June 19, 2013
Upcoming Events
Event Star Parties:
The Astronomy Club will host a star party at your location in the Tucson area. We will bring along 2 or 3 telescopes and a few activities to help demonstrate astronomical objects in the night sky. Professional and amateur astronomers will guide you through the wonders of the night sky for 4-5 hours and inspire you to learn more about the universe around us! Daytime solar observing is also a possibility. Great for business meetings, birthday parties, conferences, and other large events! Proceeds from the star party go entirely to club projects and activities. Please use the Contact Us page if you want more information or to arrange a star party. Please contact Allison at towner @ email . arizona . edu for more information.
Upcoming Public Star Parties:
The next Sabino Canyon Star Party is June 2nd 2012
See our Outreach page for more information.
Sci-Fi Movie Nights:
Every third Friday of the month we hold a sci-fi movie night. Some are bad sci-fi movie nights, and some are classic sci-fi movie nights. For instance, the February 2012 movie will be Sharktopus, and March 2012 will be the Wrath of Khan.
Game Nights:
On January 27th we held our first game night of the semester; we had a blast playing our new Big Bang Theory Trivia board game - Thanks Lindsay for your awesome Christmas present!
Frisbee and other physical activity:
I know, I know, astronomers aren’t supposed to do anything except sit in front of a telescope or a computer! But we do have our human streaks every now and then, and we like to get out and play some sports! This semester we will be holding Ultimate Frisbee Outings (UFOs) as well as hikes around Tucson, and possibly other sports like volleyball. Stay posted!
First UFO of Spring Semester 2012!
Hey everyone!! Get ready for our first Ultimate Frisbee Outing of the semester at 4pm on Friday, February 10th on the Mall!
Gallery
NASA Image of the Day
Rare Clear View of Alaska
On most days, relentless rivers of clouds wash over Alaska, obscuring most of the state's 6,640 miles (10,690 kilometers) of coastline and 586,000 square miles (1,518,000 square kilometers) of land. The south coast of Alaska even has the dubious distinction of being the cloudiest region of the United States, with some locations averaging more than 340 cloudy days per year. That was certainly not the case on June 17, 2013, the date that the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite acquired this rare, nearly cloud-free view of the state. The absence of clouds exposed a striking tapestry of water, ice, land, forests, and even wildfires. Snow-covered mountains such as the Alaska Range and Chugach Mountains were visible in southern Alaska, while the arc of mountains that make up the Brooks Range dominated the northern part of the state. The Yukon River -- the longest in Alaska and the third longest in the United States -- wound its way through the green boreal forests that inhabit the interior of the state. Plumes of sediment and glacial dust poured into the Gulf of Alaska from the Copper River. And Iliamna Lake, the largest in Alaska, was ice free. The same ridge of high pressure that cleared Alaska's skies also brought stifling temperatures to many areas accustomed to chilly June days. Talkeetna, a town about 100 miles north of Anchorage, saw temperatures reach 96°F (36°C) on June 17. Other towns in southern Alaska set all-time record highs, including Cordova, Valez, and Seward. The high temperatures also helped fuel wildfires and hastened the breakup of sea ice in the Chukchi Sea.Image Credit: NASA/Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFCCaption: Adam Voiland
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On most days, relentless rivers of clouds wash over Alaska, obscuring most of the state's 6,640 miles (10,690 kilometers) of coastline and 586,000 square miles (1,518,000 square kilometers) of land. The south coast of Alaska even has the dubious distinction of being the cloudiest region of the United States, with some locations averaging more than 340 cloudy days per year. That was certainly not the case on June 17, 2013, the date that the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite acquired this rare, nearly cloud-free view of the state. The absence of clouds exposed a striking tapestry of water, ice, land, forests, and even wildfires. Snow-covered mountains such as the Alaska Range and Chugach Mountains were visible in southern Alaska, while the arc of mountains that make up the Brooks Range dominated the northern part of the state. The Yukon River -- the longest in Alaska and the third longest in the United States -- wound its way through the green boreal forests that inhabit the interior of the state. Plumes of sediment and glacial dust poured into the Gulf of Alaska from the Copper River. And Iliamna Lake, the largest in Alaska, was ice free. The same ridge of high pressure that cleared Alaska's skies also brought stifling temperatures to many areas accustomed to chilly June days. Talkeetna, a town about 100 miles north of Anchorage, saw temperatures reach 96°F (36°C) on June 17. Other towns in southern Alaska set all-time record highs, including Cordova, Valez, and Seward. The high temperatures also helped fuel wildfires and hastened the breakup of sea ice in the Chukchi Sea.Image Credit: NASA/Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFCCaption: Adam Voiland
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