Welcome
The Texas Astronomical Society was chartered in 1955 to promote the study of astronomy and related fields and to pursue observation and construction of instruments as a hobby. Membership is open to anyone having an interest in astronomy and related subjects and includes benefits such as a our monthly newsletter, discounts to the top astronomy magazines, access to our dark sky observing site and many more.
Please visit the Club Information section for more on TAS and to download a TAS Information Packet and Brochure.
Check out our Telescope Buying Guide ,Telescope Mount Buying Guide, and Star Charts for beginners. These can also be found under the "Features" section of the Main Menu.
Visit our Deep Sky and Solar System Galleries and see the work of our world-class astro-imagers!
We invite you to further explore our website for more information and hope you consider joining our organization.
Newsletter
The latest issue of our award-winning monthly newsletter, the Spectrum, can be downloaded here. Back issues are available under "Features->Spectrum Newsletter" in the main menu.
The free Acrobat Reader is required to view this and other downloads.
TAS Annual Picnic
The TAS Anual Picnic will be held on Saturday, August 7th. As usual, TAS will be providing the cooks, meat, drinks and ice. We ask for members to bring along side dishes to supplement the gourmet burgers, sausages and hot dogs. We will plan on eating around 6:30 - 7:00 P.M.
Bring your families, side dishes and scopes and come enjoy an afternoon of camaraderie with your fellow TAS members. If you plan on attending, please reply in the Special Events forum with how many people and what side dish you plan on bringing.
Looking forward to a fun weekend grilling and observing!
Fall-back date in case of bad weather is August 14th.
TAS Recurring Star Parties
TAS holds 4 regular monthly Star Parties where our members get together to observe and educate about the night sky. Come join us to look at planets, stars, and other celestial wonders. The monthly Star Party schedule is as follows:
For more information about TAS public observing please visit our Public Observing Site. Our full schedule of activities is on our calendar. Please come out and join us or volunteer at one of our events.
Member Resources
Visit the members' discussion forum to discuss astro-type stuff with fellow TAS members.
Visit the Members Only section for access to:
Join or Renew Online with Paypal.
It's fast, easy and secure.
Constellation of the Month: July: The Cygnus Region
TAS is now 503
members strong....why not become a part of our family?
TAS is a member of
the
The World's Largest Federation of Amateur Astronomers
Sun, Moon, and Tonight's Sky
| Richardson, TX
(times in CDT): Sunrise today: 6:38am Sunset today: 8:29pm Moonrise today: 10:15pm Moonset today: 9:53am 92% of moon illuminated |
||||
|
Current Phase
|
Phase Calendar
|
|||
|
Courtesy USNO |
||||
|
July
|
August
|
|||
 | 4th | | 3rd | |
 | 11th | | 10th | |
 | 18th | | 16th | |
 | 26th | | 24th | |
|
Click the above image for a chart. Popup blockers must be disabled. Chart courtesy of Fourmilab Switzerland. |
||||||||||||
| Major Planets and Moon Charts |
||||||||||||
|
Bright Minor Planet Charts Observable Comet Charts Magnitudes observed within the last 5 days:
Minor planet and comet lists, and corresponding orbital elements, are courtesy of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Charts courtesy of Fourmilab Switzerland |
Clear Sky Clocks
Dallas, TX:
Atoka, OK:
Comanche Springs, TX (Home of 3RF):
Click an image for a complete sky condition forecast.
Atoka Weather Station (Click to enlarge)
TAS In Action
Special Interest Groups
APSIG (Astrophotography Special Interest Group) is sponsored by the Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas, Texas.
APSIG meets once a month to share information and learn more about the art and science of Astrophotography -- taking photographs of objects in the night sky such as planets, galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters. Imaging these celestial objects requires special techniques and equipment, but are attainable by anyone willing to point their camera skyward. Come learn how! For more information on APSIG just follow this link...
