History of astronomy research and publications focus on the collections held by the Adler's Webster Institute for the History of Astronomy. Adler curators and staff collaborate with scholars from around the world to study scientific instruments and the cultural significance of astronomy. This research informs exhibits, public programs, and Webster Institute publications, including our multi-volume collections catalogue, Historic Scientific Instruments of the Adler Planetarium.

The Webster Institute's major ongoing publication project documents the collection in a multi-volume catalogue, Historic Scientific Instruments of the Adler Planetarium. Present volumes include Western Astrolabes, by Roderick and Marjorie Webster, and Eastern Astrolabes, by David Pingree.

Other volumes in progress include:

The Adler Planetarium's history of astronomy publications may be purchased through the Adler's online Infinity Shop.

This is a two-part publication--a kit for making a cardboard astrolabe and a booklet giving instruction for assembly and use of this instrument, as well as a brief history of the astrolabe. What makes this astrolabe particularly useful is that it has been computed for modern star positions, so that once it is assembled, it is possible to use it for todays night sky. In fact, it is used in several college courses to teach how an astrolabe functions.

Science museums are not normally associated with art collections, but the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum's interdisciplinary approach to the study of astronomy ardently encompasses art. The world-renowned History of Astronomy collection serves as a foundational source for art works, and the building and its environs offer an unusual and delightful entry into understanding the universe in ways that one might not expect.

This exhibition catalog was created to accompany an exhibit of selections from the Adlers antique works on paper collection, held at the Chicago Cultural Center from January to March of 1997. It serves as a brief introduction to the subject of celestial charts and related works, as well as a source for high quality illustrations of important and unusual pieces. Designed by the Chicago firm, studio blue, Awestruck was chosen one of the 50 best examples of book design in 1996 by the American Institute of Graphic Arts. It was also awarded an honorable mention for trade books and selected for a Juror's Choice Award by the Chicago Book Clinic.

In this volume Roderick and Marjorie Webster, Adler Curators Emeriti, present the Western Astrolabes from the Adler collection. The earliest of these instruments dates from the workshops of the greatest craftsmen of the Renaissance. All are described here and illustrated lavishly with photographs showing the front, the back, and additional details. Introductory essays by the Websters and Sara Schechner explain the use of the astrolabe and its role in cultural and social history, while the appendices and bibliography provide information essential to the specialist.

In this volume the late David Pingree of Brown University presents the Eastern Astrolabes from the Adler collection. Forty-nine astrolabes from the Maghrib (Spain and western North Africa) and the Mashriqi (West Asia, the Middle East, and South Asia) are described here and illustrated lavishly with photographs showing the front, the back, and additional details. A brief prefatory essay by Pingree places the instruments in context. For the convenience of scholars, he has also described twenty-seven related instruments from the same regions. Appendices and a bibliography provide information essential to the specialist.

What are maps? Why chart the stars, Moon, and Universe? How are these maps used in science and everyday life? Mapping the Universe raises these questions by examining historic and contemporary star charts, Moon maps, and cosmological diagrams. Combining science, philosophy, religion, and art, each map reveals the perspective and practical purpose of those who created it. This catalogue features full-color illustrations and in-depth descriptions of every artifact in Mapping the Universe, an exhibition held a the Adler Planetarium November 9, 2007 through January 27, 2008. With a few exceptions, all artifacts are drawn from the Adler's collections.

Through the Looking Glass celebrates the 400th anniversary of the telescope and the 2009 International Year of Astronomy. This exhibition catalogue focuses on ninety-nine artifacts from the Adler Planetarium's world-class collection of historic telescopes. From the simple lenses of the world's earliest telescopes 400 years ago to the complex computer-driven mirrors of current telescopes, these tools have gathered information about our nearest astronomical neighbors and the most distant objects in the universe. Through the Looking Glass examines this story through select rare books, works on paper, telescopes, and other instruments from the Adler Planetarium's collection. Introductory paragraphs provide background information for each of four time periods, with each section featuring artifact entries that describe each object's place in the fascinating history of the telescope. Telescope-makers intended for their work to be looked at as well as looked through. With this catalogue, readers can enjoy the craftsmanship of telescope-making over the centuries, and catch a glimpse of their importance and of the significant discoveries they enabled.

The Universe Unveiled documents the human desire through history to explore and understand our world. Its unique approach focuses on the instruments, books, and maps people have created to decipher the universe from the late fifteenth through the nineteenth century. This richly illustrated book provides more than 270 full-color images of rare and unusual artifacts in the collection at the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum.

The Adler and the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon at the Dresden State Art Collections in Germany were recently awarded an International Partnerships Among Museums (IPAM) Grant from the American Association of Museums. This grant supports Salon curator Michael Korey's research on mathematical instruments at the Adler, and Marvin Bolt's research on optical instruments at the Mathematisch-Physikalisher Salon. This research will enrich our general knowledge of these types of instruments and inform two volumes of our Collections Catalogue, Optical Instruments and Mathematical Instruments.

From its invention in 1608, the telescope played significant roles in astronomy, navigation, surveying, and military history. In this interdisciplinary project, Marvin Bolt (Adler), Duane Jaecks, and Eugene Rudd (both of the University of Nebraska) are studying and using 17th and 18th century telescopes in several collections - so far, they have looked at telescopes at the Adler Planetarium, the Smithsonian Institution Museum of American History, and the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon in Dresden, Germany, as well as in two private collections - to determine how well they worked for their original users. The study investigates the technical evolution of early telescopes, addressing claims of their problematic nature, and looks to demonstrate the importance of social and contextual influences on the development and histories of telescopes. Access the database summarizing their data. "Widening the Scope of Knowledge" is funded by a National Endowment for the Humanities Collaborative Research Grant.

Brian Newbury's collaborative, interdisciplinary study of the metallurgical characteristics of astrolabes used a high-energy X-ray beam at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory. The project was funded by the Adler Planetarium, Argonne National Laboratory, and the DOE Basic Energy Sciences Office, and guided by Prof. Michael Notis (Lehigh University) and Dr. Bruce Stephenson (Adler Curator). Newbury's resulting dissertation is “A Non-Destructive Synchrotron X-Ray Study of the Metallurgy and Manufacturing Processes of Eastern and Western Astrolabes in the Adler Planetarium Collection” (Lehigh University, 2004). An article appeared in Annals of Science (Vol. 63, No. 2, April 2006). Download the results of this research.