VBAS

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 1st – How’s the Weather on the Moon?

Yes indeed there is weather on the Moon. There is no significant lunar atmosphere so this environment poses significant hazards to our astronauts and lunar bases. Dr. Rob Suggs, retired NASA scientist, spent most of his career providing specifications of space environments to spacecraft designers and he contributed to the specifications in use by Artemis mission designers. Rob will describe lunar “weather” and what spacecraft designers need to do about it.

Presented by Rob Suggs

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August 8th – The Life of a Star

Stars! Have you ever looked up into the night sky, and wondered: What are those bright colorful points of light doing? How did they come to be? What are they made of? How hot do they burn? Why do they come in different colors, and what does that mean? How might they end? And, do we come from the stars? We have answers. Join us on an exciting exploration of our stellar cosmos!

Presented by Cyril Bryan

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August 15th – The Life of a Star

Stars! Have you ever looked up into the night sky, and wondered: What are those bright colorful points of light doing? How did they come to be? What are they made of? How hot do they burn? Why do they come in different colors, and what does that mean? How might they end? And, do we come from the stars? We have answers. Join us on an exciting exploration of our stellar cosmos!

Presented by Cyril Bryan

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August 22nd – Celebrating Birds in the Sky

TBD

Presented by Gena Crook

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August 29th – Bird Brained Astronomers

Birds can be remarkable astronomers despite their tiny brains! Some birds journey thousands of miles every year relying on the stars to guide them. We will discover how they do it, what other animals watch the stars, and how scientists know. Join us on a fantastic voyage as we use planetarium stars to guide us as we migrate south with birds.

Presented by Gena Crook and 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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July 4th – Red, White, and Blue Stars

Join us on a patriotic tour of American Astronomy and Space Exploration to celebrate the USA’s 250th Birthday! From Benjamin Franklin to the Artemis II Astronauts, the USA has had a starring role in astronomical research and space exploration. We will explore the USA’s greatest achievements and many lesser-known facts as we marchacross space and time from 1776 Philadelphia to 2026 and interstellar space!

Presented by Eric Silkowski

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July 11th – Astronaut Art

The wonders of thecosmos have inspired numerous works of art in all forms and throughout history. Many astronauts have turned to creative expression to convey their profound experiences in space. Through exposure to these pieces, we can achieve a glimpse at what the universe has to offer, from our unique and creative human perspective.

Presented by Julia von Hermann

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July 18th – Sci Fi

Science fiction has always pushed the limits of imagination but how much of it could be real? We will dive into the science behind the best stories, from the alien biology of To Sleep in a Sea of Stars to the psychological and physical mysteries of Sphere, the survival driven physics of Project Hail Mary, and the visionary space travel of 2001: A Space Odyssey. We’ll break down what these stories get right, where they stretch the truth, and how real-world physics, biology, and engineering shape what’s possible.

Presented by Maggie Johnson

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July 25th – How’s the Weather on the Moon?

Yes indeed there is weather on the Moon. There is no significant lunar atmosphere so this environment poses significant hazards to our astronauts and lunar bases. Dr. Rob Suggs, retired NASA scientist, spent most of his career providing specifications of space environments to spacecraft designers and he contributed to the specifications in use by Artemis mission designers. Rob will describe lunar “weather” and what spacecraft designers need to do about it.

Presented by Rob Suggs

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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 6th – 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

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June 13th – Birds of the Night

There are nine birds in the constellations of the night sky. Here in Alabama we can only see three of them. We’ll use our star projector to travel very, very far south and look for the “southern birds.” Perhaps you’ll learn something new about an exotic bird or two. Families welcome.

Presented by Gena Crook

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June 20th – 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 27th – Red, White and Blue Stars

TBD

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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May 2nd – Birds of the Night

Monte Sano State Park is hosting a “Feather Fest” at the lodge today. Maybe you can attend that event. VBAS will participate by celebrating all things feathered in the night sky. There are birds everywhere at night and we’ll look for them on our planetarium dome. Families welcome.

Presented by Gena Crook

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May 9th – Sci-Fi

Science fiction has always pushed the limits of imagination but how much of it could actually be real? We will dive into the science behind the most iconic and thought-provoking stories, from the alien biology of To Sleep in a Sea of Stars to the psychological and physical mysteries of Sphere, the survival driven physics of Project Hail Mary, and the visionary space travel of 2001: A Space Odyssey. We’ll break down what these stories get right, where they stretch the truth, and how real-world physics, biology, and engineering shape what’s possible. From alien life and artificial intelligence to relativistic travel and human survival in extreme environments, this show explores the line between fiction and reality and challenges you to decide for yourself: how far away is the future we imagine?

Presented by Maggie Sexton

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May 16th – Sci-Fi

Science fiction has always pushed the limits of imagination but how much of it could actually be real? We will dive into the science behind the most iconic and thought-provoking stories, from the alien biology of To Sleep in a Sea of Stars to the psychological and physical mysteries of Sphere, the survival driven physics of Project Hail Mary, and the visionary space travel of 2001: A Space Odyssey. We’ll break down what these stories get right, where they stretch the truth, and how real-world physics, biology, and engineering shape what’s possible. From alien life and artificial intelligence to relativistic travel and human survival in extreme environments, this show explores the line between fiction and reality and challenges you to decide for yourself: how far away is the future we imagine?

Presented by Maggie Sexton

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May 23rd – 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

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May 30th – 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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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 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

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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

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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

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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

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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 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

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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

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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

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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

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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 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

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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

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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

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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

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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 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

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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

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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

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January 24th – CANCELED!

No show due to weather.

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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

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