Skip to content

Independent volunteer concept — not the official TAAA website. About this preview · Visit tucsonastronomy.org

TAAA
Illustrative artwork: the Milky Way over saguaros and Tucson-area mountains at night

Tucson, Arizona · Since 1954

A universe of wonder.A community to explore it with.

From your first look through a telescope to a lifetime of discovery, find your place under Tucson’s skies with the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association.

Find a star partyExplore the club

Illustrative artwork

Under the sky soon

Upcoming events

Public star parties, solar viewing and monthly meetings. Times are Tucson local (MST — Arizona doesn’t observe daylight saving).

Snapshot of the official calendar from November 4, 2026. For weather calls and changes, check the official calendar (opens the official TAAA site in a new tab).

All events →
Illustrative image: a large telescope pointed at the crescent moon among saguaros at dusk
Illustrative image — not a TAAA event or facility.

Welcome to TAAA

Tucson’s astronomy club, open to everyone who looks up.

For more than seventy years, the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association has brought together beginners, families, educators, seasoned observers and astrophotographers. Our volunteers share their telescopes and knowledge at parks, schools and festivals across southern Arizona.

Whether you have never looked through a telescope or you are grinding your own mirror, there’s a place for you here.

Ways to take part

Three ways into the night sky

  1. 01

    Look up at a star party

    Volunteer astronomers set up telescopes at parks around Tucson. Free or low cost, family friendly, no experience needed.

    See upcoming star parties →

  2. 02

    Learn the sky

    Beginner guides, observing tips, advice on choosing a first telescope, classes, and the Astronomy Fundamentals group.

    Explore astronomy →

  3. 03

    Go darker

    Members observe from TAAA’s own dark-sky sites — TIMPA west of Tucson and the Chiricahua Astronomy Complex.

    Observing & facilities →

Community & outreach

Bringing telescopes to classrooms, libraries and parks.

TAAA volunteers host star parties for schools, youth groups and nonprofits, support teachers, and partner with local libraries to lend telescopes to the community.

Outreach programsVolunteer with TAAA (opens the official TAAA site in a new tab)
The original TAAA emblem: a telescope, saguaros and crescent moon against a desert sunset, Est. 1954

History & heritage

Established 1954. The same emblem, the same sky.

The telescope, saguaros and crescent moon of the TAAA emblem have represented the club for decades — on badges, shirts and at countless star parties. This concept keeps it exactly as it is.

Our story →

Membership

Join the people who share the sky.

Members get access to dark-sky observing sites, the equipment loaner pool, special-interest groups, the Desert Skies newsletter and more.

Membership benefitsJoin on the official site (opens the official TAAA site in a new tab)