Special Event!

2024 Solar Eclipse – April 8

Countdown to the beginning of the Partial Solar Eclipse as viewed from Tucson (Monday April 8, 2024, 10 am-12:36 pm, with maximum at 11:19 am):

Days
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If you can’t make it to Totality, seek out an event in your area to view the Partial Eclipse. The entire U.S. will at least see a partial eclipse during the event. IMPORTANT: You MUST WEAR APPROVED SOLAR GLASSES to view any part of the partial eclipse or observe using a safe solar filter on a telescope or a telescope that is made specifically to observe the Sun. Be wary of knock-off glasses. Approved Solar glasses should be marked with ISO 12312-2 or 12312-2:2015. Do not use if they have scratches or holes. Purchase only from reputable sources.

In TUCSON, we will see about an 75% Eclipse and will look about like the below image at maximum.

Partial Eclipse at about 75 percent. The view from Tucson, AZ at maximum. Image by Bernie Stinger

Don’t miss the April 8, 2024 Total Solar Eclipse! If you are able to make it to the centerline to see Totality, it is certainly worth it. The centerline is a very narrow path and the only place you can see Totality. The closer you are to the middle, the longer Totality will last. The Eclipse enters the U.S. in Texas, moves through the midwest along a NE path toward the NE U.S., and exits the U.S. in Maine. Use the links below to see the Path of Totality. The Total Eclipse will look similar to the below image.

Image of 2017 Total Solar Eclipse by TAAA Member Bernie Stinger

If you are in the Tucson, Arizona area during the Eclipse our club will have Telescopes set up to safely view the sun during the event at Flandrau Planetarium (UofA Mall).

Flandrau Science Center Eclipse Viewing

Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association Events Calendar

Here are some resources and links to help you determine where and how best to observe the Eclipse.

Great American Eclipse

NASA Eclipse

Time and Date Eclipse

How to Photograph the 2024 Solar Eclipse – by Mike Shaw, presented to the Minnesota Astronomical Society, Jan. 2024. By permission of the MAS and Mike Shaw (www.mikeshawphotography.com).

Find Astronomy Club Near You

Astronomy Magazine Eclipse

Sky and Telescope Eclipse

Lunt Solar Systems Eclipse

HYBRID – General Meeting – January 2024

Presentation:  THE BIG EVENT: Total Solar Eclipse, April 8, 2024

Get ready for 4½ minutes of darkness — in the middle of the day! On April 8, the path of a total solar eclipse will track from Texas through Maine. And it’s not that far from Tucson. But where should we go? What should we look for? And, most importantly, what do the climate statistics say about our plans? Michael Bakich’s talk will cover the details about an event that won’t happen again in the 48 states until 2044.

Biography: Michael E. Bakich was Senior Editor of Astronomy magazine for 17 years before retiring in 2019. He and his wife, Holley, then realized their lifelong dream and moved to Tucson. Michael continues work for the magazine as Contributing Editor. He has authored 14 books on astronomy, including Atlas of Solar Eclipses: 2020-2045.

Stargazing at Tucson Mountain Park – Juan Santa Cruz Picnic Area

Star Party @ Tucson Mountain Park – Juan Santa Cruz Picnic Area
Tucson, AZ (right next to Sonoran Desert Museum)

Viewing Location: Small side loop on East side of main loop.
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: TAAA Facebook Events page

FREE but REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Go to this link to register:  https://bit.ly/ticketsEE
These events may fill up early.

Stargazing at Saguaro NP – East

Star Party – Saguaro National Park – East
Tucson, AZ

Great dark skies on the East side of Tucson at Saguaro National Park – East.
Star Party is open to the Public. Event is free but NPS admission fees apply.

The 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: TAAA Facebook Events page

Stargazing at Oracle State Park

Viewing Location: Kannally Ranch House 

        • NOTICE: This star party have been cancelled due to bad weather on site

     

    • Star Party telescope viewing (7 – 9pm)

    Information: Great dark skies just north of Tucson at Oracle State Park.
    Star Party open to the Public. Admission fees for entrance into Oracle State Park apply.

    Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association will have several telescopes for astronomical viewing. We will be observing the Moon + Planets, Nebulae, Galaxies, and Star Clusters.
    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 event page:  TAAA Facebook Events page

    Also: Check the Oracle State Park website for additional information:
    Star Party at Oracle State Park | Oracle State Park (azstateparks.com)

Solar and Night Stargazing at Catalina State Park

Star Party @ Catalina State Park
Tucson, AZ
Viewing Location: Parking lot for Bridle Trailhead at end of State Park road inside the park.
Information: Great dark skies just north of Tucson at Catalina State Park.  Star Party open to the Public.  Admission fees for entrance into Catalina State Park apply.

Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association will have Solar telescopes for daytime Solar viewing and later Standard telescopes (10 or more) for nighttime astronomical viewing.

Solar viewing from 2pm to 4pm (Same Trailhead location)

Nighttime viewing from 7pm to 9pm (Same Trailhead location)
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:
TAAA Facebook Events page

Additional details will be posted here and on our Facebook page as we get closer to the event.

Tucson Star Party

Join the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (TAAA) in conjunction with Editors from the Astronomy Magazine and Pima Community College (PCC) – East Campus for some interesting astronomy talks, solar observing, and evening stargazing.
PCC – East is located at 8181 E Irvington Rd, Tucson AZ

Satellite Radio Demo (at the Observatories) – 1:00 – 1:30 p.m.

Astronomy Talks and Safe Solar viewing of the Sun 1:30 – 5:00 p.m.
(All Talks in Room (M5-102)

Talks:
   – Michael Bakich — 2023 & 2024 Annular & Total Solar Eclipses  –  1:30 pm

   – Alan Goldstein – “The Grand Canyon of the Sky”  Correlating distance objects  in the sky with the history of life on the Earth  —  2:30 pm

   – David J Eicher: Astronomy magazine — Astronomy and the Civil War  –  3:30 pm

   – David Levy — Legacy of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, 30yrs later  –  4:30 pm

Planet Walk & Tour – (Starting at the Observatories) – 5;30 p.m.

Solar Observing (at the Observatories) – 2 – 5 p.m.

Night Sky Telescope Viewing (at the Observatories) 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Evening observing of planets, star clusters, multiple star systems, nebulae, galaxies, and lots more through several telescopes.

Solar & Night observing, Planet Walk, & Satellite Radio Demo 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

32 inch Cassegrain Project

Planets of the Month – December 2023

By Erich Karkoschka

Mercury has a modest evening visibility until December 14th. Look to the southwest around 6 pm with no star nearby to confuse it with.

Saturn transits before dark and is well visible until late evening.

Jupiter shifts its transits from 10 pm to 8 pm during the month. Its elevation is then 70 degrees and its 48 arc-second diameter is perfect for telescope viewing.

Venus comes up around 4 am and is almost 40 degrees high in the southeast by the time the sun rises.

Uranus is east of Jupiter and Neptune is east of Saturn. Both are placed well for evening observation with binoculars.

Vesta, minor planet number 4, comes into opposition on December 21st (Winter Solstice). It therefore is very close to the point where the sun is at the summer solstice, between Taurus and Gemini. Its magnitude of 6.4 is at the limit of naked eye visibility.

The Moon visits Venus on December 19th, when Venus is easily visible after sunrise and perhaps even at noon as the moon is a guide to the location of Venus. The Moon is close to Saturn on the 17th.

December 13th is one of the best times of the year to watch meteors as the Gemini’s peak that evening.

Grand Canyon Star Party

The Grand Canyon Star Party (GCSP) will be held this year from June 1 – 8 at the Grand Canyon National Park. Telescope observing typically goes from 8-11 pm at the Visitor Center of the South Rim. There will also be a GCSP at the North Rim.

We will have up to 60 telescopes each night observing planets, galaxies, multiple star systems, star clusters, nebulae, and much more.

For more information, see the TAAA GCSP webpage at: Grand Canyon Star Party or the National Park Service Grand Canyon Webpage at: NPS Grand Canyon Webpage