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
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.
- Member Meeting – January 16thJoin us on Friday January 16, 2026 at 7:30 pm at the VBAS Planetarium for our monthly member meeting. Admission is open to the public. The science behind the structure of the universe Benjamin Gibson will be our speaker for January. He is an astrophysicist at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. He describes… Read more: Member Meeting – January 16th
- Member Meeting – December 19Join us on Friday December 19, 2025 at 7:30 pm at the VBAS Planetarium for our monthly member meeting. Admission is open to the public. Apollo 8 In 1968 the Space Race was in full tilt. The Apollo program was on schedule to make it to the Moon before the end of the decade. However,… Read more: Member Meeting – December 19
- Space Rocks!We have a special treat for those attending our Stars Fell on Alabama show this coming Saturday night, November 15! VBAS member Lonnie Puterbaugh will bring his amazing meteorite collection to share with us. ‘Space Rocks!’ is an extensive traveling meteorite exhibit consisting of over 70 meteorites. The specimens originate mostly from the main asteroid… Read more: Space Rocks!
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
- March 2026 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.
March 7th – Exoplanets
Extrasolar Planets (Exoplanets) are planets that are outside our solar system. Since the discovery of first exoplanet in the early 90s, the field of exoplanet research expanded rapidly and resulted in the discovery of close to 6100 Exoplanets. Some of these orbit other stars and some are just freely floating in the vacuum of space. Studying these objects helps us understqnd our own solar system. Join us and learn all about these fascinating worlds.
Presented by Dr. Naveen Vetcha
March 14th – Auroras, Light Show in the Sky
The Northern and Southern Lights are a wonder to behold. Join us as we explore the causes of this fantastic phenomena.
Presented by Beth Bero
March 21st – Spring Skies
Our place in space at this time of year allows us a view into the deepest parts of the Universe to see many treasures. Amateur astronomers plan marathons in Spring to try to observe as many as possible! We will explore the spring constellations and some of the “treasures” that you can discover.
Presented by Alex Hall
March 28th – Star Clusters, Nebulas, and Galaxies… Oh my!
Comet hunter Charles Messier made a now-famous list of “objects to avoid” in the night sky. Come join us on an odyssey introduction to many of the most beautiful objects in astronomy!
Presented by Cyril Bryan
