6:30 pm – Introductory Presentation
Title: Financial Report
Speaker: Mike McDowell, TAAA Treasurer
TAAA Treasurer Mike McDowell will present the annual TAAA financial report, and an update on Chiricahua Astronomy Complex (CAC).
7:30 pm – Main Presentation
Title: Dark Clouds and Prestellar Cores – The Beginning Stage of Star and Planet Formation
Speaker: UA Associate Professor Dr. Yancy Shirley is a Hoosier who received his B.S. in Astronomy and Physics from the University of Arizona, and his Ph.D. at the University of Texas (Austin). He worked at the Very Large Array (radio telescopes) in New Mexico before returning to Arizona and joining the UA faculty in 2008. Dr. Shirley’s main studies are in the earliest phases of star formation, astrochemistry, and astrobiology using observations from infrared and radio telescopes.
In the early 1900s, American astronomer Edward Emerson (E.E.) Barnard photographed dark nebula and realized that these regions were not “vacancies” in the sky, but instead clouds of obscuring material. They contain the raw material—solid particles we call dust and a very rich molecular chemistry—from which stars and planets form today. In his talk, Dr. Shirley will describe how stars and planets form and show how we can observe these earliest phases across the Galaxy.
Stargazing to view amazing solar system and deep sky objects. You will see planets, nebulae, star clusters, double stars, and lots more. We will have several telescopes for public viewing. Observing location is either Faraway Ranch (just inside the entrance gate) or Echo Canyon Overlook (about 5 miles past the visitor center). Please try to use red light flashlights and minimize white light (to include cell phones) that will hinder your night vision.
A talk on astronomy will be at the campground Amphitheater just past the visitor center starting at 6 PM.
The Star Party will go from 6:30 – 8:30 PM at either Faraway Ranch or Echo Canyon overlook.
Follow the event on Facebook for real-time updates.
Join Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association at the Library in Elfrida, AZ for some daytime safe solar observing of the Sun. We will look for Sunspots and Prominences coming off the edge of the Sun. Weather Dependent.
Stargazing event supporting Elfrida, AZ Library in SE Arizona. Come join the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association for an evening of observing some astronomy wonders in the night sky. We will view some planets, star clusters, multiple star systems, nebulae, and lots more.
Come join us for a presentation from the fundamentals of amateur astronomy.
Kay Lehman will talk about the northern constellation Cetus.
Followed by Doug Smith who will be giving a break down on The Mechanics of Clock Drives for our main presentation.
Email: fundamentals[at]tucsonastronomy.org
6:30 pm – Introductory Presentation
Title: Seasonal Night Sky Objects
Speaker: Mary Turner, PhD
Mary Turner, TAAA’s appointed Chief Observer, takes us on an early tour of the upcoming winter 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.
7:30 pm – Main Presentation
Title: Are We Alone: Extraterrestrial Technological Life in Our Galaxy
Speaker: Dr. Robert Strom is Professor Emeritus at the University of Arizona. Retired after 36 years of teaching and research at UA, Dr. Strom remains active in research; his main interest is the planets, global warming, and exoplanet life. Dr. Strom holds numerous awards, including six from NASA, as well as the Career Distinguished Teaching Award from UA. He’s been part of many Imaging and other Science Teams for space missions, and brings us a wealth of knowledge, experience, and wisdom.
In Dr. Strom’s talk, he evaluates the number of technological civilizations likely to currently be in the Milky Way Galaxy, and presents a thought-provoking argument for why we are almost surely not alone. He begins with our current estimated number of Earth-like planets in the habitable region of Sun-like stars; about 6.6 billion. Using a modified Drake Equation and six constraints, he gives estimates that are “optimistic”, “pessimistic” and “unlikely.” Even “unlikely” values give over 600 technological civilizations in the Milky Way. Furthermore, almost all of their extra-solar system technologies are probably much more advanced than ours. For a lively talk and discussion, join us on September 7th.
Gus Gomez will start the evening off with a talk on defunct constellation Argo Navis, followed by Rob Halberg who will be discussing the astronomer Copernicus for our main presentation.
6:30 pm – Introductory Presentation
Title: Member’s Night
Speaker: various TAAA members
Reports by several TAAA members on a variety of topics.
7:30 pm – Main Presentation
Title: The night sky of planet Vulcan: Exozodiacal light observations with the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT)
Speaker: Dr. Steve Ertel is a German astronomer now working at Steward Observatory. He studies planetary systems through observations of their dust similar to that in our Solar System’s Kuiper Belt, Asteroid Belt, and zodiacal dust. He also studies the fate of planetary systems as their host stars evolve into giant stars and white dwarfs. Steve received his Ph.D. from the University of Kiel, Germany. He has worked as an observational astronomer at the University of Grenoble, France, and at the European Southern Observatory, Chile. As the instrument scientist of the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer at Mt. Graham, AZ, he leads the NASA-funded HOSTS survey for exozodiacal dust around nearby stars
Zodiacal light is one of the most elusive features of our night sky; visible in the West after dusk and in the East before dawn as a large cone of faint light stretching from the horizon along the ecliptic. Arizona’s dark skies make it ideal for observing its cause; sunlight scattered from zodiacal dust particles near Earth’s orbit. Surely, the night skies of many Earth-like exoplanets must show a similar feature. Studying exozodiacal dust can give us insights into their architecture, specifically for those exoplanets in the habitable zone. At the same time, the dust poses an obstacle to imaging habitable exoplanets with a large space telescope, one of NASA’s primary future goals. Dr. Ertel will present the efforts using the LBT to detect and study exozodiacal dust. He will also talk more broadly about how the LBT’s interferometer makes it the first 30-meter class telescope on Earth.
Join the staff of Tumacácori National Historical Park, the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association, and the Sonora Astronomical Society for a celebration of astronomy and the Park’s designation of an International Dark Sky Park. We will have several telescopes to view some amazing astronomical objects under some incredibly dark skies.
Join TAAA and the Sonoran Desert Museum for the Cool Summer Nights Astronomy Event. TAAA will have several telescopes set up around the Museum to view some amazing solar system and deep-sky objects. Museum entrance fee required.
