Wheaton College Observatory (IL)

11/04/2021

If you are in a place with clear skies (& far enough North) there's a good chance you could see Northern Lights tonight.

10/30/2021

We're still waiting for impact. Sensors on the ACE satellite indicate that it could happen any time. The chance for aurora depends on the configuration of the interplanetary magnetic field around the earth. If it is pointing favorable, there will be widespread auroras, if not, then not -- but to know that, we'll have to wait until impact. So, stay tuned for now.

10/30/2021

No sign of a solar wind impact yet, but here is a nice website to keep track of how the event is unfolding.

Space Weather Overview Solar GOES Solar Ultraviolet Imager Solar Visible Light LASCO C3 Solar Wind ACE Mag and SWEPAM WSA-Enlil Prediction Geospace Aurora Forecast 3-Day Satellite Environment Updated Time: Ionosphere US Total Electron Content D Region Absorption Prediction Solar Cycle Sunspot Number...

10/30/2021

More on the expected northern lights. Hopefully the magnetic conditions around the earth are conducive for widespread aurorae (not an automatic given) -- but we'll only know that once the shock arrives.

10/29/2021

Northern Lights forecasted for tomorrow night (Oct 30) or possibly tonight already. A strong flare erupted at the Sun yesterday and a big cloud of gas is on it's way to the earth, with impact in the next 24-36 hours. More info and current conditions at

Sunspot number: 96 What is the sunspot number? Updated 29 Oct 2021 Spotless Days Current Stretch: 0 days 2021 total: 60 days (20%) 2020 total: 208 days (57%) 2019 total: 281 days (77%) 2018 total: 221 days (61%) 2017 total: 104 days (28%) 2016 total: 32 days (9%) 2015 total: 0 days (0%) 2014 total:....

10/12/2021

Interested in the Northern Lights? Check out this talk (streamed tonight) by Wheaton's own Dr. Schroeder about his most recent findings, published in Nature this past summer!

------- Here's the info:
Dr. Schroeder is giving a virtual presentation tonight at 7:30p about his northern lights research that was published this summer. This is part of the monthly colloquium series hosted by the Prairie Section of the American Physical Society. The title is "Shedding light on Earth's light show: a lab study of how electrons can gain the energy needed to produce northern lights." Registration is free with the attached link.
https://apsphysics.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcsdeGqrzwoHtxpNnJxBvnFhc_wzGrLYK02

07/15/2021

Follow the high altitude balloon of the Dakota Skies class at the Wheaton College Science station on its way to near space. It carries several experiments that the students have designed, investigating the effects of altitude, low temperature and pressure, and higher levels of UV and cosmic rays on batteries, rubber bands, plant seeds and bacteria. Through the link you can follow the current position of the balloon. We will post some GoPro of the flight later. https://tracking.stratostar.net/mission/0448

Unfortunately, we were not able to get the live-stream working... we don't have enough bandwidth for that. We might try it again tomorrow, but don't have high hopes that it will work. Sorry about that.

StratoStar Mission Control - Follow a student mission to the edge of space

03/01/2021

Reports are coming in that the Northern Lights are visible in Northern Illinois tonight (2/28/21). There is a chance that they will become more active and visible over the next couple of hours, but they will most likely stay quite close to the horizon, so a clear view of the Northern horizon, and low light pollution, is necessary to see them.

02/19/2021

Roger Wiens has loved science since he and his brother built rockets in Mountain Lake.

02/17/2021

Featuring (astronomy) professor Erskine and her students working on the Mars Settlement Project this past summer!

Landscape view of Salsberry Peak in the Pahrump Hills region, Gale Crater, Mars. Inset: Curiosity Rover “selfie.”  Credit: NASA Part 1. Full speed ahead 2021 will be a busy year...

12/23/2020

Skies were clear again tonight, so I took one more picture of the Great 2020 Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction with one of the Celestron 11" telescopes on the deck. Image is taken with a regular Canon EOS T3i camera. You can see Jupiter at the top (a bit over exposed, but with its four moons) and Saturn at the bottom, including its rings. They are a little bit further apart than yesterday, but still a phenomenal sight!

12/21/2020

Update: Clouds will thicken this afternoon, but hopefully there will be some clearings between 5 and 6PM tonight. We'll be live no matter what, and if we can't see it from here we will re-broadcast a stream from another observatory.