Category: 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.

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November 2nd – History of VBAS

In honor of VBAS 70th Anniversary our program tonight will highlight some of the history of our organization.

Presented by Gena Crook

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November 9th – 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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November 16th – Why The Moon’s South Pole?

Why does everyone want to go to the moon’s south pole? What’s wrong with the moon’s equator or mid latitudes? Is it cold at the lunar pole? Will there be polar bears? Lunarians? Will they bring penguins for company? Isn’t it more difficult to get to the lunar pole than equator? And what’s wrong with the moon’s north pole? Are the people making these decisions lunatics? Why do scientists ask so many questions? Don’t you want to come to the show and find out

Presented by Naveen Vetcha

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November 23rd – Stars Fell on Alabama

“…and Stars Fell on Alabama, that night…” Why are those words in a song, and what do they mean? Join educator Beth Bero as we explore the history of Alabama’s intersections with outer space! We will travel through time from 80 million years ago to last week, and leave you with the tools to search for your own “Alabama Space Rocks.”

Presented by Beth Bero

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November 30th – NO SHOW!

Happy Iron Bowl!

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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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October 5th – GHOSTLY PARTICLES: SPACE NEUTRINOS

As the days become shorter and the skies grow darker, we are reminded of the things that go bump in the night. Join us as we take a spooky journey through a universe filled with particles that can never be seen.
We will unmask ghostly neutrinos from the beginning of time, the heart of the sun, and the skeletons within. We will pass through strange quantum realms where one can be three, and then become one again.
We will learn how neutrinos are like ghostly souls escaping a dying star undergoing supernova, the universe’s biggest bump in the night.
Be warned!  Dark energy may abound in this realm, and the ultimate fate of the universe may hang in the balance!

Presented by Eric Silkowski

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October 12th – GHOSTLY PARTICLES: SPACE NEUTRINOS

As the days become shorter and the skies grow darker, we are reminded of the things that go bump in the night. Join us as we take a spooky journey through a universe filled with particles that can never be seen.
We will unmask ghostly neutrinos from the beginning of time, the heart of the sun, and the skeletons within. We will pass through strange quantum realms where one can be three, and then become one again.
We will learn how neutrinos are like ghostly souls escaping a dying star undergoing supernova, the universe’s biggest bump in the night.
Be warned!  Dark energy may abound in this realm, and the ultimate fate of the universe may hang in the balance!

Presented by Eric Silkowski

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October 19th – Spooky Skies!

Boo! We will take a curious and kid-friendly look at the darker side of the night sky. We will explore some ancient legends, check out some ghostly nebulas and learn how both ancient and modern people enjoyed scaring themselves with things in the sky! Costumes for ages 12 and under welcome.

Presented by Beth Bero

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October 26th – Spooky Skies!

Boo! We will take a curious and kid-friendly look at the darker side of the night sky. We will explore some ancient legends, check out some ghostly nebulas and learn how both ancient and modern people enjoyed scaring themselves with things in the sky! Costumes for ages 12 and under welcome.

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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September 7th – Exploring Gravitational Waves

Over one hundred years ago Albert Einstein postulated that gravitational attraction between two bodies, such as Earth and the Moon, would cause ‘ripples’ of space. NASA Space Place explains: “Gravitational waves travel at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second). These waves squeeze and stretch anything in their path as they pass by.” Join us as we all learn more about these waves together!

Presented by Gena Crook

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September 14th – Exploring Gravitational Waves

Over one hundred years ago Albert Einstein postulated that gravitational attraction between two bodies, such as Earth and the Moon, would cause ‘ripples’ of space. NASA Space Place explains: “Gravitational waves travel at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second). These waves squeeze and stretch anything in their path as they pass by.” Join us as we all learn more about these waves together!

Presented by Gena Crook

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September 21st – Hairy Stars (Comets)

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) reaches its closest point to the Sun on Sept 27th and should become visible in the northern hemisphere skies during October. Some predictions have this comet becoming a bright naked eye object! Come and learn all about the history of comets, how we discovered what they are, and how they could hold clues to the origin of the solar system.

Presented by Alex Hall

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September 28th – Astronomy Day: Planetary Defense at NASA

Our Keynote Speaker will be Mr. Robert Landis of NASA. His topic “Planetary Defense at NASA” will be of interest to all visitors! Mr. Landis is currently assigned as a program executive to NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO). The office was established to manage the Agency’s planetary defense-related projects and coordinate activities across multiple U.S. agencies (along with international efforts) to plan appropriate responses to the potential asteroid impact hazard. Since its original inception as the Near-Earth Object (NEO) Observations Program in 1998, PDCO efforts have discovered more than 98% of the nearly 30,000 NEOs currently known.

Presented by Robert Landis

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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 3rd – Exploring the Milky Way

On a clear night in August, away from the city lights, a hazy band stretches across the sky. In this presentation, we’ll explore the Milky Way with our eyes, binoculars and a small telescope and discover what we know about our home galaxy.

Presented by Alex Hall

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August 10th – The Moon

A presentation about our natural satellite, the Moon, and how it is unusually large for a small planet like Earth, and how its origin may have been much different from the ~300 other known moons in our solar system. There will also be a discussion of all the various interesting features on the Moon, including impact craters, lava flows, mountains, and volcanic domes, that are even visible even in a small telescope.

Presented by Frank Schenck

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August 17th – Scale of the Universe

What is the biggest object you have ever seen? Is it a building, a geologic structure? Or maybe you have looked into the night sky and marveled at how big it is! Join VBAS as we consider the true scale of the universe with some mind-bending questions such as: “how big is time”?

Presented by Don Reed

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August 24th – Scale of the Universe

What is the biggest object you have ever seen? Is it a building, a geologic structure? Or maybe you have looked into the night sky and marveled at how big it is! Join VBAS as we consider the true scale of the universe with some mind-bending questions such as: “how big is time”?

Presented by Don Reed

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August 31st – The Planets

To our ancestors, they were the wandering stars that moved mysteriously among the fixed stars. Today our space probes send back close ups of these distant worlds. Come and learn how our quest to discover what these wanderers actually are helped reveal the truth about our place in space.

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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July 6 – Summer Skies

Traveling across the summer sky can be just as much fun as a summer trip! Join retired educator Beth Bero in this family-friendly adventure in the night sky. We will explore summer constellations, legends, motions of the night sky and current sky events.

Presented by Beth Bero

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July 13 – Webb Space Telescope: The Journey So Far

Launched in December 2021, James Webb Space Telescope has revealed many unprecedented details of the universe during its initial 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 teach us about the cosmos.

Presented by Naveen Vetcha

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July 20 – Why is Lunar Science ‘Going South’?

Why does everyone want to go to the moon’s south pole? What’s wrong with the moon’s equator or mid latitudes? Is it cold at the lunar pole? Will there be polar bears? Lunarians? Will they bring penguins for company? Isn’t it more difficult to get to the lunar pole than equator? And what’s wrong with the moon’s north pole? Are the people making these decisions lunatics? Why do scientists ask so many questions?
Don’t you want to come to the show and find out?

Presented by Eric Silkowski

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July 27 – Summer Skies

What are we watching in the night sky this summer? I’m sure you have seen the Big Dipper and Orion, but have you successfully identified any other star patterns? We can help. We’ll be in the planetarium at 7:30 with a cool star projector and a dome shaped ceiling ready to point out summer constellations, tell stories, and just generally have fun looking at tiny points of light. Doors open at 7:00.

Presented by Gena Crook

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 1 – Planetarium Centennial

The concept of a planetarium was started exactly one hundred years ago! We will explore a short history of planetariums through history and make predictions about the planetarium of the future.

Presented by Tom Burleson

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June 8 and June 22 – Life in the Universe

One of the questions which humans have been asking for centuries is, “Are we alone in the universe?” This Saturday we will explore the types of life we might expect to find on other bodies in our solar system. During our presentation you might also learn some surprising facts about creatures here on Earth that are new to you! I hope you will join us.

Presented by Gena Crook

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June 15 – Why is Lunar Science ‘Going South’?

Why does everyone want to go to the moon’s south pole?
What’s wrong with the moon’s equator or mid latitudes?
Is it cold at the lunar pole?
Will there be polar bears? Lunarians?
Will they bring penguins for company?
Isn’t it more difficult to get to the lunar pole than equator?
And what’s wrong with the moon’s north pole?
Are the people making these decisions lunatics?
Why do scientists ask so many questions?
Don’t you want to come to the show and find out?

Presented by Erik Silkowski

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June 29 – Huntsville’s Place in Space

As we prepare to go back to the Moon for the first time in over 50 years, the importance that Huntsville

played both back then and right now is something to remember. Join VBAS President Michael Buford for a
look through the history of Huntsville’s amazing contributions in aviation, its massive importance during the
Space Race, and Huntsville’s place in space now and in the future!

Presented by Michael Buford

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 4 – In a Galaxy Far, Far Away

On Star Wars Day (May the Fourth be with you!), let’s explore some of the real destinations in our universe that resemble key locations in the Star Wars films. Light Sabers allowed, attendance in costume
encouraged!

Presented by Alex Hall

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May 11 – Planetarium Centennial

The concept of a planetarium was started exactly one hundred years ago! We will explore a short history of planetariums through history and make predictions about the planetarium of the future.

Presented by Tom Burleson

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May 18 – The Real Death Star: Neutron Stars… with a helping of Nuclear Pasta

George Lucas gave us the fictional Death Star, but did you know the universe is full of real death stars? Neutron Stars, remnants of supernovas, are the real thing. They can produce beams of energy sweeping through space that can sterilize an entire planet. When first discovered as pulsars they were even thought to be aliens! Join us as we explore these extreme stars where ordinary matter is crushed into a very unappetizing dish called “Nuclear Pasta.”

Presented by Eric Silkowski

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May 25 – Hubble and the Space Telescope

One hundred years ago this year, Edwin Hubble discovered distant galaxies outside our Milky Way.

Thirty-four years ago, the Hubble Space Telescope was launched to begin a spectacular job informing us about the cosmos, including distant galaxies.

Presented by Beth Bero

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 6 – The 2024 American Eclipse

On April 8 the US will be treated to the awesome spectacle of a total solar eclipse. Come learn how and where to safely experience this special solar event.

Presented by Michael Buford

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April 13 – The 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 20 – Edwin Hubble: 100 years since resolving the Great Galaxy Debate

In 1924 Edwin Hubble published an astonishing report—by finding a Cephid Variable star in the Andromeda Nebula, he found that it was an ‘Island Universe’ like our own Milky Way—the first proof that our galaxy was not alone in the Universe ! Come learn about that event and more to commemorate this centennial.

Presented by Beth Bero

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April 27 – Hubble Space Telescope

Now that we know who Edwin Hubble was, we will turn our attention to the amazing space telescope that bears his name. Like its namesake, for over 30 years the Hubble Space Telescope has helped reshape our understanding of the universe.

Presented by Beth Bero

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 2 – Sounds of Space

There’s no sound in space…right? While sound as we know it may not propagate through a true vacuum, these sound waves have many ways to be interpreted both for scientific and artistic purposes.

Join us to learn more about both near Earth and deep space oddities and discoveries!

Presented by Michael Buford

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March 9 – The MOON Show!

The Moon is unusually large for a small planet like Earth. How might its origin may have been different from the other 289 known moons in our solar system ? We will explore the interesting lunar features, visible even in a small telescope and how they formed.

Presented by Frank Schenck

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March 16 – Spring Skies

Our place in space at this time of year allows us a view into the deepest parts of the Universe to see many treasures. Amateur astronomers plan marathons in Spring to try to observe as many as possible! We will explore the spring constellations and some of the “treasures” that you can discover.

Presented by Alex Hall

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March 23 – Planetarium Centennial

Since the beginning of time, humans have been fascinated by the starry sky and the secrets of the universe and devised many artistic and mechanical wonders to try to bring it down to Earth. In October 1923 the first ‘modern’ planetarium projector was unveiled in Jena, Germany and the first planetarium opened to the public on May 7, 1925 in Munich. Today, planetariums inform and inspire, stimulating the imagination like no other venue can. In this 100th year of the planetarium, learn about our quest to represent the sky!

Presented by Tom Burleson

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March 30 – American Eclipse

On April 8 the US will be treated to the awesome spectacle of a total solar eclipse. Come learn how and where to safely experience this special solar event.

Presented by Mitzi Adams

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 3 & 10 – Let’s Be Sirius for a Moment

Are you Sirius about astronomy? Then you might already recognize the brightest star in our night sky, Sirius! But did you know Sirius hides an incredible mystery that baffled scientists for decades? Join VBAS as we explore these secrets and the amazing advances in astronomy they revealed. You Sirius-ly shouldn’t miss this!

Presented by Eric Silkowski

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February 17 – The Universe is Trying to Kill You

Beyond the calamities that face us here on our planet, there are other forces in the universe that can do us in. Since our planet formed, it has been under constant threat of annihilation from both terrestrial and extraterrestrial influences. There are numerous terrestrial or natural events that can and do occur, such as hurricanes, volcanoes, and earthquakes, that have terrible outcomes. These disastrous terrestrial events pale in comparison to some of what lies out in the solar system and beyond that could cause our ultimate demise, such as giant meteors, comets, asteroids, exploding stars, and more. Join us as we take a somewhat lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek look at the dark shadow of doom that awaits us from within our solar system and the deep recesses of the universe.

Presented by Jared Cassidy, VBAS Planetarium Director.

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February 24

In October 2023 the continental United States experienced an annular eclipse. On April 8 we will have an opportunity to view a total solar eclipse. Join VBAS educator Tom Burlington for an explanation of this event and how you can safely view it.

Presented by Tom Burleson.