Tag Archives: Nightsky

Chiricahua National Monument Stargazing

TAAA Stargazing to view amazing solar system and deep sky objects from the Dark Sky Park. You will see planets, nebulae, star clusters, double stars, and lots more. We will have several telescopes for public viewing. Observing location will be at the Echo Canyon Trailhead about 5 miles inside the park.  A talk will be scheduled at Bonita Campground Amphitheater before the observing at Echo Canyon. The park may will a shuttle bus from the Visitor Center (check there upon arrival). Please try to use red light flashlights and minimize white light (to include cell phones) that will hinder your night vision. Chiricahua National Monument website: https://www.nps.gov/chir/index.htm.  Weather dependent — Follow the event on the TAAA Facebook page to get weather and other updates: https://www.facebook.com/TucsonAstronomy/.

Schedule.

Talk at Bonita Campground: 6 – 6:45 pm
Observing at Echo Canyon Trailhead: 7-9 pm

Check back here or on Facebook closer to the event for any updates.

Chiricahua National Monument Stargazing

TAAA Stargazing to view amazing solar system and deep sky objects from a Dark Sky Park. You will see the planet Uranus, nebulae, star clusters, double stars, galaxies millions of light years away, and lots more. We will have several telescopes for public viewing. Observing location will be at Faraway Ranch just inside the entrance gate.  Please try to use red light flashlights and minimize white light (to include cell phones) that will hinder your night vision. Chiricahua National Monument website: https://www.nps.gov/chir/index.htm.  Weather dependent — Follow the event on the TAAA Facebook page to get weather and other updates: https://www.facebook.com/TucsonAstronomy/.

Check back here or on Facebook closer to the event for any updates.

Oracle State Park

Star Party-Oracle State Park
Tucson, AZ
Viewing Location: Kannally Ranch House
Information: Great dark skies just north of Tucson at Oracle State Park.  Star Party open to the Public.  Admission cost for entrance into Oracle State Park may apply.  Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association will have several telescopes for astronomical viewing.  We will observe Planets, Nebulae, Galaxies, Star Clusters and lots more.  Great opportunity to look through a wide variety of telescopes.  Weather dependent.  For real-time updates, follow this event on the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association Facebook Events Page (https://www.facebook.com/TucsonAstronomy/). There is generally a talk and other events also taking place. Check the Oracle State Park website for additional information. Check TAAA Facebook Page or here for any updates as we get closer.

Oracle State Park Stargazing

Star Party-Oracle State Park
Tucson, AZ
Viewing Location: Kannally Ranch House
Information: Great dark skies at one of America’s Dark Sky Parks just north of Tucson at Oracle State Park.  Star Party open to the Public.  Admission cost for entrance into Oracle State Park may apply.  Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association will have several telescopes for astronomical viewing.  We will observe Planets, Nebulae, Galaxies, Star Clusters and lots more.  Great opportunity to look through a wide variety of telescopes.  Weather dependent.  For real-time updates, follow this event on the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association Facebook Events Page (https://www.facebook.com/TucsonAstronomy/). There is generally a talk and other events also taking place. Check the Oracle State Park website for additional information. Check TAAA Facebook Page or here for any updates as we get closer.

Virtual Stargazing

Join Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association for a Virtual tour of the Night Sky. We will explore planets, Nebulae, Star Clusters, Galaxies, and much more using cameras connected to telescopes. The event will be streamed to our YouTube channel (TAAA YouTube). You can follow our Facebook event for any weather and other updates and the link to our YouTube Channel. FREE.

Check Facebook or back here closer to the event for any updates.

32 inch Cassegrain Project, Astronomical Events, General Astronomy, Solar System

Planets of the Month: AUGUST

By Erich Karkoschka

Mercury will start its visibility at dusk, but will never get very obvious. It remains close to the Sun.

Venus is the evening star during dusk. It passes Beta Virginis on the 13th at only 7 arc minutes in distance, similar to the distance between Jupiter and Saturn during the last winter solstice. But the faintness of the star will probably require binoculars to see it.

Saturn comes to opposition on August 2nd, when it rises at sunset. Around that time, its rings are very bright as compared to the planet.

Jupiter also comes to opposition this month on August 22nd. The evening before, the Full Moon will be right next to Jupiter.

On the evening of August 18th, the Moon occults Nunki, the second brightest star of the teapot asterism in Sagittarius. In Nogales, it will last from 7:47 to 8:01 pm, but in Tucson the Moon will not quite make it, although it will get very close to the star. In between there is a grazing occupation which is rare for such a bright star to get so close to us.
August is meteor month. The Perseids will peak on the night of August 11-12 when the Moon is next to Venus which sets early. It cannot be much better than that!! Look toward the east late evening or early morning toward the constellation Perseus.

Oracle State Park Stargazing

Star Party-Oracle State Park
Tucson, AZ
Viewing Location: Kannally Ranch House
Information: Great dark skies just north of Tucson at Oracle State Park.  Star Party open to the Public.  Admission cost for entrance into Oracle State Park may apply.  Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association will have several telescopes for astronomical viewing.  We will observe Planets, Nebulae, Galaxies, Star Clusters and lots more.  Great opportunity to look through a wide variety of telescopes.  Weather dependent.  For real-time updates, follow this event on the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association Facebook Events Page (https://www.facebook.com/TucsonAstronomy/). There is generally a talk and other events also taking place. Check the Oracle State Park website for additional information. Check TAAA Facebook Page or here for any updates as we get closer.

Grand Canyon Star Party

Join Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association and the National Park Service for the 32nd annual Star Party. The Star Party will be June 18 – 25, 2022. We average 50 telescopes for 8 nights. You will see Solar System planets, Galaxies Far Far Away, Star Clusters — some with several hundred thousand stars, Nebulae, multiple star systems (some with as many as 6 stars), and lots more. The skies are so dark you can clearly see the band of the Milky Way overhead. We start with a talk in the Visitor Center Auditorium about an astronomy topic at 8 pm. Observing at the telescopes goes from sunset (about 8 pm) to 11 pm. This event is free and open to anyone inside the Grand Canyon (park entrance fee required).  For additional information, check out our Grand Canyon Star Party Webpage at: https://tucsonastronomy.org/upcoming-events/grand-canyon-star-party/. or visit the Grand Canyon Star Party webpage at: https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/grand-canyon-star-party.htm.