Stargazing at Saguaro NP – West

January 17 @ 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm

TAAA invites you to an evening of star gazing at Saguaro National Park – West
Located on the far West side of town on the other side of the Tucson mountains, this location has very dark skies from horizon to horizon. The park has been designated an Urban Night Sky Park in 2023.

The TAAA will have several Telescopes set up to view Stars, Nebula’s, Galaxies, Planets and more starting at 6:30pm! Telescopes will be arranged around the entrance walkway.

Introductory talks will be given starting at 5pm by the National Park Service (NPS), DarkSky International, and NOIRLab (Kitt Peak), prior to telescope viewing. Park staff will guide visitors on short walks through the Javelina Wash to discuss the night sky, and they are also hoping to include Indigenous storytelling

The stargazing event is free and open to the public, but NPS admission fees apply.
WEATHER DEPENDENT.  Follow the event on our Facebook page for any weather updates or changes:

(4) Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association | Facebook

Bernie Stinger

612-396-8839

Saguaro National Park WEST

2700 N Kinney Rd.
Tucson, AZ United States
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Stargazing at Oracle State Park

January 4 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Viewing Location: Kannally Ranch House 

  • Talk on Cellphone Astrophotography (5 – 6pm) inside ranch house.
  • Star Party telescope viewing (6:30 – 8:30pm)

Information: Great dark skies just north of Tucson at Oracle State Park.
3820 E Wildlife Dr., Oracle, AZ 85623
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 and activities that day:
Star Party at Oracle State Park | Oracle State Park (azstateparks.com)

Bernie Stinger

612-396-8839

Saguaro National Park WEST

2700 N Kinney Rd.
Tucson, AZ United States

Stargazing at Tucson Mountain Park – Juan Santa Cruz Picnic Area

December 21, 2024 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

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

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

Bernie Stinger

612-396-8839

Saguaro National Park WEST

2700 N Kinney Rd.
Tucson, AZ United States

Solar Telescope Observing @ Saguaro NP – East

December 15, 2024 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Join the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (TAAA) and Saguaro National Park – East for some Sun gazing at the park. We will observe the Sun through telescopes with appropriate filters so you will get to see sunspots, prominences, flares, and more.
The Sun is nearing its peak in the sunspot cycle so there is lots of activity on its surface.

This event is FREE and open to the public.  NPS admission fees apply.

The telescopes will be set up at the Bicycle Ramada next to the Visitors Center.
This event will most likely be canceled in the event of clouds/rain.

Bernie Stinger

612-396-8839

Saguaro National Park WEST

2700 N Kinney Rd.
Tucson, AZ United States

Stargazing @ Picacho Peak State Park

December 7, 2024 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Truely dark skies at a scenic location – Picacho Peak State Park
Star Party is open to the Public. Event is free but park 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 at a really dark location.

Weather dependent. For real-time updates, follow this event on the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association Facebook Events Page: https://www.facebook.com/TucsonAstronomy/events

Bernie Stinger

612-396-8839

Saguaro National Park WEST

2700 N Kinney Rd.
Tucson, AZ United States
General Astronomy, Solar System

Planets of the Month: November 2024

By Erich Karkoschka

Mercury is visible during dusk until the 25th around 6 pm, but it is low and difficult to find.

Venus is 20 degrees to the upper left of Mercury, setting around 8 pm. It is finally setting well after the end of twilight so that it becomes very obvious.

Saturn transits 50 degrees high around 8 pm and earlier later this month. Its rings are 5.4 degrees open, quite thin compared to the average view. From now until next spring, the rings will close completely.

Jupiter is rising in Taurus about when Saturn transits. Its magnitude of -2.8 can cause visible shadows on the ground at very dark sites.

Mars is rising around 10 pm, so that all bright planets are visible in the evening sky this month. Its magnitude goes negative, and its size becomes larger than 10 arc-seconds this month. This is the start of the good period to observe Mars with telescopes.

Uranus and Neptune are located between Jupiter and Saturn with Uranus closer to Jupiter and Neptune closer to Saturn. Uranus is just 6 degrees south of the Pleiades.

Minor planet (15) Eunomia of magnitude 8 transits 87 degrees high in Auriga.

The Moon is new twice this month, on the first and the last day of the month. It is first visible on the 3rd near Mercury, then on the next day near Venus. On the 12th, it occults Neptune at 6:40 pm, an event that lasts around 5 seconds compared to milliseconds for occultations of stars. On the night of the 15th-16th, it occults many stars of the Pleiades, although the Full Moon makes them hard to see. On the 27th, it occults Spica for most of North America, although Tucson is a near miss with both extremely close together at 4 am at the eastern horizon.

Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS moves from Ophiuchus to Aquila as it fades more and more from being visible in binoculars.

General Astronomy

Holiday Stargazing at Our Dark Site

Group hosted at the TSA dark site in Pearce, Arizona

Our staff hosts stargazing events on regular schedules and when possible on demand for dates of your choice.

We offer several stargazing options for any occasion to include events at our premiere dark site 100 miles southeast of Tucson, AZ called the Chiricahua Astronomy Complex (CAC). Attendees are responsible for their transportation to CAC. Events typically start 1/2 hour after sunset and are weather dependent. See below for a description of events and a link to the reservation request form. Typically we do not want to observe when the Moon is between First Quarter and within a few days after Full since the light from the Moon will hinder our ability to view deep sky objects. You can get Sun and Moon times for Tucson at: https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/usa/tucson

———– Chiricahua Astronomy Complex (CAC) ————-

Scheduled Stargazing at CAC. A 2-hour observing session through one or several of our large telescopes. The number of telescopes will depend on how many participants are scheduled. Cost is $50/adult and $25/Child under 15. Specify number of adults and children. Cost is refundable if cancelled at least one-week before the event or if weather becomes an issue as evaluated by TAAA.

Upcoming Schedule, input date when reserving (times are Arizona or MST):

HOLIDAY OBSERVING: Monday December 23, 2024, 6:30-8:30 pm. Use the below form and input December 23, 2024 as the date. We will send you an invoice to your email address to pay. Fully refundable if you cancel at least 1 week in advance or if we have weather issues the day of the event. Any questions, email stargazing[at]tucsonastronomy.org.

Family or Corporate Event at CAC. A 2-hour observing session through one or several of our large telescopes on a date of your choosing. Upgrade to our Galaxy level to observe some incredible views through our largest telescope with a 40-inch diameter mirror. Ideally the event should be scheduled on a date with a minimal Moon in the evening and suggested dates can be provided when requesting a reservation. Price provided upon request. Cost will be provided when the reservation is made.

Information and Reservation Request

To make a reservation or request availability / price quote, please submit the form below.

Tucson Stargazing Adventures - CAC Events

Tucson Stargazing Adventures - CAC Events

Request form for CAC Stargazing (paid) events.

( * = Required Field )

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32 inch Cassegrain Project

Planets of the Month: October 2024

By Erich Karkoschka

Venus is setting at 7:30 pm. Its visibility increases as the sun is setting earlier. On the 5th, the moon is 4 degrees from Venus. On the 25th, Venus passes Antares 3 degrees north.

Saturn is prominent all evening. Its rings are 10 times narrower than their 43 arc-seconds extent. Views of its six brightest satellites are best at the current geometry.

Jupiter becomes the brightest evening star as its rising times moves from 10 pm to 8 pm. It is at its northernmost location in Taurus, transiting 80 degrees high.

Mars rises just before midnight. Its motion in Gemini can be seen as the triangle with Pollux and Castor constantly changes shape. With magnitude 0 and 9 arc-second size, it becomes a worthwhile object in telescopes.

Uranus and Neptune are visible in the evening sky between Saturn and Jupiter. Uranus is easy to locate 5 degrees south of the Pleiades.

Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (C/2023 A3) is magnitude 2 with a 5 degree tail. Starting on the 11th, it becomes visible and moves higher in the early evening sky, but fades rapidly towards the end of the month. The best compromise between altitude and magnitude may occur around the 16th, while the best dark sky without moonlight will start on the 19th. It moves from Virgo through Serpens into Ophiuchus at 7 degrees per day first, slowing to 2 degrees per day later. Its fast motion can be seen in a telescope within a minute.

The Draconid meteor shower may have a special high peak for half an hour around midnight of the 7th.