Header Image: Couple embracing while looking at the Saturn exhibit in Our Solar System, at the Adler Planetarium. Chicago is a city full of possibilities, opportunities, and adventures. But with so many options of places to go and things to see, how do you find the perfect spot for an out-of-this-world, wholesome date night?  The […]

Header image: The bright planets, Venus and Jupiter, are close in the sky, nearby a bright Moon. Image taken on June 30, 2015. Composite image credit and copyright: Wang, Letian The two brightest planets and a once-in-a-lifetime comet are among the sky highlights of the shortest month of the year, February 2023. Here’s your stargazing […]

Header Image: Total lunar eclipse on July 7, 2018. Here’s your stargazing guide for November 2022 to help you spot planets and celestial events—including a total lunar eclipse visible in Chicago! Time To Set Your Clocks Back Daylight Saving Time ends on November 6, at 2:00 am local time. This is the day to set […]

Header Image: Hubble Space Telescope portrait of Jupiter taken on June 27, 2019. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, A. Simon (Goddard Space Flight Center), and M.H. Wong (University of California, Berkeley) Jupiter and Saturn appear during evening twilight, Mars continues to get brighter, and Mercury just might be visible this month, October 2022. Here’s your stargazing […]

Header image: Adler Planetarium graphic depicting the fall celestial event, Chicagohenge. Astronomical summer ends and the season of fall starts this month, September 2022. Here’s your stargazing guide for spotting daytime and nighttime celestial events as the seasons change and the nights grow longer. See Autumn’s Chicagohenge  This month the Sun sets about 50 minutes […]

Header Image: Hubble’s new portrait of Jupiter. Header Image Credit: NASA, ESA, A. Simon (Goddard Space Flight Center), and M.H. Wong (University of California, Berkeley). Before dawn breaks each morning, take a look at what is rising before the Sun this month, April 2022.   The first week of the month, the brightest planet, Venus, and […]

Header Image: Adler Planetarium’s Lookup graphic depicting the spring and fall celestial event, Chicagohenge It’s time to “spring forward” and experience one of Chicago’s most picturesque sky highlights this month, March 2022. Daylight Saving time for 2022 starts March 13, at 2:00 am local time. On this morning we “spring-forward” by setting our clocks ahead […]

Header Image: The full Moon appearing right above the Willis Tower in Chicago. Image Credit: Nick Lake The brightest planet in the night sky gets a little brighter every night this month, October 2021. Venus is the brightest planet, and this month it’s easily spotted low in the southwest shortly after sunset. Though it’s bright, […]

Header Image: Eclipse of the Sun illustration from the Adler Planetarium’s Collections Editor’s Note: This blog was originally published in April 2021 and was updated in August 2023 with more current information. There are several topics in astronomy that get lots of people excited: naked-eye visible comets, bright planets, auroras…but eclipses are generally at the […]

Traditionally April’s Full Moon has been called the “Pink Moon,” for the flowers that begin to bloom in the warmer weather. However, some people will be calling it a “Supermoon” this month, April 2021. The Moon’s orbit around the Earth isn’t a perfect circle; sometimes the Moon is further away from Earth, sometimes it’s closer. […]