Category: Astronomy 101
![An artist's illustration of a brown dwarf. Image Credit: NASA](https://www.adlerplanetarium.org/wp-content/uploads/pia20583-main_-wise_ldwarf.jpg)
AstroFan: It’s a star! It’s a planet! No—it’s a brown dwarf?!
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Our Universe is filled with strange objects that even scientists have trouble classifying. Read on to learn about brown dwarfs, the celestial objects that are kind of like a star and kind of like a planet but are actually neither. A wise man once said, “Only a Sith deals in absolutes”. That […]
![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](https://www.adlerplanetarium.org/wp-content/uploads/Astrophotography_MilkyWayGalaxy_Square_LakeNick_20-655x504.jpg)
Adler Sky Observing 101: What To See
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 […]
![A green tent on sand with silhouetted trees and a blue night sky with stars](https://www.adlerplanetarium.org/wp-content/uploads/Astrophotography_Camping_LakeNick_20-655x504.jpg)
Adler Sky Observing 101: Where to Go
606 TRAIL The western entrance of the 606 Trail at 1801 N. Ridgeway, Chicago, IL is relatively clear of buildings, though not necessarily clear of light pollution. The 606 Trail is open until 11:00 pm daily. FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF COOK COUNTY’S PALOS PRESERVES Did you know the largest Urban Night Sky Place in the […]
![](https://www.adlerplanetarium.org/wp-content/uploads/Grace-Wolf-Chase-Lecture.png)
Looking Up and Reaching Out
“One of the things I’m passionate about is bridging the culture wars,” Adler Astronomer Dr. Grace Wolf-Chase says cheerfully. In her office, Grace is rifling through a stack of bright pink foam-board posters featuring portraits of religious people who’ve made great contributions to science. She separates one from the rest. The bearded face on it […]
![](https://www.adlerplanetarium.org/wp-content/uploads/Portrait-of-William-Herschel-by-Frederick-Rehberg-top.png)
How Many People Does it Take to Discover a Planet?
The evening of March 13, 1781, William Herschel was observing the sky with a fine 7-foot refracting telescope he’d made by himself, from the backyard of his home in Bath, England. At that time, Herschel was earning his bread as a musician, but he had been developing a strong interest in astronomy, sacrificing many of […]
![Man looking through a pair of telescopes into Chicago's night sky.](https://www.adlerplanetarium.org/wp-content/uploads/LookUp-Skywatch-June-2019.jpg)
Adler Skywatch: June 2019
The longest days and shortest nights of the year—for Earth’s Northern Hemisphere, anyway—take place this month, June 2019. The first day of summer for the Northern Hemisphere occurs on the solstice, at 10:54 am CDT on the 21st. It’s the longest day of the year, with the Sun rising very early and setting very late. […]
![A Model of 250,000 Galaxies and 40,000 Quasars](https://www.adlerplanetarium.org/wp-content/uploads/sloanbutterfly.jpg)
AstroFan: COSMIC VOIDS!
Header Image Photo Credit: Mark Subbarao, Dinoj Surendran, and Randy Landsberg Hello! Welcome to our 4th AstroFan! The past few features have dealt with some of the coolest objects in space (neutron stars, our Moon, exoplanets, etc)—this feature of AstroFan is going to switch things up and focus on the actual SPACE around these objects, […]
![](https://www.adlerplanetarium.org/wp-content/uploads/Antares-launch-April-2019.jpg)
The First Planetarium in Space
By Jesus Garcia (Electronics Design System Engineer and Educator) and Dr. Geza Gyuk (Astronomer). On Wednesday, April 17, 2019, the Adler sent its first mission to space! This ambitious project was a collaboration between students, scientists, and volunteers from around Chicagoland. Last spring, students from the ITW David Speer Academy, a public four-year charter high […]
![A group of Adler staff smile while posing in front of an inflatable Moon exhibition.](https://www.adlerplanetarium.org/wp-content/uploads/Museum-Selfie-Day.jpg)
Adler Staff Share What Inspires Them
It’s Astronomy Day! On such a day we could seize the opportunity to talk about what it feels like to look up through a telescope or how our collections experts preserve centuries-old astrolabes or the latest updates on our Adler teen-led underwater meteorite hunt… but as I watch the people around me do what they […]
![First Image of a Black Hole - Event Horizon Team](https://www.adlerplanetarium.org/wp-content/uploads/First-Image-of-a-Black-Hole-Event-Horizon-Team.png)
Webcomic: “That Black Hole Picture” 101
The following is a webcomic created by Adler Visiting Researcher, Reheynah (Rey) Maktoufi! In this comic, learn about the recent black hole picture that was taken by the Event Horizon Telescope team. Special thanks to Dr. Geza Gyuk, Michelle Nichols, Dr. Grace Wolf-Chase, Steve Burkland, and Orilla Fetro. Header Image: Scientists have obtained the first […]