The Adler Planetarium

03/22/2023

W is for…water! We all know that water is one of the essential elements needed for life, and some may think that it is unique to our beautiful home planet, Earth. In reality, water exists on many other celestial bodies, even ones within our own solar system! 😱

Venus has water in its gaseous state, steam, in its atmosphere. However, its current surface conditions are far too harsh for liquid water, but scientists think this may not have always been the case! According to NASA, Venus may have had a liquid-water ocean for up to 2 billion years of its early history. Due to its proximity to the Sun, the water evaporated, leaving none behind on its surface. 💧

Similar to Venus, Mars once had oceans, rivers, and lakes that evaporated due to solar winds. However, unlike Venus, there is still water in the form of ice on Mars. Mars has approximately five million cubic kilometers of ice at or near its surface. The search for liquid water and more on Mars continues today with missions like NASA’s Perseverance Rover. 🚀

Jupiter’s moon, Europa, is believed to have a surface almost entirely made of water ice, with evidence of a liquid ocean beneath its icy crust! According to NASA, Europa’s ocean may contain twice as much water as all of Earth’s oceans combined, despite it being only one-fourth the diameter of Earth. 🌊

Saturn’s moon, Enceladus, has geysers that spray hot water into the atmosphere. This water freezes and falls back onto the surface creating a seemingly unending supply of fresh snow on the moon. Scientists believe that water comes from a mineral-rich liquid ocean underneath Enceladus’ icy shell. ❄️

These are just a few examples of water in space! Its presence on these—and other celestial bodies—does not necessarily mean they have a potential for habitability. However it is an interesting piece of information in the search of life beyond Earth. 👽

[ Illustration 🎨 : NASA/ESA/K. Retherford/SWRI ]

03/22/2023

Pink Floyd fans—are you ready to travel to the dark side of the Moon? 🌒🎶

That’s right. We saw your comments, we heard your inquiries, and it's happening.

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of one of the most iconic and best selling albums of all time, “The Dark Side Of The Moon”—a fulldome space visual and musical experience like you've never seen before—opens on 3/31 in our biggest dome theater. 🤩 The best part? We'll have it playing as the last show every day during our public open hours FOR A FULL YEAR.

“The show itself will be divided between the 10 tracks off the album, in chronological order, each having a different theme; some futuristically looking forward and some a retro acknowledgment to Pink Floyd’s visual history, all relating to a time and space experience, embracing up to the minute technology that only a Planetarium can offer. It promises to be immersive; an all-encompassing surround sound and visual treat that will transcend reality and take you way beyond the realms of 2D experience.”

🎟 Get tickets to the Pink Floyd show today: bit.ly/pinkfloydadlertickets

03/20/2023

Happy Spring Equinox!

🎶 Hey Chicago, what do ya say?! Winter finally ends today! 🎶

That’s right, today is the spring equinox, the astronomical first day of spring! Today, the Earth’s tilt is exactly perpendicular to the angle of the Sun’s rays. This means that both the northern and southern hemispheres will have roughly 12 hours of sunlight! ☀️

So open those windows, shed that winter coat, and plant those flowers, because the dark days of winter are finally over! (But if you live in Chicago, it could very well be -20 degrees outside tomorrow so be prepared to put your coat back on…) 😳

03/15/2023

Where To Spot Venus (The Brightest Planet Visible) In The Spring Night Sky

What’s going to be the brightest point of light in the night sky this spring? Venus, of course! 🤩

The is next week, but we just can’t wait one more minute to tell you how to spot this planet all season long. 🌸

Venus is the star (no, not really a star it’s a planet we know the difference) of the spring season! Go outside after sunset, look west, and the brightest thing you can see with the naked eye is Venus. 👀 It’s that easy!

Important Venus observing dates to save:
🌙 The Moon will be a great anchor point to spot the planet between March 23–24, April 22–23, and May 22–23.
⭐ Venus will appear to pass near the Pleiades star cluster—and be a spectacular sight with binoculars—between April 9–11.

Happy planet spotting! And remember when looking up at the night sky: stars twinkle, and planets don’t.

03/15/2023

Seeing the Sun out longer and longer makes us so happy. ☀️

With the spring equinox occurring on 3/20 at 4:24pm, everyone’s favorite celestial event…🥁…Chicagohenge…is also right around the corner!

On Monday—and for the next couple of days after—this impressive golden phenomenon will be sure to catch your eye if you’re in downtown Chicago!

You’ll be able to see just after sunrise or just before sunset when looking due east or due west. 🌆 As always, please practice safe solar observing.

Read more about the science behind this solar spectacle here: bit.ly/39LfkJD

03/14/2023

Ticket Options - Adler Planetarium

Gneiss shoes you've got there. ⭐️

Run, don't walk to bit.ly/adler-tickets and snag tickets for a spring break day trip! And (obviously) if you have sparkly slipper shoes you made yourself to match a star costume you bought off the internet, please feel free to wear them during your next visit. 💛

✨ UPDATED SPRING BREAK HOURS (March 27–April 9) ✨
Monday: 9:00 am–4:00 pm
Tuesday: 9:00 am–4:00 pm
Wednesday: 4:00 pm–10:00 pm*
Thursday: 9:00 am–4:00 pm
Friday: 9:00 am–4:00 pm
Saturday: 9:00 am–4:00 pm
Sunday: 9:00 am–4:00 pm

*Every Wednesday night is free for Illinois Residents (with proof of residency)

Explore the outer reaches of the universe at Chicago's Adler Planetarium! Purchase your Star Pass for unlimited access all year 'round!

03/11/2023

Don’t panic! 😰 If you feel like you won’t get enough sleep tonight—you’re not alone! This is your friendly, biannual reminder that Daylight Saving Time begins tomorrow. 💤 (As always, we’ll be here for you emotionally as you deal with this traumatizing time. Get it, time??)

At 2am on 3/12, the clock on your hand-held digital bestie will jump one hour ahead. This means dawn starts, and sunset ends, later! Get ready to enjoy the sunshine into the later hours of the day. ☀️

03/10/2023

Us: we could NEVER pick a favorite astrophotography image to project on our dome
Also us: that super close-up image of the Sun's surface is pretty cool tho...😏

There's nothing quite like looking up at space from under a dome. What you're seeing here are behind-the-scenes snapshots of different space images—from JWST and the National Science Foundation—fully projected onto every inch our biggest dome theater.

Comment your favorite ⬇️
💍 Southern Ring Nebula
🌌 Galaxy Cluster SMACS 0723
🎻 Stephan's Quintet
☀️ The Sun's Surface

03/07/2023

The Windy City is about to get windier. 🌬️

Just kidding! Tonight, March’s full Moon—known as the Wind Strong Moon—will rise in the night sky, but won’t actually cause more wind. This is merely a nickname given to the March full Moon because of the strong wind in North America this month. Happy moongazing! 🌝

03/07/2023

“A bird cannot fly with one wing only. Human spaceflight cannot develop any further without the active participation of women.” - Valentina Tereshkova. 🚀

Tereshkova is a former cosmonaut who traveled to space in June 1963 on a solo flight aboard Vostok 6, becoming the first and youngest woman to travel to space. Tereshkova was selected from a pool of over 400 participants for this mission. 💪

Tereshkova used the call name Chaika (чайка), meaning Seagull, as she circled the Earth 48 times in just 3 days. After Vostok 6, Tereshkova never returned to space, but she still hopes to fly to Mars one day! 🪐

Today, she turns 86 years old—happy birthday Valentina Tereshkova!

[ 📷: NASA ]

03/04/2023

Happy birthday, sweet home Chicago! 🥳

Can you believe how young we look in this picture from 1929?!

We are proud to be the first planetarium in this city! Together, we’ve connected countless communities to the universe, each other, and the city, through stargazing, watching eclipses, and so much more. We even did the math—we’ve been together for almost 34,000 sunsets!

Here’s to a few thousand more. ☀️

03/02/2023

We’ve all heard of Mount Vesuvius, Krakatoa, and Mount Saint Helens, but have you heard of Prometheus, Thor, and Pele? And no, we’re not talking about the mythological figures—we’re talking about volcanic structures on Jupiter’s weird Moon, Io! 🌋

Io is the most volcanically active world in our solar system, with eruptions powerful enough to be seen from a telescope on Earth, and lakes of molten lava (Pele being one of them).🫢

Io gets its electric disposition from the perfect storm of Jupiter’s gravity, and its neighbors, Europa and Ganymede, perturbing its orbit. This causes Io’s distance from Jupiter to vary, creating tidal forces that cause the surface to bulge in and out as much as 330 ft!

NASA contrasts this to Earth’s ocean tides, where the difference between high and low tide is only 60 ft. So imagine that shift, over 5x greater, and with solid ground rather than water. 🌊

While Jupiter’s lava rock certainly hosts a lot of activity, there is no possibility that life as we know it can exist on Io. So unlike Earth’s volcanoes, Io’s fiery outbursts will not harm any surrounding life.

[ 📷: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona ]

03/01/2023

Welcome, March! The astronomical beginning of spring, a conjunction, and more greet us this month! 🌷

🪐 We’re starting the month off big with the Venus and Jupiter conjunction! Look to the west on 3/1 to see the two brightest planets less than a half degree apart in the sky.
🏹 On the horizon! Jupiter, Venus, and Uranus will sit close to the horizon this month, while Mars will be high in the southern sky along with Orion the Hunter.
🌬️ This month’s full Moon is on 3/7, and is nicknamed the Wind Strong Moon for the powerful winds in North America in March!
⏰ It’s time to spring forward! Daylight Savings time starts at 2 am on 3/12 so don’t forget to set your clocks one hour ahead!
🌱 Spring is here! The spring or vernal equinox occurs in the northern hemisphere on 3/20/23

Check out Adler Skywatch: March 2023 for more stellar stargazing tips! 💫 bit.ly/3XX0CY0

[ 📷: Michelle Nichols ]

02/28/2023

Anyone else see the word “conjunction” and IMMEDIATELY sing, “Conjunction Junction, what’s your function?” in your head? Anybody…?

This celestial event might not be a conjunction of words, but it is a conjunction of planets! Venus and Jupiter are finally reaching the closest point in their conjunction on 3/1—the two planets will appear only half-a-degree apart! 🪐

That’s about one-quarter the width of your thumb stretched out at arm’s length. 👍

A conjunction occurs when two astronomical objects (planets, asteroids, moons, etc) appear close together from our perspective on Earth. While these celestial bodies may look close together, remember, they’re actually millions of miles away from each other in space. 💫

02/26/2023

We’ve got something exciting in the works, folks! The team had a blast at Noisefloor Ltd working on a new project that examines the multiverse through an afrofuturist lens. Any guesses on what you think it could be? 🤔⬇️

Hint: it rhymes with blue shy crow 🦅👀 And it’s coming in 2023

02/22/2023

Benjamin Banneker was a pioneer of many things. He’s noted as not only being the first Black American astronomer, but also an early civil rights activist. 🔭

Born in Maryland in 1731, Banneker is famously remembered for building the first fully wooden clock in America as a young man. It chimed every hour, on the hour, for 40 years until it was destroyed in a house fire. 🕰️

The invention of this clock opened many doors for Banneker, allowing him to explore other subjects, including astronomy. He even accurately predicted the solar eclipse in 1789, contradicting many experts at the time.

He wrote many almanacs, sharing knowledge about the Sun and Moon cycles, planting and tide tables, and weather patterns. An original copy of his 1795 almanac is in our collection here at the Adler Planetarium! This year’s almanac features information about the Yellow Fever which plagued Philadelphia at the time. 📚

Furthermore, Banneker sent a hand-written copy of his first almanac to the widely-known slave-owner and future president, Thomas Jefferson. In his letter, he asked Jefferson to “embrace every opportunity to eradicate that train of absurd and false ideas and opinions which so generally prevails with respect to [Black Americans].” This correspondence is cited as one of the first documented forms of civil rights protest in American history. ✊

Thank you, Benjamin Banneker, for your passion for science and justice that has inspired the generations! 🌱

02/21/2023

A terrific trio! ✨Look up tonight, 2/21, to see a conjunction of Jupiter, Venus and the Moon in the western sky! Jupiter and Venus are the two brightest planets visible from Earth, and will be accented by a barely visible, waxing crescent Moon. 🌒

Each day for the rest of the month, the two planets will be inching closer and closer until they reach a stellar half-degree conjunction on 3/1! 🐛

02/20/2023

We live in a universe far vaster than our ability to comprehend. Imagination has played a key role in beginning to understand it. In 1977, Frederick J. Brown helped us visualize one small piece of it: our galaxy.

Learn about the history of his breathtaking piece, “Milky Way”, and art’s role in astronomy in our free online exhibit, “Frederick J. Brown and the Milky Way”! 🎨

bit.ly/33dq2bi

[ 📷: All Images Courtesy of the Frederick J. Brown Trust ]

02/17/2023

Wondering how astronauts Jim Lovell and Buzz Aldrin flew into space in 1966? Come visit our exhibit, Mission Moon, and see the Gemini 12 capsule first-hand! 🚀

Start your space adventure now! 💫 bit.ly/adler-tickets

02/15/2023

Want to show your valentine you love them to the Moon and back? Check out the top five spots at the Adler Planetarium for a wholesome date night under the stars! 😘

bit.ly/3Yjhw4f

02/11/2023

There are few that have been more impactful on this generation’s female scientists than Dr. Reatha Clark King. ✨

Clark King is a physical chemist who worked with NASA on the Apollo 11 project. She designed a coiled tube that allowed fuel to cool, rather than explode. Clark King’s invention was crucial to the Apollo 11 mission, and NASA’s overall rocket design. Without this, humans would not have walked on the Moon in the Apollo 11 mission 🚀

It is the dedication, tenacity, and ability to overcome adversity of women like Dr. Reatha Clark King that has paved the way for women in STEAM today. We thank you, Dr. Reatha Clark King! 💛

[ 📷: Courtesy of University of Chicago ]

02/07/2023

Enceladus, one of Saturn’s moons, has most of the chemical ingredients needed for life. The catch? It’s stuck beneath an icy shell that’s about -330 degrees fahrenheit, and covered in house-sized ice boulders. ❄️

Even stranger, this weird moon has a seemingly unending supply of fresh snow, as hot jets of water spray into its atmosphere, freeze, and fall back onto the surface. All this snow creates the whitest, most reflective body in our solar system. 🌨️

How do we know all of this about the ringed planet’s icy pet rock? William Herschel first discovered the moon orbiting Saturn in 1789, and in 1980, NASA’s Voyager spacecraft found that the 310 mile wide moon was covered in bright, white ice. 🔭

In 2005, NASA’s Cassini got close enough to the moon to discover the icy water particles spraying out from the moon, which are believed to come from its mineral-rich ocean beneath the ice on the surface. 🚀

While it may be bitter cold out in Chicago today, just remember, our celestial neighbor, Enceladus, has it MUCH worse. 🤷

[ 📷: NASA/ JPL/ Space Science Institute, edited by the Adler Planetarium ]

02/07/2023

Meet Frederick J. Brown! 🎨 Brown was an American artist born in Georgia and raised on the South Side of Chicago. His artistic works were shaped by his art history knowledge, and African-American and Native American ancestry. He also had an interest in astronomy! 🌌

In 1977, in collaboration with us, he began painting a large oil on canvas piece inspired by the spiral galaxy our planet resides in. Since 2019, "Milky Way" has been on display in our exhibit celebrating the wondrous human tradition of looking up around the world and in Chicago. It's a gigantic work of art—about 7x10 feet and weighing in at almost 375 pounds! So when you visit us, you can't miss it!

"Brown’s 'Milky Way' painting immerses the viewer in a scene evocative of Barnard’s photographs, while hinting at the spiral arms of our galaxy as they would been seen from the outside. It thus highlights that, in order to picture our own stellar system, we must switch between different perspectives. Brown’s 'Milky Way' reminds us that imagination is key to understanding our place in the universe." - Google Arts & Culture online exhibit, "Frederick J. Brown and the Milky Way"

[ 📷: All Images Courtesy of the Frederick J. Brown Trust ]

02/05/2023

Whether you love the snow or hate it, tonight’s full Moon is a good sign! 🌕

February’s full Moon is nicknamed the Snow Moon as it's often the snowiest month in North America. It can be seen as a marker that we’re almost through the depths of winter, OR that we get to enjoy the snow for a little bit longer! ❄️

Are you out there making snowmen, or hiding from the cold this month? ☃️

02/01/2023

Comets, conjunctions and a Snow Moon—oh my! 😱 Here’s what’s up this February. (Hint: you’ll want to save and share this post!)

☄️Comet crossing! Comet C/2022 E3 aka the Green Comet reaches its perigee—it’s closest point to Earth—today 2/1! Don’t miss your chance to hunt for the Green Comet before it leaves on 2/8 as it may never return!
🪐 Venus and Jupiter: a dazzling duo! Look to the southwest sky this month to see a conjunction of the two brightest planets. By the end of the month, the planetary pair will appear only about one degree apart in the sky.
❄️Bundle up, because this month is the Snow Moon! On 2/5, we will see the full Moon, nicknamed the Snow Moon, as February is often the snowiest month in North America.
🌅This one’s for the early birds! The first few mornings of the month, look up to the east before dawn to spot Mercury. As the Sun rises increasingly earlier each day, it will be nearly impossible to see Mercury later in the month.
🌟Martian party! Mars will be among Betelgeuse and Aldebaran, two supergiant stars from the constellations Orion and Ta**us, respectively.

Learn more about what’s up in this month’s sky on our blog: bit.ly/3XyBvvr

[ 📷 : Nick Lake ]