Von Braun Astronomical Society
January 20, 2019 Lunar Eclipse
January 2019 Lunar Eclipse video from images taken on Jan 20th through the Swanson 21". The images were taken about 90 seconds apart from 9:40 PM to 11:29 PM. There are 60 images in total and they are played in the animation at approximately 4 frames per second. Each second represents approximately 6 mins.
February 2019 Planetarium Shows
We Host a Public Planetarium Show Every Saturday in the Wernher von Braun Planetarium that Begins at 7:30 PM
The Giants of Astronomy - Saturdays, February 2, 9, & 23 at 7:30 PM
Isaac Newton made this statement in 1675: "If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." He could very likely have been referring to Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler, and Galilei. In this program we will uncover some of the personalities and observations of these four great scientists. It will be a family friendly program including mostly history but also astronomical observations that YOU can make in our February night sky. Presented by Gena Crook, VBAS Director of Education and Programs.
Winter Skies - Saturday, February 16 at 7:30 PM 
This program will concentrate on the constellations and deep sky objects that can be seen during the winter darkness. Orion is everyone’s favorite of course because it is so bright and beautiful. There is more to Orion than just the stars however. Mr. Doug Horacek will enlighten us on what else is out there!
Admission for Saturday Planetarium Shows:
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 through our telescopes following the planetarium program with the help of our experienced and knowledgeable observing crew.
Monthly Society Meeting
The next VBAS Monthly Meeting is on Friday, February 15 at 7:30 PM.
Join us for our February Monthly meeting on Friday, February 15! Dr. Mel Blake, Astronomy Professor at the University of North Alabama in Florence, will be our guest speaker that evening. He will speak to us on Variable Star Research. We will have pizza at 7:00 and the talk at 7:30. Hope you can join us!
Read below for more information about our guest (from the UNA website):
Dr. Blake's research area is mainly in time-variable phenomena in astronomy including binary and variable stars and active galaxies. Recent efforts include studying the binary star Delta Scorpius. At UNA, Mel is preparing a research project with students to study long-term evolution of stars and variability in star forming regions.
Dr. Blake teaches courses in introductory astronomy and physics. He is also the editor/publisher of Southern Skies, the journal of the Southeastern Planetarium Association.
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Vice President
New Telescope and Equipment Storage Standing Rule
The VBAS Board has enacted new standing rule regarding telescope and equipment storage. The details can be found here or by following the Constitution and Bylaws link in the Resources Menu on the left side of the screen.
New Books in the Library
Last Updated on Wednesday, 02 May 2018 21:58 Written by Administrator Sunday, 26 November 2017 20:49
Our Librarians, Jeff Bennett and Amanda Campbell have acquired some new books for the Library. Please click on the Library link in the menu above and check them out.
