National Air and Space Museum
In Case of Emergency, Pack Snowshoes
In 1933, Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh prepared for the worst by packing winter gear before flying over the Arctic
January 2011 |
By Owen Edwards
Wednesday Roundup: Aviator Lions, Rockwell Models and Baby Anteaters
Air and Space Lions—Understandably, folks over at the AirSpace blog have been feeling a bit envious of all the attention the National Zoo has been getting on account of their seven new lion cubs (ATM has covered their birth, swim tests, physical exams and outdoor exploration in recent months). To s...
December 29, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
Events: Kwanzaa, Crochet, ZooLights and More
Monday, December 27: ZooLightsZooLights, the National Zoo’s festive electric light display, is back once again—and this year it’s absolutely free! For children of all ages, a menagerie of LED light sculptures modeled after critters at the Zoo will be on display. Tickets are NOT required. ZooLights ...
December 27, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Wednesday Roundup: Happy Holidays!
Total Eclipse of the Moon—Early yesterday morning (or late Monday night for those on the west coast), an astronomical event took place that only happens once in a blue moon. Well, okay, it wasn't a blue moon, but it was a total lunar eclipse. This was the first lunar eclipse to fall on the winter ...
December 22, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
Events: ZooLights, Book Signings and the Rhythm of the Drum
Monday, December 20: ZooLightsZooLights, the National Zoo’s festive electric light display, is back once again—and this year it’s absolutely free! For children of all ages, a menagerie of LED light sculptures modeled after critters at the Zoo will be on display. Tickets are NOT required. This event...
December 20, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Events: Seasonal Celebrations, Norman Rockwell, Public Art and More
Monday, December 6: For an all-inclusive seasonal celebration, come see “Seasons of Light.” This annual performance highlights the customs of winter holidays from all over the world, such as Ramadan, Devali, Hanukkah, Las Posadas, Christmas and Winter Solstice celebrations. Tickets are required. Pr...
December 06, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Wednesday Roundup: Flamingos, Planes and XKCD
First Aircraft Moved to New Hangar: This week, AirSpace reports that the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was the first aircraft to move into the Udvar-Hazy Center's new Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar. Designed in 1938 and manufactured in 1942, the scout bomber flew in World War II. The Air and Space Mu...
December 01, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
Events: Native American Dance, Book Signings, Postal Museum Tours and More
Monday, November 22: National Postal Museum Highlights TourOnly have a limited time to see the sights at the Postal Museum and don't know where to dive in? Take a docent-led tour of the museum's collections to make sure you see all the major things and gain a little insight into their importance co...
November 22, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight Gallery Opens Tomorrow
Since 1976, the National Air and Space Museum's Pioneers of Flight Gallery has housed such beloved airplanes as Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Vega and Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh's Lockheed Sirius. But after more than 30 years on display, museum staff decided in 2009 that the planes and the exhi...
November 18, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
Wednesday Roundup: Space Suits, Diaries and Native Music
Inner Workings of the Space Suit: This week, the AirSpace blog exposes one of their spacesuits from the inside out using X-Ray imaging. Until now, the only way to glimpse the inside of these high-tech uniforms was to shine a flashlight down the wrist or neck of the outfit. But recently, Mark Avino,...
November 17, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
Wednesday Roundup: Earhart, Rockman and Heye
Air and Space Preview: One of the Air and Space museum's most popular exhibits is the "Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight" gallery. Among its offerings are planes flown by such famed aviators as Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart, who spearheaded the field in the 1920s and 1930s when many were skep...
November 10, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
Discovery's Last Flight
NASA's space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to launch today at 3:29 pm Friday at 3:04 PM on November 30. This will be the shuttle's final flight, before being retired along with the rest of the NASA shuttle program later next year. Discovery is the first of NASA's three shuttles to make its final j...
November 04, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
Costume Ideas From the Smithsonian Collections
Halloween is two days away—costume parties perhaps even sooner—and if you are anything like me, you are probably Googling "easy costume ideas" right about now. Well, look no further. Here, Smithsonian.com's Around The Mall team brings you ten clever (if we do say so ourselves!) costume ideas inspir...
October 29, 2010 |
By Megan Gambino
Weekend Events: Celebrate Halloween at the Smithsonian and a Printmaking Workshop
Friday, October 22: Boo at the ZooPerfect for persons ages two to 12, the 11th annual Boo at the Zoo provides families with a safe, fun and educational way to celebrate Halloween. Dress up and step on out to haunt the National Zoo where there will be 40 treat stations featuring an assortment of can...
October 22, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Wednesday Roundup: Podcasts, Warhol and Archives
Just Close Enough To The Sun—This week, the folks at the "AirSpace" blog treat us to a few photos of that fiery red giant near and dear to our hearts, the sun. Using a telescope from the Public Observatory Project made especially for looking into the sun's harsh light, solar imaging expert Greg Pie...
October 20, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
Suit Up With Astronaut Tailor Pablo de Leon
They look cool, they weigh a ton and they can save your life. But who designs the space suits our astronauts wear, how is it done, and what might they look like in the future? As part of Smithsonian’s celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Argentinean aerospace engineer Pablo De Leon will be discu...
October 14, 2010 |
By Jeff Campagna
October 4, 2004: SpaceShipOne Wins $10 Million X Prize
On October 4, 2004, SpaceShipOne—the first privately owned, piloted vehicle to reach space—returned from its third journey to clinch the $10 million Ansari X Prize. The prize, meant to encourage entrepreneurship in space travel, was awarded to creator Burt Rutan and financier Paul Allen after the s...
October 04, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
Wednesday Roundup: Archives Month, Accelerometers, Roller Skates and Great Debates
For the record, October is American Archives Month—To celebrate, the Smithsonian Collections blog, SIRIS, is hosting a 31-day blogathon, where Smithsonian museums and affiliates will be blogging about their archives, giving an insider's look at what goes into preserving and storing so many precious...
September 29, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
Events: Argentine Design, American Graffiti, a Portrait Gallery Party and More
Monday, September 27: Sadly, no special events are slated for today. However, visit this site for a full listing of regularly-scheduled goings-on around the Smithsonian and I am sure something is bound to strike your fancy.Tuesday, September 28: All Hands on Design! Designers from ArgentinaFor thos...
September 27, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Events: Victory Gardens, Aviation Films, Performance Readings and More
Monday, September 13: Picture This! A World in a Work of Art, 2-Session Evening CourseEveryone learns how to read words just fine in school, but no one really teaches you how to read images. Get a crash course in how to read and gain information from artworks in this two-session event brought to yo...
September 13, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
