Welcome to VBAS!
The Von Braun Astronomical Society is a non-profit organization of amateur and professional astronomers. We are sharing our love of space with the community through our planetarium and observatories located in Monte Sano State Park just east of Huntsville, Alabama.
Latest News
Donate to the VBAS Stars for All Endowment Fund
VBAS established an agency fund at the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville in 2024. VBAS is the sole beneficiary of the distributions from this fund, which is used to provide long term financial stability for our organization. Your donation will help continue VBAS operations well into the future.
- Moon Tree dedicationLaunched atop NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, Moon Tree seeds traveled into lunar orbit aboard the Orion spacecraft as part of the Artemis I mission in 2022. The seeds travelled thousands of miles beyond the Moon and spent more than 25 days in space before returning to Earth. The Von Braun Astronomical Society applied to… Read more: Moon Tree dedication
- 2024 Telescope Buyer’s Guide Now AvailableChoosing a first telescope for yourself or a loved one can be a daunting task. There are many different choices at all sorts of price ranges. Some are good and some are not so good. Let our Telescope Buyer’s Guide help you in your decision.
- Night at the ObservatoryVBAS is pleased to offer a 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… Read more: Night at the Observatory
Upcoming Shows
- March 2025 Planetarium Shows
All planetarium shows begin at 7:30pm.
Admission opens at 7:00pm; $5/adult, $3/student, 6 and under free.
Telescope viewing afterwards on clear nights.
March 1st – Scale of the Universe
Have you ever looked into the night sky and wondered “how big is the universe?” Some people might look at an image of Mt Everest and think “that’s big.” Others may look at our Moon in the night sky and think “that’s big.” You have probably heard astronomers refer to the “Big Bang.” We all have differing views of what is “BIG.” Join us on the evening of March 1st as VBAS Astrophotographer Don Reed takes us on a trip through the universe to answer that age old question of “How Big is the Universe.”
Presented by Don Reed
March 8th – Spring Skies
While the brilliant constellations of winter are still in the sky at sunset, the constellations of spring are on the way. This is the time of year when our position in our orbit around the Sun allows us to see well beyond our own galaxy and deep into space. Come and learn about the patterns of stars and the objects you can see with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope.
Presented by Alex Hall
March 15th – Planetarium closed
Planetarium show canceled due to potential of severe weather.
March 22nd – Life Cycle and Composition of Stars
There are estimated 100 billion stars in our home galaxy, Milky Way. How did these stars form and evolve? How will they end? What are they made of? About 100 years ago, Dr. Cecilia Payne made a groundbreaking discovery about the composition of stars. Join us on a stellar journey to learn about the life the cycle and composition of stars.
Presented by Dr. Naveen Vetcha
March 29th – Alabama’s Dark Skies
Our night skies are becoming increasingly light. Besides astronomers, who is affected by the phenomena known as “light pollution?” We will look at both light polluted and truly dark skies and discuss what each of us can do to help.
Presented by Beth Bero
