Here’s an introduction to Comet C/2023 A3—the latest bright comet to grace our skies in the inner solar system.

Astro Road Trip brings telescope programming to communities across Southern Illinois in preparation for the April 8, 2024!

Throughout history, the awe of solar eclipses have captivated both astronomers and non-astronomers alike. Some even dedicated their lives to studying and chasing eclipses!

What is the difference between a total solar eclipse, an annular solar eclipse, and a partial solar eclipse? We discuss the different types of solar eclipses, what a solar eclipse is, and how to see the October 14, 2023 and April 8, 2024 eclipses!

How to safely observe the Sun and the October 14, 2023 and April 8, 2024 solar eclipses using a homemade pinhole projector. Get equipped to eclipse!

Header Image: Adler Planetarium 24″ reflecting telescope in the Doane Observatory after installation in 2020. Did you know the Doane Observatory is home to the largest publicly accessible telescope in Chicago? Since opening in 1977, the observatory in Chicago has had several telescopes within its walls, and these telescopes have given Chicagoans the opportunity to […]

Header Image: Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) showing its green glow and three blue ion tails. Image Credit: Jose Francisco Hernández Editor’s Note: Updated to include information about hyperbolic orbits. Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF), informally called the “Green Comet”, recently made its closest approach to the Sun, after having traveled tens of thousands of years from […]

Header Image: A person observing through a telescope in July 2021 at the ‘Scopes at the Adler small-group experience inside the Adler Planetarium’s Doane Observatory. I was in graduate school, working on a writing project about vision and light and the brain, when I looked through a real telescope for the first time.   The year […]

Header Image: An attendee looking through a telescope during a ‘Scopes In The City neighborhood event with the Adler Planetarium in 2018. Hi there! I’m Michelle Nichols the Director of Public Observing and an astronomy educator at the Adler Planetarium. Are you a sky observing beginner and want some recommendations on how to get started? […]

Header Image: Looking through a telescope at the Adler Planetarium. Editor’s Note: This blog was originally published in August 2020 and was updated in August 2024 with more current information. One question we often get at the Adler is: “I’m a beginner. What’s the best telescope for me?”  The really short answer is, “The best […]