Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association

Agua Caliente Park Star Party
2019-05-04 19:30 - 21:30 (America/Phoenix) | Agua Caliente Park, 12325 E Roger Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85749, United States
Star Party-Agua Caliente Park
Tucson, AZ (Northeast)
Observing: 7:30 – 9:30 PM
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/).

Sanctuary Cove
2019-05-04 19:30 - 21:30 | Sanctuary Cove, 8001 N Scenic Dr, Tucson, AZ, 85743, United States
Astronomy event supporting Sanctuary Cove.

Oro Valley Public Library Star Party and Telescope Dedication
2019-05-09 16:30 - 19:00 | Oro Valley Public Library, 1305 W Naranja Dr, Oro Valley, AZ, 85737, United States
A Dedication Ceremony and Public Star Party supporting Oro Valley Public Library. The Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association will donate a small telescope for the Library to check out to patrons. We will have a short dedication ceremony at 4:30 followed by some daytime Moon Viewing through the new Library Telescope. Come check out the event then check out the telescope!!

Astronomy Fundamentals Meeting – May 2019
2019-05-09 18:30 - 20:30 | UA Education North Building, rm 110, 1501 E Speedway Blvd , Tucson, AZ, 85719, United States
Constellation of the Month:
Dorado and Mensa

Presenter: Doug Smith

Doug Smith will start the night with a talk about the southern constellations Dorado and Mensa..
Main Presentation:
The Caldwell Catalog
Presenter: Gus Gomez

For our main topic, Gus Gomez will be discussing The Caldwell Catalog.

Desert Museum Cool Summer Nights
2019-05-25 19:00 - 22:00, 2019-06-22 19:00 - 22:00 | Desert Museum, 2021 N Kinney Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85743, United States
Enjoy a cool summer night at the Desert Museum “Astronomy” Night. TAAA will have several telescopes around the Museum to view some amazing solar system and deep-sky objects. Viewing will be weather dependent. Follow Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association Facebook Event for real-time weather updates.

General Meeting – June 2019
2019-06-07 18:30 - 21:00 | UA Modern Languages Building, 1423 East University Blvd, Third Floor Auditorium (Room 350), Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States
NOTICE – NEW LOCATION!
6:30 pm – Introductory Presentation
Title: Kitt Peak Expanded Night Programs & Docent Opportunities
Speakers: Robert Wilson is the Nighttime Programs Coordinator for Kitt Peak Visitor Center, a member of TAAA since 2000, and a former TAAA Star Party Volunteer Coordinator. Gigi Giles is the new Volunteer & Membership Coordinator for Kitt Peak Visitor Center, and also a TAAA member.
Robert Wilson will talk about the exciting new night time programs at Kitt Peak for all levels of interest and expertise in astronomy. And Gigi Giles will speak about current opportunities for enthusiastic docent volunteers to lead daily tours of Kitt Peak’s telescopes.
7:30 pm – Main Presentation
Title: A History of the MMT Observatory; 40 Years of Innovation and Discovery
Speaker: Dr. Grant Williams is an astronomer and the current Director of the MMT Observatory on Mt. Hopkins, in Arizona. He holds a B.A. in Physics from the University of Buffalo (New York) and a PhD from Clemson University (South Carolina). Dr. Williams has been employed at the MMT Observatory since 2002, and began his appointment as its Director on January 1, 2011. His main research focuses on the study of high mass stars and supernovae.

The MMT telescope, located on Arizona’s Mount Hopkins, has been in operation for nearly four decades. During this time, the MMT has been a leader in developing new techniques and technologies for large observatories. The MMT was originally built with six 1.8 meter mirrors, and began operating in 1979 as the third largest telescope in the world. As castings of large mirrors became more possible, the array of small mirrors was replaced by one 6.5 meter mirror, which saw first light in 2000. With the MMT currently celebrating 40 years of astronomical usage, Dr. Williams presents the telescopes greatest innovations, both in design and in discoveries.

Evening Under the Stars
2019-06-08 19:15 - 22:00 | Chiricahua Astronomy Complex, 9315 E Perseus Way, Pearce, AZ, 85625, United States
Evening Under the Stars Observing at the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (TAAA) Chiricahua Astronomy Complex. Want to stargaze from a dark site where the band of the Milky Way is clearly visible across the sky? You see so many stars it is hard to pick out the constellations. Twice per year, we open our TAAA Chiricahua Astronomy Complex (Turkey Creek area near Chiricahua National Monument) to the public for an observing session. You can observe through a telescope with a 40″ mirror and see galaxies over 100 million light years away. We will have several large telescopes to observe with.
Our Spring “Evening Under the Stars” will be Saturday June 8th 2019. The gate will be open at 7:15 pm with activities starting 7:30 pm. Come join us for an exciting evening of astronomical observing. The site is about 90 minutes SE of Tucson near the Chiricahua National Monument. If you have friends/family that live in that area, let them know. The event is weather dependent. Reservations are required. Please email John Kalas at jckalas[at]cox.net by Tuesday June 4th for reservations and directions.

Astronomy Fundamentals Meeting – June 2019
2019-06-13 18:30 - 20:30 | UA Education North Building, rm 110, 1501 E Speedway Blvd , Tucson, AZ, 85719, United States
Constellation of the Month:
Eridanus

Presenter: Ralph Means

Ralph Means will start the night with a talk about the southern constellation Eridanus.
Main Presentation:
NASA’s Deep Space Network
Presenter: Connor Justice

For our main topic, Connor Justice will be discussing NASA’s Deep Space Network.

Vail Stargazing
2019-07-01 20:00 - 22:00 | Vail Lutheran Church, 14600 E Colossal Cave Rd, Vail, AZ, 85641, United States
Star Party supporting Vail community 4th of July Celebration. Observing will be behind the Vail Lutheran Church.

General Meeting – July 2019
2019-07-05 18:30 - 21:00 | UA Modern Languages Building, 1423 East University Blvd, Third Floor Auditorium (Room 350), Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States
NOTICE – NEW SUMMER LOCATION!
6:30 pm – Introductory Presentation
Title: Seasonal Night Sky Objects
Speaker: Mary Turner, PhD

Mary Turner, TAAA’s appointed Chief Observer, takes us on a tour of the summer night sky. As usual in her popular talks, Mary’s use of astronomical data, images, and mythology brings the seasonal changes in the sky to life.
7:30 pm – Main Presentation
Title: From Stars to the Laboratory: Stardust in the Solar System
Speaker: Pierre Haenecour, currently a Postdoctoral research associate, will join the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory in Fall ‘19 as an Assistant Professor. Pierre holds a B.S. and M.S. degree in Geochemistry from the Free University of Brussels (Belgium, 2010) and obtained a Ph.D. degree in Earth and Planetary Sciences from Washington University (St. Louis, 2016). His research background is in geochemistry and cosmochemistry, with his main focus being the building blocks and early history of the Solar System and the origin of life.

About 4.6 billion years ago, our Solar System formed from the collapse of a large molecular cloud composed of interstellar gas, ice, and dust. Although most of the original dust grains were destroyed during the Solar System’s early formation, a small portion remained intact inside asteroids and comets, and can be found today on Earth in some meteorite samples. These tiny pre-solar grains or stardust, formed in the ‘envelopes’ around stars or in material ejected by certain stellar explosions before the Solar System formed, are the only remnants of its original building blocks. Pierre will talk about pre-solar grains and present a case study on how coordinated laboratory analysis of these specks of dust provide constraints on their parent stars and formation histories.
Meeting Location
More About Location: This building is one block West of Steward Observatory. Go to West side of the round Observatory at Steward. Face West. You will be looking across a green mall area. The building on the West (direction you are facing) side of that green area is Modern Languages. It is a long building. Cross the green mall and proceed toward the South.

Elfrida, AZ Library Evening Stargazing
2019-07-09 20:00 - 21:30 | Elfrida Library, 10552 N Hwy 191, Elfrida, AZ, 85610, United States
An evening of Stargazing at the Elfrida Library in Elfrida, AZ (SE of Tucson in Cochise County). Event will include both Elfrida and Tombstone Libraries.

Elfrida Library Solar Observing
2019-07-11 11:30 - 12:30 | Elfrida Library, 10552 N Hwy 191, Elfrida, AZ, 85610, United States
A morning of observing the Sun at the Elfrida Library in Elfrida, AZ (SE of Tucson in Cochise County). Event will include both Elfrida and Tombstone Libraries.

Astronomy Fundamentals Meeting – July 2019
2019-07-11 18:30 - 20:30 | Tucson City Council Ward 6, 3202 E. 1st Street, Tucson, AZ, 85719, United States
NOTICE – NEW LOCATION!
Constellation of the Month:
Telescopium

Presenter: Ralph Means

Ralph Means will start the night with the southern constellation Telescopium.
Main Presentation:
Spaceflight History: Apollo 11
Presenter: Todd Baker

For our main topic, Todd Baker will be discussing Spaceflight History: Apollo 11.

Moon Viewing at Flandrau Planetarium
2019-07-13 19:30 - 22:00 | Flandrau Science Center, 1601 E University Blvd, Tucson, AZ, 85719, United States
An evening of Moon observing on the UA Mall just south of Flandrau Planetarium for the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo Moon Landing. Timing will be in the evening but has not yet been finalized.

General Meeting – August 2019
2019-08-02 18:30 - 21:00 | UA Modern Languages Building, 1423 East University Blvd, Third Floor Auditorium (Room 350), Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States
NOTICE – NEW SUMMER LOCATION!
6:30 pm – Introductory Presentation
Title: Two Talks: Personal Observatory and CAC Update
Speaker 1: David Klein, TAAA member, amateur astronomy and astrophotographer, will talk about developing and running his personal observatory in Tucson. His New World Observatory has a fully-automated Exploradome.
Speaker 2: Ed Foley, current board member at large and former Treasurer of TAAA will share an update on TAAA’s Gateway to the Galaxy capital campaign and building project at our dark site Chiricahua Complex (CAC).
7:30 pm – Main Presentation
Title: From Tucson to the Moon (And Beyond)
Speaker: Dr. William Hartmann is a noted planetary scientist, artist, and writer. He received his B.S. in physics from Pennsylvania State University and his M.S. in geology and PhD in astronomy from the University of Arizona. He is Senior Scientist Emeritus at Planetary Science Institute in Tucson; the author of several books, including science text books, popular science nonfiction, and novels; and an artist with paintings displayed at the National Air & Space Museum. For this presentation, Dr. Hartman will focus on stories from his work during the Apollo years at UA’s Lunar & Planetary Lab, as well as his current and future projects.
Dr. Hartmann will take us on a journey of exploration, presenting stories from his days as an amateur astronomer and later a grad student under Dr. Gerard Kuiper at UA’s Lunar & Planetary Lab, and including his own discoveries and theories about the moon. He will also talk about his involvement in the origin of Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii in the ‘60s, his 30 years of experience on imaging teams for Mars orbiter missions, his development of a dating process for Solar System objects, and much more. This is sure to be a fascinating talk.

Astronomy Fundamentals Meeting – August 2019
2019-08-08 18:30 - 20:30 | Tucson City Council Ward 6, 3202 E. 1st Street, Tucson, AZ, 85719, United States
NOTICE – NEW LOCATION!
Constellation of the Month:
Telescopium

Presenter: Ralph Means

Because this didn’t end up happening last month, Ralph Means will start the night with the southern constellation Telescopium.
Main Presentation:
Choose an Newtonian Telescope
Presenter: Alan Kleuse

For our main topic, Alan Kleuse will be showing us how to Choose an Newtonian Telescope.
Meeting Location
More About Location: This location is one block East of Country Club and one block South of Speedway Boulevard.
Parking: You may parallel park on the street or there is a small amount of parking on the South side of the Ward 6 building. You may also park in the south side of the Walgreen’s Parking lot (permission given by Walgreens).
Getting to Room: The front door is required to be locked during off hours, therefore enter the building on the SOUTH side (back). AFSIG will be meeting in the EAST room.

Spacefest STEAM
2019-08-09 09:00 - 12:00, 2019-08-10 09:00 - 12:00 | Starr Pass Resort, 3800 W Starr Pass Blvd, Tucson, 85745, United States
Join Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association for some Solar Observing in support of the annual Spacefest Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) event at JW Marriott starr Pass. The event will go from 9 am to 4 pm but solar observing will only be in the morning. Weather dependent.

Natural Grocers Solar
2019-08-15 08:00 - 12:00 | Natural Grocers, 7220 E Broadway Blvd, Tucson, AZ, 85710, United States
Join TAAA and other Non-Profits throughout the day at the Natural Grocers (7220 E Broadway). TAAA will have a solar telescope setup outside the main entrance (weather permitting) in the morning to safely view the Sun and any Solar Prominences and Sunspots. Follow the event on the TAAA Facebook Page for a real-time update on weather conditions.

General Meeting – September 2019
2019-09-06 18:30 - 21:00 | Steward Observatory Lecture Hall (Room N210), 933 N Cherry Ave, Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States
6:30 pm – Introductory Presentation
Title: Two Talks: Dark Sky NM Observatory and Bylaw Changes
Speaker 1: TAAA member Gregg Ruppel will talk about his Dark Sky New Mexico Observatory near Animas, NM.
Speaker 2: TAAA member Doug Smith will provide information about two suggested TAAA Bylaws changes.
7:30 pm – Main Presentation
Title: Testing Einstein’s Gravity by Taking Photographs of Black Holes
Speaker: Pierre Christian is a postdoc at the University of Arizona, where he is the Steward Prize Fellow in theoretical and computational astrophysics. Previously, he earned his doctorate from Harvard University, where he worked on black hole astrophysics. At UA, he is interested in using black holes to study gravitational physics. He is a member of the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration, a worldwide scientific effort to take resolved images of black holes.

Pierre will describe the recent effort of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration in taking a high-resolution image of the black hole at the center of supergiant galaxy M87. He will first explain what a black hole is according to Einstein’s gravitational theory of general relativity. Then he will describe how a worldwide array of radio telescopes was used to capture an image of a black hole, and how such experiments can be used to test our understanding of gravity.

Astronomy Fundamentals Meeting – September 2019
2019-09-12 18:30 - 20:30 | Tucson City Council Ward 6, 3202 E. 1st Street, Tucson, AZ, 85719, United States
Constellation of the Month:
Delphinus and Equuleus

Presenter: Connor Justice

Connor Justice will start the night with the southern constellation Delphinus and Equuleus.
Main Presentation:
Star Hopping
Presenter: Doug Smith

For our main topic, Doug Smith will be teaching the basics of Star Hopping.

Oracle State Park Star Party
2019-09-21 19:00 - 21:00 | Oracle State Park, 3820 E Wildlife Dr., Oracle, AZ, 85623, United States
Join Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association and Oracle State Park for an evening of dark-sky Stargazing. There will be other events happening as well. Check the Oracle State Park website for additional details.

General Meeting –October 2019
2019-10-04 18:30 - 21:00 | Steward Observatory Lecture Hall (Room N210), 933 N Cherry Ave, Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States
6:30 pm – Introductory Presentation
Title: Seasonal Night Sky Objects
Speaker: Mary Turner, PhD
Mary Turner, TAAA’s appointed Chief Observer, takes us on a tour of the fall night sky. As usual in her popular talks, Mary’s use of astronomical data, images, and mythology brings the seasonal changes in the sky to life.
7:30 pm – Main Presentation
Title: A Nightwatchman’s Journey: The Road Not Taken
Speaker: David H. Levy. A renowned amateur astronomer, David has never taken a class in astronomy, yet has authored over three dozen books, written for three astronomy magazines, and appeared on TV 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 newspaper.

With slides and music, David’s presentation will focus on his most recent book, A Nightwatchman’s Journey: The Road Not Taken; the autobiography of one of today’s most enthusiastic and famous amateur astronomers. David will share how his passion for astronomy began in his native Canada, and his 19-year search for comets until he found his first in 1984. (He has gone on to find 22 more.) David will also share his love for astronomy in literature, his personal struggles, and why he subtitles his autobiography, “The Road Not Taken.” Expect a fascinating lecture from a nightwatchman who continues to hunt for comets and asteroids, and lecture worldwide. Refreshments and a book signing ($35 a copy) will follow.
* Voting will be held at 7:30 meeting on two proposed TAAA bylaws changes. *

Catalina State Park Star Party
2019-10-05 18:30 - 21:30 | 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/).

International Observe the Moon
2019-10-05 19:00 - 21:00 | Flandrau Science Center, 1601 E University Blvd, Tucson, AZ, 85719, United States
A star party to support the International Observe the Moon and Flandrau Science Center. Several telescopes will be set up on the University of Arizona Mall just south of Flandrau Science Center.

Astronomy Fundamentals Meeting – October 2019
2019-10-10 18:30 - 20:30 | Tucson City Council Ward 6, 3202 E. 1st Street, Tucson, AZ, 85719, United States
Open to the Public!
Constellation of the Month:
Antlia

Presenter: Connor Justice

Connor Justice will start the night with the southern constellation Antlia.
Main Presentation:
Using and Choosing Refractor Telescopes
Presenter: John Kalas

For our main topic, John Kalas will be discussing Using and Choosing Refractor Telescopes.

Evening Under the Stars
2019-10-19 17:30 - 22:00 | Chiricahua Astronomy Complex, 9315 E Perseus Way, Pearce, AZ, 85625, United States
Evening Under the Stars Observing at the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (TAAA) Chiricahua Astronomy Complex. Want to stargaze from a dark site where the band of the Milky Way is clearly visible across the sky? You see so many stars it is hard to pick out the constellations. Twice per year, we open our TAAA Chiricahua Astronomy Complex (Turkey Creek area near Chiricahua National Monument) to the public for an observing session. You can observe through a telescope with a 40″ mirror and see galaxies over 100 million light years away. We will have several large telescopes to observe with.
Our Fall “Evening Under the Stars” will be Saturday October 19th 2019. The gate will be open at 5:30 pm with activities starting 6 pm. Come join us for an exciting evening of astronomical observing. The site is about 90 minutes SE of Tucson near the Chiricahua National Monument. If you have friends/family that live in that area, let them know. The event is weather dependent. Reservations are required. Please email John Kalas at jckalas[at]cox.net for reservations and directions. Please include number of people & vehicles in your group. Space is limited.
The nebulosity associated with M45 is not the progenitor of the cluster. Instead, it is a nebula through which M45 is passing.NASA Image, Robert Gendler

Chiricahua National Monument Astronomy Event
2019-10-19 19:00 - 21:00 | Chiricahua National Monument, 12856 E Rhyolite Creek Rd, Willcox, AZ, 85643, United States
TAAA Stargazing to view amazing solar system and deep sky objects. You will see planets, nebulae, star clusters, double stars, and lots more. We will have several telescopes for public viewing. Observing location is Echo Canyon Trailhead. A talk is scheduled before observing Bonita Campground Amphitheater at 6:00 pm with observing from 7 – 9 pm. Please try to use red light flashlights and minimize white light (to include cell phones) that will hinder your night vision. Chiricahua National Monument website: https://www.nps.gov/chir/index.htm. Weather dependent — Follow the event on the TAAA Facebook page to get weather and other updates.

General Meeting – November 2019
2019-11-01 18:30 - 21:00 | Steward Observatory Lecture Hall (Room N210), 933 N Cherry Ave, Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States
6:30 pm – Introductory Presentation
Title: Minor Policy Updates, Review and Training
Speaker: Mae Smith, TAAA President

TAAA President Mae Smith will give a presentation on the group’s Minor Policy updates, review and training. Minor Policy procedures are to be fully enacted throughout TAAA by January 1, 2020. Mae’s talk will include updates on any changes to the policy, reviews of responsibilities of members and leaders, and review of the procedures for TAAA members involved in the different TAAA activities. Attendance at this meeting will count as training in the fundamental minor policy course for TAAA leaders and members and as the required annual review for leaders who previously took the training.
7:30 pm – Main Presentation
Title: Remote Observatory Operation, the good, the bad, and the ugly: or what can go wrong with your observatory?
Speaker: Tim Hunter has been an amateur astronomer since 1950, and he is the owner of two observatories, the 3towers Observatory and the Grasslands Observatory (http://www.3towers.com). He also considers himself “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 the immediate past Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Planetary Science Institute (PSI). For decades, he 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.
Tim’s talk to TAAA will describe his experience owning and operating the Grasslands Observatory near Sonoita, Arizona. As Tim explains: “The observatory was founded in 1987 and evolved from a mainly visual use facility to three remotely operated telescopes used for astrophotography.” He will illustrate the evolution of the observatory, and discuss remote telescopic operations in general and how his three telescopes—a PlaneWave CDK24 24-inch f/6.5 telescope, an ASA 20-inch f/3.6 telescope, and a Takahashi Epsilon 180 f/2.8 telescope—are remotely operated from Tucson and used for various astrophotographic projects. As Tim explains, “Remote telescope operation is quite possible and offers great convenience with respect to travel and sleeping. It comes with considerable costs including monetary as well as the need for constant attention to maintain the operation. Things can and will go wrong. One must be prepared to respond to the gravest of contingencies at a remote location in the darkest hours of the night. “
