This past week was the 37th Chaos Communication Congress, where a diverse audience of nerds gather to discuss technology and society. I observed from afar via their livestreams and recordings, and thoroughly enjoyed two space-centric talks. Both are linked below, I hope you find them as interesting!
The Extremely Large Telescope (ELT)
Two presenters, lk and panic, walk us through the construction and design considerations of the ELT, which will be a… big scope.
How Many Planets in Our Solar System? Glad You Asked!
Michael Büker gives a fascinating and well researched talk on the progress of planetary identification through the past several hundred years.
Admission opens at 7:00pm; $5/adult, $3/student, 6 and under free.
Telescope viewing afterwards on clear nights.
January 6 – The Magic Carpet
Come explore the wonders of the night sky with VBAS educator Dr. Gena Crook. We will travel around the world and through time with our trusty planetarium projector as our guide.
Presented by Gena Crook
January 13 & 20 – So You Got a Telescope
So, you got a telescope for a gift recently and now you want to learn how to use it? Awesome! Join ex- perienced astronomer and astrophotographer Frank Schenk for a hands-on explanation of your tele- scope’s abilities. This presentation will include a short history of telescopes and how they work, fol- lowed by a description of various types of modern telescopes, how to use them, and the advantages and disadvantages of each. Recommendations about eyepieces, and necessary accessories such as Atmospheric Dispersion Correctors. Bring your scope!
Presented by Frank Schenck
January 27 – Solar Eclipse Coming April 8!
In October 2023 the continental United States ex- perienced an annular eclipse. This coming April we will have an opportunity to view a total solar eclipse. Join VBAS educator Dr. Gena Crook for an expla- nation of this event and how you can safely view it.
Admission opens at 7:00pm; $5/adult, $3/student, 6 and under free.
Telescope viewing afterwards on clear nights.
Our December 30th show is cancelled.
We hope to see you next time!
December 2 and 9 – The Star of Bethlehem
Join us on the evenings of December 2nd or 9th to hear our Special Presentation of The Star of Won- der. On these 2 nights VBAS actors tell the Christ- mas Story told from the perspective of the Three Wisemen. The journey the Wisemen took on that first Christmas comes to life as they detail their quest to find the Christ Child and answer a very ba- sic question: what could cause that star to shine so brightly? Children 12 and under will receive a “goo- die bag” of toys and candy. Be sure to arrive early as this particular show sells out early.
Presented by Don Reed and Tom Burleson
December 16 – The Star of Bethlehem
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 night.
Presented by Beth Bero
December 23 and 30 – 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.
Admission opens at 7:00pm; $5/adult, $3/student, 6 and under free.
Telescope viewing afterwards on clear nights.
November 4 – All About Stars
Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are? In this presentation, we’ll take a look at stars – big ones, small ones, explosive ones, sputtering ones, brand new ones, ancient ones, and ones that are long dead. We’ll also take a look at the November Night Skies and highlight star birth, life and death.
Presented by Alex Hall
November 11 – Stars fell on Alabama
Come celebrate our Alabama heritage 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 18 – 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
November 25 – No Show!
We are taking off for the weekend. Have a happy Thanksgiving (and Iron Bowl!)
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.
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!
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.”
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!
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.
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.
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.
