA, and University research across a full spectrum of sciences. Kai wrote the machine learning algorithm Karoo GP which has been used at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) for classification of glitches and supernovae; and was principal designer of the Mt. Meru Astronomical Observatory in Tanzania, the first of its kind in East Africa.
At Arizona State University Kai led the development of SIMOC, a research-grade computer simulation and educational interface hosted by National Geographic that enables citizen scientists to explore the complexity of a human habitat on Mars. At Biosphere 2, Kai and his team are taking the next big step by building SAM.
Of special interest to TAAA, many years ago, Kai was president of the Phoenix Astronomical Society where he first met David Levy, who remains a dear friend today.

Tucson Mountain Park Ironwood Picnic Stargazing
2021-12-04 18:00 - 20:00 | Ironwood Picnic, 7300 W Hal gras Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85735, United States
Star Party-Tucson Mountain Park Ironwood Picnic Area
Tucson, AZ (West)
Viewing Location: Second Restroom area approximately 3/4 of the way in on Hal Gras Road.
Information: Great dark skies in Western Tucson. Star Party open to the Public. Cost: FREE. Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association will have several telescopes for astronomical viewing. We will observe Planets, Nebulae, Galaxies, Star Clusters and lots more. Great opportunity to look through a variety of telescopes. Weather dependent. For real-time updates, follow this event on the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association Facebook Events Page (https://www.facebook.com/TucsonAstronomy/).

ONLINE – Astronomy Fundamentals Meeting – December 2021
2021-12-09 18:30 - 20:00 | ONLINE
Constellation of the Month:
None
Presenter:

We do not have a constellation of the month for this meeting.
Main Presentation:
Classifying Star Types
Presenter: Connor Justice

Our only topic for the night will be Classifying Star Types by Connor Justice.

ONLINE – General Meeting – January 2022
2022-01-07 18:30 - 20:00 | ONLINE
6:30 pm – Main Presentation
Title: Dark Skies in Southern Arizona: Past, Present and Future
Presentation: John Barentine, astronomer, historian, and policy-maker will present on the global dark-skies movement. That the movement effectively began in the Tucson area, is no surprise given its long astronomical history. In his presentation, John will review regional achievements to date and the challenges we face in the coming decade that involve the balance of managing growth and sustaining astronomy’s contribution to the local economy. Lastly, he will touch on satellite ‘megaconstellations’, an issue not limited to our region, but of increasing concern to professional and amateur astronomers alike.
Presenter: John Barentine is the Principal Consultant at Dark Sky Consulting, LLC, and was formerly the Director of Public Policy for the International Dark-Sky Association. He earned a Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Texas at Austin, and previously held staff positions at the National Solar Observatory, Apache Point Observatory, and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Throughout his career, he has been involved in educating the public about science. He is a member of the American Astronomical Society and the International Astronomical Union, and is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. The asteroid (14505) Barentine is named in his honor. His interests outside of astronomy and light pollution research include history, art and architecture, politics, law and current events.
7:15 pm – Seasonal Night Sky Presentation
Mary Turner will present her popular Seasonal Night Sky Presentation.

Agua Caliente Park Stargazing
2022-01-08 18:30 - 20:30 | Agua Caliente Park, 12325 E Roger Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85749, United States
Viewing Location: Bus Lanes @ North end of Parking Lot
Information: Great dark skies in Northeast Tucson. Star Party open to the Public. Cost: FREE. Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association will have several telescopes for astronomical viewing. We will observe Planets, Nebulae, Galaxies, Star Clusters and lots more. Great opportunity to look through a variety of telescopes. Park gate may close before event end time, so arrive as close to start time as possible. Weather dependent. For real-time updates, follow this event on the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association Facebook Events Page (https://www.facebook.com/TucsonAstronomy/).
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Eventbrite Registration

ONLINE – Astronomy Fundamentals Meeting – January 2022
2022-01-13 18:30 - 20:00 | ONLINE
Constellation of the Month:
None
Presenter:

We do not have a constellation of the month for this meeting.
Main Presentation:
Asterisms
Presenter: Peter Hermes

Peter Hermes will discuss various asterisms, (which is a pattern or group of stars).

Stargazing at Canoa Ranch
2022-01-14 18:00 - 20:00 | Canoa Ranch, 5375 S I-19 Frontage Road, Green Valley, AZ, 85622, United States
Join the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association and Pima County Natural Resources Parks and Recreation for an evening of stargazing at Historic Canoa Ranch. Canoa Ranch is located south of Tucson along I-19 at 5375 S I-19 Frontage Road. Event will go from 6 – 8 pm. Pre-Registration is required. Go to https://www.eventbrite.com/ and search for Stargazing Canoa Ranch to register.

Tucson Mountain Park Ironwood Picnic Stargazing
2022-01-22 18:30 - 20:30 | Ironwood Picnic, 7300 W Hal gras Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85735, United States
Star Party-Tucson Mountain Park Ironwood Picnic Area
Tucson, AZ (West)
Viewing Location: Second Restroom area approximately 3/4 of the way in on Hal Gras Road.
Information: Great dark skies in Western Tucson. Star Party open to the Public. Cost: FREE. Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association will have several telescopes for astronomical viewing. We will observe Planets, Nebulae, Galaxies, Star Clusters and lots more. Great opportunity to look through a variety of telescopes. Weather dependent. For real-time updates, follow this event on the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association Facebook Events Page (https://www.facebook.com/TucsonAstronomy/).
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Event Registration

ONLINE – General Meeting – February 2022
2022-02-04 18:30 - 20:00 | ONLINE
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.)

Catalina State Park Stargazing
2022-02-05 19:00 - 21:00 | Catalina State Park, 11570 N Oracle Rd, Catalina, AZ, United States
Star Party-Catalina State Park
Tucson, AZ
Viewing Location: Trailhead Picnic area at end of road inside the park.
Information: Great dark skies just north of Tucson at Catalina State Park. Star Party open to the Public. Admission cost for entrance into Catalina State Park. Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association will have 10 telescopes for astronomical viewing. We will observe Planets, Nebulae, Galaxies, Star Clusters and lots more. Great opportunity to look through a wide variety of telescopes. Weather dependent. For real-time updates, follow this event on the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association Facebook Events Page (https://www.facebook.com/TucsonAstronomy/).
Additional details will be posted here and on Facebook as we get closer to the event.

ONLINE – Astronomy Fundamentals Meeting – February 2022
2022-02-10 18:30 - 20:00 | ONLINE
Constellation of the Month:
None
Presenter:

We do not have a constellation of the month for this meeting.
Main Presentation:
Uncommon Star Types Like Pulsar’s
Presenter: ???

Our only topic for the night will be a continuation of our recent topic on Star classification about the uncommon star types like pulsar’s.

Tucson Star Party
2022-02-12 18:30 - 21:00 | Pima Community College East, 8181 E Irvington Rd, Tucson, AZ, United States
Join the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (TAAA) in conjunction with Editors from the Astronomy Magazine and Pima Community College East for an evening of stargazing. We will observe planets, star clusters, multiple star systems, nebulae, galaxies, and lots more through several telescopes. Observing will be at the south end of the PCC East Campus near the astronomy domes. Follow our Facebook event for any real-time updates or adjustments due to weather at: TAAA Facebook Events page

Stargazing at Historic Canoa Ranch
2022-02-18 18:30 - 20:30, 2022-03-11 19:00 - 21:00 | Canoa Ranch, 5375 S I-19 Frontage Road, Green Valley, AZ, 85622, United States
Join the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (TAAA) and Pima County Natural Resources Parks and Recreation for some stargazing at Historic Canoa Ranch. We will observe planets, star clusters, multiple star systems, nebulae, galaxies, and lots more. Registration is required. Go to Eventbright and search for stargazing Canoa Ranch.

Virtual Stargazing
2022-02-19 19:00 - 21:00 | ONLINE
Join Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association for a Virtual tour of the Night Sky. We will explore planets, Nebulae, Star Clusters, Galaxies, and much more. The event will be streamed from our Facebook Page (TAAA Facebook). You can follow our Facebook event for any weather and other updates. FREE.
Check Facebook or back here closer to the event for any updates.

ONLINE – General Meeting – March
2022-03-04 18:30 - 20:00 | ONLINE
6:30 pm – Main Presentation
Title: Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics in the 2020’s: The Astro2020 Decadal Survey
Presentation: Every 10 years Congress charges the National Academy of Sciences with undertaking a survey of Astronomy and Astrophysics over the coming decade. The “Astro2020 Survey”, carried out by a main survey committee and roughly a dozen expert sub-panels, identified the most compelling scientific questions to be addressed, and recommended a comprehensive strategy by the National Science Foundation ( NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) to address those objectives. This survey—in which several Arizona astronomers participated—also fully addressed, for the first time, the state of the astronomy profession and its societal impacts. Dr. Kennicutt’s talk will cover some of the highlights from the report (released last November), followed by time for questions and discussion.
Bio: Robert Kennicutt studies observational extragalactic astronomy, and holds part-time faculty positions at Steward Observatory and Texas A&M University. He has worked at the University of Arizona since 1988, with a break in 2005-2017 to serve as the Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy at the University of Cambridge. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of London, the Royal Astronomical Society, the American Astronomical Society, and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Along with Fiona Harrison at Caltech, he co-chaired the Astro2020 Decadal Survey.

ONLINE – Astronomy Fundamentals Meeting – March 2022
2022-03-10 18:30 - 20:00 | ONLINE
Constellation of the Month:
None
Presenter:

We do not have a constellation of the month for this meeting.
Main Presentation:
Uncommon Star Types Like Pulsars
Presenter: ???

Due to a lack of attendees, our main topic from last month has been reschedule to this month. Our discussion will be a continuation of our recent topic on Star classification, and cover uncommon star types like pulsars.

Agua Caliente Park Stargazing
2022-03-12 19:00 - 21:00 | Agua Caliente Park, 12325 E Roger Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85749, United States
Viewing Location: Bus Lanes @ North end of Parking Lot
Information: Great dark skies in Northeast Tucson. Star Party open to the Public. Cost: FREE. Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association will have several telescopes for astronomical viewing. We will observe Planets, Nebulae, Galaxies, Star Clusters and lots more. Great opportunity to look through a variety of telescopes. Park gate may close before event end time, so arrive as close to start time as possible. Weather dependent. For real-time updates, follow this event on the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association Facebook Events Page (https://www.facebook.com/TucsonAstronomy/).
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Check back here for the link as we get closer.
