September 5, 2025 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
TBD
Holiday Observing at Chiricahua Astronomy Complex
December 27, 2025 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Have guests or family in town over the Holidays. Join us for a family friendly observing event at our Chiricahua Astronomy Complex, about a 2 hour drive SE of Tucson near the Chiricahua mountains. For a nominal fee, your family or guests can have a guided observing session of the Universe using one or more of our large telescopes. We will observe planets such as Saturn in breath-taking clarity, multiple star systems, star clusters, Nebulae gas clouds, galaxies millions of light-years away, and lots more. Fee is only $25/youth under 15 and $50/adult. To register, please use the below link.
$25 – $50
Price is per person (25 youth, 50 adults) for a two hour group session.
TAAA Merchandise
License Plates – Polo Shirts – T-Shirts – Mugs – TAAA Name Badge (TAAA Members Only)
The TAAA Member Apparel Service provides (1) apparel and merchandise sales at our meetings or by mail for pickup or deliver to TAAA members (2) access to a website catalog from which TAAA members may make special orders of apparel with the TAAA logo.
TAAA Member Apparel ordering allows members access to stocked Polo Shirts, T-Shirts coffee mugs, and license plate TAAA logo items or the whole apparel website catalog at any time. Name Tags are of course special ordered but can be direct shipped to you. Members may order at meetings, or print out an order form, fill it out, compute the amount due all at home at their own pace. Of course transactions can be completed at the TAAA Monthly Meeting as well.
The order form provided here may be completed and turned in at the Apparel Table at the monthly meeting or scanned or photographed to be sent by email to apparel@tucsonastronomy.org. Payment methods available include credit card billing by email, payment at the monthly meetings to include: cash, check, or credit card.
After receipt of the completed order form and amount due, the TAAA Apparel Coordinator will fille the order out of stock or place the order with our vendors. Delivery can be indicated on the form as Pick up at the Monthly General Meeting, directed shipped in some cases, or mailed for an extra charge in others.
Planets of the Month: July-September
By Erich Karkoschka
Mars is the evening planet, getting lower in the west at the end of twilight. In September it becomes difficult to see.
Saturn rises at midnight at the beginning of July, but already at sunset by its opposition on September 20. Its rings are very faint since their southern side only started to get illuminated in May. They are visible as a line extending on both sides of the planet.
Venus rises around 3 am. It is 20 degrees high in the east by the time dawn starts.
Jupiter rises shortly before the sun at the beginning of July, but already around 1 am by late September. Venus and Jupiter are only 1 degree apart from each other on August 12, a beautiful sight.
Mercury is well visible during dawn in the second half of August, about 15 degrees below Venus.
Uranus is visible in the morning sky.
Neptune is only 1 degree south of Saturn all July and August, increasing to 2 degrees by late September, a rare chance to see both planets in the same telescopic field. Once they separate next year, it will take until 2061 before they get together again. That conjunction will not be visible because the sun will be too close. So the next chance will be in 2097.
Minor planet (4) Vesta is still relatively bright at magnitude 7.
The moon is close to Venus on the morning of August 20, when Jupiter is also nearby. The three brightest objects in the sky fit within a 10 degree field.
The Perseid meteor shower is active from late July to late August with a maximum on August 12. While it gets dark around 8 pm, the moon rises at 9:15 pm, leaving little time of dark sky.
HYBRID – General Meeting – August 2025
August 1, 2025 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Title: TAAA Outreach, Inspiring Future Generations
Bernie Stinger, Jim Knoll, and Terri Lappin will share the TAAA Outreach program and how you can become involved to educate our youth and community residents about the astronomical wonders of the universe. The team will then outline a new volunteer outreach award program.
Biographies: Bernie Stinger, Jim Knoll, and Terri Lappin
Bernie Stinger manages the TAAA School and Public program, leading a team of over 60 volunteers and averaging 15-20 events/month. Jim Knoll manages the Tucson Stargazing Adventures private event program with a team of around 15 and averaging around 10 events/month. Terri Lappin leads the Starry Messenger Special Interest Group (SMSIG) supporting TAAA involvement in the Tucson Festival of Books and hosting the TAAA Astronomy Festival. Her team of about 10 volunteers also provides Night Sky Network Toolkits for an average of 3 school events/month during the school year.
Caption: Tucson Astronomy Festival 2025
Credit: Jim Knoll
Mae
ONLINE – Astronomy Fundamentals Meeting – August 2025
August 14, 2025 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Title: Astronomer tools before the Telescope
Presenter: Connor Justice
Connor Justice will be presenting on Astronomer tools before the Telescope.
Title: Astronomer of the Month Sara Seager
Presenter: Pete Hermes
Pete Hermes will be highlighting Sara Seager for our Astronomer of the Month.
Connor Justice
ONLINE – Astronomy Fundamentals Meeting – July 2025
July 10, 2025 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Main Presentation: Variable Stars
Presenter: Connor Justice
After a last-minute cancellation in June, Connor Justice will be presenting the main topic on Variable Stars.
Connor Justice
HYBRID – General Meeting – July 2025
July 11, 2025 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Title: Beyond the First Look at The NSF-DOE Vera Rubin Observatory
The NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory recently released a first look at a sampling of data products, and now is preparing to begin a ten-year survey of the southern skies. The Legacy Survey of Space and Time will produce unprecedented amounts of data for many different types of science.
Using the largest camera ever built, Rubin will repeatedly scan the sky from its location in Chilé and create an ultra-wide, ultra-high-definition, time-lapse record of our Universe. This will yield a treasure trove of discoveries: asteroids and comets, pulsating stars, and supernova explosions, as well as an immense amount of previously-undetected stars and galaxies.
With Rubin data we will come to understand our Universe better, chronicle its evolution, delve into the mysteries of dark energy and dark matter, and reveal answers to questions we have yet to imagine. Ardis Herrold’s presentation will offer information on the telescope, its science, and the ways everyone can explore the Rubin data itself. Learn what is happening right now, during commissioning (between first photons and the start of the survey), as well as how educators and citizen scientist projects
Biography: Ardis Herrold
Ardis Herrold is the Senior Education Specialist for the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory. Formerly a high school teacher, Ardis was hired to design and lead the education program for Rubin. In this role, she works on designing and testing data-based classroom investigations, and provides teacher training and support. Ardis is an amateur astronomer and has been a member of TAAA since 2017.
Image credit Hernan Stockebrand.
Caption: Rubin Observatory stands on Cerro Pachón in Chile against a sky full of star trails in this long exposure night sky image.
Ed Foley, TAAA President
ONLINE – Astronomy Fundamentals Meeting – JUNE 2025
June 12, 2025 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Main Presentation: Variable Stars
Presenter: Connor Justice
This month, Connor Justice will be presenting on Variable Stars for our main topic.
Astronomer of the month: Halton Arp
Presenter: Stephen Ferris
Stephen Ferris will be discussing Halton Arp for our ongoing Astronomer of the Month.
Connor Justice
HYBRID – General Meeting – June 2025
June 6, 2025 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Title: Total Solar Eclipse from Egypt: August 2, 2027
Imagine nearly 6½ minutes of darkness in a location where clouds are almost impossible. Add to that exploring one of the greatest civilizations ever. It’s not a dream, it’s going to happen. And you can be there. The duration of totality in 2027 won’t be surpassed until 2114, so calling it the BIG ONE isn’t an exaggeration. In his talk, Michael will detail the eclipse and invite you to observe this spectacular event surrounded by the archaeological treasures of Egypt.
Biography: Michael E. Bakich
Michael E. Bakich was Senior Editor of Astronomy magazine for 17 years before retiring in 2019. He and his wife, Holley, then realized their lifelong dream and moved to Tucson. Then, in 2024, the magazine was sold and Michael began working there again, from home. Michael has traveled to 16 total solar eclipses and authored four books on solar eclipses.
Caption: Solar Eclipse at Totality
Credit: voxvine.com/nasa