TAAA’s next monthly meeting will be held online. We will have a 6:30 P.M. presentation open to the general public. This will be followed at approximately 7:15 P.M. by some activities for TAAA members only. To view the meeting, please visit https://www.facebook.com/TucsonAstronomy

6:30 pm – Main Presentation

Title:  Using Stars to Understand Saturn’s Atmosphere

Speaker:  Zarah Brown is a 4th year graduate student at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. She studies Saturn’s upper atmosphere using Cassini data with her adviser, Tommi Koskinen, and did her undergraduate research on Saturn’s rings. She has degrees in both astrophysics and fine arts and helps run LPL’s annual Art of Planetary Science show.

The upper atmospheres of Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus are all hotter than would be expected if they were heated in the same way that Earth’s upper atmosphere is heated—a longstanding unanswered question in planetary science called the “energy crisis.” In the months before the Cassini spacecraft’s final plunge into Saturn, it made a series of observations of Saturn’s upper atmosphere to try and understand the origin of the additional heat. In a technique called stellar occultation, Cassini used the passages behind Saturn’s upper atmosphere of stars in Orion and Canis Major to provide detailed information about the ringed planet’s density and temperature. This unique set of observations has shed light on the outer planet energy crisis and was published in Nature Astronomy this April.

7:15 pm (Approx) – Other Activities

Title:  TBD

Speaker:  none

To be determined

 ONLINE:  Friday, August 7, 2020

6:30 – 8:00 pm

TAAA is continuing to hold its first Friday Member meetings online. The August 7 meeting at 6:30 P.M. is open to the general public. To view it live, please go to https://www.facebook.com/TucsonAstronomy

6:30 pm – Main Presentation

Title:  Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter & Remote Astrophotography

Speakers:  

• Vannessa Gressieux is the Program Coordinator for the Mt Lemmon SkyCenter SkyNights program, a NASA / JPL Solar System Ambassador, and an OSIRIS REx Ambassador. She supports a variety of Tucson community-based events at schools and public outreach events, and coordinates tours and outreach for the Richard F Caris Mirror Lab. Originally from the East Coast, Vannessa fell in love with the dark skies of the Western US. sky. She encourages everyone to look up!

• Travis Deyoe began working for the SkyCenter as an undergraduate at the UA studying Astronomy. He graduated in May 2015 and has recently taken on an increased role in leading outreach programs. As a student, he worked for the Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium as a Planetarium Operator, and as a Telescope Operator at Steward Observatory’s 61-inch Kuiper Telescope on top of Mount Bigelow. Travis enjoys imaging the night sky with his DSLR and taking planetary images through SkyCenter telescopes.

Tonight’s presentation will be a light overview of the history of the SkyCenter, with a focus on their Remote program. In 2008, Adam Block and the University of Arizona College of Science launched the Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter at Steward Observatory’s Field Station. The mission of the Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter is to engage people of all ages in interdisciplinary scientific exploration at research facilities in the Sky Island environment for a deeper understanding of our Earth and our place within the Universe. The SkyCenter’s educational activities include a public evening observing program, summer Sky Island programs, workshops, camps, remote observing, and special educational events. Our presentation will focus on remote astrophotography capabilities of the Schulman Telescope, and weather permitting, include a live demo of the astrophotography possible.

7:15 pm (Approx) – Second Presentation

Title:  Election of Officers

Speaker:  none

Elections will be held following the presentation. To vote, TAAA members will be requested to register to attend the meeting using a link that will be emailed to them. Following registration approval, you will receive a Zoom link unique to only to you for joining the meeting.

 ONLINE:  Friday, July 3, 2020

6:30 – 8:00 pm

TAAA is continuing to hold its first Friday Member meetings online. The July 3rd meeting at 6:30 P.M. is open to the general public. To view it live, please go to https://www.facebook.com/TucsonAstronomy

6:30 pm – Main Presentation

Title:  The Latest Cutting-Edge Analysis of Apollo Lunar Samples

Speaker:   Jessica Barnes is an Assistant Professor at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona. She completed her undergraduate and Ph.D. training in her native UK, and was a postdoctoral fellow at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Jess’s research background is in lunar mineralogy and geochemistry. Her current research centers on the origin and evolution of inner solar system volatiles.

In preparation for future lunar missions in the 2020s and beyond, it is important to maximize the science derived from samples returned by the Apollo Program. By applying cutting-edge analytical techniques to Apollo samples we address both longstanding and new scientific questions. NASA’s Apollo sample collection includes a subset of samples that were specially curated in 1972 and have remained untouched and unstudied since then. The Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis (ANGSA) initiative was designed to examine these pristine samples. Jess will talk about the preliminary examination of a never-before-studied lunar drill core and plans for the analyses of a frozen piece of lava from the Moon.

7:15 pm (Approx) – Second Presentation

Title:  Seasonal Night Sky Object

Speaker:  Mary Turner

Mary Turner, TAAA’s appointed Chief Observer, takes us on an tour of the summer night sky. As usual in her popular talks, Mary’s use of astronomical data, images, and mythology brings the seasonal changes in the sky to life.

The Moon Stories activity will be streamed on TAAA Facebook Live starting 2 pm (Arizona/PDT) Saturday June 27. This is a great event for families and students. For additional information or to print out activity documents, go to: https://tucsonastronomy.org/community-services/teachers-corner/.