Presenter: none
We do not have a constellation of the month for this meeting.
Main Presentation:
Presenter: none
This month, instead of presentations, we will be doing an open floor discussion on topics brought up by attendees.
Speaker Bio: Paul Smith was born in Rochester, NY, during the year Sputnik circled the planet, and numerous atmospheric nuclear tests were conducted, as the two dominant global powers rattled sabers. Dr. Smith muses it might have been the high tensions of the era, or the elevated radiation levels that pulled him into science, particularly astronomy, by grade 4. He earned a B.S. in physics from Saint Louis University, and a Ph.D. in the same field from the University of New Mexico, before moving to Tucson in 1986. For most of the past 35 years, Dr. Smith has been at Steward Observatory, and has been successively involved with the Hubble, Spitzer, and Fermi space observatories. His main research interest is the polarized light emitted from quasars and other types of active galactic nuclei (AGN).
Presentation: Dr. Smith’s presentation centers around NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and the decade-long effort to support this important science mission by using telescopes in the Tucson area to observe the most active quasars. While extremely active quasars, or blazars, represents a small percentage of the population of known active galactic nuclei (AGN), it makes up over 70% of the objects detected by Fermi in the high-energy gamma-ray sky. Blazars are highly variable in brightness and polarization on short time scales (less than a day), enabling us to study relatively small regions that produce enormous amounts of energy. Many observations at different wavelengths are needed to understand the physics of these systems. Dr. Smith’s presentation will take us to the cutting edge of science.
Speaker: David Rossetter
The main presentation will be followed by a members-only meeting, at which David Rossetter will present proposed Constitution and Bylaw changes.
Join TAAA and the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory for a Solar System exploration, shared via Webinar: https://www.lpl.arizona.edu/art/2020.
We will be doing a Virtual Solar Observing session with the Lunar & Planetary Laboratory. To view the event, register at: https://www.lpl.arizona.edu/art/2020.
Presenter: none
We do not have a constellation of the month for this meeting.
Main Presentation:
Presenter: Doug Smith
Our only presentation this month will be Doug Smith discussing the planet Venus .
Speaker: Ruskin Hartley joined the International Dark-Sky Association in February 2019. He brings 20 years of conservation experience to IDA’s work to protect the night from light pollution. Ruskin’s passion is protecting precious natural resources. He served as Executive Director of Save the Redwoods League, a non-profit dedicated to protecting and restoring the redwood forest; as CEO of Heal the Bay in Los Angeles; and as Vice President of Resource Development at Fair Trade USA. Originally from the United Kingdom, Ruskin holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Cambridge and a master’s degree from the University of East Anglia. Ruskin loves to head out on the trail with his wife and kids or cook-out under the stars..
On October 23, 1987, two Tucson Doctors—one M.D. and one PH.D.—incorporated the International Dark-Sky Association devoted to the “protection and restoration of dark nighttime skies through application and promotion of proper lighting practices.” What started as an astronomical-driven venture in Tucson is now a broad movement active on all continents. While light pollution has increased in the intervening years, Tucson continues to lead the way and show what is possible. Ruskin will explore emerging themes in dark sky conservation, discuss the global perspective, and share IDA’s strategy for accelerating dark sky protection worldwide.
Speaker: none
The main presentation will be followed by a members-only meeting.
Presenter: Connor Justice
Connor Justice will be opening the meeting with a presentation on the northern constellation Aries.
Main Presentation:
Presenter: Stephen Ferris
Afterwards, Stephen Ferris will discuss the planet Mars, which is approaching Opposition later this month.
Speaker: 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 eight books on astronomy, including Atlas of Solar Eclipses: 2020-2045.
No less than 56 solar eclipses will occur in the next 25 years. But which ones should an eclipse chaser target? The longest? The closest? In this illustrated talk, former Astronomy magazine Senior Editor Michael Bakich will describe highlights to expect from the next quarter-century run of nature’s most fantastic spectacle.
Speaker: Mary Turner, PhD, TAAA’s appointed Chief Observer.
Dr. Turner takes us on a tour of the fall night sky. Her use of astronomical data, images, and mythology will bring seasonal changes in the sky to life, as always in her popular quarterly talks.
by Erich Karkoschka
During early dusk, Mercury can be spotted in the southwest after the 12th, but only if you are experienced in finding it. On the 21st, Spica is only 1 degree from Mercury, seen in binoculars.
Venus is brilliant and rises before 3 am so that it is 40 degrees
high by sunrise. It races through Gemini, Cancer, and Leo, as the winter constellations take the stage nearby.
Finally, there is a special occultation of Acrab by the moon on
the 21st. Tucson is located in the middle of the visibility area.
Is it special because Acrab is a bright star, second magnitude and it is a binary separated by 14 arc-seconds. So in a telescope one can watch the events for both components happening within seconds. Disappearance will be at 6:20 pm local Tucson, which is at sunset, when Acrab is easily visible in a telescope. Reappearance will be at7:36 pm.
Full Moon: September (1); Last Quarter (10); New (17); and First Quarter (23).
Mars rises at 9 pm at the beginning of the month but already at
7 pm at the end, when it is even brighter than Jupiter. It is even
more outstanding considering that no other bright star is anywhere close to Mars. At mid month it becomes stationary and starts its opposition retrograde motion. Its diameter increases from 19″ to 22″, perfect for viewing in a telescope. After October, we will have to wait 15 years before it gets such good again. On the 5th, the moon will pass within half a degrees of Mars around 9pm.
Jupiter and Saturn are well up all evening, still setting aftermidnight. Saturn is 8 degrees east of Jupiter all month.
They are stationary mid month. Saturn’s ring is 23 degrees open this month, the last time it is so open that far for the next 10 years. Callisto’s shadow transits over Jupiter’s disk on the 13th after 11pm. Ganymede’s shadow does the same 
on the 26th from 7:30 to 11pm.
Neptune comes into opposition on the 11th. So it can be seen all night through binoculars in Aquarius. Uranus rises further east around 9pm.
Presenter: Connor Justice
Connor Justice will be opening up the meeting with a presentation on the constellations Lacerta and Vulpecula.
Main Presentation:
Presenter: Doug Smith
Afterwards, Doug Smith will be following up with our main topic on the astronomer Johannes Kepler.