Come join us for a presentation from the fundamentals of amateur astronomy.  Doug Smith will tell us about the Astro League’s  “Analemma Observing Club”.  The “Constellation of the Month” is “Canis Minor”, presented by Gus Gomez.

6:30 pm – Introductory Presentation

Title:  Astronomy Services Revitalization Plan

Presenter:  TAAA’s Astronomy Services Redesign Team

The Astronomy Services (a.k.a. Paid Star Party) Program is critical to the on-going health and welfare of the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association.  Learn about the redesign of the program, from a single Coordinator to a Team approach and how you can help take this program into the future while securing the financial wellbeing of TAAA!

7:30 pm – Main Presentation

Title:  Exoplanet Atmospheres on the Cutting Edge of Astronomy

Presenter:  Joshua Lothringer, PHD Candidate at The University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Lab. Josh received his BA in Astrophysics at the University of Colorado, where he worked at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) on space missions including MAVEN and Kepler.

The discovery and characterization of exoplanets has become one of the fastest growing fields in astronomy.  With thousands of planets discovered and dozens beginning to be spectroscopically characterized, we are starting to realize what makes our solar system special.  Joshua will present his efforts to understand the atmospheres of exoplanets through observations with the Hubble Space Telescope of a Neptune-sized exoplanet, one of the smallest planets yet characterized. He will describe what his computer modeling has uncovered about the atmospheres of the hottest known exoplanets. And he will share how he has turned his passion for exoplanets into art.

Come join us for a presentation from the fundamentals of amateur astronomy. Stephen Ferris will give a talk on “Exoplanets and the Habitable Zone”. The “Constellation of the Month” is “Ursa Major”, presented by Doug Smith.

6:30 pm – Introductory Presentation

Title:  The Latest On The Astronomical League

Presenter:  Douglas Smith, Observing Program Coordinator for The Astronomical League

Douglas Smith will give a brief history of the Astrological League; one of the largest amateur astronomy organizations in the world. Learn the latest about its benefits, resources, and services, as well as a review of the 50 or so observing programs available at this time.

7:30 pm – Main Presentation

Title:  CCD Photometry from Inside the Light Dome – Leisure Time Activity for a Retired Engineer

Presenter:  Tom Polakis became an amateur astronomer on the night of the 1977 Perseid meteor shower.  He is a Contributing Editor for Astronomy Magazine. His main interests are astronomical travel, visual observing, and all types of photography.

In the past few years, Tom has actively pursued photometry with his CCD imaging equipment in Tempe.  During that time, he has determined rotation periods of asteroids, measured brightness and colors of eclipsing binary and pulsating variable stars, and created light curves of exoplanets and an active quasar along the way.  During the first half of Tom’s presentation, he will describe the fundamentals of photometry, his equipment and acquisition of images, and data reduction.  Then Tom will show examples of  his work to illustrate how measuring something as simple as the variation of light and color teaches us much about stellar and solar system astronomy.

At the January meeting Doug Smith will discuss “Variable Stars”. The “Constellation of the Month” is Perseus, presented by Jim Schrode.

6:30 pm – Introductory Presentation

Title:  Objects of the Quarter

Presenter:  Dr. Mary Turner, TAAA’s Chief Observer and Adjunct Professor of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona

In her latest popular sky talk, Mary Turner takes us on a tour of the winter night sky. With the use of astronomical data, images, and mythology, Mary provides an overview of what to expect in the sky during the coming months.

7:30 pm – Main Presentation

Title:  The Latest News About Water On Mars

Presenter:  Dr. Shane Byrne is an Associate Professor at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at UA. He is a co-Investigator on the HiRISE and CaSSIS cameras at Mars and a Guest Investigator on the Dawn mission at Ceres. Dr. Byrne is also the director of the Space Imagery Center, a NASA Regional Planetary Image Facility that archives planetary spacecraft and telescopic data and conducts many outreach events.