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
Night At The Observatory
Our “Night At The Observatory” is a personalized program that allows small groups to experience an evening of imaging and observing deep-sky objects of their choice and keep all the photos captured using our historic Swanson 21″ telescope. Note: The program will be paused for the months of June, July, and August due to the late sundown. We’ll resume in September.
Click here for more information.
Astronomy 101 Registration Now Open!
Our popular Fall course on techniques in observational astronomy is back! We’ll meet on Tuesdays, Oct 6th through Nov 10th, 7:00pm – 8:30pm for six sessions in total. Price: $25 members, $30 nonmembers. The course is targeted to beginning observers, adults and teens, or those interested in a refresher course in basic observational astronomy.
Click here for more information.
- Frank Schenck Astrophotography Contest 2026
- Astronomy Day 2026October 17th, 1-5 PM & 7:30 – 9 PM Von Braun Astronomical Society will celebrate Astronomy Day on October 17th in person at Monte Sano State Park! Daytime events (between 1 – 5 pm) will include: mini-planetarium shows, Telescope tours, and Meteor radar demos. Evening events (between 7:30 – 9 pm) will include a keynote… Read more: Astronomy Day 2026
- Messier Marathon – April 10On Friday, April 10th, 2026 at 6:00pm, we’ll open our VBAS observing field all night to observers searching for Messier objects. Bring your scope to set up in our observing field! We have plenty of power outlets to plug your scope into. Each Spring it’s possible to view all 110 Messier deep sky objects in… Read more: Messier Marathon – April 10
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.
Upcoming Shows
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September 2026 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.
September 5th – Star Trek Astronomy
Prepare to engage warp drive as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of Star Trek with a cosmic journey through real stars that once shone brightly on the Enterprise’s star charts.. We’ll dive into the science behind iconic stellar destinations—no tricorder required. You’ll discover how these celestial giants connect our universe with one of the most beloved sci‑fi sagas of all time. So grab your communicator, set phasers to fun, and join us for a mission boldly going where astronomy and imagination meet!
Presented by Naveen Vetcha
September 12th – Bird Brained Astronomers
Birds can be remarkable astronomers despite their tiny brains! Some birds journey thousands of miles every year relying heavily on the stars to guide them. We will discover how they do it, what other animals watch the stars, and how do scientists know. Join us on a fantastic voyage as we use the planetarium stars to guide us as we migrate south with the birds.
Presented by Eric Silkowski
September 19th – Fall Skies
The Summer Triangle hangs in the west and the less brilliant stars of fall are climbing high in the sky. The geometry of where the Earth is in its orbit around the Sun in the fall allows us a view out into the depths of the Universe. Come and learn what there is to see with your eyes, binoculars or a telescope.
Presented by Alex Hall
September 26th – The Russian Space Program
Join us for a comparative history of manned Soviet spaceflight! From planes to capsules, we’ll learn about the successes and failures of heroes like Yuri Gagarin and Alexei Leonov!
Presented by Haley Rice
