The night sky above the Chicago area is going to be downright gorgeous this week. The Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, will be visible across the Midwest on Tuesday night, bringing a gorgeous light show to the region. Normally the phenomenon isn't visible in Illinois, but a huge solar storm combined with clear skies will give Chicagoans a unique opportunity to see it without traveling to Minnesota.
Chicago's orange glow produces some pretty terrible light pollution, so you'll probably need to head out of the city to catch a glimpse of the lights. You can find pockets where light pollution isn't as pernicious with sources like Dark Site Finder.
If a Tuesday night trip to the boonies doesn't sound appealing, you can still catch some cool astronomical happenings in the city. The Taurid meteor shower peaks this week and will give Chicagoans a good chance to see a shooting star in the city. It will produce about five to 10 meteors per hour and will continue through the middle of November. Light pollution will also hinder the view of the shower, but if you're lucky (and persistent), you may be able to see the majestic sight of a chunk of space rock burning up in the atmosphere above the skyline.
So buckle up, astronomy nerds. This week is bringing the most exciting run of celestial events to the Chicago area since the Harvest Moon lunar eclipse in September.