Categories
Planetarium Shows

October 2023 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.

October 7 – There’s Annular Solar Eclipse coming, what should I know?

Join us as we look forward to next Saturday’s annular (partial in Huntsville) eclipse. Learn why an eclipse happens and how you can safely enjoy this one next week.

Presented by Beth Bero

October 14 – Kids Night at the Planetarium

Bring your kids out for a night at the planetarium just for them. We will learn about the current night sky constellations and have some fun!

Presented by Delisa Collette

October 21 – Magic Carpet

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

October 28 – 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, treats available after the show.

Presented by Chris Bero

Categories
Planetarium Shows

September 2023 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

September 2 – Alabama Time Machine

Join us on a whirlwind journey through time to explore the ancient origins of Monte Sano and the astronomical wonders witnessed along the way. As we dive back through 350 million years of deep time, we will stop to explore fascinating geological upheavals and mind-boggling space catastrophes. Come prepared for an amazing adventure with fossils, meteorites, and old-fashioned scientific detective work!

Presented by Eric Silkowski

September 9 – Fall Skies

Come and explore the constellations and celestial wonders in the Fall Night Skies!

Presented by Beth Bero

September 16 – Hairy Stars

To our forebears, comets were the oddest things. They didn’t look like the stars, they didn’t wander like the planets, and they were often seen following or preceding the Sun in the evening or morning sky. It’s no wonder that they were often associated with doom and change! The word ‘comet’ comes from an ancient Greek word meaning ‘long haired’ and in this presentation, we’ll look at what we know about these hairy stars from observations and space probes and how comets could be the key to exploring our galaxy!

Presented by Alexandra Hall

September 23 – Astronomy Day!

Astronomy Day 2023 is September 23!

Click here to Learn More

September 30 – “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” – Asteroids, some of the other “Stuff” of the Solar System

We’ve all heard the expression “don’t sweat the small stuff.” But with the asteroids – some of the ‘small stuff’ of the solar system – it’s actually a good idea to spend some time thinking about them.  While there are only eight planets, there are millions of asteroids.  Small asteroids buzz planet Earth frequently, and some even fall as meteorites!  Asteroids have been found to contain pristine material from the birth of the Solar System 4.6 billion years ago.  Some asteroids are thought to contain unimaginable riches in precious metals.  Recent space missions have looked at asteroids up close, and some have even snatched samples for return to Earth.  This show will introduce you to asteroids and explain why scientists do “sweat the small stuff.”

Presented by Eric Silkowski

Categories
Planetarium Shows

August 2023 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

August 5 – The Sun, the Moon, and the Annular Eclipse

Join us to learn about eclipse science and upcoming events!

Presented by Mitzi Adams

August 12 – Stars Fell on Alabama

Join retired educator Beth Bero for a trip through Alabama’s deep past as we learn about both the current Perseid Meteor Shower and other objects that have fallen over or on Alabama! Family friendly presentation.

Presented by Beth Bero

August 19 – Satellites and Space Junk

Retired educator Beth Bero will shed some light on what’s up in the sky tonight, both ‘natural’ and man-made. We will explore the question of how to see certain satellites, how long they will orbit and what will happen to them when they run out of fuel. Family friendly presentation.

Presented by Beth Bero

August 26 – AL Time Machine

Join us on a whirlwind journey though time to explore the ancient origins of Monte Sano and the astronomical wonders witnessed along the way.
As we dive back through 350 million years of deep time, we will stop to explore fascinating geological upheavals and mind-boggling space catastrophes.
Come prepared for an amazing adventure with fossils, meteorites, and old-fashioned scientific detective work!

Presented by Eric Silkowski

Categories
Uncategorized

Astronomy Day 2023

Von Braun Astronomical Society will celebrate Astronomy Day on September 23rd in person at Monte Sano State Park! Beginning at 1:00 p.m., events will include: solar viewing, mini-planetarium shows, rockets, vacuum-chamber demonstrations of what it’s like in space, and several other fun STEAM activities.

Astronomy Day is FREE and open to the public!

Participating Organizations

AIAA
HAL5
US Space & Rocket Center
NSC Huntsville
Marshall Amateur Radio Club
Huntsville Gems and Mineral Society

Daytime Planetarium Show Schedule

Free-admission planetarium shows will be hosted through the day. Show times will be 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 3:30pm, and 4:30pn.

7:30PM – Keynote Speaker:

MSFC Solar Sounding Rocket History, Present and
Future!

Sounding rockets have been an important mechanism for testing new methods to observe the Sun for several decades and have played a significant role in advancing our understanding of our backyard Star. Some of the recent research efforts performed by our team at Marshall Space Flight Center include missions like the Hi-resolution Coronal Imager (Hi-C), the Chromospheric LAyer SpectroPolarimeter (CLASP) and the Marshall Grazing Incidence X-ray Spectrometer (MaGIXS). These instruments and the data collected from several successful ~5-minute suborbital flights have and continue to help us answer questions about solar atmospheric dynamics, magnetic field, heating and more. In this talk we will cover some important solar sounding rocket history highlights, results from some recent missions and some exciting missions on the horizon.

Genevieve Vigil

Genevieve Vigil earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washington, Seattle, and a Ph.D. in EE from the University of Notre Dame in 2017. She turned toward Solar Physics as a NASA Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Solar Sounding Rocket group here at Marshal Space Flight Center from 2017-2020 and is currently a Civil Servant Researcher in the same group. Research interests include novel instruments, optics and detectors for high resolution imaging and spectroscopy, EUV and X-ray solar applications including solar atmosphere dynamics, magnetic field studies, and applications of machine learning.

Categories
Observatory

Amateur Astronomy 101 Course

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.

Register Here
Categories
Planetarium Shows

July 2023 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

July 1 – Backyard Radio Astronomy

VBAS has been working with the Huntsville Amateur Radio Club to develop radio astronomy activities and conduct citizen science from our facilities on Monte Sano. Come and learn about how we can observe Meteors, our Milky Way, the Sun, Jupiter and much more using radio and what we hope to learn.

Presented by Alex Hall and Bob Ehresman

July 8 – Kepler, Master of the Planets

Johannes Kepler was an incredible mathematician and astronomer. We will take a brief look at his life and contributions to science. We will also talk about the planets that have been discovered around other stars in our galaxy using data from the Kepler Space Telescope.

Presented by Gena Crook

July 15 and 29 – Webb’s First Year of Science

It’s only been one year since the James Webb Space Telescope’s first full-color images and data were released. What exactly is Webb observing during this first year of science? With the capacity to explore almost every region of space and observe almost any type of object or material that emits, absorbs, reflects, or deflects near-infrared or mid-infrared light, there’s a lot to choose from. Join us to learn the telescope and some of its discoveries in the past year.

Presented by Naveen Vetcha and Tom Burleson

July 22 – Kids Night at the Planetarium

Bring your kiddos out for a night at the planetarium specifically for them. We will learn about the moon and try some fun activities for the young (or young at heart).

Presented by Delisa Collette

Categories
Uncategorized

June 2023 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

June 3 – The Magic Carpet Tour

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

June 10 and 24 – 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

June 17 – Hairy Stars

To our forebears, comets were the oddest things. They didn’t look like the stars, they didn’t wander like the planets, and they were often seen following or preceding the Sun in the evening or morning sky. It’s no wonder that they were often associated with doom and change! The word ‘comet’ comes from an ancient Greek word meaning ‘long haired’ and in this presentation, we’ll look at what we know about these hairy stars from observations and space probes and how comets could be the key to exploring our galaxy!

Presented by Alex Hall
Categories
Uncategorized

May 19th – Annual Membership Meeting

The May meeting will be our Annual Meeting, where we elect new board members and vote on changes to the bylaws.

Bylaws

Bylaws changes were proposed by the Bylaws Committee, and approved by the Board of Directors, who recommends a vote of approval by the membership.

Read the Proposed Changes Here

Or copy and paste this URL: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1J6ysxclPQPsj1OJfS_jYItKWCCMZS38nRTD__4GuhtQ/edit?usp=sharing

Officer Elections in May

The following offices are up for election at our May 19th meeting (7:00 PM) and the nominating committee has found these candidates for office:

  • Vice President: Joe Kutner
  • Director of Facilities and Equipment: Tom Derington
  • Director of Education and Programs: Alexandra Hall
  • Treasurer: Eric Silkowski  (incumbent)
  • Student Director: Greyden Kutner

Any member in good standing is eligible to be an officer. If you’re interested in running one of these positions, please contact Michael Buford at michaelcbuford[@]gmail.com

Categories
Planetarium Shows

May 2023 Shows

All planetarium shows begin at 7:30pm. Admission opens at 7:00pm. Telescope viewing afterwards on clear nights

May 6th & 13th – 3D Printing in Space

What is 3D printing, and how does it work? Join us for a tour of 3D printing processes and learn how they are being applied to further the missions of space exploration!

Presented by Chris Bero

May 20th – Stars Around the World

Join professional educator Beth Bero in a journey of discov-
ery as we learn how people around the world see the night-
time sky.

Presented by Beth Bero

May 27th – Sounds of Space

Just because Space is a vacuum does not stop the Universe
from singing! From Geiger counters to the latest and greatest
Radio telescopes, all of this data can be altered to fit into our
very narrow range of hearing through Sonification. This data
can be used to make truly alien music and more importantly
give an entirely different perspective to how we approach
science by using our ears instead of our eyes.

Presented by Michael Buford
Categories
Observatory

April 14th – Messier Marathon

Image of M51 nebula taken by VBAS Swanson imaging team.

This event has concluded. Thanks to all who attended!

Bring your telescope and join us Friday after dark on April 14th for our 2023 “Messier Marathon” Star Party in the VBAS observing field in the Monte Sano State Park. The gate opens at 6:30pm, sundown is 7:18pm. The observing starts as soon as it’s dark and goes until the last telescope is standing! Seasoned observers will be on-hand to assist newer observers in setting up and using their telescopes.  The term “Messier Marathon” is used to describe an effort to observe all 110 deep sky Messier objects in one night.  This is possible during several times of the year, but all 110 objects are most accessible to viewers in the Spring months of March and April during or near new Moons.

But this is not a contest! The real goal is to hone your observing skills, log as many Messier objects you can, and enjoy the company of other like-minded amateur astronomers. It’s a great opportunity for newer observers to learn more about the night sky and to learn observing techniques from more experienced members. 

Saturday, April 15th is the rain date for the marathon.