Did you know Chicago's Adler Planetarium was the first open to the public in the entire western hemisphere?

This week, you’ll learn how the iconic lakefront planetarium came to be nearly 100 years ago and the story behind some of its space artifacts.

Plus, Michelle Nichols, Director of Public Observing at Adler, tells us about the Doane Observatory, which is quite literally on the lakefront and a true hidden gem of the city. The observatory is home to the largest publicly accessible telescope in Chicagoland. Through it, you can see the surface of the moon, Saturn’s rings, and even quasars in the distant universe!

Plus, we chat “Adler at Night”, your weekly opportunity to visit the planetarium after work or even for a date night. And the biggest benefit, IT’S FREE for Illinois residents! EVERY. SINGLE. WEEK! No hunting down the usual random free night that gets thrown into the depths of Chicago winter- Adler is free for residents every single Wednesday night!

We end with rapid fire, during which Michelle shares what she’s excited about on the frontier of space study and the coolest thing she’s seen through a telescope! And Michelle shares her favorite cocktail, “Bourbon Milk Punch”!

ADLER SUMMER EVENTS & EXPERIENCES: https://www.adlerplanetarium.org/explore/events/

BOURBON MILK PUNCH COCKTAIL: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/bourbon-milk-punch/

MICHELLE’S WEBSITE: https://www.astroeducator.com

INSTAGRAM: @adlerplanet