Welcome to VBAS!
The Von Braun Astronomical Society is a non-profit organization of amateur and professional astronomers. We are sharing our love of space with the community through our planetarium and observatories located in Monte Sano State Park just east of Huntsville, Alabama.
Latest News
Celebrate the VBAS’s 70th Birthday!
Join us at Monte Sano Lodge in Monte Sano State Park on Friday, Sep 26th 5:30 – 9 pm for a social hour and silent auction followed by an elegant buffet with salad, entrees and dessert.
Donate to the VBAS Stars for All Endowment Fund
VBAS established an agency fund at the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville in 2024. VBAS is the sole beneficiary of the distributions from this fund, which is used to provide long term financial stability for our organization. Your donation will help continue VBAS operations well into the future.
- Astronomy Day 2025September 27th, 1-5; 7:30 – 9 pm Von Braun Astronomical Society will celebrate Astronomy Day on September 27th in person at Monte Sano State Park! Daytime events (between 1 – 5 pm) will include: mini-planetarium shows, Telescope tours, and Meteor radar demos. Evening events (between 7:30 – 9 pm) will include a keynote speech followed… Read more: Astronomy Day 2025
- Member Meeting – July 18Join us on Friday July 18, 2025 at 7:30 pm at the VBAS Planetarium for our monthly member meeting. Admission is open to the public. NASA Meteor Monitoring at VBAS Our topic will be: NASA Meteor Monitoring at VBAS with NASA specialist Dr. Bill Cooke. The Global Meteor Network is a Canada based project with… Read more: Member Meeting – July 18
- Moon tree video and height updatePlease enjoy the following video with details about our newly planted “moon tree” and updates on its growth. Produced by Greyden Kutner – our very own student director!
Upcoming Shows
- August 2025 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 2nd – History of Planetariums
Learn about the history of planetariums, the “recent” projector technology, and the possible future of star viewing indoors.
Presented by Tom Burlington
August 9th – Choosing a Telescop
So, you are interested in astronomy. You may be wondering: What gear do I need to get involved? We are here to help you! We will show how to best meet your interests, and avoid the most common costs & frustrations, at all common budget levels, in this our wonderful hobby.
Presented by Cyril Bryan
August 16th – Choosing a Telescop
So, you are interested in astronomy. You may be wondering: What gear do I need to get involved? We are here to help you! We will show how to best meet your interests, and avoid the most common costs & frustrations, at all common budget levels, in this our wonderful hobby.
Presented by Cyril Bryan
August 23rd – Exoplanets
Extrasolar Planets (Exoplanets) are planets that are outside our solar system. Since the discovery of first exoplanet in early 90s, the field of exoplanet research has expanded rapidly and resulted in the discovery of close to 6000 exoplanets so far. Some of these orbit other stars and some are just freely floating in the vacuum of space. Studying these objects helps us understand our own solar system. Join us and learn all about these fascinating worlds.
Presented by Naveen Vetcha
August 30th – Life in the Universe
Well, we’re looking for it. Life in places other than Earth, that is. The Clipper Mission is on its way to Jupiter’s moon, Europa. And the James Webb Space Telescope has a super interesting technique for looking for evidence of life on exoplanets. You’ll want to join us at the VBAS planetarium tonight so you can learn about how we’re searching. If you have some knowledge in your noggin’ then you’ll be prepared to be really excited when news of a discovery breaks.
Presented by Gena Crook
