Our Mission

The Tulare Astronomical Association (TAA) is made up of people that love astronomy. The TAA provides a place and opportunity for members to:

Meet monthly and discuss various topics related to astronomy.
Plan astronomical activities and programs.
Post articles and observations on our website.
Get together monthly to observe during the dark weekend.
Present educational programs to the public.

Club observing and public star parties are the main activities of the TAA. The TAA holds public star parties from September thru May at the Peña Planetarium, in Visalia. We offer a telescope 101 class, two or three times a year, in which we invite the public to bring their own telescopes to the Planetarium. The TAA teaches the participants how to set up and use their telescopes. We also work with the Sequoia Riverlands Tust, at their Dry Creek site, to teach the public about the night sky. We show them the constellations, talk about the different types of telescopes, and how to look through a telescopic. Once a month the TAA holds a private observing sessions for club members, in a dark location, providing us another chance to share our love of astronomy with each other.

We hope you will join the TAA and share your interest in astronomy with us. We look forward to meeting you.