• Smithsonian
    Institution
  • Travel
    With Us
  • Smithsonian
    Store
  • Smithsonian
    Channel
  • goSmithsonian
    Visitors Guide
  • Air & Space
    magazine

Smithsonian.com

  • Subscribe
  • History & Archaeology
  • Science
  • Ideas & Innovations
  • Arts & Culture
  • Travel & Food
  • At the Smithsonian
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Games
  • Shop
  • Human Behavior
  • Mind & Body
  • Our Planet
  • Technology
  • Space
  • Wildlife
  • Art Meets Science

Editors' Picks

“Earth-Like” Exoplanets May Actually Be Mini-Neptunes

Many newly discovered exoplanets may not be able to shed their dense hydrogen atmospheres, making them unsuitable for life

The Fisher Space Pen Boldly Writes Where No Man Has Written Before

The Fisher Space Pen has been made famous by Apollo astronauts and Jerry Seinfeld. But just how does it work? And is NASA really spend millions making it?

Does Deep Space Travel Cause Alzheimer’s?

A new study indicates that the levels of radiation astronauts would experience over the course of a deep space mission could lead to dementia

Science Beats

Space

Page 2 of 3

“Earth-Like” Exoplanets May Actually Be Mini-Neptunes

Many newly discovered exoplanets may not be able to shed their dense hydrogen atmospheres, making them unsuitable for life
February 05, 2013 | By Mohi Kumar

Mona Lisa Travels by Laser, to Space And Back Again

To test the reaches of laser communication, NASA beamed a digital image of Leonardo da Vinci's famous portrait to a satellite orbiting the moon
January 25, 2013 | By Megan Gambino

meteorite

The Building Blocks of Life May Have Come From Outer Space

February 2013 | By Ker Than

Watch Jupiter “Kiss” the Moon Tonight

Tonight, night sky watchers in the Northern Hemisphere can see Jupiter pass less than a finger's width away from the waxing Moon
January 21, 2013 | By Mohi Kumar

The Fisher Space Pen Boldly Writes Where No Man Has Written Before

The Fisher Space Pen has been made famous by Apollo astronauts and Jerry Seinfeld. But just how does it work? And is NASA really spend millions making it?
January 11, 2013 | By Jimmy Stamp

The ISS’s New Inflatable Room Could Pave the Way for Space Hotels

Set to launch in 2015, this new piece of the International Space Station is designed to be blown up like a balloon
January 17, 2013 | By Colin Schultz

Star Trek Got Warp Speed All Wrong

Hold everything people. The blast of a star and light that happens in Star Trek when they jump to warp speed? Wrong! It wouldn't look like that at all, according to some physicists
January 17, 2013 | By Rose Eveleth

At Night, Giant Fields of Burning Natural Gas Make North Dakota Visibile From Space

Locals have a new nickname for their state. North Dakota: "Kuwait on the Prairie"
January 18, 2013 | By Rachel Nuwer

Doomed Satellite’s Final Act Was To Film the Moon’s Surface From Just 30,000 Feet Above

Get a jet airliner's view of the surface of the Moon
January 14, 2013 | By Colin Schultz

You Can’t Throw a Rock in the Milky Way Without Hitting an Earth-Like Planet

A new estimate says there are 17 billion Earth-like planets in the Milky Way
January 08, 2013 | By Colin Schultz

Do We Really Need to Take Vacations to Space?

The possibility of entering a sealed aircraft, buckling up and exiting the atmosphere in the name of leisure is nearing reality
December 27, 2012 | By Alastair Bland

PHOTOS: Getting Ready for the World’s Largest Radio Telescope

In Chile’s Atacama Desert, astronomers are preparing for a new array that will stretch across 10 miles
January 2013 | By Leah Binkovitz

Does Deep Space Travel Cause Alzheimer’s?

A new study indicates that the levels of radiation astronauts would experience over the course of a deep space mission could lead to dementia
December 31, 2012 | By Joseph Stromberg

Space Exploration and the End of an Era: Notable Deaths in 2012

Neil Armstrong, Sally Ride, Roger Boisjoly and the shuttle program form this year's late greats of space exploration
December 28, 2012 | By Mohi Kumar

From the Higgs Boson to a new way to desalinate seawater, 2012 was a major year for science

Mythical Particles, Goldilocks Planets and More: Top 5 Surprising Scientific Milestones of 2012

From the Higgs Boson to the Curiosity rover, 2012 was a major year for science
December 14, 2012 | By Joseph Stromberg

A 2.1 Billion-Year-Old Meteorite Reveals Water on Mars

Chemical analysis shows that the meteorite, discovered in Morocco, contains ten times as much water as any Martian rock previously studied
January 03, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

Astronomers Discover the Most Explosive Black Hole Yet

The newly discovered quasar spews an amount of energy equivalent to more than two million suns
November 28, 2012 | By Joseph Stromberg

Elon Musk, the Rocket Man With a Sweet Ride

The winner of the Smithsonian Ingenuity Award for technology hopes to launch a revolution with his spaceship and electric car
December 2012 | By Carl Hoffman

Jim Anderson

The Ozone Problem is Back – And Worse Than Ever

James Anderson, the winner of a Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award, has discovered the alarming link between climate change and ozone loss
December 2012 | By Sharon Begley

A Wandering “Homeless” Planet is Spotted in Deep Space

Astronomers have spotted an object roughly 100 light-years away that appears to be a planet not associated with any star
November 16, 2012 | By Joseph Stromberg

In Space, Flames Behave in Ways Nobody Thought Possible

Combustion experiments conducted in zero gravity yield surprising results
December 2012 | By Ker Than

Newly Discovered Earth-like Planet Could be Habitable

44 light years away, scientists have detected a planet that might be the right temperature to hold liquid water, a precondition for life
November 08, 2012 | By Joseph Stromberg

The Sun

The Sun’s Swirling Green Gases of Wonder

Unprecedented images from space capture the Sun’s true beauty
November 2012 | By Erin Wayman

The Orionid Meteor Shower Will Light Up the Skies This Weekend

Debris shed by the legendary Halley's comet could make for an impressive meteor show
October 19, 2012 | By Joseph Stromberg

How the Moon Was Made

A new type of evidence found in lunar rocks indicates that an enormous collision between a young Earth and a Mars-sized object formed the moon
October 17, 2012 | By Joseph Stromberg

« Previous 1 2 3 Next »

Advertisement

Most Popular

  • Viewed
  • Emailed
  • Commented
  1. Myths of the American Revolution
  2. The 20 Best Small Towns in America of 2012
  3. The 20 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2013
  4. For 40 Years, This Russian Family Was Cut Off From All Human Contact, Unaware of WWII
  5. Seven Famous People Who Missed the Titanic
  1. For 40 Years, This Russian Family Was Cut Off From All Human Contact, Unaware of WWII
  2. The Surprising Satisfactions of a Home Funeral
  3. The Story Behind Banksy
  4. Mona Eltahawy on Egypt’s Next Revolution
  5. Why Procrastination is Good for You
  1. Life on Mars?
  2. What the Discovery of Hundreds of New Planets Means for Astronomy—and Philosophy
  3. Women Spies of the Civil War
  4. The Mystery of Easter Island
  5. Taking the Great American Roadtrip

View All Most Popular »

Travel with Smithsonian





Follow Us

Smithsonian Magazine
@SmithsonianMag
Follow Smithsonian Magazine on Twitter

Sign up for regular email updates from Smithsonian.com, including daily newsletters and special offers.

Smithsonian Magazine for iPad

Get the full content of Smithsonian magazine, plus exclusive extras on our iPad edition.

Newsletter

Sign up for regular email updates from Smithsonian magazine, including free newsletters, special offers and current news updates.

Subscribe Now

About Us

Smithsonian.com expands on Smithsonian magazine's in-depth coverage of history, science, nature, the arts, travel, world culture and technology. Join us regularly as we take a dynamic and interactive approach to exploring modern and historic perspectives on the arts, sciences, nature, world culture and travel, including videos, blogs and a reader forum.

Explore our Brands

  • goSmithsonian.com
  • Smithsonian Air & Space Museum
  • Smithsonian Student Travel
  • Smithsonian Catalogue
  • Smithsonian Journeys
  • Smithsonian Channel
  • About Smithsonian
  • Contact Us
  • Advertising
  • Subscribe
  • RSS
  • Topics
  • Member Services
  • Copyright
  • Site Map
  • Privacy Policy
  • Ad Choices

Smithsonian Institution