What’s in the sky in April 2025? Your last chance to see wintertime stars, Sirius, Betelgeuse, Rigel, and Procyon, plus how to see the planets, the summer triangle, and the Lyrid meteor shower.

Learn how to identify planets in the night sky with your naked eye. Wow your friends with your knowledge of visible planets in the night sky.

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 […]

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

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.

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]