Admission opens at 7:00pm; $5/adult, $3/student, 6 and under free.

Telescope viewing afterwards on clear nights.

April 4th – Dark Matter

We will be exploring one of the biggest mysteries in the universe, most of it is made of something we can’t even see. It starts with the basics of gravity and motion to show how scientists understand the universe, then walks through how dark matter was discovered and the evidence that supports it. It also explains how we observe space, what dark matter might be, and how it differs from dark energy, which is driving the expansion of the universe.

Presented by Maggie Sexton

April 11th – World Space Day

In 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to enter space! Join us for a presentation on the early days of the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union!

Presented by Haley Rice

April 18th – Dark Skies

What are dark skies and why do astronomers prize them? What is a Bortle? What can you do to preserve our dark sky heritage for the next generation? The answers to these and other questions await you in the planetarium tonight.

Presented by Beth Bero

April 25th – Vacation on Mercury

Vacationing on Mercury might not be a bad deal. There are a lot of positive aspects to be considered, including the long days and varied climates (sort of). We will talk about the previous results of missions to Mercury, some very recent discoveries, and the newest European Space Agency Mission just about to start sending new information back to earth.

Presented by Tom Burleson

Admission opens at 7:00pm; $5/adult, $3/student, 6 and under free.

Telescope viewing afterwards on clear nights.

March 7th – Exoplanets

Extrasolar Planets (Exoplanets) are planets that are outside our solar system. Since the discovery of first exoplanet in the early 90s, the field of exoplanet research expanded rapidly and resulted in the discovery of close to 6100 Exoplanets. Some of these orbit other stars and some are just freely floating in the vacuum of space. Studying these objects helps us understqnd our own solar system. Join us and learn all about these fascinating worlds.

Presented by Dr. Naveen Vetcha

March 14th – Auroras, Light Show in the Sky

The Northern and Southern Lights are a wonder to behold. Join us as we explore the causes of this fantastic phenomena.

Presented by Beth Bero

March 21st – 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

March 28th – UPDATED – World Space Day!

In 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to enter space! Join us for a presentation on the early days of the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union!

Presented by Haley Rice

Admission opens at 7:00pm; $5/adult, $3/student, 6 and under free.

Telescope viewing afterwards on clear nights.

February 7th – Rainbows and Unicorns: Spectral wonders of Monoceros

For reasons unknown, Rainbows and Unicorns naturally belong together. Everyone is delighted to see a rainbow in the sky, and who wouldn’t love to see the elusive unicorn? Join us on Saturday night and learn to spot the heavenly unicorn, Monoceros, prancing through our winter sky. Be warned: you may be enchanted as we reveal the manifold secrets of this mythical beast via the magical rainbow of astronomical spectroscopy.

Presented by Eric Silkowski

February 14th – Jupiter and Saturn

In observance of Jupiter’s close approach to the Earth (opposition), join us for an evening about our solar system’s gas giants!

Presented by Haley Rice

February 21st – Rainbows and Unicorns: Spectral wonders of Monoceros

For reasons unknown, Rainbows and Unicorns naturally belong together. Everyone is delighted to see a rainbow in the sky, and who wouldn’t love to see the elusive unicorn? Join us on Saturday night and learn to spot the heavenly unicorn, Monoceros, prancing through our winter sky. Be warned: you may be enchanted as we reveal the manifold secrets of this mythical beast via the magical rainbow of astronomical spectroscopy.

Presented by Eric Silkowski

February 28th – What Is the Universe Hiding?

Although stars and galaxies fill the night sky, most of the universe is made of something we cannot see. Dark matter reveals itself only through its effects, shaping galaxies and holding cosmic structures together. Follow the clues astronomers use to uncover this hidden mass and explore why one of the universe’s most dominant components remains unknown.

Presented by Maggie Sexton

Admission opens at 7:00pm; $5/adult, $3/student, 6 and under free.

Telescope viewing afterwards on clear nights.

January 3rd – Standing Stones and Sungazers

In recognition of the Winter Solstice we will explore how we believe ancient civilizations marked the passage of the year through monuments, monoliths and markers and learn about the astronomical causes of all the motions.

Presented by Alex Hall

January 10th – Jupiter and Saturn

In observance of Jupiter’s close approach to the Earth (opposition), join us for an evening about our solar system’s gas giants!

Presented by Haley Rice

January 17th – Magic Carpet

Our star projector can help us pretend to fly anywhere on Earth – like a magic carpet! See the motion of the stars across the sky at the equator, north pole, and southern hemisphere. 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! We will put the star projector to work and use it to show its unique educational capabilities.

Presented by Gena Crook

January 24th – CANCELED!

No show due to weather.

January 31st – Artemis II – Humanity’s journey back to the Moon

NASA with support from its commercial partners is setting the stage for a historical journey back to the Moon. In a few days, four astronauts will venture around the Moon on Artemis II, the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence on the Noon for science and exploration through Artemis. The 10-day flight will help confirm systems and hardware needed for early human lunar exploration missions. Join us to learn about the Artemis program and the upcoming launch.

Presented by Naveen Vetcha

The science behind the structure of the universe

Benjamin Gibson will be our speaker for January. He is an astrophysicist at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. He describes himself as a galactic archaeologist by using stars as a fossil history to trace the merger and evolution history of the galaxy.

Abstract: Join me on a tour of our night sky, and learn a bit of the hidden reality of the Milky Way and other galaxies across the cosmos! We’ll explore various parts of the electromagnetic spectrum and get an idea for many of the astronomical curiosities that we can’t see with our eyes. We’ll also see dozens of beautiful images from the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes, as well as many of the other top observatories across the world. Gain a new appreciation for the night sky and all the wonder that’s out there!

Admission opens at 7:00pm; $5/adult, $3/student, 6 and under free.

Telescope viewing afterwards on clear nights.

December 6th – Star of Wonder

What was the star that the Magi saw? Join VBAS educator Beth Bero for this family-friendly program that explores the history, science and wonder of a special star. Followed by a look at our current night sky under the planetarium dome.

Presented by Beth Bero

December 13th – Star of Wonder

VBAS actors tell the Christmas Story told from the perspective of the three wise men. The journey the wise men took that first Christmas comes to life as they detail their quest to find the Christ Child and answer a very basic question: what could cause that star to shine so brightly? Children 12 and under will receive a goodie bag of toys and candy.

Presented by Don Reed, Jared Cassidy and Tom Burlington

December 20th – Star of Wonder

VBAS actors tell the Christmas Story told from the perspective of the three wise men. The journey the wise men took that first Christmas comes to life as they detail their quest to find the Christ Child and answer a very basic question: what could cause that star to shine so brightly? Children 12 and under will receive a goodie bag of toys and candy.

Presented by Don Reed, Jared Cassidy and Tom Burlington

December 27th – Standing Stones and Sungazers

In recognition of the Winter Solstice we will explore how we believe ancient civilizations marked the passage of the year through monuments, monoliths and markers and learn about the astronomical causes of all the motions.

Presented by Alex Hall

Apollo 8

In 1968 the Space Race was in full tilt. The Apollo program was on schedule to make it to the Moon before the end of the decade. However, reports held that the Russians were still ahead of NASA to get to the moon. To further complicate the issue, the Lunar Excursion Moduel (LEM), the vehicle necessary to land on the moon and that Apollo 8 was supposed to test in Earth orbit only, was not going to be ready for the scheduled test flight. In a classified meeting and with only a few months left to prepare, NASA charged Apollo 8 astronauts Frank Boreman, Jim Lovel, and Bill Anders with a new mission. They would no longer be testing the LEM in Earth orbit. They would go without the LEM and orbit the Moon before Christmas. As a result, these three astronauts would become the first people to leave Earth orbit and see the far side of the Moon. As part of their new mission, they were to photograph the surface of the Moon and find an adequate landing site for the upcoming Apollo 11 mission. But what they discovered and photographed on December 24th, on their fourth orbit around the moon, was nothing anyone anticipated or planned for.

The planetarium doors will open at 6:30 pm ahead of the 7:30 pm program and the meteorites will also be available for viewing afterwards.

Admission opens at 7:00pm; $5/adult, $3/student, 6 and under free.

Telescope viewing afterwards on clear nights.

November 1st – Spooky Skies

Boo! Join us for a fun and child-friendly look at the scarier side of the autumn night sky. Learn about ancient traditions based on observations of the night sky and take a look at some scary nebulas! Costumes for ages 12 and under welcome. Treats available after the show.

Presented by Beth Bero

November 8th – The 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

November 15th – Stars Fell on Alabama

Come celebrate our Alabama heritage as seen through the lens of meteorites and meteor showers! Objects both large and small have landed in Alabama, both in deep history and more recently. Learn how we observe such occurrences every night and how you can search for rocks that fall on Alabama.

Presented by Beth Bero

November 22nd – William Herschel

William Herschel made numerous discoveries that give cause for some to call him the father of modern astronomy. His most famous discovery doubled the size of the Solar System. Come learn about this musician/composer turned astronomer/telescope maker who left forever one of the biggest marks in the history of astronomy.

Presented by Jared Cassidy

November 29th – NO SHOW

VBAS Planetarium Closed for Iron Bowl

Admission opens at 7:00pm; $5/adult, $3/student, 6 and under free.

Telescope viewing afterwards on clear nights.

October 4th – 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

October 11th – 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. Disastrous terrestrial events pale in comparison to 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 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

October 18th – Spooky Skies

Boo! Join us for a fun and child-friendly look at the scarier side of the autumn night sky. Learn about ancient traditions based on observations of the night sky and take a look at some scary nebulas! Costumes for ages 12 and under welcome. Treats available after the show.

Presented by Maggie Sexton

October 25th – Spooky Skies

Boo! Join us for a fun and child-friendly look at the scarier side of the autumn night sky. Learn about ancient traditions based on observations of the night sky and take a look at some scary nebulas! Costumes for ages 12 and under welcome. Treats available after the show.

Presented by Beth Bero