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We hope you dried off from yesterday’s hail storm and are now enjoying today's sunny weather. Today we bring you stories on a comet you can see this month and the state legislature’s work on public transit.
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Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS photographed from Indonesia in late September 2024. (David Davies / iStock)
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Move over Northern Lights, Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS has entered the picture.
Scientists have been tracking the orbit of Tsuchinshan–ATLAS for nearly two years. Now, the comet is showing up in the night sky over Chicago, where in the coming days it might even be visible to the naked eye.
Tsuchinshan–ATLAS (named for the pair of observatories that independently discovered the comet in 2023) is burning as bright as Polaris, the North Star, with an intact comet head — known as a “coma” — that measures more than 100,000 miles in diameter and a tail stretching for nearly 20 million miles.
Here’s how to catch a once-in-a-lifetime glimpse:
If you don’t trust your own ability to locate the comet, let the professionals be your guide.
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Oct. 17 and Oct. 19: Joe Guzman, aka the Chicago Astronomer, will post up with his telescope for public sessions at the 606 Bloomingdale Trail, 6:30-8:30 p.m.; meet at the west end of the trail, 1805 N. Ridgeway Ave.
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Oct. 16 and Oct. 23: The Adler Planetarium will host outdoor sessions on the west side of the building, beginning at 6:45 p.m., running until 8 p.m. on the 16th and until 9 p.m. on the 23rd.
Where To Look
Find a place with unobstructed views to the west/southwest, and scan the horizon after sunset. Wait till the sun has fully set to avoid eye damage.
What To Look For
The comet will appear like a fuzzy glowing cloud; it will not streak across the sky like a shooting star. If the object moves, it's not a bird or Superman; it’s a plane.
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The Illinois State Capitol is pictured on Oct. 15, 2024. (Nick Blumberg / WTTW News)
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A committee of state lawmakers wrapped up a series of hearings on transit, their focus broadened to public transportation issues around the state as well as the fiscally challenged Chicago area. They talked about proposed governance changes many lawmakers say must happen in order for the General Assembly to come through with more money.
The Illinois Senate’s Transportation Committee has been meeting since July to grapple with the thorny issue of funding for Chicagoland’s transit system and whether to replace the CTA, Metra, Pace and Regional Transportation Authority with a single agency that will oversee bus, train and paratransit services.
The proposal also calls for $1.5 billion in new funding – but at a Tuesday hearing, transit leaders from other parts of Illinois asked lawmakers to ensure their systems don’t lose out on the state funding they badly need.
What happened:
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Many lawmakers acknowledged that coming up with an extra $1.5 billion in annual funding will be a big lift and haven’t yet proposed specific sources.
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The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning report floated the idea of merging the separate transit agencies and juicing them with extra funding from a city vehicle registration surcharge and a parking tax.
What's next:
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The committee chairman, State Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago), called on the CTA, Metra, and Pace to provide more detailed plans for how they’d deploy additional state funding.
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There's also a closed-door working group of House lawmakers tackling the issue at the direction of House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch.
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Back in the Day: October 16, 1984 - Ronald Reagan Campaigns In the Suburbs
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There’s something different about presidential campaigns these days. Just this week, one candidate ended a townhall-style interview early by playing music videos by Sinead O’Connor, Rufus Wainwright and more for over a half-hour. The other is expected to go on a podcast run by former host of “Fear Factor” to secure votes. On this day 40 years ago, it was also election season when President Ronald Reagan hit a trio of Illinois spots to galvanize his base. Along with Gov. Jim Thompson, Reagan visited the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Bolingbrook High School in Bolingbrook and Romeoville’s WILCO Area Career Center. Most of the events were voter Q&As that focused on protecting Social Security and Medicare (which Reagan’s opponent Walter Mondale had repeatedly slammed him on) and what Reagan would do with a second term. After the November election, Reagan won by a landslide, carrying every state besides Mondale’s home of Minnesota. He won Illinois by over 600,000 votes. (This was the second to last time Illinois went for the Republican candidate).
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Local Live Music Recommendations for Oct. 16-22
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Fake Fruit (credit: Daniel Topete)
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Each Wednesday, we present must-see live music shows from indie rock to jazz, country, hip-hop and more. We have even more options in this full list.
Wednesday, Oct. 16:
Clairo, Alice Phoebe Lou at Salt Shed. Tickets.
The exciting songwriter debuted a more sophisticated, ‘70s-inspired palette on her latest LP “Charm.”
Thursday, Oct. 17:
Riley Mulherkar at Constellation. Tickets.
This trumpet-playing jazz musician is a founding member of The Westerlies, a New York-based brass quartet, a Newport Jazz Festival alum and the artist behind “Riley,” “one of the best debut records to come out in a long, long time,” according to DownBeat Magazine.
Friday, Oct. 18:
Fake Fruit, Spread Joy at the Hideout. Tickets.
This Oakland post-punk band makes kinetic, energetic and irreverent songs.
Saturday, Oct. 19:
Fruit Bats, Kevin Morby, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Minor Moon at Salt Shed. Tickets.
My Sweet Midwest Fest ends on a high note with one of the best bills of the year.
Monday, Oct. 21:
André 3000, Meshell Ndegeocello at Salt Shed. Tickets.
The virtuosic OutKast rapper discovered the meditative power of jazz and flute music.
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With the weather likely changing soon, what’s one fun thing you did outside in Chicago this year? Tell us what, where, and why it was a blast. |
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published. |
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5:30 PM | 10:00 PM |
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry |
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