TIMPA Site Location: 3250 N. Reservation Road, Tucson, AZ 85743
Coordinates: 32º 16.868’ N, 111º 16.390’ W Elevation: 2218 feet
Detailed Directions to the Site
Please Note:
The TIMPA Site is a secured (gated) TAAA member facility and not open to the general public. It is accessible during scheduled club star parties and other TAAA events. If members wish to use the site at other times, they may contact Ralph Means (bookbuyer1769 [at] gmail[dot] com) to arrange to borrow an electronic key-card.
It you have questions or suggestions about the site you can contact the TIMPA Site Director Stephen Ferris at TIMPADirector[at]tucsonastronomy.org
The TIMPA Site is one of the dark sites used by the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (TAAA) for its monthly star parties. The Astronomy Fundamentals Special Interest Group (AFSIG) also uses the site for its activities. The site is located close to the city, but west of Tucson in Avra Valley on the west side of the Tucson Mountains. The location is a good trade-off between a dark site and its reasonably close proximity to Tucson. It offers skies dark enough for deep sky observing and unfiltered astrophotography, particularly to the south, west and north. Some sky is lost in the eastern direction to the lights of Tucson, although the Tucson Mountains do block a substantial amount of the light. Seeing at the site, in the center of a large flat valley, can also be quite good for planetary viewing or star testing telescopes. The SQM reading in 2023 at zenith reported at 20.86.
The site is open to members on new moon weekends throughout the year (weather permitting).
2024 Member Nights
July 5-6 (New Moon 5). Tentative – Monsoon.
August 2-3 (New Moon 4). Tentative – Monsoon.
August 30-31 (New Moon September 2). Tentative – Monsoon.
September 27-28 (New Moon October 2).
November 1-2 (New Moon 1).
November 29-30 (New Moon 30).
December 27-28 (New Moon 30).
2025 Member Nights
January 24-25
The site includes six concrete telescope pads, all of which have electric service. In November 2008, the club dedicated the Gila Monster Observatory, a roll-off observatory designed by TAAA Member George Barber and constructed by many TAAA Members. The observatory contains a 14” Meade LX200R Advanced Ritchey-Chretien telescope donated by Meade Instruments Corp. through David and Wendee Levy’s Sharing The Sky Foundation. The telescope is operated regularly during TIMPA weekends, and is available for member use after training provided periodically at the site. The site also contains a bathroom facility with three unisex bathrooms and an 8’x20’ steel storage container with telescope equipment dedicated for use at the site.
In addition to members observing on your own, special observing sessions are hosted by our Astronomical League observing team.
Before you come click link for – TIMPA Site Reservations
Non-Members at TIMPA:
Non-members participating at a club event or accompanying a member observing at TIMPA must fill out a Waiver Form. Download, print, fill out, and sign this waiver and bring to the site. The waiver will be collected on-site.
HAVING EQUIPMENT ISSUES?
NEW SERVICE AVAILABLE AT TIMPA!! TIMPA AMBASSADOR
We are pleased to announce that, starting in December 2023, we will now have a ‘TIMPA AMBASSADOR’ on site at TIMPA during the first regularly scheduled TIMPA night of each month. This person will be present for the sole purpose of answering any questions related to astronomy and to assist with any equipment issues for any member who needs help with their equipment. Any member who wishes to take advantage of this service should contact us using the information below to let us know when you will be arriving at TIMPA. If you will be bringing equipment and wish to reserve a pad please use the standard TIMPA reservation system.
Douglas Smith e-mail: alcor@tucsonastronomy.org
At the site on are stored the items available in our Telescope Equipment Loaner program.
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What does ‘TIMPA’ mean, anyway?
TIMPA stands for the Tucson International Modelplex Park Association. It is a parcel of land (approx. 160 acres) located in Avra Valley west of the Tucson Mountains about seven miles west of the Saguaro National Park West. The TIMPA organization flies radio-controlled model airplanes at the site. The Southern Arizona Rocketry Association (SARA) also uses the site to launch model rockets. The property is leased from the City of Tucson by the TIMPA organization and is intended to be developed as a specialty city park. It consists of a caretaker’s ranch house, a large storage barn, a 750 foot-long paved runway, a large steel covered ramada containing model airplane flight preparation tables, a large graveled parking lot and a bathroom facility. TAAA has had a long collaborative HISTORY with this organization at the site.
