Von Braun Astronomical Society
September 2019 Planetarium Shows
We Host a Public Planetarium Show Every Saturday in the Wernher von Braun Planetarium that Begins at 7:30 PM
The Planetarium: A Magic Carpet - Saturdays, September 7, 14, & 28 at 7:30 PM
We can use the star projector in the planetarium to pretend to fly anywhere on Earth – like a magic carpet! Gena Crook, VBAS Director of Education and Programs, will demonstrate the motion of the stars across the sky at the equator, the north pole, and the southern hemisphere. We will also watch how the sun changes positions at these locations. You may be surprised if you haven’t actually been to the equator or the north pole in person! This program will put the star projector to work and allow us to see its unique educational capabilities.
Fall Skies - Saturday, September 21 at 7:30 PM
Autumn is a wonderful time to relax under the night sky. Ms. Brenda Rogers will inspire you to do just that. Constellations, planets, and other beautiful objects are awaiting your discovery.
Admission for Saturday Planetarium Shows:
Admission is $5 for Adults, $3 for Students, and free for children under 6, as well as VBAS members. All seating is general admission payable at the door. We are unable to offer pre-sale admission. Weather permitting, you will have the opportunity to look at some of the wonders of the universe through our telescopes following the planetarium program with the help of our experienced and knowledgeable observing crew.
Monthly Society Meeting
The next VBAS Monthly Meeting is on Friday, September 20 at 6:00 PM.
"We hope you will join us for our Friday, September 20 picnic, affectionately known as our "Star B Q." Don Martin will man the grill and VBAS will provide hotdogs, hamburgers, buns and condiments. If you have other items for the grill, Don will gladly grill those as well. Sign up
We will gather to picnic at 6:00 pm. Our guest speaker at 7:00 will be Miss Makaila Jennings. Makaila wowed the science fair judges last spring with her project "How Star Luminosity Impacts the Identification of Exoplanets Using Transient Photometry." We are looking forward to learning more about her project and her results.
Hope to see you there!"
Vice President
Night at the Observatory
New Program!
Night At The Observatory
VBAS is pleased to announce a new program that provides guests an opportunity to direct an observing session using the historic Swanson 21” telescope with a modern digital camera. Our Night At The Observatory is a personalized program that allows small groups to experience an evening of observing deep-sky objects of their choice. And the fun doesn’t end when the night is done because at the end of the evening you will take home the images acquired during your observing session. A VBAS certified operator will assist in target acquisition and imaging and can make suggestions for interesting deep-sky objects to discover.
Your Night At The Observatory requires no prior training or experience with telescopes. You will learn some of the fascinating history of the observatory and how to operate the large telescope. Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Observatory Director, to book your own Night At The Observatory. Click the link below for details and prices.
Space Journal Archive
During 1957-1959, Rocket City Astronomical Association (now Von Braun Astronomical Society), published an auspicious quarterly magazine, titled Space Journal. Dr. Wernher von Braun, Dr. Ernst Stuhlinger, and other leading aerospace scientists and engineers of the era, contributed articles and essays. Con Pederson, Harry H.K. Lange, and Frederick Ordway III, who were later hired by Stanley Kubrick to help with set design on 2001: A Space Odyssey, contributed art and design work to the magazine. All seven issues of Space Journal, have now been digitized, and are available for viewing and/or download at the following links:
Thanks to Mr. PD Nicaise, Wade Sanders, Frank Schenck, and UAH Special Collections & Archives for contributing to this project.
New Books in the Library
Last Updated on Monday, 01 July 2019 19:52 Written by Administrator
Our Librarians, Jeff Bennett and Amanda Campbell have acquired some new books for the Library. Please click on the Library link in the menu above and check them out.
