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
- April 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.
April 4th – Dark Matter
We will be exploring one of the biggest mysteries in the universe, most of it is made of something we can’t even see. It starts with the basics of gravity and motion to show how scientists understand the universe, then walks through how dark matter was discovered and the evidence that supports it. It also explains how we observe space, what dark matter might be, and how it differs from dark energy, which is driving the expansion of the universe.
Presented by Maggie Sexton
April 11th – World Space Day
In 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to enter space! Join us for a presentation on the early days of the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union!
Presented by Haley Rice
April 18th – Dark Skies
What are dark skies and why do astronomers prize them? What is a Bortle? What can you do to preserve our dark sky heritage for the next generation? The answers to these and other questions await you in the planetarium tonight.
Presented by Beth Bero
April 25th – Vacation on Mercury
Vacationing on Mercury might not be a bad deal. There are a lot of positive aspects to be considered, including the long days and varied climates (sort of). We will talk about the previous results of missions to Mercury, some very recent discoveries, and the newest European Space Agency Mission just about to start sending new information back to earth.
Presented by Tom Burleson
