Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association

Evening Under the Stars
2019-10-19 17:30 - 22:00 (America/Phoenix) | 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. “

Empire Ranch Cowboy Festival
2019-11-02 10:00 - 16:00 | Empire Ranch, E Empire Ranch Road, Sonoita, AZ, United States
TAAA will have a solar telescope to safely view the surface of the Sun. The Festival goes from 10 am to 4 pm with lots of other activities.

Tucson Mountain Park Ironwood Picnic Area Star Party
2019-11-02 18:30 - 20:30, 2019-12-28 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/).

Golf Links Library Telescope Dedication Star Party
2019-11-04 17:00 - 19:00 | Miller-Golf Links Library, 9640 E Golf Links Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85730, United States
A Star Party to dedicate the Horheimer TAAA Telescope for Library patrons to use. A Star Party using the Zhumell telescope will follow a short ceremony.

Valencia Library Telescope Dedication & Star Party
2019-11-06 17:00 - 19:00 | Valencia Library, 202 W Valencia Road, Tucson, AZ, 85706, United States
A Star Party to dedicate the Lonny Baker TAAA Telescope for Library patrons to use. A Star Party using the Orion telescope will follow a short ceremony.

Mercury Transit Across the Sun
2019-11-11 07:30 - 11:30 | Brandi Fenton Park, 3482 E River Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85718, United States
Mercury Transit Across the Sun. Monday November 11, 2019 (Veterans Day). This is a school holiday and a work holiday for many. Don’t pass up this “once-in-a-lifetime event”. A Mercury Transit (passing in front of) will NOT be visible again in the U.S. until May 7, 2049. Transits occur only 13-14 times per century. A Mercury Transit is too small to see without a properly filtered solar telescope. When you observe a transit, you see a small black circle (the planet Mercury) moving across the Sun. This event is visible throughout the U.S. TAAA will have several solar telescopes to safely view the Transit at Brandi Fenton Memorial Park (3482 E River Rd, River & Alvernon) on November 11 from 7:30 – 11 am (Mercury mid-transit when it is crossing the middle of the Sun is at 8:20 am Tucson time). Sunrise November 11 is 6:49 am and the Transit will already be underway. You can follow the Mercury Transit event on our Facebook page (facebook.com/tucsonastronomy) for real-time weather updates. This event requires a clear view of the Sun (no cloud cover). CAUTION: Never look at the Sun without a proper solar filter or you can damage your eyes.

Astronomy Fundamentals Meeting – November 2019
2019-11-14 18:30 - 20:30 | U.S.G.S. Building, 520 North Park Ave, Tucson, AZ, 85719, United States
Constellation of the Month:
Ara and Columba

Presenter: Connor Justice

Connor Justice will start the night with the constellations Ara and Columba.
Main Presentation:
Atacama Large Millimeter Array
Presenter: Vince Baker

For our main topic, Vince Baker will be discussing Atacama Large Millimeter Array.

General Meeting – December 2019
2019-12-06 18:30 - 21:00 | Steward Observatory Lecture Hall (Room N210), 933 N Cherry Ave, Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States

Murphy-Wilmot Library Evening Stargazing
2019-12-11 17:30 - 19:30 | Murphy-Wilmot Library, 530 N Wilmot Road, Tucson, AZ, 85711, United States
Join Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association and the Murphy-Wilmot Library for an evening of stargazing.

Astronomy Fundamentals Meeting – December 2019
2019-12-12 18:30 - 20:30 | U.S.G.S. Building, 520 North Park Ave, Tucson, AZ, 85719, United States
Topics to be determined.

General Meeting – January 2020
2020-01-03 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 winter night sky. Dr. Turner’s use of astronomical data, images, and mythology will bring seasonal changes in the sky to life, as always in her popular quarterly talks.
7:30 pm – Main Presentation
Title: New Technologies to Search for Exoplanets with Space Telescopes Large and Small
Speaker: Ewan Douglas joined the University of Arizona Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory in the Spring of 2019 as an assistant professor. His research focuses on space instrumentation, wavefront sensing and control, and high-contrast imaging of extrasolar planets and debris disks, and small spacecraft such as CubeSats. Dr. Douglas graduated from Tufts University with a Bachelors in Physics in 2008. He worked for a year at the Hanford Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory before attending graduate school at Boston University, where he received a PhD from the Astronomy Department in 2016 followed by a postdoc in the MIT Space, Telecommunications, Astronomy, and Radiation Laboratory.
Dr. Douglas’ talk will focus on his ongoing work in the University of Arizona’s Space Astrophysics Lab (UASAL) to leverage low-cost spacecraft such as CubeSats, sounding rockets, and SmallSats, so that they efficiently and effectively, as well as relatively inexpensively, advance the technologies needed to image Earth-sized planets and asteroid belts around other stars. With Dr. Douglas’ work in cutting edge technologies, and ability to simplify complicated topics, TAAA’s first main presentation of 2020 promises to be interesting to all.

Astronomy Fundamentals Meeting – January 2020
2020-01-09 18:30 - 20:30 | Tucson City Council Ward 6, 3202 E. 1st Street, Tucson, AZ, 85719, United States
Constellation of the Month:
Still To Be Determined
Presenter:

The constellation of the month has not yet been determined.
Main Presentation:
Telescope Maintenance
Presenter: Doug Smith

Doug Smith will be giving the main topic on Telescope Maintenance.

Tucson Mountain Park Ironwood Picnic Stargazing
2020-01-25 18:00 - 20:00, 2020-02-22 18:30 - 20:30 | Ironwood Picnic, 7300 W Hal gras Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85735, United States

Catalina State Park Stargazing
2020-02-01 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/).

General Meeting – February 2020
2020-02-07 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: Member Planet Database Update
Speaker: David Rosetter

TAAA member, David Rosetter, in charge of the TAAA Member Planet system, (which manages the TAAA member database), will talk about expanded web benefits for TAAA members and provide information on the web options available. Bring any questions you have on how to best access TAAA information.
7:30 pm – Main Presentation
Title: A Tale of Two Galaxies
Speaker: Dr. Knut Olsen is a staff astronomer at the National Science Foundation’s Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory, based in Tucson. Born in Norway, he moved to the U.S. at a young age and quickly developed a fascination for astronomy. He worked on the Magellanic Clouds as part of his Ph.D. thesis, and continued his exploration of them while living and working in La Serena, Chile, where the Clouds are naked eye objects. He moved to Tucson in 2007.
Dr. Olsen will present a personal story of how a chance observing run kicked off more than a decade of exploration of and discovery in the Magellanic Clouds, two of our most prominent neighbor galaxies. The Magellanic Clouds have been key to establishing the extragalactic distance scale, played a seminal role in the discovery of Dark Energy, and are causing us to adjust our view of the Milky Way.

Astronomy Fundamentals Meeting – February 2020
2020-02-13 18:30 - 20:30 | Tucson City Council Ward 6, 3202 E. 1st Street, Tucson, AZ, 85719, United States
Constellation of the Month:
Auriga
Presenter: Gus Gomez

Gus Gomez will be presenting Auriga for the constellation of the month.
Main Presentation:
Discussion on Equipment Modifications
Presenter:

Our main topic will be an open discussion on equipment modifications that members have done to enhance their viewing sessions.

Tucson Star Party
2020-02-15 14:00 - 21:00 | Pima Community College East, 8181 E Irvington Rd, Tucson, AZ, United States
Annual Tucson Star Party co-sponsored with Astronomy Magazine. Solar observing from 2 pm until sunset. Evening observing from sunset to 9 pm. Enjoy some dark sky observing under wonderful Tucson skies. Follow the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association Facebook event for weather and other updates.

Saguaro National Park EAST Monthly Astronomy Event
2020-02-20 19:00 - 21:00, 2020-03-12 19:00 - 21:00 | Saguaro National Park EAST, 3693 S Old Spanish Trail, Tucson, AZ, 85730, United States
TAAA Support to the Saguaro National Park EAST monthly astronomy event.
Join park naturalists for an introduction to astronomy and a look at the desert night sky. Telescopes and binoculars will be available. Reservations are required. Call the Visitor Center at (520) 733-5153. Accessible Program.
Observing and talk will be at the Visitor Center from 7 – 9 pm.

General Meeting – March 2020
2020-03-06 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: The Astronomical League and TAAA’s Astronomy Fundamentals Class
Speakers: Doug Smith and JD Metzger

TAAA member Doug Smith talks about The Astronomical League, and TAAA member JD Metzger talks about TAAA’s Astronomy Fundamentals Class.
7:30 pm – Main Presentation
Title: Using Light Echoes as Time Machines
Speaker: Jennifer Andrews is an observational astronomer interested in massive stars and the violent explosions that signal the end of their lives. She has been at Steward Observatory for the past few years, and spends a lot of her time observing supernovae and other transients with telescopes in Southern Arizona. Jennifer received her PhD at Louisiana State University, and prior to moving to Tucson she worked as a postdoc at the University of Massachusetts
The great eruption of the massive star Eta Carinae in the mid-1800s was a spectacular astronomical event, when it likely ejected a mass of material 10 – 20 times that of the Sun, and was visible to the naked eye. Until recently the only observations of that eruption were historical visual estimates of Eta Carinae’s brightness and color. Thanks to our evolving ability to use light echoes (LEs) we can now re-examine the event. As some light from Eta Carinae’s eruption traveled directly toward us and was observed in the 1800s, light directed away from us was scattered off dust, and we are finally observing it today as a light echo. Over the past decade we have been obtaining imaging and spectroscopy of these echoes with telescopes in the Southern Hemisphere, enabling us to reconstruct Eta Carinae’s physical state prior to and during the great eruption. Jennifer will discuss these observations and what they reveal about one of the most enigmatic massive stars in the Milky Way

Astronomy Fundamentals Meeting – March 2020
2020-03-12 18:30 - 20:30 | Tucson City Council Ward 6, 3202 E. 1st Street, Tucson, AZ, 85719, United States

Agua Caliente Park Stargazing
2020-03-14 19:00 - 21:00 | 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/).

Oracle State Park Stargazing
2020-03-14 19:00 - 21:00 | Oracle State Park, 3820 E Wildlife Dr., Oracle, AZ, 85623, United States
Star Party-Oracle State Park
Tucson, AZ
Viewing Location: Kannally Ranch House
Information: Great dark skies just north of Tucson at Oracle State Park. Star Party open to the Public. Admission cost for entrance into Oracle State Park may apply. 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 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/). There is generally a talk and other events also taking place. Check the Oracle State Park website for additional information.

VIRTUAL Star Party
2020-04-21 20:00 - 21:30
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
TAAA will host our first ever VIRTUAL star party coming to you from Tucson, AZ. We will explore about 12 objects for an hour and a half. This will be a Facebook Live event and is accessible from our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TucsonAstronomy/. The event will be accessible from the Videos section and can be replayed after the event as well. The TAAA Facebook page is a public page and does not require any login to view. If you want any real-time updates, weather advisories, or other information leading up to the event, you can follow the Facebook event.

VIRTUAL Star Party
2020-05-12 20:30 - 22:00
M3 is a spectacular globular, and one of the largest, with 500,000 members. It is located in Canes Venatici. This cluster is nearly as old as the universe itself. Note the young blue stars, Blue Stragglers, embedded in the cluster.NASA image/ Teuwen
TAAA will host a VIRTUAL star party coming to you from Tucson, AZ. We will explore about 12 objects for an hour and a half. This will be a Facebook Live event and is accessible from our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TucsonAstronomy/. The event will be accessible from the Videos section and can be replayed after the event as well. The TAAA Facebook page is a public page and does not require any login to view. If you want any real-time updates, weather advisories, or other information leading up to the event, you can follow the Facebook event. The star party will go from 8:30 – 10 pm Tucson, AZ (Pacific Daylight). Tucson is GMT – 7.

ONLINE - General Meeting – June 2020
2020-06-05 18:30 - 21:00 | ONLINE
The General Meeting will continue online. See Mae’s member emails for information about topics and how to access the meeting.
At the current time, it is available only to members, but that may change in the future.
