HYBRID – General Meeting – July 2022

TITLE:  Space Domain Awareness for Sustainable Orbital Space 

PRESENTATION:  The orbital space around the Earth is congested, contested and competitive. Over the last decade, the number of operational satellites has increased >250% and the number of orbital debris has doubled. With the impending launch of commercial mega constellations, the sustainable use of orbital space is questioned. As humans expand their footprint beyond near-Earth environment into cislunar space (between Earth and the moon), there is a critical need to detect, track, and characterize space objects not only for space traffic management but to avoid strategic surprises. Dr. Reddy’s talk will be a primer on space domain awareness, including a synopsis of the current situation, highlighting key challenges ahead and the application of planetary science techniques to resolve some of them.

BIO:  Dr. Vishnu Reddy is a planetary scientist and an infrared spectroscopist researching connections between asteroids and meteorites to understand Solar System formation and evolution. His research also focuses on space objects in cislunar space for the US Air Force. He received his doctorate from the University of North Dakota (UND) in Earth System Science and Policy (2009) and was a post-doctoral researcher at Observatório Nacional, Brazil (2010). While a Research Assistant Professor at UND (2010-2013) he worked with the Max-Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany on NASA’s Dawn mission to asteroid (4) Vesta. He subsequently worked at the Planetary Science Institute (2013-2016) before moving to the University of Arizona (2016-present) where he is an Associate Professor in the Lunar and Planetary Lab. He served as the investigation team lead (2015-2020) on NASA’s Near-Earth Object Surveyor Mission to discover 90% of near-Earth objects (NEOs) larger than 140 meters. Currently, as Director of UA’s Biosphere 2 Space Domain Awareness Observatory Complex, he oversees all ground-based optical/infrared and passive radio frequency space surveillance assets. Asteroid 1981 EQ28 has been named (8068) vishnureddy by the International Astronomical Union in recognition of his contribution to planetary science.

HYBRID – General Meeting – June 2022

TAAA’s next General Member Meeting will be held on Friday, June 3, 2022 at 6:30 P.M. This will be a hybrid meeting (both in person and online). TAAA members will receive a Zoom link should they wish to attend remotely. The public may attend in person or online through our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TucsonAstronomy. (This being our first hybrid meeting, please be patient as we work out any technical kinks!)

6:30 pm – Main Presentation

TITLE:  Imaging Giant Planets Forming Around Young Stars 

PRESENTATION:  Giant planets form within the first few million years of a system’s lifetime. After formation, these massive planets interact with their birth disks and gravitationally sculpt the environment of subsequent planet formation. Recent technical advances have enabled observations of the first few giant planets while they’re still forming and interacting with their parent disks. These planets induce large-scale structural changes in the disks alongside their on-going formation. And Dr. Kevin Wagner’s talk will highlight the first images of gas giant forming planetary systems. It will cover how these images are produced, what goes into their interpretation, and what they teach us about the formation of systems with giant planets (including our own solar system). 

BIO:  Dr. Kevin Wagner is a NASA Sagan Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory. After growing up in Kentucky and Ohio, Dr. Wagner studied at the University of Cincinnati before receiving his Ph.D. at the University of Arizona. His research focuses on directly detecting and studying planets around nearby stars, such as Alpha Centauri, with a specific focus on finding and characterizing potentially life-supporting planets and understanding how planetary systems form and evolve.

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DOUG SMITH (VICE PRESIDENT)

doug-smith

I have been into Astronomy for most of my life. Started when I was 5 with a 3 inch Tasco refractor. Have been into Amateur Astronomy ever since. More than 50 years.

Several clubs. First club was the Warren Astronomical Society which meets at the Cranbrook Institute of Science in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. This is where the Astronomical League started. I have always been involved in the AL.

I am currently the ALCOR for TAAA. Second time at that position. I have been ALCOR for other clubs also. Also Program Coordinator for the AL Analemma Observing Program. I have my AL Master Observing Award.

I have several undergraduate and graduate degrees, including MS in Physics. I did several years of undergraduate and graduate studies in Astrophysics.

I am an Engineer at Raytheon with 37+ years’ experience.

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David Rossetter (Member At Large)

● From Chicago area. BS Business U of Montana, MS Computer Information
Systems, Regis University. Two adult kids, two step kids. Married to Pam. Live on far northeast side of Tucson.
● Airline Pilot: People Express Airlines, Continental Airlines, United Airlines
(mergers). Retired in 2016 on international 767 from Washington Dulles.
● Chair of the TAAA Nominations and Volunteer Resource Committee (four years).
● MemberPlanet Manager. Editor Desert Skies Bulletin.
●2 5 years of astronomy public outreach including teaching LLI astronomy classes.
● Currently have 25″ dob and 7″ refractor in my private observatory.
● Docent at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. Folk and bluegrass musician. Hiking. Skiing.

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John Kalas (Member At Large)

●Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Penn State, Married with 2 grown children, Tucson resident for 28 years. TAAA awards: Bok Award 2004 & Service Award 2006.
●Various levels of engineering responsibilities including management with GTE Sylvania for 23 years and Rain Bird for 13 years.
● TAAA positions: MAL, Vice-President and President (1998 – 2001). Developed and ran Astronomy Services program (paid star parties) for 17 years. Supported development of the TIMPA observing site.
● Chiricahua Astronomy Complex: One of the four Perseus Group members who donated the property, CAC Site Construction Coordinator from 2008 – 2018 (Phases 1 – 6), CAC Site Director from 2010 – 2017, currently construction Coordinator for Member Observatories project. TAAA member for 28 years

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Barbara Whitehead (Treasurer)

● BS & BA in Accounting University of Alabama, CPA (licensed in Virginia),
● CRFAC (Certified Forensic Accountant).
●Bank CFO, Banking Regulator, Banking Consultant.
● Financial Managers Society, Inst Management Accountants, CPA Society,
Technology Club.
● Treasurer, Northern Virginia Astronomy Club (1,000+ members), various
positions including President, VP and Treasurer in the non-profits listed above.
● Experience includes Quickbooks, PayPal, Club Express and GroupWorks.
● Disaster Responder for American Red Cross, teaching classes for Technology Club where I am also the Treasurer.
● Other interests include MahJongg, Book Club, travel and my puppy, Pippa.

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Planets of the Month: May 2022

by Erich Karkoschka

Mercury is the only evening planet, but only visible during the first week of May. It sets around the end of astronomical twilight. It shows as a crescent in a telescope.

Saturn rises soon after Midnight and is 30 degrees up at dawn.

Mars follows Saturn an hour later. It is as bright as Saturn. Mars approaches Jupiter and passes it half a degree south on May 29th.

Venus and Jupiter are only half a degree apart from each other at the beginning of the month. Venus moves so fast that their separation increases to 30 degrees by months end.

Venus shows a small disk getting fuller while Jupiter gets high enough so that its bands and other features show up in telescopes.

On the 17th and `18th, Neptune is relatively easy to find in binoculars since it is less than a degree north of Mars.

The Moon is very hard to see on May 1st since it is such a thin crescent, one of the thinnest ones you have seen in your life. The following evening, it sits just above Mercury. By the 6th, the Moon is next to Pollux. The Full Moon the day after the Lunar Eclipse rises only 2 degrees from Aldebaran. On the 26th and 27th, it is in the vicinity of Venus.
The important event this month is the Total Lunar Eclipse on the evening of May 15th. The moon rises at 7:06 pm (Tucson Time/UTC-7). Sunset is at 7:15 pm. The partial phase starts at 7:28. Totality lasts from 8:29-9:54 pm. The partial phase ends at 10:56 pm. This is a deep total eclipse since the northern part of the Moon is at the center of the Umbra, right at 9:12 pm. In Tucson, TAAA will have a viewing party with telescopes on the University of Arizona Mall near Flandrau from 7:30-10 pm.
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Planets of the Month: April 2022

By Erich Karkoschka
Mercury is the only planet in the evening sky after April 10.
It is easily visible after mid-month as dusk fades.  It sets
shortly after the end of twilight.  On the 29th, Mercury is on the edge of the Pleiades, a nice sight in binoculars.
Venus and Mars have been close together in the morning sky for many weeks.  Now, Venus is getting faster so that Mars cannot keep up.  By the end of the month, they are 15 degrees apart. Venus is five magnitudes brighter than Mars and slightly losing
altitude at the beginning of twilight while Mars is slowly
gaining altitude.  
At the beginning of April, Venus is still almost half illuminated, but gets more round as the month progresses.

The moon is a thin crescent on the 2nd at dusk and on the 28th
at dawn with Full Moon mid month (16th).  On the 4th it is close to the Pleiades.  The most beautiful sight will be the moon, Venus, and Jupiter close together on the morning of the 27th.  Remembering this triangle during dawn, one can try to see how long one can watch it naked eye.  Jupiter becomes invisible at sunrise, 6:00 am while Venus can be seen at least another half hour, possible even past noon if the sky is very clear.

Jupiter rises during dawn at the beginning of the month, well
to the lower left of the three other planets.  Jupiter passes Neptune on the 12th in less than 0.1 degree distance.  This happens once every 13 years, but this time the distance is
closer than most other times.  Neptune is faintly visible in a
telescope since both planets only rise after the start of dawn.
Venus is approaching Jupiter and reaches it on the 30th. The two brightest planets will be less than half a degree apart, a sight one should not miss.  Around the 18th, the four bright planets of the morning sky are almost perfectly equally spaced. April is a good time to watch the planets move among the stars and between each other, each with its own speed.
Saturn starts the month between Venus and Mars.  On the 5th, Mars passes Saturn less than half a degree south, a nice sight of two planets with equal magnitude but different colors. For the next months, Saturn will be the first of the morning planets to rise, by 2 am at the end of the month.
Uranus is the only planet in the evening sky until April 10.
Afterwards it will be too low to find it during late dusk.
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Planets of the Month: March 2022

By Erich Karkoschka
Mercury finishes its morning apparition during the first week of March.  On the 2nd it passes the fainter Saturn less than 1 degree south of it.
Venus and Mars stay within 5 degrees of each other.  Their minimum distance is 4 degrees on the 15th.  They rise well before dawn starts.
On the 29th, Venus passes Saturn 2 degrees north of it. Venus is at greatest western elongation on the 20th as spring starts.  In a telescope it appears as half a disk.  
Slower Mars will pass Saturn on the 4th of April 0.3 degrees south.  The last week of March is a good time to watch the triangle of Venus, Mars,
and Saturn changing shape from day to day.  
March has two New Moons, on the 2nd and 31st.  It is visible on the 3rd as a very slim crescent at bright dusk.  The almost Full Moon is close to Regulus on the evening of the 15th and close to the trio of planets in the morning sky on the 28th.  It is still
visible on the 29th and possibly on the 30th to the lower right of
Jupiter.
Jupiter joins the other morning planets on the 26th, but only poorly visible near the horizon.
Saturn may not be visible naked eye on the 2nd, but will rise earlier and earlier.  By the end of the month, it will rise together with Venus and Mars.
Uranus is the only planet in the evening sky.  You can find it with binoculars in Aries.