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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
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.
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.
All planetarium shows begin at 7:30pm. Admission opens at 7:00pm. Telescope viewing afterwards on clear nights
April 1 – The Moon
All 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 214 other moons in our solar system. Also a discussion of all the various interesting features on the Moon, even visible even in a small telescope and how they probably were formed.
Presented by Frank Schenck
April 8 – The Sun! and the April 8, 2024 Eclipse
Once again, the path of a total solar eclipse will cross the United States, this time on April 8, 2024, moving from the Southwest to the Northeast. Unlike the 2017 total solar eclipse, the 2024 path of totality will touch larger population areas, and has the potential to reach two and a half times the number of people. This talk will review what we know about the Sun, discuss why we have eclipses, what is seen during a total solar eclipse, how to safely view solar eclipses, and how to find resources. Finally, we will look at NASA’s evolving plan for the eclipse.
Presented by Mitzi Adams
April 15 – Separated at Birth?
People often trace their family’s history to learn where they came from and find long-lost (hopefully wealthy) relatives. Ever wonder about the origin of our Solar System? Where was the Sun born? Does our Sun have siblings and where are they now? Join us as we take a fascinating journey through deep time in search of our Sun’s birthplace and her long lost-siblings.
Presented by Eric Silkowski
April 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
April 29 – Radio Observatories
We’ll be taking a look at radio telescopes of the past, present, and future. Radio telescopes have some very interesting designs and have made some extremely important discoveries. Radio Astronomy is even in VBAS’ near future. They’ll be opportunities for you to participate if you are interested.
All planetarium shows begin at 7:30pm. Admission opens at 7:00pm. Telescope viewing afterwards on clear nights
March 4 – 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 Michael Buford for a look through the history of Huntsville’s amazing contributions in aviation, its massive importance during the Space Race, as well as Huntsville’s place in space now and in the future!
Written and presented by Michael Buford
March 11 and 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
March 25 – Spring Skies
Around the time of the Spring Equinox, the early evening sees the brilliant stars of the winter night sky setting, and a slightly less dazzling collection of constellations take their place. But our place in space at this time of year allows us a view into the deepest parts of the Universe to see many intriguing treasures. Indeed, this is the time of year that amateur astronomers plan marathons to try to observe as many as possible! In our show, we will explore the spring constellations, some of the objects that you can discover among them, and learn how the motion of the Earth around the Sun and the position of the Sun in our Milky Way galaxy combine to provide our fascinating Spring Skies.
The line in the picture is NOT kids waiting to check out the telescopes…. Help us solve our bathroom challenge!
When our tiny bathroom was built along with our first observatory in 1956, you had to climb stairs to view the stars, so no-one really thought about having a toilet that could accommodate a wheelchair, a parent with a child, or anyone with any mobility difficulties. There were even plans for a much larger facility with classrooms, labs and more bathrooms! But then Von Braun and friends got a bit busy building a rocket to go to the Moon.
Nearly 70 years later, we reach over 5000 visitors a year with our weekly planetarium show, observing nights, events and outreach into our community. But we still have that solitary toilet, down a narrow corridor, and the lines can get pretty long.
While the society usually finds receptive ears in its grant requests for new outreach equipment, servicing our vintage planetarium projector and purchasing telescope parts, we have struggled to find someone willing to help with a fundamental visitor comfort issue.
We usually bring in porta potties for large daytime events, but this is not a good permanent solution. They usually don’t have lights, and no HVAC either, which could be more than miserable in the freezing cold or humidity and heat.
The nearest sewer line is at the RV park toilet block – a long, long way uphill of us. It is unclear whether we’d be allowed to install a new larger septic any more – that isn’t allowed for main residential construction on Monte Sano and we’re close to the edge of the outcropping which isn’t ideal for a leach field.
We are seeking funds (likely ~$45,000) to install a semi-permanent toilet trailer, with an ADA stall and ramp and at least one additional stall – or a similar solution that solves our visitor needs. You’ve probably seen these kinds of trailers at events in our downtown or elsewhere. The City Parks and Rec even looked to see if it had anything, but nothing small enough was available.
We have the water and power hookups, and we can afford regular pumping (although we’d love to get that sponsored too!) It’s not a sexy ask, but everyone will benefit and having better toilets will allow us to increase the number of events we can do on site. We will use any funds raised towards site preparations, materials, and facilities acquisition and – if we raise more than we need – we’ll use the funds for ongoing maintenance (pumping, toilet paper and the like!) Of course, if anyone reading has a suitable ADA toilet trailer, or works for an RV shop or similar and wants to talk to us about building what we need – we’d be delighted to engage. also, if any planner, environmental health person or other suitably qualified professional wants to help us investigate the septic/sewer ideas, again, reach out.
“Can’t you rent a toilet trailer instead?” We’re a non-profit with no credit history and no fixed income (other than planetarium shows). Rental agreements and financing agreements would require personal guarantees and that’s not something the volunteers want to sign up for (we love what we do, but there are limits!)
“Shouldn’t the Park provide the toilets?” Our lease with the Park is very clear that we are responsible for the maintenance, upkeep and improvement of our facilities. They would be happy for us to improve things, but it won’t be on their dime.
“How long will it last?” If we take care of it, and also provide some protection for it, then it should last a decade or more. That buys us a lot of time to figure out a solution that will last for the next 70 years!
“Will you sell stickers or T shirts?” We’ve had some truly awesome crowdfunding ideas (I give a crap about VBAS… VBAS, best place for a Full Moon.. and so on). We’re looking into that. If you want to help, reach out!
We’d like to thank the Huntsville Redditors, Fox54, and WLRH for talking about our needs and supporting us.
All planetarium shows begin at 7:30pm. Admission opens at 7:00pm. Telescope viewing afterwards on clear nights
February 4 – The Sun and Solar Cycle 25: Connections Between the Sun and the Solar System
What if you flipped a light switch and there was no light? What if Google Maps stopped working or was inaccurate? This planetarium program will “illuminate” you (pardon the pun) and teach you how the Sun could affect you in ways other than sunburn. Understanding and predicting the rise and fall of sunspots, the solar cycle, is important for modern society and for human exploration of space.
Presented by Mitzi Adams
February 11 – African American Astronomers
During Black History Month VBAS will be celebrating the accomplishments of three African American Astronomers. Two brilliant scientists from the recent past and one currently doing state-of-the-art research. This is an educational program designed for students and people of all ages.
Presented by Gena Crook
February 18 – 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 Michael Buford for a look through the history of Huntsville’s amazing contributions in aviation, its massive importance during the Space Race, as well as Huntsville’s place in space now and in the future!
Presented by Michael Buford
February 25 – African American Astronomers
During Black History Month VBAS will be celebrating the accomplishments of three African American Astronomers. Two brilliant scientists from the recent past and one currently doing state-of-the-art research. This is an educational program designed for students and people of all ages.
All planetarium shows begin at 7:30pm. Admission opens at 7:00pm. Telescope viewing afterwards on clear nights.
January 7th – The Planetarium: A 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.
January 14th – “So you got a telescope for Christmas”
A wide ranging discussion, about types of telescopes, and telescope accessories. Topics such as what are the best (and cheapest) low power 1.25” or 2” eyepieces? What focal length eyepiece will give you the best view for deep-sky objects? What eyepiece filters are the best for nebulae, or for planets? What is atmospheric dispersion, and how can a $130.00 dispersion corrector result in much better views of the planets.
Presented by Frank
January 21st – Wandering Stars
To the skywatchers of long ago, the bright stars that moved periodically among the fixed stars were known as the Wanderers. Today we know them as the planets. Right now you can see several bright planets in the night sky. Come and find out more about planet spotting and the various paths they follow.
Presented by Alex.
January 28th – 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 out some fun activities for the young (or young at heart).
On the evenings of December 3rd and December 10th VBAS will be hosting its special “Star of Wonder” planetarium show. This show is unique in that VBAS volunteers dress up as the 3 Wisemen and present the Christmas Story from a first century perspective. Be prepared to enter the world of 1st century Judea as the planetarium is filled with incense and songs of the season. The Wisemen’s story will include reading excerpts from the Bible of the Christmas Story and a scientific analysis of the potential causes of the star that guided them to Bethlehem. Of course, in the bags they carry the Wisemen will have treats for children in attendance. Be sure to arrive early as this show typically fills up quickly. We will have telescope viewing from our observing field following the show weather permitting.
Presented by Donald Reed, Jared Cassidy, and Tom Burleson
Star of Wonder
December 17th at 7:30pm
What exactly was the star that the Wisemen saw? Was it a star that stood in the sky two-thousand years ago and marked a single location in Bethlehem? Each year at this special time, VBAS turns back the hands of time to look into the sky of long ago and search for this mysterious object. As we ponder the skies of Bethlehem, we’ll explore several possibilities including comets, meteors, novae and other phenomena as well as examine the origins of some of the Christmas traditions we celebrate today.
