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.

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 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.

THIS MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE UA EDUCATION NORTH BUILDING (ADDRESS AND MAP BELOW).

DETAILED LOCATION, PARKING AND ACCESSIBILITY INFO AVAILABLE ON THE AFSIG MAIN EVENT PAGE (FOUND ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE TAAA WEBSITE).

Constellation of the Month:

Carina

Presenter:  Doug Smith

Doug Smith will be presenting Carina as the constellation of the month.

Main Presentation:

Black Holes

Presenter:  Connor Justice

Connor Justice will be discussing Black Holes.

6:30 pm – Introductory Presentation

Title:  Annual Report

Speaker:  Mae Smith, Ph.D.

TAAA President Mae Smith will give the club’s annual report for 2018.

7:30 pm – Main Presentation

Title:  Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association: Sixty-Five Years of Celebrating The Skies

Speaker:  Tim Hunter has been an amateur astronomer since 1950, and owns two observatories, the 3towers Observatory and the Grasslands Observatory. He is a past president of Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association, Inc. and a member of TAAA since 1975. He is currently the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Planetary Science Institute (PSI). In 1987, he and Dr. David Crawford founded the International Dark-Sky Association, Inc. (IDA), a nonprofit devoted to promoting quality outdoor lighting and combatting the effects of light pollution.

For this month’s main presentation, Tim Hunter celebrates TAAA’s 65^th anniversary year. The TAAA was founded in 1954 as the Tucson Amateur Astronomers (TAA) by a small group of amateurs with the strong support of Dr. Edwin F Carpenter, Director of Steward Observatory.

Learn how TAA evolved into the current TAAA, one of the largest and most active amateur clubs in the United States.  Ever since its founding, the TAAA has had a close relationship with Steward Observatory and the University of Arizona.  In his talk, Tim will highlight some important landmarks of the TAAA as well as the changes in amateur astronomy from 1954.  A special feature of the evening will be short presentations by several former TAAA Presidents.