Cosmic Chicago
Chicago's Independent Space News Outlet
Tag: astronomy
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Photos: Total Solar Eclipse of 2024 Over Illinois
On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse passed over North America and the path of totality swept over a portion of southern Illinois. For four minutes and two seconds, darkness fell over the Land of Lincoln and thousands of people collectively looked up at the rare astronomical event. Because the city of Chicago would…
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Photos: 2023 Annular Solar Eclipse from New Braunfels, Texas
On October 14th, 2023, an annular solar eclipse was visible across much of the western United States. This rare event provided viewers with the chance to witness a phenomenon known as a “ring of fire,” which occurs when the Moon passes in front of the Sun, but a ring of light is still visible to…
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Bright Meteor Flew Over Chicago, And We Captured It On Video
If you saw a bright flash of light or heard a boom overnight, you might have witnessed a bright meteor flying over the city of Chicago before it burned up and exploded in the atmosphere. At around 12:52 am CDT a bright meteor was reported flying overhead by individuals as far south as Alabama and…
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James Webb Space Telescope Releases First Images
After a successful launch and six months of on-orbit testing and calibration, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is fully operational. A report published July 12, 2022, states that “JWST is fully capable of achieving the discoveries for which it was built.” During the six months of testing JWST made approximately 2,300 observations with its…
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How to See the Total Lunar Eclipse in Chicago
Tomorrow evening, May 15th, there will be a total lunar eclipse visible from Chicago. We haven’t been able to view a total lunar eclipse from the city in three years, so it’s definitely an exciting event worth staying up late for. The eclipse will begin just after 9:30 pm and end at 1:55 am, but…
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Chicago's Nearby Palos Preserves Named World's Largest Urban Night Sky Place
There is a new urban dark sky place, one of only three total, and it’s the largest in the world. Palos Preserves is just outside the city limits of Chicago, but still Cook County, and officially earned the designation in late August from the International Dark Sky Association (IDA). The IDA recognizes dark sky places…
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How to See the Annular Solar Eclipse from Chicago
For anyone willing to get up early, an annular solar eclipse will be visible as the Sun rises over Chicago. Chicago is on the far southern edge of visibility and the peak of the eclipse will have passed by the time this astronomical event is visible anywhere from Chicago, but it’s still worth viewing. What’s…
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Perseid Meteor Shower: When and Where to See it in Chicago
The Perseid meteor shower is the best and brightest meteor shower of the year, and because it passes through in the warm summer months, it’s the best chance at seeing a shower in Chicago. Find out how to see the meteor shower in Chicago and where to look, below. What is the Perseid meteor shower? …
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Chicagoan's Guide to the Total Lunar Eclipse of 2019
Unless you’re living under a rock, you know there is a total lunar eclipse happening tonight. As Chicagoans, we don’t get as many chances to enjoy the cosmic wonders in the night sky because of light pollution. But, the Moon shines bright enough over the city that everyone can see it, and you’ll be able…
