Von Braun Astronomical Society
Monthly Society Meeting
Written by Administrator
The next VBAS Monthly Society Meeting will occur Friday, May 18 at 7:30 PM.
At the May 18 Meeting we will conduct our Annual Members' meeting. We will be electing club officers. The terms for all but Vice-president are for two years. The positions (and incumbents) are: Director of Planning and Research (Jeff Delmas); Secretary (John Johnson); Director of Administration (Neil Boyd); Student Director (Andrew Courtney).
The Vice-president (Don Martin) serves for one year as such, then one year as President, then one year as Past-president, for a total of three years. Therefore Vice-president is open for election each year.
If you are interested in serving in one of these capacities, please contact
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, who is heading up the nominating committee.
Update: The current slate of nominees is this:
Vice-president: John Callahan
Dir Administration: Neil Boyd
Dir Planning: Mimmo Demartino
Dir Facilities: Frank Schenk
Secretary: John Johnson
Student Director: Chris Bero
Speaker: Paul Wieland P.E., author of Crossing the Threshold: Advancing into Space to Benefit the Earth
Paul Wieland caught the "stargazing bug" when growing up in the 1960s not just because it was the space race era, but also his older brother bought a telescope kit from Edmund Scientific and hand-ground his own 6" reflector telescope. That opened up many of the mysteries of the night sky as he tagged along with his brother on many cold winter nights seeking dark places to view the moon, planets, and nebulae. Later earning degrees in botany and mechanical engineering, Paul began working for NASA in 1983 as a co-op student and had a small role in the Hubble Space Telescope, but spent much of his career developing the life support system for the International Space Station. In 1994, his report Designing for Human Presence in Space: An Introduction to Environmental Control and Life Support Systems was published as a NASA reference publication (RP-1324). In 2010, his book for the general public Crossing the Threshold: Advancing into Space to Benefit the Earth was published and in May 2011 it was awarded a gold medal by the Independent Publisher Book Awards, an international competition.
Book Synopsis: Crossing the Threshold: Advancing into Space to Benefit the Earth, by Paul O. Wieland, P.E.
The 21st century has challenges that will test our abilities in many ways, but we also have new opportunities to address them. Space exploration and development is one area of opportunity. At a time of limited funding for space activities, how can we best continue advancing our knowledge about, and presence in, space and utilize that knowledge to meet our challenges? Crossing the Threshold presents a vision in which space development has a vital role in addressing our challenges, from environmental monitoring to energy supply, and international security to material resources. Capabilities developed in other areas can help to lower the cost of space exploration and development, while increasing our knowledge and experience. And meeting the challenges of exploring and developing space will help address other challenges, as well. Successfully crossing the threshold to become a space-faring civilization will usher in a new age of discovery, and each of us has a role in making that happen.
Don Martin
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May 2012 Planetarium Shows
Last Updated on Wednesday, 02 May 2012 22:02 Written by Administrator
Our Public Planetarium Shows Begin at 7:30 PM
Star Clusters - Saturdays, May 5, 12 and 26 at 7:30 PM
Over time, eclipses of the Sun and Moon have fascinated mankind and even changed history. What causes these events and how did ancient astronomers learn to predict them? Transits of Venus across the face of the Sun are so rare that only 7 have occurred in the past 400 years. Huge scientific expeditions were sent out to observe these events in the 1700’s with anticipation that the size of the solar system could finally be determined. Join us at the Von Braun Planetarium in Monte Sano State Park to find out about these celestial events and about the upcoming solar eclipse on May 20 which will start right before sunset in Huntsville, the partial lunar eclipse on June 4 and the transit of Venus on June 5.
Admission for Saturday Night Programs
Admission is $5 for Adults, $3 for Students, and free for children under 6, as well as VBAS members. Weather permitting, you will have the opportunity to look at some of the wonders of the universe our telescopes following the planetarium program with the help of our experienced and knowledgeable observing crew!
Happy 100th Birthday Dr. von Braun!
Written by Administrator
Dr. Wernher von Braun was born on March 23, 1912 in Wirsitz, German Empire and March 23, 2012 would have been his 100th birthday. Dr. von Braun was instrumental in the creation of the Rocket City Astronomical Association(RCAA), which later became the Von Braun Astronomical Society (VBAS). Had it not been for his efforts and other German Rocket Team members VBAS would not be what it is today. Thank you Dr. von Braun for all you did for VBAS and for all you did to make space travel and exploration possible. Dr. von Braun passed away on June 16, 1977 in Alexandria, VA.
VBAS Email List
Written by Administrator
We now have an email list that those interested in upcoming VBAS events may subscribe. The list is used to inform the membership of upcoming meetings and other events plus planetarium program reminders.
*** If you are already receiving the email updates, you do not need to subscribe.
Welcome to the New VBAS Website
Written by Administrator
Welcome to the new VBAS website! We hope you enjoy the new look and feel. We have incorporated many of the features you are familiar with and have added several new components. First off, we would like to thank Michael Cowger for managing and hosting our website for the past few years. He has done a spectacular job maintaining our image on the web. Michael will continue as a part of the website team and provide help with his experience and expertise.
There are a few features from the old website that are not yet incorporated on the new website, most notably is our membership database. We are working on a solution for that, both temporary and long-term. Also, we are looking at creating a member's only area, which ideally will work in conjunction with the current membership database; we are still exploring various options. One feature we hope to enable soon that several people have asked about is the ability to join/renew online via PayPal. Although not specifically website features, VBAS is on Twitter and Facebook. Please take an opportunity to follow us on Twitter at VBAS_Huntsville and "like" us on Facebook, as we will be utilizing social media more and more.
Stay tuned to the website for more information and more features!
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