Past Exhibitions

Past Special Exhibitions

Gravity Shapes the Universe

July 2011 - April 9, 2012

Gravity Shapes the Universe was a three room exhibit that talked about gravity on Earth, in Space and in the extreme environment of a black hole. The pull of gravity depends on how big the planet is, which was shown by an interactive that showed how heavy a soda can is on the Moon, Earth and Jupiter. Two videos showed how galaxies collide and how the entire shape of the universe was formed by gravity. Visitors placed stars in a simulation and saw how they were pulled together to form a galaxy. Visitors were also introduced to black holes as examples of places where gravity is so extreme that time and matter are affected in extreme ways. A large mural of a black hole showed the distortion of space time, mirrors showed how your body would be stretched if you fell into one, and a working model showed the fate of an unlucky star.

Hidden Wonders: Preserving the Night Sky

March 2011 - April 9, 2012

The beauty of the starry night sky disappears more and more each year.  In this exhibit, visitors were able to see what the night sky could be like if light pollution were reduced! They explored the impact of light pollution by comparing different light fixtures in this temporary exhibit.  Visitors also discover easy ways to help reduce light pollution in their own neighborhood.  They used a huge map of light pollution across the Midwest to locate nearby dark-sky sites where they can still see the “Hidden Wonders” of the starry night sky.

Sponsors and Partners

Illinois Coalition for Responsible Outdoor Light
International Dark-Sky Association
One Star at a Time
America the Beautiful at Night
Sternberg Lighting

Lost Spacecraft: Liberty Bell

In 1961, Liberty Bell Seven was America’s second manned space flight. When it splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean, the hatch blew unexpectedly and Astronaut Gus Grissom narrowly escaped before the spacecraft sank to the ocean floor.  For nearly four decades, it remained NASA’s only lost spacecraft.

For the first time since it was built in 1930, the Adler Planetarium removed its original Art Deco bronze doors and the beveled glass panels above the doors to allow the 4,000-pound spacecraft to enter the building. A 60-ton crane lifted the space capsule from the artifact truck and carried it — across the impressive Chicago skyline backdrop – to the entrance of the city’s historic landmark building and “America’s First Planetarium.”

Past History of Astronomy Exhibitions

Special Topics: Navigation

May 24, 2008 – February 1, 2009

Navigating a ship, a matter of life and death at sea, spurred the development of specialized instruments. In the days before GPS, such instruments were objects of beauty, and often were among a sea officer's most prized possessions. In this Special Topics exhibition, visitors could admire some of the most extraordinary navigational instruments in the Adler collection.

Planetary Machines: Views of the Universe

June 16 – September 14, 2008

The great age of planetary machines — mechanical devices to show the movements of bodies in the Solar System — was from about 1700 to about 1900. The Adler Planetarium has many of them in its collection, and borrowed a few more for this 2008 exhibition. Ranging from Grand Orreries to delicate pocket-sized models, from richly colored engravings of room-sized machinery to softly glowing mechanized lantern slides, the planetary machines featured in this exhibition fascinated children and adults alike.

Mapping the Universe

November 9, 2007 – January 27, 2008

What are maps? Why chart the stars, Moon, and Universe? How are these maps used in science and everyday life? Mapping the Universe raised these questions through historic and contemporary views of the constellations, Moon, and cosmos. Combining science, philosophy, religion, and art, each map reveals the perspective and practical purpose of those who created it. Celestial charts and objects from the Adler's collections and contemporary cosmological maps were used guide each visitor to a richer understanding of the place of maps in the exploration of the Universe.

Mapping Mars

October 18, 2007 – May 18, 2008

NASA's Spirit and Opportunity Rover missions continue to find exciting evidence of past life on Mars, but few people know the long history of Martian exploration. This Special Topics exhibition compared today's images of the red planet with 16th century diagrams charting the motions of Mars and 19th century maps depicting Martian canals.

Special Topics: Impostors!

March 10 – September 10, 2007

Things are not always what they seem. The Adler has one of the world's great collections of early modern astronomical instruments and rare books—but lurking within the collection are a few impostors. Many of these originated as honest tributes to the artistry and craftsmanship of an earlier age. Imitation of rare and valuable objects is a slippery slope, however. We know that our collection includes a handful of wicked forgeries—and there could well be a few that we don't know about!

Following the Twins through History

Part 1: May 14 – August 13, 2006
Part 2: November 2, 2006 – March 4, 2007

Gemini means more than a space program! NASA named the two-person space missions of the Gemini program after the two-person constellation Gemini, a word that means "twins" in Latin. The brilliant stars Castor and Pollux mark the heads of twin boys in this ancient constellation. In this exhibition, we displayed some of the most beautiful images of the Twins from the Adler collections in a Special Topics exhibition.

Islamic Astronomy

August 26 – November 26, 2006

Medieval Muslim scientists translated Greek, Indian, Persian, and Babylonian works of science and philosophy into Arabic. As they made advances in astronomy, mathematics, and other sciences, Islamic civilization spread across the Middle East, northern Africa, and through Spain into Europe. Their significant accomplishments influenced science and culture in Renaissance Europe and beyond. Magic bowls, qibla indicators, rare books, and manuscripts in this temporary exhibition supplemented astrolabes and sundials on permanent display.

Stargazers, Students, and Scientists: Women in the History of Astronomy

February 11 – May 7, 2006

From antiquity to the present day, women have contributed to astronomy research and education. Generally their level of participation reflected societal views on women and their educational opportunities. Over the centuries, however, men wrote astronomy books specifically for women, and individual women learned from a sympathetic father or brother. In ancient Egypt, the female astronomer Hypatia of Alexandria rose to fame while men debated the idea of educational equality. Disagreements over the female intellect still continue in the twenty-first century.

This exhibition highlighted only a few of the women who influenced astronomy as schoolteachers, popular authors, university professors, and researchers. Through their accomplishments, each has made success more feasible for future generations of women.

Learn more about the Stargazers, Students, and Scientists exhibition.

75 Years of Collecting at the Adler Planetarium

November 12, 2005 – February 5, 2006

Visitors often wonder how a museum acquires the objects in its collection. The Adler holdings originated with Max Adler's purchase of the famous Mensing Collection. Since its founding, the Adler Planetarium has quadrupled the size of that original collection. This small exhibition explored the various ways in which the Adler Planetarium collected items during its first 75 years — from purchases of individual objects to donations of entire private collections. Acquisitions emerge from a constantly changing interplay among curatorial desires, exhibition needs, the generosity of benefactors, and even storage constraints.

The Mensing Collection at the Adler Planetarium

August 19 – November 6, 2005

When Max Adler founded the Adler Planetarium 75 years ago, he acquired a major collection of historical instruments of science from an Amsterdam dealer named Anton Mensing. Since then the Adler Planetarium has built one of the world's great collections of scientific instruments around the core of that original Mensing Collection. When the Adler celebrated its 75th anniversary, selected objects were chosen from the Mensing Collection that were rarely chosen for display in the context of an astronomy museum. This small exhibition from the Mensing collection emphasized the breadth of the Adler's historic commitment to a collection showing the human side of science.

Art and Astronomy at the Adler Planetarium

May 12 – August 14, 2005

The Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum opened as the first planetarium in the Western Hemisphere on May 12, 1930. Max Adler built the planetarium and acquired historical astronomical instruments because he believed that knowledge of the universe is essential to understanding humanity's place in it. Over the past seventy–five years, the Adler Planetarium has inspired Chicago and the world to look up at the planets and stars. Scientists and artists alike have contributed to our understanding of the universe. This small exhibit — including art, manuscripts, and ephemera from the Adler's past — was part of inspiring people to contemplate the majesty of the heavens.

Urania's Daughters: Women in Astronomy

February 5 – May 8, 2005

The Muse Urania has long personified astronomy, appearing in books and on maps as an elegant symbol for celestial science. Dressed in flowing, starry robes and surrounded by instruments, scientific diagrams, and portraits of important historical men, she imparts a womanly presence to what has been perceived as a male–dominated field. This exhibition in the series Special Topics in the History of Astronomy highlighted the contributions of women to astronomy from the 17th through the 20th centuries. Rare books, photographs, and letters, both by and about women astronomers, told the tales of these pioneering astronomers, artisans, and publishers.

Learn more about the Women in Astronomy exhibition.

Instruments of Time

September 11, 2004 – January 30, 2005

Since the dawn of time, humans have worked to define the concept of time itself. Discover the work of inspired craftsmen from centuries past, whose instruments of time were both works of art and practical tools. This exhibition of sundials, clocks, and rare books from the 16th through 18th centuries complemented a wide range time–finding instruments on permanent display in The Universe in Your Hands. This exhibition was part of the Special Topics in the History of Astronomy series that allows visitors to discover new gems of the Adler's collection with each trip to the museum.

Learn more about the Instruments of Time exhibition.

Chasing the Goddess of Love Across the Sun

June 4 – September 5, 2004

Until June 8, 2004, no one alive had seen a transit of Venus — a rare phenomenon in which we can see the silhouette of Venus as the planet passes across the face of the Sun. Only five such transits had been viewed before (in 1639, 1761, 1769, 1874, and 1882). Hounded by bad weather, missed opportunities, and even wars, astronomers doggedly pursued these natural events in the name of science. In this exhibition, visitors saw historical artifacts from the Adler's world-renowned collection that documented past transits of Venus.

Learn more about the Chasing the Goddess of Love Across the Sun exhibition.

Evening Amusements!

December 7, 2002 – March 9, 2003

This exhibition provided an opportunity to look not at the "great men" of science but at the objects that more ordinary men, women, and children would hold in their hands as they attempted to learn about the universe and to improve their lot in life. It was also the story of how new discoveries and advances in science excited public imagination.

Learn more about the Evening Amusements! exhibition.

Tracing Constellations Through History

October 13, 2001 – January 13, 2002

Tracing Constellations Through History highlighted some of the Adler's collection of exquisite celestial maps, atlases, and astronomical instruments that date from the great age of celestial mapping from the late 1400s through the early 1900s. Using the constellations of Ursa Major (the Great Bear), which includes the Big Dipper, and the lesser-known Argo Navis (the Ship), this exhibition tracked the way artistic, cultural, and technological changes have impacted celestial charts. It also offered a fun, educational activity for creating one's own constellation.

Learn more about the Tracing Constellations exhibition.

The Remarkable Work of Copernicus, Hevelius, and Other Historic Polish Astronomers

October 6, 2000 – January 28, 2001

Astronomy has had a long and rich history in Poland. Nicolaus Copernicus is perhaps the most famous astronomer of all time, but Poland has produced a number of other remarkable astronomers. Johannes Hevelius, Stanislaw Lubieniecki, Marcin Bylica, Wojciech of Brudzewo, and Jan Glogowczyk have all contributed significantly to the history of astronomy. This exhibition captureed the variety of astronomical activities in Poland through 1690, primarily through a display of the books that these astronomers published.

Learn more about the Polish Astronomers exhibition.

Awestruck by the Majesty of the Heavens

October 1, 1999 – January 2, 2000

People throughout history have looked to the sky for many reasons: to chart the heavens, to navigate the seas, to establish their place in the universe, even to divine answers and predict the future. For equally compelling but less practical reasons, people have also looked towards the heavens in awe, delighting in its spectacular beauty. The works that were displayed in this exhibition are a remarkable combination of observation and imagination. Ranging from glorious to quirky, traditional to innovative, these celestial charts and astronomical illustrations capture the passion artists and artisans from the 15th through the 19th century had for astronomy. These works are significant historical artifacts that also enchant us with their elegant lines and delicate beauty while providing the contemporary viewer with insight into the development of both an art and a science over the centuries. They help us to explore the majesty of the heavens as it must have seemed centuries ago and to appreciate the wonder of new discoveries and the excitement of generations past.

Learn more about the Awestruck by the Majesty of the Heavens exhibition.

Heavenly Reflections

September – December 1998

The need to read and interpret the heavens has encouraged astronomy in Asia for nearly four thousand years. Astronomers tracked the complex relationships between the sun and the moon for producing calendars to mark each dynastic reign. Because ancient Chinese peoples believed that the heavens reflected events and relationships on earth, they associated heavenly bodies with earthly counterparts. Just as life on earth revolved around the emperor, the heavens turned around the pole star. The heavens signalled the time for festivals and holidays, and reflected the events of ordinary life as well. The stars informed China's people of their duties to till, sow, and harvest, and reminded them to make offerings to their ancestors. This exhibition displayed both celestial and terrestrial objects in areas colored dark sky blue and jade green, respectively, to evoke these parallel realms.

Learn more about the Heavenly Reflections exhibition.

Comets Through the Ages

February – May 1997

Comets have always aroused wonder and excitement when they have appeared in the sky above us. They have been recorded in images and text for several thousand years in cultures as diverse as Ancient Greek, Aztec, Babylonian, Chinese, Egyptian, Islamic, and Native American. Early on they were thought to be atmospheric phenomena that predicted terrible occurrences like war, storms, and plague. Specifics of color, shape, and which constellations the comet progressed through were the keys to how their meanings were interpreted.

Learn more about the Comets through the Ages exhibition.