Four hundred years ago, Galileo first used a telescope to study the skies. This year, the United Nations is honoring Galileo and four centuries of astronomers and astronomical milestones with the 2009 International Year of Astronomy. Thanks for joining our celebrations!

The Adler recently unveiled two new mural-sized images of the spiral galaxy Messier 101 taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory. One image shows three striking full-color images that showcase the galaxy's features in the infrared light observed by Spitzer, the visible light observed by Hubble and the X-ray light observed by Chandra. These multi-wavelength views provide both stunning beauty and a wealth of scientific information not even dreamed of by Galileo.

The other image of Messier 101 combines the views from all three telescopes into one amazing composite. It's like seeing with your eyes, night vision goggles and X-ray vision all at once!

In celebration of the 400th anniversary of its invention, the Adler presents Telescopes: Through the Looking Glass through December 31, 20010.

The most comprehensive exhibition on this topic to date, Telescopes: Through the Looking Glass introduces visitors to the technology of telescopes and how they are used to gather information about our Universe. From the earliest looking glasses used by Galileo 400 years ago, to the Hubble Space Telescope and into the future with leading-edge technologies, this exhibition takes a look at how telescopes have changed our concept of the Universe and our place in it.

Featuring some of the world's most amazing artifacts, including one of the oldest surviving telescopes, the largest Civil War-era telescope, and the most ornate ivory telescope in the world, which has never been on public display, visitors will marvel at the extraordinary beauty and technology of these instruments. Interactives in the exhibition include looking through a 20-foot 17th century refractor, viewing a 3-D model of galaxies and learning how lenses and mirrors create the images we can see.

The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is a project that published 1 podcast per day, 5 to 10 minutes in duration, for all 365 days of 2009. The podcast has been made available through an RSS feed.

The podcast episodes are written, recorded and produced by people around the world. Each day had a specific topic or theme based on The 365 Days of Astronomy Calendar, a daily calendar of astronomical events, themes and ideas created by the IYA. Although all the episodes have a common intro and outtro that ties into the overall theme, each episode is completely different.

The Adler participated with the 365 Days of Astronomy podcast series and produced 4 podcasts that were released on a quarterly basis.

March 27, 2009 - Observing the Sky: Pre-telescope: Prior to the age of the telescope man still looked to the sky.  This podcast will explore the stories of the stars and how the night sky was observed in past cultures.

June 25, 2009- Galileo's Telescope: In 1609 when Galileo Galilei had fine-tuned his new instrument and turned it toward the night sky he revolutionized modern science. How great of an impact has his invention had on modern science and how did his discoveries change the way that we look at the night sky?

September 25, 2009 - Modern Telescopes and Observation Techniques: From the Hubble Space Telescope to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, how are we looking at the night sky today?

December 25, 2009 - Star of Wonder: Star of Wonder examines the theories behind the celestial event that prompted the Magi (Three Kings) to travel to Bethlehem. Was this light an exploding star, a brilliant comet, or an unusual grouping of planets?