Astronomy event supporting Marana Under the Stars. For more information, see the website: http://www.maranaaz.gov/town-calendar/2016/4/23/camping-under-the-stars.
Planets of the Month: March 2019
by Erich Karkoschka
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Mars is still magnitude 1, 40 degrees high at dusk, sets at 11 pm. It is moving toward Taurus with Aldebaran of similar brightness and color. The last week of March it is 3 degrees south of the Pleiades. |
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Uranus is visible in binoculars below Mars. |
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Jupiter transits at dawn. |
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Venus is further east and stays low at dawn. |
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Saturn is 26 degrees east of Jupiter, the closest since 2001. |
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Mercury is visible at dusk till the 5th and at dawn starting on the 30th. |
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The moon is close to Venus on the morings of March 2 and 3. The moon will be back in the evening sky on the 7th as a very thin crescent low in the west. |
Astronomy Fundamentals Meeting – April 2019
Constellation of the Month:
Centaurus
Presenter: Kay Lehman
Kay Lehman will start the night with a talk about the southern constellation Centaurus.
Main Presentation:
Astronomy and The Onion
Presenter: Doug Smith
For our main topic, Doug Smith will be discussing Astronomy and The Onion.
General Meeting – April 2019
6:30 pm – Introductory Presentation
Title: Seasonal Night Sky Objects
Speaker: Mary Turner
Mary Turner, TAAA’s appointed Chief Observer, takes us on a tour of the spring night sky. As usual in her popular talks, Mary’s uses astronomical data, images, and mythology to bring seasonal changes in the sky to life.
7:30 pm – Main Presentation
Title: An Introduction to Slit-less Grating Spectroscopy
Speaker: Rhode Island native and retired Astronomy and Physics Professor David Iadevaia, has taught middle school/high school physical science/physics up through university astronomy. In 1983, he became Instrument Specialist for the Echelle spectrograph at the MMT on Mt. Hopkins. The next year, he began a 30-year teaching career at Pima Community College. His accomplishments there include designing the Professor Pima Portable Planetarium Program, and establishing Pima’s East Campus Observatory, the first teaching observatory in Arizona. In 1986, he received the Tucson Trade Bureau Outstanding Faculty Award. David has been a lifelong amateur astronomer and as a retiree he’s returning to his astronomy roots.
David will present an introduction to low resolution, slit-less grating spectroscopy. He’ll begin with a brief overview of the nature of light with such concepts as Wien’s Law and the Doppler Effect as they apply to spectroscopy. Spectra taken with a slit-less grating spectroscope will be shown, along with an explanation of how to interpret the data in spectra. David will talk about the equipment needed to capture spectra, and the software available to reduce a spectrum’s data for research. A brief overview of the growing international community of spectroscopists will be included.
Vail Stargazing
Star Party supporting Vail community 4th of July Celebration. Observing will be behind the Vail Lutheran Church.
School, Non-Profit, & Public Events
(by Jim Knoll)
2018 was another successful year for our School, Non-Profit, & Public Events. Here is a summary:
To request a school or non-profit star party, visit our Community Involvement, Star Party Page.
Planets of the Month: February 2019
by Erich Karkoschka
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Mercury has the best evening apparition of 2019, visible after the 12th in the west at dusk, best around the 24th. |
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Mars is still magnitude 1, 50 degrees high at dusk, sets after 11 pm. It is moving toward Aries and Taurus with Aldebaran of similar brightness and color. |
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Uranus is 1 degree south of Mars on February 12. Although Mars is 100 times as bright as Uranus, both are of similar sizes, 6 arcsec versus 4 arcsec, but very different colors. |
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Jupiter rises at 3 am and is 30 degrees high at dawn. |
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Venus rises 4:30 am and is 20 degrees high at dawn. Venus and Jupiter are only separated by 10 degrees at the beginning of the month. |
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Saturn rises after Venus in early February. On the 18th, it is within 1 degree of Venus. Saturn and Jupiter are separated by 30 degrees, the closest since 2001. |
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The moon will be back in the evening sky on the 6th, possibly on the 5th, very low in the WSW in bright twilight. Binoculars may be needed to spot it depending on the atmospheric conditions. |
Tucson Hebrew Academy
Solar Observing & NSN Toolkit for the annual Tucson Hebrew Academy (THA) Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) event.
THA STEM Event is open to the public.
Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association will have a couple telescopes to safely view the Sun throughout the event. We may also have an astronomy interactive activity as part of the STEM event.
Tucson Festival of Books
Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association will have several telescopes to safely view the Sun as well as interactive exhibits for families. Activities will be in the Science City Tent. Interactive activities will focus on the Moon and the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 Landing.
Activities from 8:30 am to 5 pm each day.
Tucson Festival of Books
Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association will have several telescopes to safely view the Sun as well as interactive exhibits for families. Activities will be in the Science City Tent. Interactive activities will focus on the Moon and the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 Landing.
Activities from 8:30 am to 5 pm each day.