Conrad Swanson Observatory, Monte Sano
Matthew Gilliland, Fall 2024
The Conrad Swanson Observatory is part of the Wernher von Braun Planetarium, owned and operated by the Von Braun Astronomical Society (VBAS). VBAS was officially created on November 16, 1954. The idea of it came from a high schooler named Sammy Pruitt. Pruit wanted to make an astronomy club for his school, but when he couldn’t recruit enough of his classmates, he turned to Dr. Wernher von Braun and Dr. Ernst Stuhlinger. With their help, they were able to start what is now known as VBAS.
The plans for the observatory itself were first drawn up in 1954 and in April of 1956, construction finally began. The observatory was built on a 13.5 acre plot of land in Monte Sano State Park. A 16.5” Cassegrain reflecting telescope was bought to go in the observatory. In September of 1956, construction had progressed to the point where they could observe Mars.
In 1960, plans were drawn up to build a new 21” telescope for the Swanson observatory. A machine that would grind, polish, and finish the mirror required for a telescope this size was quickly designed and built. Production of the mirror took years and wasn’t completed until 1965. This one of a kind 21” telescope is still used today in the Swanson Observatory and was designed and manufactured entirely in Huntsville. However, some changes have been made over the years to it.
In 1963, a lot of changes were made to the planetarium. The planetarium was able to obtain a 40x40 foot Butler Shell and a 33 foot diameter dome. This allowed them to make another observatory right next to the original Swanson Observatory. This observatory became known as the Wilhelm Angele Observatory. The Angele Observatory has a 16” Celestron C-16 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and a solar telescope. The planetarium was also repainted to the white and blue we see today.
Since then, there have been a multitude of minor changes to the planetarium The observatories were insulated in 1972 and air conditioning was put in during the mid 1970’s. The Swanson Observatory was also fully mechanized in the early 2000’s. The 21” telescope in the Swanson Observatory is now completely motorized, and is now a digital telescope instead of a physical one. The planetarium also started a program to begin educating and inspiring young astronomers.
Over the course of the almost 70 years that the VBAS has existed, there have been a lot of changes to the planetarium and the society itself. Since the original Swanson Observatory was built in 1956, the Angele Observatory was built and connected next to it. Various upgrades have been made to the observatory domes and telescopes since the 1970’s. When VBAS was started in 1954, it was known as the Rocket City Astronomical Association. In 1974, the association had a vote, changing the name into what we now know it as today, VBAS. The society's primary mission today is to bring education to the public about astronomy. Today, the planetarium has become a huge inspiration and learning opportunity for young and bright astronomers.
Bibliography
Southpaw Postcard Collection Rocket City Astronomical Society (1958)
Matthew Gilliland Swanson_Observatory (2024)
Von Braun Astronomical Society History (2024)
https://vbas.org/about/history/
Huntsville.org Little Known Facts: The Huntsville location where Dr. Von Braun promised Buzz Aldrin the Moon (May 17, 2015)
https://www.huntsville.org/blog/list/post/wernher-von-braun-planetarium-conrad-swanson-observatory/
Wikipedia.org Von Braun Astronomical Society (October 23, 2023)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_Braun_Astronomical_Society
Acknowledgements
I’d like to thank my roommates Andrew Robinson and Jackson Copeland for helping me visit the site. I’d also like to thank all of the volunteers at the VBAS.
