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Outer Space, our solar system and Earth’s geography, geology and human environmentDiscover Smithsonian articles by place—including Earth, the solar system and outer space.
UPDATED: Has the Voyager 1 Probe Finally Left the Solar System?
New data indicate the spacecraft, launched in 1977, has neared interstellar space, more than 11 billion miles away from the Sun
March 20, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
How Does One Actually Shrink a Head?
How does one take a regular sized human skull and miniaturize it?
March 20, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
After 17 Years, the Northeast Is About to Be Blanketed by a Swarm of Cicadas
An inch and a half long with bright red eyes, the swarm of Brood II cicadas is coming
March 20, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
From the Big Bang to the End of the Earth and Everything in Between, the Two Minute History of America
A fun video by a Minnesota high school student tries to capture all of human history in just two minutes
March 20, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
It’s Pineapple Season, But Does Your Fruit Come From Hawaii?
While Hawaii was once the big kahuna in pineapple production, it's since been overtaken by other global powers
March 20, 2013 |
By Jesse Rhodes
‘Bone-Eating Zombie Worm’ And Eight Other New Species Live on the First Whale Skeleton Found in Antarctica
The Minke whale skeleton was probably on the seafloor for at least several decades and is only the sixth natural whale carcass ever found
March 20, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Warmer Temperatures Speed Tropical Plant Growth
New research challenges key assumptions about plant growth at increased temperatures
March 19, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Ecotourists Have Changed Stingrays’ Behavior—And Not for the Better
There might be a dark side to the so-called "interactive ecotourism" business
March 19, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Hundreds of Emaciated Stranded Sea Lion Pups Are Washing Ashore in California
No one knows what is causing the unprecedented strandings, and the number of pups in need of help is only increasing
March 18, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Nixon Prolonged Vietnam War for Political Gain—And Johnson Knew About It, Newly Unclassified Tapes Suggest
Nixon ran on a platform that opposed the Vietnam war, but to win the election, he needed the war to continue
March 18, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Events March 19-21: Poetry Lessons, Nam June Paik Films and a Native Ballet
This week, unlock your inner poet, see films by the first video artist and take in the history of the Osage people performed in dance
March 18, 2013 |
By Paul Bisceglio
Black Plague Death Pit Dug Up in London
Dug up during London construction, the bodies of those killed by the black plague
March 18, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Coffee Here, and Coffee There: How Different People Serve the World’s Favorite Hot Drink
Coffee is black and bitter—but global travelers find a surprisingly wide range of forms of the world's favorite hot beverage
March 15, 2013 |
By Alastair Bland
Albania Has No Idea What to Do With All of These Leftover War Bunkers
Albania's 700,000 war bunkers aren't going anywhere soon, so locals are turning them into hostels, animal sheds and make-out spots
March 15, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Whose Idea Were Cruises, Anyway?
By the 1960s, the cruise ship heyday had come and gone
March 15, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
The Town Featured in ‘Erin Brockovich’ Still Has a Bunch of Pollution in Its Water
The chromium pollution is spreading, and Hinkley's residents are at a loss for what to do
March 15, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Is Corned Beef Really Irish?
The rise and fall and rise of the traditional St. Patrick's Day meal
March 15, 2013 |
By Shaylyn Esposito
Six Centuries Ago, Chinese Explorers Left This Coin Behind in Africa
Emperor Yongle was perhaps best know for starting the initial construction of Beijing's Forbidden City, but he also sent huge fleets of ships, under the command of admiral Zheng He, out across the ocean to faraway lands
March 15, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Beautiful Monarch Butterflies Basically Aren’t Migrating Anymore
Over the past two years, the migration has shrunk by nearly 60 percent, the latest in a long-term plummet
March 14, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
The U.S. Is Stocking Drugs for a Hypothetical Smallpox Bio-Attack
In the event of a bio-terrorism smallpox attack, at least 2 million Americans will be able to get treatment, though we can all receive vaccinations
March 14, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
