When the moon passes between the earth and the sun on October 14, creating a partial eclipse, Tom Skilling will be watching closely. “There’s just something about it that makes you realize what an amazing universe we live in, and what a tiny part of it we are, when you see this take place before your very eyes,” the legendary WGN meteorologist says. “It’s moving beyond words.”

Good news: You can watch with him. During the eclipse, Skilling will emcee a free viewing event outside the Adler Planetarium, where you will be able to observe the eclipse — safely, of course, through one of several thousand solar viewers Adler will have on hand —  and ask astronomers about the phenomenon. (Adler is also mounting Chasing Eclipses, a special temporary exhibit inside the planetarium that began Labor Day weekend.) While maximum coverage of the sun — 43 percent — will be reached at 11:58 a.m., watchers will have nearly three hours to view the eclipse, according to Adler astronomer Michelle Nichols. Says Skilling, “We can see it here from Chicago clearly — it is just one of those natural phenomena that we don’t see every day. We’ve got to take advantage of them.”