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Tag: night sky

Total solar eclipse from August 21, 2017.

Adler Skywatch: June 2021

Friday May 28th
Karen Donnelly

Header Image: Total solar eclipse from August 21, 2017. An annular solar eclipse occurs—though it won’t be easy to see—and a new season starts this month, June 2021. An annular solar eclipse takes place on June 10; and technically, it is visible in the Chicago area. First off, never look directly at the Sun without […]

Star Story being projected onto a wall.

DIY At Home: Star Stories

Monday December 7th
Megan Lothamer

In this hands-on activity for families, we encourage you to create your own DIY constellation.

Meet Nick, host of Skywatch Weekly

Behind The Scenes With The Host Of Skywatch Wednesday

Monday November 16th
Megan Lothamer

Meet the man behind the Adler Planetarium’s Skywatch Weekly YouTube show that gives you a weekly virtual tour of what’s up in our sky.

Looking through a telescope at the Adler Planetarium.

Choosing A Telescope

Tuesday August 11th
Michelle Nichols

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 […]

Adler telescope volunteer helps man and his child find stars and planets in the night sky through a telescope.

How To Identify Planets in the Night Sky

Monday January 13th
Megan Lothamer

Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered if a particularly bright star was actually a planet? It can be tricky business, but with some helpful tools to equip you, you’ll be identifying planets in no time! Follow this guide to figure out if what you’re looking at is a planet or […]

How to spot the International Space Station

How to Spot the International Space Station

Tuesday September 24th
Megan Lothamer

Every summer, Michelle Larson, President and CEO of the Adler Planetarium, loves to attend a star party (or two!) with her family. Star parties are one of those scenarios where groups of people get together and camp out in a place where the night sky is highly visible. People bring tents, blankets, hot chocolate… and […]

The Big Dipper in the Night Sky

Discover: The Big Dipper

Wednesday June 26th
Megan Lothamer

It’s night and you’re looking up into the night sky. What’s the first constellation you see? If you thought to yourself “the Big Dipper,” you’re not alone! In Western culture, it’s often one of the first things we learn to recognize in the night sky as children. For many people in the United States, this […]

Milky Way in the sky and reflected in a lake with silhouetted trees between the sky and the lake taken at Middle Fork River Forest Preserve Image Credit: Nick Lake

Adler Sky Observing 101: What To See

Tuesday June 18th
Michelle Nichols

From moon phases to meteor showers, the Adler Planetarium has got you covered when it comes to knowing what to look for in the sky. Read our list below to get started! At all times, half of our Moon is lit by the Sun, just as half of the Earth is always lit by the […]

An observer looks up at the night sky through an Adler telescope.

Adler Skywatch: May 2019

Wednesday May 1st
Karen Donnelly

Though the Sun sets later and later each evening this month, there are still plenty of fine night-sky sights in May 2019. After sunset, look about 25 degrees above the west-northwest horizon to see the planet Mars. It’s dimmer than first magnitude in brightness, but it’s still bright enough—and colorful enough—to be easily spotted. The […]

Far Horizons flight 118

Mission NiteLite: Rescuing the Night Sky

Thursday April 25th
Ken Walczak

Header Photo: Overhead image of Kankakee/Bradley, IL from Far Horizons high-altitude balloon test flight 118 on April 29, 2018. The image was shot from 24.5 kilometers up into the stratosphere. This flight was the first successful NiteLite test flight, proving that mapping light pollution in Chicago would be a possibility. Since the dawn of humanity, […]

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