Adler Planetarium Research Articles

The GONet (Ground Observing Network) Camera: An Inexpensive Light Pollution Monitoring System

Instrumentation developed to monitor and characterize light pollution from the ground has helped frame our understanding of the impacts of artificial light at night (ALAN) [Bará, Lima, & Zamorano, 2019; Hänel et al., 2018; Zamorano et al., 2017]. All-sky imaging has been used to quantify and characterize ALAN in a variety of environments [D. M. Duriscoe, 2016; Jechow, Kyba, & Hölker, 2019]. Over the past decade growth in access to DIY electronics has afforded the opportunity for the development of new and affordable instrumentation for ALAN research. The GONet (Ground Observing Network) camera is an inexpensive (~USD 100), simple to use, all-sky imaging system designed to allow measurements of sky quality at night. Due to their ease of use and low price, GONet cameras allow observations by users with little technical expertise, large inter-comparison campaigns and deployments of opportunity. Developed as a student engineering project at the Adler Planetarium, initial field tests of the GONet system have demonstrated its utility as a tool that can benefit ALAN research. Here we present an overview of the design and use of the GONet device, methods of calibration, initial results from observations, potential use cases, and limitations of the system. What we describe here is the version 1 GONet camera. We conclude with a brief description of the version 2 unit already under development.

George Graham and the Orrery

Abstract In his 1734 discourse on the planetarium, John Theophilus Desaguliers was careful to point out that the invention of the orrery had been incorrectly attributed to John Rowley and that it was George Graham who had made the first truthful working model of the Earth and Moon’s motion around the Sun. Two such models by Graham survive in Museum collections: one at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago and the other at the History of Science Museum in Oxford, UK. This paper assesses the differences between the two instruments and the physical evidence contained within to test out the unfounded assertion made by Henry C. King that the Adler instrument is the prototype and the Oxford orrery a developed commercial product.

DarkSky Halos: Use-Based Exploration of Dark Matter Formation Data in a Hybrid Immersive Virtual Environment.

Hybrid virtual reality environments allow analysts to choose how much of the screen real estate they want to use for Virtual Reality (VR) immersion, and how much they want to use for displaying different types of 2D data. We present the use-based design and evaluation of an immersive visual analytics application for cosmological data that uses such a 2D/3D hybrid environment. The applications is a first-in-kind immersive instantiation of the Activity-Centered-Design theoretical paradigm, as well as a first documented immersive instantiation of a details-first paradigm based on scientific workflow theory. Based on a rigorous analysis of the user activities and on a details-first paradigm, the application was designed to allow multiple domain experts to interactively analyze visual representations of spatial (3D) and nonspatial (2D) cosmology data pertaining to dark matter formation. These hybrid data are represented at multiple spatiotemporal scales as time-aligned merger trees, pixel-based heatmaps, GPU-accelerated point clouds and geometric primitives, which can further be animated according to simulation data and played back for analysis. We have demonstrated this multi-scale application to several groups of lay users and domain experts, as well as to two senior domain experts from the Adler Planetarium, who have significant experience in immersive environments. Their collective feedback shows that this hybrid, immersive application can assist researchers in the interactive visual analysis of large-scale cosmological simulation data while overcoming navigation limitations of desktop visualizations.

Chicago: Take Time Out for Self-Care

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Institute on Psychiatric ServicesFull AccessChicago: Take Time Out for Self-CareChandan Khandai,M.D.Chandan Khandai,Search for more papers by this authorM.D.Published Online:27 Jul 2018https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2018.8a19AbstractEat, drink, and be merry while you are in Chicago for the IPS. But don’t stop there—also take time to visit museums, shop, and take in a show.iStock/vichie81Chicago looks forward to welcoming you this October to APA’s fall meeting—IPS: The Mental Health Services Conference—at the historic Palmer House in the Loop! But in between or after attending scientific sessions geared toward taking care of your community, take time to enjoy our city and treat yourself! As every psychiatrist has said, “Self-care is important.”Treat yourself to a scenic walk: A city of steel, Chicago is also a city of well-tended parks and public spaces. Walk a block over to Millennium Park, home of Cloudgate (aka the Bean) and many other stunning installations; next door are equally intriguing Grant Park and Maggie Daley Park. Walk a few blocks north to the scenic Riverwalk, a project over a century in the making, or go kayaking or biking. For longer walks, there are over 18 miles of beautiful lakefront trail along nearby Lake Michigan.Treat yourself to amazing architecture: When walking around, look up—Chicagoans are proud of our iconic skyline and our long history as a laboratory for architectural innovation. The interiors are equally beautiful; my personal favorites are the Chicago Cultural Center with its mosaics and the Rookery with its famous Instagrammable staircase. Get a bird’s eye view of Lake Michigan and neighboring states from the observation decks of the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower and the John Hancock Building. But of course, every Chicagoan knows the best way to admire our architecture is by boat, via the Chicago Architecture Boat Tour. Treat yourself to art and culture: Chicago has some of the best museums in the world. You can spend hours at the Art Institute (of Ferris Bueller fame), only a block away from the Palmer House. Take a little longer walk and you’re on the lakeshore’s Museum District with its Field Museum of Natural History, Shedd Aquarium, and Adler Planetarium. A short ride to the South Side gets you to my favorite museum as a kid (and adult), the Museum of Science and Industry. And there are dozens more for all tastes.Treat yourself to a show: Chicago has a vibrant theater scene—including our own running production of “Hamilton” and dramatic fare at the Steppenwolf and Goodman. Dress up for a concert at the Chicago Symphony Center or Lyric Opera. For lighthearted fare, check out the Chicago comedy scene, where many “Saturday Night Live” alums got their start—including in such venues as Second City and Annoyance Theatre. Try the Improvised Shakespeare Company if you prefer your laughs in iambic pentameter.Treat yourself to some retail therapy: From flagship stores to boutiques, Chicago is a shopping haven. Stroll up and down State Street right outside the Palmer House or walk farther up Michigan Avenue to the Magnificent Mile’s famed shopping boulevard and beyond that the international couture of Oak Street. Historic Jewelers Row in the Loop is also worth a visit, as is the nearby French Market in West Loop. For more local and seasonal fare, check out the farmers’ markets, including the Daley Plaza Farmers Market on Thursdays.Treat yourself to a nice meal (or a drink): Everyone knows about Chicago’s deep dish pizza, and the main staples—Giordano’s, Lou Malnati’s, Gino’s East, Uno’s—all have locations downtown. But Chicago has so much more, from high-end eateries to high-concept food halls such as Revival in downtown and thriving ethnic culinary enclaves—Indian, Greek, Filipino are just a few. Many eateries offering delectable fare are in the Loop itself; many more are just across the river in the River North and West Loop neighborhoods. And to top it off, Chicago is one of the few cities that does beer, wine, and spirits equally well, from dive bars to gastropubs. My recommendation, weather permitting? Enjoy a drink with a view at Cindy’s Rooftop at the Chicago Athletic Association one block over or the rooftop patio of LondonHouse overlooking the Chicago River.Chicago combines the best of Midwestern hospitality and kindness with cosmopolitan glamour. And if you can’t find what you like downtown, we have many other neighborhoods that might tickle your fancy. We welcome you to learn how to take care of your communities, but also take care of yourself too. ■Chandan Khandai, M.D., is a PGY-5 consultation-liaison psychiatry fellow at the University of Washington in Seattle. ISSUES NewArchived

The Elephant and the Sky: Ivory in Astronomical Instruments

AbstractIn this short essay, the author presents studies on ivory in astronomical instruments through examples of ivory instruments from the collections of the Adler Planetarium in order to suggest that the use of such artifacts in museum exhibitions may serve a twofold purpose: to emphasize that historical scientific instruments embody social and cultural meanings that go beyond the pursuits more commonly associated with scientific activity, while fostering the public engagement with the history of ivory trade and the issues surrounding this material.

NITESat: A High Resolution, Full-Color, Light Pollution Imaging Satellite Mission

The NITESat (Night Imaging and Tracking Experiment Satellite) mission is a 2U CubeSat satellite designed for nighttime Earth imaging to quantify and characterize light pollution across the Midwestern United States. It is accompanied and supported by an array of ground-based light pollution observing stations called GONet (Ground Observing Network). NITESat is a pilot mission testing the potential for a simple and inexpensive (<$500,000) satellite to deliver high-resolution, three-color regional data of artificial light at night. In addition, GONet will form the core of an educational outreach program by establishing an array of all-sky monitors covering the imaging region of the satellite with 20+ full sky light pollution citizen-operated stations. This will provide synchronized data coinciding with the NITESat overpasses as well as providing near continuous night sky quality monitoring. If the initial mission is a success, the potential exists to expand the program into a low cost constellation of satellites capable of delivering global coverage. NITESat is being designed, built and will be operated by the Far Horizons program at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, Illinois. Far Horizons is a student and volunteer centered program offering hands-on engineering and scientific research opportunities for education.

‘Moving the universe’: the Atwood Sphere and the Adler Planetarium in Chicago

In January 1997, the Adler Planetarium in Chicago added a new attraction to its offerings. It was an especial addition: not just another exhibition or a new sky show, but a relatively large, full-f...

A Royal English Medieval Astrolabe Made for Use in Northern Italy

This article describes a medieval English astrolabe usually known as Mensing-26 and now in the Adler Planetarium and Astronomical Museum in Chicago. Details of its star positions and names, saints feast days, metallurgy, construction, and general style (featuring a “quatrefoil” rete) are examined and used to place the instrument as one of a small group of astrolabes, epitomised by the great Sloane astrolabe, which has been associated with King Edward III. Using this hypothesis, potential original owners of the instrument in c. 1330–1340 are proposed. It is also shown how the astrolabe was later modified to have a second life as a working instrument in Renaissance Florence.

If a planetarium can do it, so can you: How brands can shift toward an experience-led model

Marketers are increasingly promoting the idea of ‘brand as publisher’, with resources heavily invested into content creation to compete for visibility among publisher-biased algorithms on social platforms. But instead of appealing to the algorithm, maybe marketers should consider appealing to the consumer — a rising generation that is valuing brands as experiences above all. Drawing on the experience of Adler Planetarium, a leading national museum that operates as an experience-first brand, this paper describes the art of creating engaging experiences both online and off with the support of a collaborative, creative agency partner.

Crowdsourcing platform gets results

On the Zooniverse, data-analysis projects mesh public outreach and scientific discovery.On the Zooniverse, data-analysis projects mesh public outreach and scientific discovery.

Out of chaos comes order: Implementing a trusted digital repository in the Webster Institute for the History of Astronomy at the Adler Planetarium

This case study discusses the process that the Webster Institute for the History of Astronomy at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, Illinois is following to create a trusted digital repository (TDR) for digital assets related to its library, archival and museum collection, particularly focused on images. Balancing the desire for a system that allows for access and use of the assets with a desire to apply principles of digital preservation, the Adler is working with a vendor to develop a TDR that not only emphasises preservation but also allows for some functionalities of a digital asset management system.

Losing the Dark: A Planetarium PSA about Light Pollution

AbstractLosing the Dark is a six-minute PSA video created for fulldome theaters by Loch Ness Productions, the International Dark Sky Association Education Committee headed by Dr. Constance Walker of the National Optical Astronomy Observatories, Dome3, Adler Planetarium, and Babak Tafreshi (The World at Night). It explains light pollution, its effects, and ways to implement “wise lighting“ practices to mitigate light pollution. The show is also made in flat-screen HD format for classical planetariums, non-dome theaters, and for presentatons by IDA speakers.

Notes on Contributors

Notes on Contributors

IBEX Education and Public Outreach

The IBEX mission includes a comprehensive Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) program that develops programs and products in exciting themes from astronomy and space physics. With the active involvement of the Principal Investigator and several science team partners, it is overseen and implemented by the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum. The program includes an internationally distributed planetarium show with accompanying informal education materials that are also accessible to individuals with special needs; a national Space Science Core Curriculum for grades 6–8 in collaboration with other NASA missions; a professional development program for teachers; and workshops that engage Hispanic and Native American students. Materials are made available for download or for order via the IBEX website: http://www.ibex.swri.edu/. Our program is developed, implemented and monitored for effectiveness by organizations with proven capabilities and experience in their respective areas of E/PO. This paper describes these program elements in detail and includes the rationale and design process for this E/PO program.

Worldwide financial crisis, Adler Planetarium, grizzly bears, and nuclear power—week of 5 October 2008

Worldwide financial crisis, Adler Planetarium, grizzly bears, and nuclear power—week of 5 October 2008

Is Museum Education “Rocket Science”?

The field of museum education has advanced and adapted over the years to meet the changing needs of audiences as determined by new research, national policy, and international events. Educators from Chicago's Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum provide insight into a (somewhat) typical museum education department, especially geared for readers who are outside the realm of museum education and who may be unfamiliar with expectations placed on educators. Finally, the authors suggest areas of focus that should be targeted by museum educators for them to remain current in a rapidly evolving field, and specific ways that institutions can support educators more fully.

My Kind of Town

My Kind of Town

Chicago: A Feast for the Mind and Eyes

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article APA InstituteFull AccessChicago: A Feast for the Mind and EyesMark MoranMark MoranSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:6 Sep 2002https://doi.org/10.1176/pn.37.17.0029There’s a museum in Chicago to suit everyone’s interests. Here are descriptions of the city’s most notable ones.The Adler Planetarium, the first planetarium in the Western Hemisphere, features exhibits on astronomy and space exploration. A one-hour multimedia “Sky Show” changes every few months. After the Friday evening Sky Show, views from the observatory’s 20-inch telescope are projected onto the Sky Theater.September through February the Adler Planetarium offers free admission days on Monday and Tuesday. On other days admission is $13 for adults and $11 for children aged 4 to 17.The Art Institute of Chicago, which comprises both a museum and a school, found its permanent home on Michigan Avenue in 1893. The original, core beaux-arts building, designed by Shepley, Rutan, and Coolidge, was built for the World’s Columbian Exposition.The museum houses more than 300,000 works of art within its 10 curatorial departments. Among its great treasures are the legendary masterpieces “A Sunday Afternoon on La Grand Jatte—1884” by Georges Seurat, “American Gothic” by Grant Wood, “Nighthawks” by Edward Hopper, and 33 paintings by Claude Monet.Tuesdays are free. On other days, visitors pay what they wish but must pay something. Recommended admissions for nonmembers are $10 for adults and $6 for children, students, and seniors (over 55); children 5 and under are admitted free. Certain exhibitions may require a special timed ticket or the full recommended admission posted at ticket counters.Both Chicago and American history are on display at the Chicago Historical Society. Chicago’s growth is traced from pioneer days to its emergence as a modern metropolis. The multimedia exhibit titled “A House Divided: America in the Age of Lincoln” is a must for anyone interested in the Civil War era.Admission is free on Mondays; $3 on other days.The landmark lion statues stand guard over the main entrance to the Art Institute of Chicago, whose collections range from European paintings that date back to the Middle Ages to the Harding collection of arms and armor. It is one of the largest such collections in America. Photo: Todd RosenbergThe Field Museum of Natural History was founded to house the biological and anthropological collections assembled for the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893. These objects form the core of the museum’s collections, which have grown through worldwide expeditions, exchange, purchase, and gifts to more than 20 million specimens. Regular features include nature exhibits: animals, plants, ecosystems, rocks, and fossils; and cultural exhibits: Africa, the Americas, Asian Pacific cultures, and “global themes.”Admission is $8 for adults, $4 for children aged 3 to 11 and for seniors and students with identification.The Museum of Science and Industry, one of Chicago’s most popular tourist attractions, contains more than 2,000 displays demonstrating the impact of science and technology on modern life. The museum’s Omnimax Theater features films on a five-story domed screen.Admission is $5, or $8 with Omnimax Theater admission.The Shedd Aquarium’s Shedd’s Oceanarium features whales, dolphins, sea otters, seals, and penguins in a naturalistic setting with Lake Michigan as a backdrop. The highlight of the main aquarium is the 90,000-gallon “Coral Reef” tank, where divers hand out treats for the sharks, barracudas, eels, and other assorted sea creatures.Admission is $15 for adults, $11 for seniors and children 3 to 11 years of age. Visitors on Monday or Tuesday pay $7 for adults and $5 for seniors and children to see the aquarium, oceanarium, and seahorse symphony. ▪ ISSUES NewArchived

The composition of cosmic rays at the knee

The observation of a small change in spectral slope, or ‘knee’ in the fluxes of cosmic rays near energies 10 15 eV has caused much speculation since its discovery over 40 years ago. The origin of this feature remains unknown. A small workshop to review some modern experimental measurements of this region was held at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, USA in June 2000. This paper summarizes the results presented at this workshop and the discussion of their interpretation in the context of hadronic models of atmospheric air showers.

The Material Culture of Astronomy in Daily Life: Sundials, Science, and Social Change

Sundials are among the most ancient of astronomical instruments. The earliest surviving examples date from 1500 B.C. By tracing the length and angles of shadows and by employing mathematical projections of the celestial sphere, early dials marked the passage of time, the recurring seasons, and the apparent motion of the sun in the sky. They refl ected time consciousness. Sundials have also been time discipliners. Since Hellenistic times, they have been used to coordinate activities such as meals, prayers, and business. With the rise of commercial society in the late Middle Ages, a new sense of time pressure led to increased production and further development of sundials. Personal timepieces kept busy people on schedule. One goal of this paper is to show how the material culture refl ected changes in people’s experience of time consciousness, time discipline, and time pressure. A second goal is to explore the place of sundials in consumer culture. People acquired sundials, like other consumer goods, for many reasons: because they needed or desired them; or because the goods had symbolic value or projected a particular image of their owners (cf. Figure 1). As material goods, sundials offer instances of social hegemony, class structure, and regional taste. Their diverse mathematical forms and designs reveal how people spent their time and the degree to which religion and politics were valued. Historiographically, this is a new way of looking at old sundials. Often curators and sundial enthusiasts focus their attention on the mathematics of the different types of dials, the panoply of shapes and designs, or the craftsmanship of particular instrument makers. These are worthwhile projects and require considerable connoisseurship. I aim to go beyond these studies in order to explore not only the supply side, but also the demand side of the sundial trade. Mathematicians designed and instrument makers produced sundials to serve and please their customers. The three groups — mathematicians, makers, and consumers — were not in mutual isolation. Material culture was the link between theory, production, and consumption, and it sheds light on all. I take as my foundation a careful study of over two thousand historic sundials preserved in museums worldwide. Although literary evidence is useful, it is only by the close inspection and comparison of many dials from different places and periods that one can build a picture of astronomy and mathematics in daily life. Two great sundial collections are at the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum in Chicago and the Harvard Collection of Historical Scientifi c Instruments. This paper will be illustrated by instruments in both museums. JHA, xxxii (2001)