Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Stories from Christian Thorsberg

The return capsule of the Chang'e-6 probe lands in China on June 25, 2024, with lunar samples inside.

China Brings Samples From the Moon’s Far Side to Earth in First-Ever Feat

The China National Space Administration retrieved more than four pounds of lunar soil samples, which scientists hope will shed light on the early history of Earth and the moon

A firefighter stands in a blaze at the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge in 2009.

Extreme Wildfires Became Twice as Frequent and Intense in 20 Years, Study Finds

As measured by satellites, wildfires have markedly increased in boreal and temperate conifer forests, and rising nighttime temperatures allow flames to keep burning intensely after dark

An illustration of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, currently docked to the International Space Station as engineers troubleshoot helium leaks and thruster issues.

Starliner Astronauts Will Remain on Space Station Until July Amid Technical Issues

NASA and Boeing have delayed the crewed mission’s return to Earth again, as engineers assess helium leaks and a thruster issue on the spacecraft’s service module

A new study sheds light on the timeline of the human immune response when confronted with SARS-CoV-2 and other infectious diseases.

Why Are Some People Seemingly Immune to Covid-19? Scientists May Now Have an Answer

Researchers tracked the immune responses of 16 people intentionally exposed to SARS-CoV-2 and pinpointed a gene that seems to help resist the virus before it can take hold

Air temperatures in Joshua Tree, California, exceeded triple-digits on June 5, 2024.

Extreme Heat and Wildfire Smoke Should Be Considered ‘Major Disasters’ by FEMA Amid Climate Crisis, Advocates Say

Despite killing more people in the U.S. each year than hurricanes, floods or tornadoes, heat waves aren’t currently eligible for emergency funding from the disaster relief agency

An artist's rendering of the Voyager 1 spacecraft entering interstellar space.

After Months of Glitches and Gradual Fixes, Voyager 1 Is Fully Operational Once Again

Currently 15 billion miles away from Earth, one of NASA’s longest-tenured spacecraft is back from the brink after a technical failure last year put its future in question

Purple squares illustrate auroras on Mars, as detected by NASA’s MAVEN orbiter between May 14 and May 20. The brighter the purple, the more auroras present.

Mars Was Hit With a Solar Storm Days After Earth’s Aurora Light Show, NASA Says

Studying this event could hold lessons for scientists about how to protect astronauts from radiation on future trips to the Red Planet

Captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, the heliosphere of a young star, LL Orionis, collides with an interstellar medium of dust. A similar event with our own sun, researchers say, might have occurred between two and three million years ago.

A Giant Interstellar Cloud May Have Once Enveloped Earth, Potentially Causing Ice Ages

Astronomers suggest this cold, dense cloud compressed our sun’s protective field between two and three million years ago, leaving the Earth exposed to cosmic material

An endangered Przewalski's horse is released into the Altyn Dala "Golden Steppe" in central Kazakhstan.

Endangered Wild Horses Return to Kazakhstan for the First Time in at Least 200 Years

The international effort, led by the Prague Zoo, released seven Przewalski’s horses to their native steppe habitat in central Asia

A simulated perspective of Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano in the solar system, with water frost at its peak.

Astronomers Discover Water Frost on Mars’ Tallest Volcanoes

On early winter mornings, a thin layer of ice forms in craters atop the Red Planet’s towering peaks, near its equator, according to a new study

Taken in December 1968 during NASA's Apollo 8 mission, William Anders' iconic "Earthrise" photograph galvanized environmental movements and inspired people on Earth.

William Anders, NASA Astronaut Who Captured Iconic ‘Earthrise’ Photograph, Dies at 90

The Apollo 8 lunar module pilot also served in the U.S. Air Force and worked extensively on nuclear energy projects

A horse herder in Inner Mongolia, China, in July 2019.

When Did Humans Domesticate Horses? Scientists Find Modern Lineage Has Origins 4,200 Years Ago

A new study suggests people in the Eurasian steppe bred horses around 2200 B.C.E., challenging earlier ideas about the beginnings of horse husbandry

Sue O'Connor (left) and Shimona Kealy (right) study some of the artifacts found in Timor-Leste, which offer clues that early humans took a more northern path from Southeast Asia to Australia tens of thousands of years ago.

Archaeologists Discover Clues to Ancient Migration Route That Brought Humans to Australia

New research offers evidence that humans did not inhabit the island of Timor until around 44,000 years ago, suggesting it was not part of the original migration route from Southeast Asia to Australia

A researcher stands with a measuring tape, next to a large rock with multiple animal engravings.

130-Foot Snake Carving Slithers Through 2,000-Year-Old Rock Art Found in South America

The conspicuous reptile renderings spotted along the Orinoco River likely functioned as territorial markers, akin to pre-Colombian road signs

An aerial image of Kilauea volcano erupting, June 3, 2024.

Hawaii’s Kilauea, One of the World’s Most Active Volcanoes, Erupts Again

The short-lived eruption occurred in an area of the volcano that had not erupted since December 1974

An illustration of our solar system's planets in a line. This week, six planets appeared to be in a line from Earth's perspective, but they did not acutally align in space.

Missed the ‘Parade of Planets’? These Upcoming Alignments Will Likely Be Better, Anyway

Astronomers tempered expectations of the celestial event this week, pointing to others in the near future as more exciting opportunities for sky watchers

Bufoceratias wedli, a deep-sea anglerfish

Bizarre Sex Helped Anglerfish Diversify and Dominate the Deep Sea, Study Suggests

Some of these fish perform obligate parasitism, in which males attach to—and then fuse bodies with—the much-larger females

From 1979 to 2020, severe turbulence in some locations increased by as much as 55 percent, according to a 2023 study.

Climate Change Is Making Airplane Turbulence More Common and Severe, Scientists Say

Following turbulence on a flight last week that led to one death and dozens of injuries, researchers, flight attendants and transportation officials alike are warning about links between warmer air and turbulence

Scientists trained three carrion crows to produce one, two, three or four vocalizations based on various visual or auditory cues.

Crows Can ‘Count’ Up to Four Like Human Toddlers, Study Suggests

Three carrion crows engaged in a simplified version of counting when prompted, and the birds showed signs of planning out their responses

TOKUFASTbot solved the Rubik's Cube in just 0.305 seconds.

Robot Sets New Rubik’s Cube Speed Record, Completing the Puzzle in 0.305 Seconds

A team of Mitsubishi engineers harnessed high-speed motors and an A.I. algorithm to eclipse the previous record, set six years ago

Page 11 of 16