A guide to stargazing and observing the cosmos from Kansas City

Sometimes, Kansas City feels like the center of the universe, a rising star of the Midwest. At others, we’re reminded that we’re just an infinitesimal speck in the swirling mass of the Milky Way Galaxy. Beneath that starry canopy, we live and dream and gaze above, star-struck by its magnitude and awe.

Putting that majesty into detail, NASA released first images from the James Webb Space Telescope on July 12, revealing exquisite, glittering images of galaxies far, far away.

But celestial bodies have always fascinated us. They’ve guided our travels, told our fortunes and shaped our lives. In Kansas, the motto “Ad Astra Per Aspera” (To The Stars Through Difficulty) was adopted in May 1861, signifying Kansas’ long battle to statehood and joining the union.

It's also the season of the Perseids meteor shower, which began July 17 and continues through mid-August. Your best chance of seeing meteors is during its peak on August 12-13.

Explore the cosmos with this celestial tour of Kansas City: