Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association club members set up a pair of telescopes properly filtered to allow visitors to observe the Sun during the 2013 Tucson Star Party. // Astronomy: Michael E. Bakich
On Saturday, February 13, 2016,
Astronomy magazine in conjunction with the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (TAAA) will host the fourth annual Tucson Star Party at Pima Community College (PCC) East Campus. Activities will start at 10 a.m. and conclude around 9 p.m.
The TAAA will have several properly filtered telescopes during the day to safely view the Sun. Visitors will see sunspots, prominences, and other solar activity. During the evening (starting around 6 p.m.), the club will deploy about 10 telescopes to observe some amazing celestial objects. These will include (but not be limited to) the Moon, Jupiter, Uranus, the Orion Nebula (M42), the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), double stars, star clusters, and other highlights.
Visitors can view objects directly or on a monitor (for those who have difficulty viewing through a telescope). All activities will take place near the PCC observatories on the south side of the campus. The college’s observatories also will be open throughout the day.
In addition to viewing celestial objects, several groups will have displays set up and volunteers to interact with the public. These include both Astronomy magazine and the TAAA, the Southern Arizona chapter of the International Dark Sky Association, and the OSIRIS-Rex asteroid sample return mission.
Some telescopes at the star party will have filters that show the solar chromosphere and prominences. // John Chumack
This is a free event open to the public.
Pima Community College’s East Campus is at 8181 E. Irvington Rd.
For more information about the TAAA, visit their website at tucsonastronomy.org.