In Stargazers Hub, you’ll see how people made, used, and shared tools for observing the sky with a multisensory journey through time.

Header Image: Madge Webster in her element, surrounded by historical scientific instruments, and holding an astrolabe while wearing another one in a necklace (Adler archives). While to many the name “Webster” will evoke a famous dictionary, in the Adler family it resonates with collections, history of astronomy, a passion for scientific instruments, and generous support […]

Header Image: The Zeiss Mark II projector can be seen here in the Adler’s original domed theater in the 1930s. Image Credit: The Adler Planetarium Archives Written By: Mike Smail, Director of Theaters and Digital Experience In January of 1970, the Adler Planetarium de-installed our original Zeiss planetarium projector (the first one in the Western […]

Header Image: Planetarium guests attend a sky show with the Zeiss Mk II projector at the Adler c. 1955. Image Credit: The Adler Planetarium Archives When the Adler Planetarium opened in 1930 as America’s first planetarium, the centerpiece was a star projector made by the Carl Zeiss company of Germany, the Zeiss “Mark II”. This […]

Header Image: Help researchers complete 8 different Adler Zooniverse citizen science projects while traveling the universe with Adler Space Tours! Summer plans looking a little sad this year? I have good news: There are more places in space than you could visit in a million summers—not including travel time. And you can explore a few […]

Header Image: Pocket globe by Thomas Lane (London, c. 1830), Adler Planetarium collections. This globe was symbolically taken aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in 1999 during the mission STS-103.  The conception of Earth has changed dramatically over time. It was only four centuries ago that Earth started to be widely regarded as a planet, and it […]

Header Image: Benjamin Banneker’s almanac for the year 1795 being digitally scanned for preservation. BENJAMIN BANNEKER’S 1795 ALMANAC Way before we had smartphones, almanacs were an important source of practical information and amusement for many people. African-American astronomer and mathematician Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806), produced several almanacs, which were published over a period of six consecutive […]

Header Image: Woman looking at a few of the astronomical objects from our collection located in the Adler Planetarium’s new exhibit, Chicago’s Night Sky. One of the most exciting—and at the same time most difficult — parts of an exhibition project is to decide which collections items will be put on display. The Adler team […]

An interview with Brenda G., Teen Collections Intern Many people find studying science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) or working in a science institution intimidating, but a whole other layer is added when you’re one of the first in your family to do it. I sat down with collections intern Brenda Galan to discuss her […]