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
Astronomy 101
Our popular Fall course on techniques in observational astronomy is back! We’ll meet on Tuesdays, 10/14 through 11/18, 7:00pm – 8:30pm for six sessions in total. Price: $25 members, $30 nonmembers
Night At The Observatory
Our “Night At The Observatory” is a personalized program that allows small groups to experience an evening of imaging and observing deep-sky objects of their choice and keep all the photos captured using our historic Swanson 21″ telescope. Click here for more information.
- Silent Auction is Live!Our silent auction is now live! We have astronomy, STEM and awesome items, plus some cool experiences available. Check it out: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/the-vbas-celestial-celebration-silent-auction Bidding closes at 6:30pm on the 26th of September. We may still add more items, so check back often and spread the word!
- 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
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.
Upcoming Shows
- October 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.
October 4th – 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 Crook
October 11th – 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. Disastrous terrestrial events pale in comparison to 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 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
October 18th – 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. Disastrous terrestrial events pale in comparison to 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 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
October 25th – Spooky Skies
Boo ! Join us for a fun and child-friendly look at the scarier side of the autumn night sky. Learn about ancient traditions based on observations of the night sky and take a look at some scary nebulas! Costumes for ages 12 and under welcome. Treats available after the show.
Presented by Beth Bero
