Come join us for a presentation from the fundamentals of amateur astronomy. Connor Justice will be discussing the constellation Virgo, followed by Doug Smith who will talk about the History of Astrophotography for our main presentation.
General Meeting – July 2018
Topics to be determined.
Astronomy Fundamentals Meeting – June 2018
Main Presentation:
Jupiter and it’s Moons
Presenter: Stephen Ferris
Stephen Ferris will discuss Jupiter and it’s Moons for our main presentation.
Constellation of the Month:
Crux
Presenter: Doug Smith
Doug Smith will start the evening off with a talk on the southern constellation Crux.
About the Astronomy Fundamentals SIG
The Astronomy Fundamentals Special Interest Group, is for all TAAA members, both new and old, who want to learn about and share the multiple aspects of the hobby.
Meeting Location
The USGS Building is on the northeast corner of Park and 6th Street. Free parking is available nearby after 5pm.
Contact Connor Justice at fundamentals[at]tucsonastronomy.org
General Meeting – June 2018
6:30 pm – Introductory Presentation
Title: Variable Stars, the AAVSO and the Astronomical League
Speaker: Douglas Smith
Douglas Smith will present a history of Variable Star observing and discoveries, the importance of this work. A description of what a variable star is and the process that causes the variability. He will discuss the AAVSO and their purpose and look at their website. He will also discuss the Astronomical League’s three observing programs for variable stars.
7:30 pm – Main Presentation
Title: Train Wrecks Across Time: A History of Galaxy Mergers
Speaker: Barry Rothberg, Ph.D., Large Binocular
Telescope Observatory
The collision and merging of galaxies is one of the most violent events in the Universe. Galaxy mergers are far from rare, and are responsible for reshaping and creating galaxies, forming millions of new stars, enriching and forging new elements, and birthing and fueling the most powerful and destructive engines in the known Universe. But galaxy mergers have not only reshaped the Universe over the last 13 billion years, but have served as a means of reshaping humanity’s understanding of astronomy and physics. In this presentation, we will start on a journey beginning several centuries earlier, and see how galactic train wrecks have helped further the development of astronomical optics, altered and remade our basic understanding of physics, and inspired astronomers to see how the Universe is both vast and ever expanding. We will also see how galaxy mergers will impact our own future. Our Milky Way galaxy and one of our galactic neighbors, the Andromeda galaxy, are hurtling towards each other, destined to collide and eventually merge. Our understanding how galaxy mergers occur and their outcome will serve as a means of seeing our own inevitable future.
Vail Stargazing Celebration
This will be a star gazing event that will be part of A Colossal Fourth. A Colossal Fourth is the name for a series of events taking place over the week of July 4th.
Observing: 8 – 9:30 pm
Viewing Location: Vail Lutheran Church, south of the buildings
Intermountain Center @ Flandrau Science Center
Star Party supporting the Intermountain Center @ Flandrau Science Center. The event will feature a talk by Dante Lauretta, Professor of Planetary Science and Cosmochemistry at the U of A. The event will go from 5:30 – 8:30 pm with the star party on the UA Mall south of Flandrau from 7:30 – 9:30. For more information, see the Intermountain Center website: http://intermountaincenters.org/.
Autism Fair
The Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association will have some Solar Telescopes to safely view our star The Sun. We will look for Prominences, Flares, Sunspots, and other activities happening on the Sun. The Fair will be set up on the concourse of the Kino Sports Complex. There will be lots of activities and booths supporting Autism and Science.
Elfriday Library (Solar)
Star Party-Elfrida Library
ELFRIDA, AZ (Near CAC)
Viewing Location: Outside the Library
Come join the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association for some safe daytime viewing of our closest star the Sun. We will have a solar telescope setup outside the Elfrida Library. We will look for Solar Prominences & Flares, Sunspots, and other activity on the Sun.
Elfriday Library
Star Party-Elfrida Library
ELFRIDA, AZ
Viewing Location: Outside the Library
Estimated # Participants: 25
Come join the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association for some evening viewing of some exciting astronomy wonders. We will have telescopes setup outside the Library to view some planets, star clusters, multiple star systems, nebulae, and lots more.
Astronomy Fundamentals Meeting – May 2018
Come join us for a presentation from the fundamentals of amateur astronomy. Bill Clarke will be discussing Home-made AltAz mounts and Gus Gomez will be showing us the constellation Corvus.