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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.

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August 2nd – History of Planetariums

Learn about the history of planetariums, the “recent” projector technology, and the possible future of star viewing indoors.

Presented by Tom Burlington

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August 9th – Choosing a Telescop

So, you are interested in astronomy. You may be wondering: What gear do I need to get involved? We are here to help you! We will show how to best meet your interests, and avoid the most common costs & frustrations, at all common budget levels, in this our wonderful hobby.

Presented by Cyril Bryan

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August 16th – Choosing a Telescop

So, you are interested in astronomy. You may be wondering: What gear do I need to get involved? We are here to help you! We will show how to best meet your interests, and avoid the most common costs & frustrations, at all common budget levels, in this our wonderful hobby.

Presented by Cyril Bryan

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August 23rd – Exoplanets

Extrasolar Planets (Exoplanets) are planets that are outside our solar system. Since the discovery of first exoplanet in early 90s, the field of exoplanet research has expanded rapidly and resulted in the discovery of close to 6000 exoplanets so far. Some of these orbit other stars and some are just freely floating in the vacuum of space. Studying these objects helps us understand our own solar system. Join us and learn all about these fascinating worlds.

Presented by Naveen Vetcha

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August 30th – Life in the Universe

Well, we’re looking for it. Life in places other than Earth, that is. The Clipper Mission is on its way to Jupiter’s moon, Europa. And the James Webb Space Telescope has a super interesting technique for looking for evidence of life on exoplanets. You’ll want to join us at the VBAS planetarium tonight so you can learn about how we’re searching. If you have some knowledge in your noggin’ then you’ll be prepared to be really excited when news of a discovery breaks.

Presented by Gena Crook

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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.

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July 5th – The Sun is Blowing a Bubble!

In addition to lighting the sky, our amazing Sun blasts the entire solar system with a supersonic wind of energetic particles. Approximately 270,000 African Elephants worth of matter streams out from the Sun every second, blowing a gigantic bubble in space that cocoons our solar system. Join us as we learn about this astonishing Solar Wind and the dangerous and wonderful ways it affects Earth and our everyday lives.

Presented by Eric Silkowski

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July 12th – James Webb Telescope-The Journey So Far

Launched in December 2021, James Webb Space Telescope has revealed many unprecedented details of the universe during its two years of operation. Webb’s first images were released on July 12, 2022. Join us in a journey through space and time as we celebrate the anniversary of the first images. We will look at some of the recent images taken by JWST and learn what new things these images taught us about the cosmos.

Presented by Naveen Vetcha

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July 19th – Black Holes

Most people know that black holes are strong gravity sources. What else do we know about them? Join us as we explore one of the strangest objects in the universe.

Presented by Rachel Stewart

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July 26th – The Sun is Blowing a Bubble!

In addition to lighting the sky, our amazing Sun blasts the entire solar system with a supersonic wind of energetic particles. Approximately 270,000 African Elephants worth of matter streams out from the Sun every second, blowing a gigantic bubble in space that cocoons our solar system. Join us as we learn about this astonishing Solar Wind and the dangerous and wonderful ways it affects Earth and our everyday lives.

Presented by Eric Silkowski

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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.

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June 7th – AL Astronomy Summer Fun

Alabama is a great state to explore in the summer with many notable places related to astronomy to visit! Join VBAS educator Beth Bero as we tour Alabama’s summer astronomy fun destinations and learn how to enjoy our astronomy hobbies right here in our own state.

Presented by Beth Bero

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June 14th – Summer Skies

Join us on a cosmic journey, navigating our summer skies: the stars, the constellations, many beautiful deep sky objects, and perhaps even some historical tales about them. We will also use our sky dome simulation projector to show where in the sky all these are located.

Presented by Cyril Bryan

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June 21st – Summer Skies

Join us on a cosmic journey, navigating our summer skies: the stars, the constellations, many beautiful deep sky objects, and perhaps even some historical tales about them. We will also use our sky dome simulation projector to show where in the sky all these are located.

Presented by Cyril Bryan

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June 28th – Variable Stars

Stars that change brightness have been known for thousands of years, but those that do it regularly and predictably turned out to hold the key to unlocking our understanding of the distances in our Universe! Come and find out about this fascinating story, and learn about observing variable stars.

Presented by Alex Hall

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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.

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May 3rd and 10th – Outer Planets

The four “Gas Giants” are among the most exciting objects for new observers to find in a telescope. What do
we know about these distant worlds? Join Beth Bero for a look at current and past research on these enigmatic
neighbors in our solar system.

Presented by Beth Bero

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May 17th – Southern Skies

A microscope? An air-pump? A compass? No, not a laboratory, but the constellations of the Southern skies! Using our star projector, we can take a peek at the night sky from places of a more southerly latitude and learn some new star patterns and how they got their names.

Presented by Alex Hall

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May 24th and 31st – The Moon: Then and Now

70 years ago a group of astronomy enthusiasts joined together to create the Rocket City Astronomical
Association, later renamed in honor of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Under his leadership, some of our founders
pioneered the early exploration of space and especially the Moon. In 1955, almost nothing was known about
the Moon; no one had ever even seen the far side! Join us as we journey through the history of lunar exploration
from the pre-Apollo era to today. We will see how scientists and explorers unlocked the Moon’s secrets and the
incredible advance of technology over the course of VBAS’ 70-year history.

Presented by Eric Silkowski

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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.

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April 5th – Telescopes in Space

We will explore the fascinating world of space-based telescopes and how they allow us to see the universe in ways our eyes alone cannot. By diving into the electromagnetic spectrum, we’ll uncover how different wavelengths of light reveal a more complete picture of the cosmos. Join us as we journey through the night sky, discovering how each part of the spectrum helps us unlock the secrets of the universe!

Presented by Abbie Cone

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April 12th – Magic Carpet

We can use the star projector in the planetarium to pretend to fly anywhere on Earth – like a magic carpet! Gena Crook 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.

Presented by Gena Crook

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April 19th – Volcanoes!

Volcanoes are awesome! Who doesn’t love seeing film of a massive volcanic explosion or rivers of burning hot lava? But, did you know Earth isn’t the only planet with volcanoes? And, did you know some volcanoes are not hot but incredibly cold? Come to this show and you will have a blast learning about the solar system’s amazing volcanoes!

Presented by Eric Silkowski

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April 26th – Volcanoes!

Volcanoes are awesome! Who doesn’t love seeing film of a massive volcanic explosion or rivers of burning hot lava? But, did you know Earth isn’t the only planet with volcanoes? And, did you know some volcanoes are not hot but incredibly cold? Come to this show and you will have a blast learning about the solar system’s amazing volcanoes!

Presented by Eric Silkowski

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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.

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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

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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

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March 15th – Planetarium closed

Planetarium show canceled due to potential of severe weather.

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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

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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

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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.

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February 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 February 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

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February 8th – Space Observatories

What are we learning from the Space Observatories? Join us as we explore the wonders of the universe.

Presented by Abbie Cone

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February 15th – Messier: Star Clusters, Nebulas, and Galaxies… Oh my!

Comet hunter Charles Messier made a now-famous list of “objects to avoid” in the night sky. Come join us on an odyssey introduction to many of the most beautiful objects in astronomy!

Presented by Cyril Bryan

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February 22nd – Messier: Star Clusters, Nebulas, and Galaxies… Oh my!

Comet hunter Charles Messier made a now-famous list of “objects to avoid” in the night sky. Come join us on an odyssey introduction to many of the most beautiful objects in astronomy!

Presented by Cyril Bryan

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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.

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January 4th – Hubble, the Man and the Telescope

Who was Edwin Hubble, and what is the Hubble Orbiting Telescope? Join retired educator Beth Bero in a show that encompasses history, science and spectacular space images!

Presented by Beth Bero

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January 11th – CANCELED

No planetarium show due to winter storm conditions.

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January 18th – The Red Planet

From the time unknown humans were obsessed with the red dot moving across the sky. Mars, the Red Planet was woven into myths, religion, literature, and art across various civilizations and cultures over millennia. Technological advancements and space exploration in the 20th century reignited our fascination with the planet that resulted in learning a lot about our neighbor in the solar system. Join us on a brief journey to the Red Planet, our cosmic neighbor.

Presented by Naveen Vetcha

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January 25th – Magic Carpet

We can use the star projector in the planetarium to pretend to fly anywhere on Earth – like a magic carpet! Gena Crook 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.

Presented by Gena Crook

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