
Astronomy Day will be October 4, 2014 starting at 1:00 PM
ASTRONOMY DAY COMBINES FAMILY FUN AND EDUCATION
This year's theme: Moon and Anniversaries of Sputnik, Luna 3, and SpaceShipOne/Xprize
Date Set for Saturday, October 4, 1-10 pm in Monte Sano State Park

Outdoor hands-on activities from 1-5 pm will be offered by VBAS, as well as local science enthusiasts. In the past we have had representatives from HAL5 (National Space Society Huntsville Chapter), Sci-quest, and Lonnie Puterbaugh: Astronomy Van.
Short planetarium shows will allow guests to view the night sky indoors, while special solar telescopes outside will offer views of sunspots and solar flares. Visitors may tour both observatory facilities to hear stories about the construction and installation of the telescopes.

Evening activities will kick off at 7:30 pm with a presentation indoors by our keynote speakers, Dr. Barbara Cohen and Dr. Robert Coker, who will present a program on "The Antarctic Search for Meteorites". Outdoor activities will include (TENTATIVELY): The Astronomy Channel, a mobile multimedia astronomy exhibit presented by Lonnie Puterbaugh of Nashville, TN, along with the following activities:
- *Astrophotography
- *Meteorites
- *Solar Telescopes
- *Suitcase Hybrid Rocket, Pin the Payload on International Space Station, and Make and Launch Your Own Paper Air Rocket presented by HAL5.
- *Vacuum Jar hands on experiments
- *Spectroscopy
- *Astronomy Van
- *Food Tent
- *Telescope Workshop at 5:30 pm (Bring your telescope!)
- *And many more
Afternoon Mini-Planetarium Show Schedule:
- 1:30 TBA
- 2:30 TBA
- 3:30 TBA
- 4:30 TBA
- 5:30 TBA
- 7:30 The Antarctic Search for Meteorites
- 8:30 The Antarctic Search for Meteorites
In case of inclement weather, some activities may be modified or canceled.
Astronomy Day at VBAS is part of a nationwide series of Astronomy Day events promoted by the Astronomical League, a network of astronomy clubs throughout the United States.
The Von Braun Astronomical Society (VBAS) is an educational, scientific, nonpolitical and nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of interest in the descriptive and technical phases of astronomy and to encourage participation in observational, computational and applied phases of this and related sciences.
VBAS was founded in 1954 as the Rocket City Astronomical Association (RCAA) by Dr. Wernher von Braun and other Huntsville scientists, who envisioned a place to conduct meaningful scientific research and share astronomy with the community. The VBAS facilities include a planetarium dome constructed from Saturn V support hardware and many other unique architectural features.
If you are interested to exhibit or volunteer, please contact us!