Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association

Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association Enjoy exploring, observing, and learning about our solar system and beyond. We invite you to join us in this exciting and rewarding endeavor.

The TAAA monthly meetings are held the first Friday of the month in the lecture hall (Room N305) at Steward Observatory located at 933 N Cherry Ave on the University of Arizona campus. The meetings are free and open to the public. A non-technical Introductory Lecture starts at 6:30pm and an Invited Lecture (usually presented by a professional astronomer) beginning at 7:30pm. The meeting usually en

ds by 9pm. See our website for information about joining the TAAA. We have two observing sites. One is located west of the Tucson Mountains and the other is located in Cochise County. Monthly observing at these dark sites are for members only. We publish a monthly Events Bulletin and quarterly Desert Skies Journal. The Events Bulletin is emailed to members to keep them informed of our activities. The Journal is also emailed to members but the public may read it on our website. We have several Special Interest Groups that meet individually. These SIGs are for our members. Our Astronomy Fundamentals group is intended for beginners. Our Astro-imaging group is for those photographing the night sky. Our Starry Messengers group manages our outreach program. Our members support numerous star parties throughout the year for schools, churches, scout troups, and meeting groups. Contact us if you wish to schedule a star party at your location. Some star parties are done without charge but others we expect payment.

TAAA General Meeting Friday May 1, 2026 @ 6:30 pm (AZ/PDT). Talk Title: All About Asteroids by Tom Polakis.In 1801, Cere...
04/26/2026

TAAA General Meeting Friday May 1, 2026 @ 6:30 pm (AZ/PDT). Talk Title: All About Asteroids by Tom Polakis.

In 1801, Ceres became the first asteroid ‘discovered.’ (it was since reclassified as a dwarf planet.) Since then, astronomers have used widely differing approaches to learn about the nature of asteroids. Nearly all of them are point sources that show no details through the largest telescopes. And so, several clever methods to determine their properties have evolved. These include photometry, radar imaging, and stellar occultations. Tom Polakis’ presentation will range from the history of asteroid discoveries to the latest science about them and what future projects are planned. He will show samples of his techniques to study and photograph asteroids.

Youtube Stream Location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpPvvzhPZHI

As International Dark Sky Week concludes, keep trying to minimize your use of nighttime lighting. Use only when necessar...
04/20/2026

As International Dark Sky Week concludes, keep trying to minimize your use of nighttime lighting. Use only when necessary and have it downward directed/shielded. Close your house drapes/curtains to minimize light escaping outside. Advocate with your friends and neighbors to minimzie outdoor lighting. You can get tips and techniques on the DarkSky International website (https://darksky.org).

Another night in Dark Sky Week. For a great family event, participate in taking light readings using the Globe at Night...
04/19/2026

Another night in Dark Sky Week. For a great family event, participate in taking light readings using the Globe at Night website (https://globeatnight.org). Scroll through the home page and report your finding for the three constellation listed. You can also go to the Campaigns section and try identifying the stars in Leo for April 9-18. Image is of the Leo Triplet of Galaxies (M65, M66, NGC 3628)

Join the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (TAAA) at Catalina State Park tonight for a Dark Sky Week Obseving Event. ...
04/17/2026

Join the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (TAAA) at Catalina State Park tonight for a Dark Sky Week Obseving Event. We will have up to 10 telescopes set up to observe the wonders of the universe from a dark sky location. Weather Dependent. For additional information, go to https://tucsonastronomy.org/event/stargazing-at-catalina-state-park-11/.

Ways to get involved during Dark Sky Week. You can host or attend an event. TAAA will have a couple free public events t...
04/16/2026

Ways to get involved during Dark Sky Week. You can host or attend an event. TAAA will have a couple free public events this weekend to enjoy observing our awesome universe thorugh several telesocpes (https://tucsonastronomy.org/events-calendar/). You can also request a proclamation or letter of support to raise awareness (idsw.darksky.org/actions). Minimize your home outdoor lighting by only lighting what is necessarty and when necessary with shielded lights.

As Dark Sky week continues, join Dark Sky International and the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (TAAA) as we "go da...
04/15/2026

As Dark Sky week continues, join Dark Sky International and the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (TAAA) as we "go dark" to explore the night and take action to protect dark skies through events and activities happening around the globe. Stay tuned for events you can attend with TAAA later this week.

Lyrid Meteor Shower is active from April 14 - 30 with a peak April 22. The radiant (from which the meteors will appear ...
04/14/2026

Lyrid Meteor Shower is active from April 14 - 30 with a peak April 22. The radiant (from which the meteors will appear to come from) is the contellation Hercules (used to be Lyra). Look for the bright star Vega. Best viewing will be the early morning hours (2-4 am) when Hercules/Lyra are high in the sky and the earth is plowing into the meteor field. A dark sky location will help as there are not a lot of bright meteors. The parent body of the Lyrids is Comet Thatcher (c/1861 G1) with an orbital period of about 415 years and won't return until 2283.

Welcome to International Dark Sky Week (April 13-20, 2026). Get out and enjoy some dark skies. Why worry about dark skie...
04/13/2026

Welcome to International Dark Sky Week (April 13-20, 2026). Get out and enjoy some dark skies. Why worry about dark skies? From Dark Sky International (darksky.org), Darkness is needed for a restful night's sleep to the activities we enjoy beneath the stars, the night is filled with wonder and importance. Dark nights sustain critical wildlife ecosystems, strengthen the well-being of our communities, enable scientific discovery, and preserve shared cultural knowledge and traditions. Stay tuned for Dark Sky posts all this week.

Want to learn more about the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association's (TAAA) Dark Sky sites? Join us TONIGHT at 6:30 pm A...
04/03/2026

Want to learn more about the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association's (TAAA) Dark Sky sites? Join us TONIGHT at 6:30 pm AZ Time to learn about our west Tucson site located at TIMPA near the Desert Museum and the club-owned Bottle 2 site called the Chiricahua Astronomy Complex (CAC) located about 2 hours SE of Tucson near the Chiricahua National Monument. We will also have a short talk on Spring Quarterly Objects to observe and what is currently up in the night sky. The talks will be live streamed to the TAAA YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApeZ1a9EjOU.

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Tucson, AZ

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+15207926414

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