Museums

On April 24, 2018, Dr. Rosaly Lopes, senior research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and first female Editor-in-Chief of Icarus, a scientific journal dedicated to the field of planetary science, will be honored at the annual Women in Space Science Award Celebration hosted by the Adler Planetarium Women’s Board. In addition, Nathalea Espinosa, an exceptional young woman who has made a special commitment to her STEM studies, and is an active participant in the Adler’s teen programs, will be presented the Paul H. Knappenberger Jr., Ph.D. STEM Award.


The Adler Planetarium’s newest sky show, Planet Nine, was recently selected by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Popular Science as a Vizzie award finalist. The Vizzies, formerly known as the the International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge, honor the most illustrative and impactful visualizations from the worlds of science and engineering. Celebrating their 15th anniversary, the Vizzies blur the line between science and art, and recognize visualizations of scientific phenomena in the form of photography, illustration, posters and graphics, video and interactive. NSF and Popular Science have determined the top 10 entries in each category, and Planet Nine has been named a finalist in the video category and is up for a People’s Choice award.


Who knows what lurks in the dark night of the Adler Planetarium? You might dare to find out on Thursday, October 30, 2014, when The Curse of the Blood Moon invades. For one-night-only, terror will take over the Adler’s Grainger Sky Theater in this Halloween fright show. A unique experience that combines live theater, 360° visualizations and hair-raising drama, The Curse of the Blood Moon will provide chills the night preceding All Hallows Eve.

Chicago’s Adler Planetarium is embarking upon an exciting new early childhood workshop series designed to give 3-4 year-olds and their caregivers the opportunity to learn and explore the practices of science together in a museum setting.

In partnership with the DuSable Museum of African American History, the Adler Planetarium will present “Hidden Figures Revealed,” a three day event celebrating the many contributions of African-American Women in STEM.

In what has to be the most dramatic planetarium show in this (or any other) cosmos, The Adler has harnessed the sheer power of their high-tech Grainger Sky Theatre, along with a bit of theatrical finesse to pull off Destination Solar System, the latest in its slate of state of the art sky shows that place the viewer squarely in the midst of the galaxy in which we live. The twist? This show takes place in the year 2096. And that’s where it gets theatrical.

Our history is rich with stories of African-American innovators who have shaped our world. And looking forward, people of African descent have been infusing their culture into scientific concepts through Afrofuturism. At the heart of space science lies the scientific and technological innovation of a culture that has influenced the world in countless ways. This month, in partnership with organizations around Chicago, the Adler Planetarium will spotlight these contributions with special programming in celebration of Black History Month.

On August 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse will be visible in parts of the United States for the first time since 1979. In Chicago, at 11:54 am CST, the Moon will start to block our view of the Sun, covering up to 87 percent of it by 1:19 p.m. The last time Chicago was this close to the path of totality (when the Moon blocks the Sun completely) was 92 years ago in 1925. In celebration, the Adler Planetarium is throwing a giant block party, inviting everyone to come together to experience this rare celestial event as a community, and making it possible by offering free general admission to all.