Category: Observatory

Our traditional Spring star party, often called a Messier Marathon, is this Friday 4/12.  Gates will open at 6:00pm, sunset is at 7:17pm.  Bring your scope to set up in the field. If you don’t have a scope, please come up to take a look through one of the society’s or other members’ scopes. We’ll keep the observing field open as long as you want to stay in the effort to pursue your observing goals. Save the date and make your plans now to join us on the evening of April 12th for a night of observing!

When: April 8th at 12:00pm, noon.
Where: VBAS. Our observing field is just outside of the facility.
Why: VBAS will have safe solar viewing equipment set up in the field for the public.

Remember: do not look directly at the sun, even during a partial eclipse! Sunglasses alone will not protect your eyes!

Staying in Huntsville during the April 8th solar eclipse? Join us at the VBAS observing field to safely observe the partial solar eclipse! At VBAS’s location the eclipse will begin shortly after noon, and reach peak occlusion at 2:00pm. The eclipse will reach roughly 90%, but not totality.

Instructor: Jeff Delmas, VBAS Observatory Director

Who Should Attend: The course is targeted to beginning observers, adults and teens, or those interested in a refresher course in basics observational astronomy.

Course Description

Learn the wonders of the night sky in a practical setting that involves both lecture and observing using your own or VBAS telescopes or binoculars. Whether you’ve purchased a telescope and want help learning your way around the night sky, are thinking about getting a telescope and want to learn about available equipment and techniques, or just want to learn, this class will help you in your quest. At the end of each lecture, students are provided a list of skill and season-appropriate targets to observe in the field and over the following week.

Updated for 2023! This year’s course has more time in the observing field and less in lecture. In addition, we’ll start directly with learning the night sky and telescope designs before later covering history and theory.

Tuesdays, 9/19/23 through 11/7/23, 7:00pm – 8:30pm

Eight sessions in total

Price: $25 members, $30 nonmembers

Each student must provide an email address so the instructor can provide course materials.

Choosing a first telescope for yourself or a loved one can be a daunting task.  There is literally no limit to the amount of money that can be spent on telescopes and related equipment.  Luckily, modern development of quality optics on simple, stable mounts and more recent advancements in low cost electronics and software means that the price of an entry level telescope can be quite affordable.

Each Fall, we update our Telescope Buyer’s Guide to help primarily first-time buyers seeking a telescope during the Holiday Season.  Here’s our 2022 update:

Enrollment has closed for 2021 Practical Astronomy classes.

---

Learn the wonders of the night sky in a practical setting that involves both lecture and observing using your own telescope or binoculars.  Whether you’ve purchased a telescope and want help learning your way around the night sky, are thinking about getting a telescope and want to learn about available equipment and techniques, or just want to learn, this class will help you in your quest.  At the end of each lecture, students are provided a list of skill and season-appropriate targets to observe in the observing field after class and over the coming week.

Due to the pandemic, each student will be encouraged to observe with their own equipment, which can be a telescope, binoculars, or just your eyes.  No prior experience necessary.

Instructor

Jeff Delmas, VBAS Observatory Director

Jeff Delmas holds degrees in mathematics and Civil Engineering. He moved to Huntsville in 1980 to work as a structural engineer on SpaceLab missions before joining Intergraph and spending the rest of his career in software development. Jeff is a lifelong amateur astronomer who got his first telescope at the age of 11 on the Christmas morning following the Apollo 8 orbit of the Moon. In the 1980’s he designed and constructed his own 10” telescope. Jeff’s emphasis in the class is to train budding amateur astronomers in the practical skills of navigating the skies and observing using small telescopes. Jeff joined VBAS in 1998 and has served as President as well as other board positions over the years. He is the current Director of Observatories at VBAS and regularly teaches math, computer science, and astronomy at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UAH.

Who Should Attend

The course is targeted to beginning observers, adults and teens, or those interested in a refresher course on basics.

Enrollment

• Mondays from 9/27/21 through 11/15/21 at the VBAS Planetarium
• Eight sessions in total
• Price: $25 members, $30 nonmembers

Enrollment URL:
https://checkout.square.site/merchant/N8EWSXXNBNPJ5/checkout/JIF7S7BWE6VX5LCOMWHZFKVM

Contact: jeff@delmasfamily.net

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 Jeff Delmas, Observatory Director, to book your own Night At The Observatory. See the file below for details and prices.