Millions of birds, including warblers, will be migrating through Chicago. (Howard Walsh / Pixabay)

Millions of birds will pass over the Chicago region this weekend as migration kicks into high gear. Want to be a good host? Turn off your lights.

(Patty Wetli / WTTW News)

Spring is always an iffy proposition in Chicago, but it officially begins Monday. 

Jupiter and Venus conjunction in 2015. (Stephen Rahn / Flickr Creative Commons)

In what’s being dubbed a celestial “kiss,” Jupiter and Venus will appear to nearly touch Wednesday.

(Dan Bartlett / NASA)

The Green Comet is making its closest pass to Earth Wednesday night and the skies are looking clear enough for Adler Planetarium to host a virtual viewing party.

A photo taken on Dec. 13, 2020, shows Jupiter (the bright "star" on the right) closing in on Saturn to the left. (Bill Ingalls / NASA)

Enjoy a cosmic Christmas, with all five naked-eye planets visible in the sky. The moon, Mercury and Venus will form a sparkling triangle on Christmas Eve. 

(Lim Yaw Keong / Pixabay)

Sky watchers will have their eyes peeled Wednesday night for a rare-ish celestial event: an “eclipse” of Mars.

A total lunar eclipse, seen from Joshua Tree National Park in 2015. (Brad Sutton / National Park Service)

Election Day 2022 will kick off with a pre-dawn total lunar eclipse. There won't be another like it until March 2025.

This view of Jupiter was captured by NASA’s Juno spacecraft on Feb. 12, 2019, as the spacecraft performed its 17th science pass of Jupiter. (Courtesy of NASA / JPL-Caltech / SwRI / MSSS)

Jupiter is making its closest approach to Earth since 1963 on Monday night, and the views should be especially spectacular.

(WTTW News)

While this year's that display might be a little harder to see than in past years, Chicago Astronomer Joe Guzman says it’s still worth getting out there and looking up.

At dawn on June 24, the crescent moon will be placed between Venus and Mars. (Illustration courtesy of Sky & Telescope)

The five planets that are visible to the naked eye are now lining up in a particularly unique formation in the early morning hours, all of them appearing in the same part of the sky. Want to catch the show? We’ve got tips.

A total lunar eclipse, seen from Joshua Tree National Park in 2015. (Brad Sutton / National Park Service)

After a string of clear, sunny days, rain and clouds are expected to move in for the weekend. Depending on the extent of the cloud cover, the eclipse could still deliver an “ooh-aah” moment, or it could be a womp-womp for Chicago.

“All you need are your eyes, a comfortable chair and a blanket to enjoy,” Chicago astronomer Joe Guzman said. “Those who have telescopes set them up and share this experience with your family as we observe one celestial object get in the way of another!” (WTTW News)

A celestial show is coming to Chicago next weekend - on the evening of Sunday, May 15, a lunar eclipse will grace the night skies. Chicago astronomer Joe Guzman says it's a great reason to spend an evening moongazing.

A still image of Wednesday’s solar flare, March 30, 2022. (NASA)

The Sun put on a spectacular show Wednesday, emitting a “significant solar flare,” according to NASA. Now scientists are bracing to see what the resulting space weather will have in store for Earth.

The sun sets due west on the spring equinox, set for March 20, 2022. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)

Equinoxes are always extra special in Chicago, thanks to the city’s grid. The sun rises due east and sets due west on the equinox, creating a phenomenon known as “Chicagohenge“ (in reference to Stonehenge), when the sun is strikingly framed by the city’s skyscrapers. The official start of astronomical spring takes place Sunday at 10:33 a.m.

The James Webb Space Telescope. (Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)

The highly anticipated launch of the James Webb Space Telescope has been delayed multiple times.

The James Webb Space Telescope. (Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)

NASA prepares to launch the most powerful space telescope ever. Local astronomers share some up-close details.