ABOUT US
The Sonora Astronomical Society was founded by Marvin Vann in 1985. He donated his dome and all of his astronomy equipment to the La Posada retirement community, where we’ve met until October 2024.
We are located in Green Valley/Sahuarita, Arizona, that not only has dark skies, but skies relatively clear of rain and clouds for most of the year. This is evident by the many observatories that have chosen Arizona for their observing sites. We are located about 15-20 miles north of the Whipple Observatory. We live in an astronomer’s paradise.
The Sonora Astronomical Society reaches out to the public by providing free star parties for community events, schools, libraries, and other organizations. At star parties our members can provide telescopes which allow the public to observe the wonders of the night sky such as the Moon, planets, and other wondrous objects that may be visible on that evening. We can also provide daytime safe viewing of the Sun upon request through the use of telescopes equipped with special filters to block the harmful effects of the Sun.
You are invited to attend our meetings. We meet on the 1st or 2nd Saturday of the month from September through May. Meetings usually begin at 2:30pm (times may vary). For presentations at the meeting we draw on speakers from our group as well as outstanding astronomers from the surrounding observatories and universities.
The members of our society range from beginners to experts. Many of our members have at least one or more telescopes. You do not have to own a telescope to become a member of our society. SAS is your tool to discover how to start enjoying astronomy and how to observe objects in our dark skies. You can learn from our group and by seeing some of our equipment, you can better decide the type of telescope that would best suit you.
The Sonora Astronomical Society is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit charitable organization! SAS has a CERTIFICATE OF GOOD STANDING from the State of Arizona Corporation Commission!