The Adler ‘Scope

Changing Views of the Earth
Header Image: Pocket globe by Thomas Lane (London, c. 1830), Adler Planetarium collections. This globe was symbolically taken aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in 1999 during the mission STS-103. The conception of Earth has changed dramatically over time. It was only four centuries ago that Earth started to be widely regarded as a planet, and it […]

When a Crisis Hits, Remember What Capt. Lovell Said
Header Image: Senior Writer Aubrey Henretty interviews Captain Lovell in 2016. It was the second week at home when I remembered what Capt. Lovell said about surviving Apollo 13. The first week had been a blur of stress-cleaning, stress-cardio, hyperproductivity, and Apocalypse Lentil Soup. I am an anxious person even in non-pandemic times, and I […]

Betelgeuse: A Supernova in the Works
Header Image: The spotty surface of Betelgeuse shown with two, large, bright, star spots. The spots potentially represent enormous convective cells rising from below the supergiant’s surface. They are bright because they’re hotter than the rest of the surface, but both spots and surface are cooler than the Sun. Image Credit: Xavier Haubois (Observatoire de […]

Adler Skywatch: April 2020
Happy April, stargazers! The closest supermoon of the year takes place this month, April 2020. Supermoon is a nickname that describes a Full Moon that occurs within 10% of its closest approach to Earth. Astronomers refer to supermoons as a perigean Full Moon. The April 7th Full Moon is just under 222,000 miles from Earth. […]

Google Hangouts, Dance Parties, At-Home Clothes…Oh My!
How Adler Staff is Staying Connected During These “Unprecedented Times” Header Image: Staff members of the Adler Planetarium marketing team posing with newly branded Adler sweatshirts in January 2020. On a cosmic scale, there is very little distance between us. However, when you’re used to collaborating in person to create memorable experiences for an iconic […]

Inside Apollo 13
Header Image: Apollo 13 crew returning home after their ocean landing. Image Credit: NASA This month marks the 50th anniversary of the harrowing Apollo 13 mission, which was dangerous and unprecedented. Today, our world faces a very different kind of crisis, but one that is equally unprecedented, with the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19. […]

Mapping Historic Skies with Zooniverse
The Adler Planetarium’s newest exhibition, Chicago’s Night Sky, contains a first for the museum – an interactive experience that partners the Adler’s historic collection with the Zooniverse team. Learn about this Adler Zooniverse research project!

Chicago’s Black Women in STEAM: Meet Britt
“Chicago’s Black Women in STEAM” is a series on The Adler ’Scope that highlights the awesome women of Chicago who are doing amazing things in science, technology, engineering, art, and math fields here in our own community. Meet women of varying ages, backgrounds, and interests and learn their unique stories. Britt Julious Editorial Director at […]

I Didn’t Know I Could Do That: Learning By Doing
Summer Camps at the Adler Planetarium are out-of-this-world. All summer long, campers have the whole universe at their fingertips. With tools like telescopes, programmable robots, and high-altitude balloons—and new friends around every corner—Adler summer campers share adventures of cosmic proportions. Manager of Program Development at the Adler Planetarium, Sarah Smail, is passionate about our Adler […]

Adler Skywatch: March 2020
The three naked-eye-visible planets outside Earth’s orbit will appear less than 20 degrees apart in the sky this month, March 2020. The planets Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn can be seen low in the southeast just as morning-twilight begins to lighten the sky. Jupiter is the brightest of the three, and it serves as a guidepost […]