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Astronomy

May 14, 2022 | Patty Wetli
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.

May 7, 2022 | Erica Gunderson
“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.

Mar 30, 2022 | Patty Wetli
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.

Mar 19, 2022 | Patty Wetli
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.

Dec 23, 2021 | CNN
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.

Dec 20, 2021 | Blair Paddock
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. 

Dec 20, 2021 | Patty Wetli
(Angus Gray / Unsplash)

Celebrate the winter solstice Tuesday at a solar gazing event on the 606 Bloomingdale Trail, which boasts a solstice “notch” to frame sunsets.

Dec 6, 2021 | Patty Wetli
(Neale LaSalle / Pexels)

Comet Leonard, discovered in January of this year by astronomer Greg Leonard, is racing toward the sun and will make its closest pass of Earth in the coming days. The Adler Planetarium is hosting a viewing session Tuesday morning. 

Nov 19, 2021 | Patty Wetli
(Dids / Pexels)

For once, the weather cooperated in Chicago. Astronomers at the Adler Planetarium proclaimed: “What a stellar view!”

Nov 18, 2021 | Patty Wetli
(Lim Yaw Keong / Pixabay)

If the skies are clear, Chicagoans will have an excellent chance of seeing the eclipse Friday morning, with the best hours for viewing the event being approximately 1:30-4:30 a.m.

Oct 12, 2021 | Paul Caine
Illustration of the DART spacecraft with the Roll Out Solar Arrays (ROSA) extended. Each of the two ROSA arrays in 8.6 meters by 2.3 meters. (Credit: NASA)

A NASA mission to deflect an asteroid – it’s been the premise for more than one Hollywood movie – but next month NASA launches its DART mission that aims to do it for real.

Sep 28, 2021 | Paul Caine
University of Chicago and Argonne beamline scientist Barbara Lavina observes one of the tiny asteroid fragments through a microscope, with the magnified image on the screen beside her, during the initial research session at Argonne in July. (Jason Creps / Argonne National Laboratory)

Tiny fragments from an asteroid could shed light on the early development of the solar system, thanks to the unique capabilities of Argonne National Laboratory.

Sep 21, 2021 | Patty Wetli
A full moon. (Lim Yaw Keong / Pixabay)

Two harbingers of autumn — the harvest moon and fall equinox — are occurring within days of each other this week, which will make for some interesting sunsets and moon rises. And keep an eye out for “Chicagohenge.”

Aug 18, 2021 | Patty Wetli
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 and Earth are currently about as close as they get to each other. The outer planet is visible from sunset to sunrise and is among the brightest objects in the sky.

Jun 29, 2021 | Associated Press
This illustration provided by Carl Knox depicts a black hole, center, swallowing a neutron star, upper left. The blue lines are gravitational waves, ripples in time and space, which is how astronomers detected the merger, and orange and red areas indicate parts of the neutron star being stripped away. (Carl Knox / OzGrav / Swinburne University Australia via AP)

Talk about a heavy snack. For the first time, astronomers have witnessed a black hole swallowing a neutron star, the most dense object in the universe — all in a split-second gulp.

Jun 23, 2021 | Associated Press
This illustration provided by the American Museum of Natural History depicts the planet Earth, center, with the Sun in the background. The line of spots across the center of the image indicates star systems which can see Earth as it goes in front of our Sun. (OpenSpace / American Museum of Natural History via AP)

Feeling like you are being watched? It could be from a lot farther away than you think. Astronomers took a technique used to look for life on other planets and flipped it around — so instead of looking to see what’s out there, they tried to see what places could see us.