Adler Planetarium brings free telescope nights and space science talks to three Chicago library branches this fall

The Adler Planetarium is bringing telescopes from its Lake Michigan campus to Chicago neighborhoods this fall through a free partnership with the Chicago Public Library.

The program, called Scopes In The City, places high-powered telescopes outside library branches and in public parks so residents can view the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn and filtered images of the sun without paying for admission or leaving their neighborhood. Adler astronomy educators and volunteers will staff the sessions, which the planetarium said are meant to bring astronomy education to people who cannot reach the museum campus.

The first fall observing session is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. on October 19 at the Portage-Cragin branch. The next will take place during the same hours on November 2 at the Obama branch. The final scheduled night is November 16, again from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Bucktown-Wicker Park branch.

The library sessions move Adler viewing equipment and staff away from the planetarium’s ticketed building and downtown location. The pop-up events also add fall science programs to Chicago Public Library branches, when it gets dark earlier and outdoor viewing is more practical.

In addition to telescope nights, Adler experts are participating in the fall One Book, One Chicago lecture series. Those free public talks will feature scientists discussing high-resolution deep space imagery and black hole collisions, according to the program announcement.

The lecture series offers library visitors another way to hear Adler experts without traveling to the museum campus. The telescope nights depend on clear skies and evening weather, while the talks are indoors and focus on current astrophysics topics.

Chicago residents can attend the neighborhood viewing nights without cost. Participants should plan around the 6 to 8 p.m. window and expect the sessions to follow outdoor telescope viewing conditions.

The schedule begins with the October 19 session at the Portage-Cragin branch. The Adler and the library system will continue the program through November 16, with the final telescope night at Bucktown-Wicker Park.